Make the Most of Your Time - Focus on Strengths

Once working and focused in tune with what they do best, your people are freed up to deliver their very best performances. They encourage others to work to their strengths too. Thus, each is far more effective. By recognising this in each other, there is another benefit. Everyone realises the value that differences can bring to the team, business or organisation. And that is valued - people work together much more freely.

So, by challenging each other to be honest about what others can do better than they can, all benefit. Everyone is enabled to deliver what they do best, and by elevating them to work together, the bond grows as each values the performances where they work best.

In their excellent book, "Now Discover Your Strengths", Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman explore the hugely value-creating process which many organisations have embodied in their culture, by enabling individuals to do what they do best, more of the time.

The best individuals deliver exceptional performance in about just 5-6 of the likely 8-10 competencies which their job requires. The enlightened ones realise they can't do everything well and discover coping strategies for those areas which they need to deliver, but can't, for one reason or another - simply they bring huge qualities to their role, but not everything. This fits for management roles from top to bottom of an organisation.

So, then, cease the struggle!

Performance Reviews stop focusing on 'getting better' at those skills which are not their natural 'A' set. More, they help them focus on what they are great at, leveraging their abilities to the organisations best value.

And, hey, guess what, by doing this, they feel better, get much more of a buzz and their performance is elevated even more. It's like an upward spiral. When this is happening across the business, fabulous results are achieved.

There is less struggle and dread of their reviews ? less time wasted and individuals valued for what they are ? individuals and celebrate their unique skillsets.

So, how to cover the bits that aren't too hot? The best discover coping strategies with supporters around them, some delegate, some hire support. In fact, they often partner up with one or a number of colleagues who can deliver well, their own 'Achilles Heel' skills.

Look around, many CEO's have great support executives, who often complement their skill strengths. (Often the 'Finance Guy' who is keeping a tight rein on the creativity of the CEO - i.e. a reality check :-))

Focusing on what they do well, and getting others around them to do what they do well makes for much more effective and enjoyable working. Together with exceptional results - of course!

And it is such a release.

Copyright 2005 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - it would be good if you could include a live link)

...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Inspiring Loyalty and Contentment in Your Workforce

One of the first things I look at when I... Read More

Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: An Unexpected Benefit

This article relates to the Compensation and Benefits competency, commonly... Read More

Create Your Dashboard for Success

Driving down the road our eyes frequently scan the vital... Read More

OJT - On The Job Training

IntroductionManagers have two powerful ways of improving the performance and... Read More

Technology & Communication

A study a couple of years ago found that 63%... Read More

Stomp Out Leeches In Your Company

Recently, I felt appalled to see a political candidate running... Read More

Forget The Sandwich Technique

Do you remember being told to use the "sandwich" technique... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Improving Workplace Safety

This article relates to the Safety and Working Environment competency... Read More

Get Down With OCP: Evaluating DBA Job Applicants in an OCP World

Not long ago, weeding through DBA applicants with a tech... Read More

Success in Business Means Managing Negative Emotions

You may have the MBA but if an internal critic... Read More

Don?t Forget Where You Came from - Why the Past is Important in Implementing Business Change

Much of the literature and advice on implementing business change... Read More

Knowledge Mapping

This module focuses on the basics of Knowledge Mapping, its... Read More

Cultural Differences: Making it Work Virtually

Working virtually adds a whole new dimension to the phrase... Read More

Towards Intercultural Understanding

An individual's ability to forge effective relationships across cultures is... Read More

Efficiency Around The Office

Nearly every office, be it commercial or home-based, may have... Read More

Knowledge Management - Leadership Behaviours Which Encourage Knowledge-Sharing

The concept of knowledge management or knowledge sharing makes intellectual... Read More

Five Overlooked Ways To Hire Winners

Here is a true story. My dentist did a "clinical"... Read More

Feedback - Make it Descriptive

Have you ever heard yourself say to a team member... Read More

Allowing Employees Responsibility

Merely assigning a task with detailed instructions is not effective... Read More

Knowledge Management: More Than Just Know-how!

People sometimes interchange the terms "know-how" and "knowledge", but there's... Read More

Involving People Gave Us the Improvements We Needed

We had a problem with handling materials in a production... Read More

Managing YOUR Expectations

I sit on the board of an organization and at... Read More

Turn Your Speech Into A Leadership Talk

My experience working with thousands of leaders world wide for... Read More

Write Winning Proposals For Venture Capitalists

You need to secure money for your project. You visit... Read More

How to Find the Right Virtual Assistant for You

If you search on Google for "virtual assistant", you'll find... Read More

Future Business Success - What Does Good Look Like?

When you know you need to shift up a gear,... Read More

Catch Your Staff Doing Something Right

A long time ago, I learned something about being a... Read More

ISO 9001 the Process Approach to Quality Assurance

What is the Process Approach to Quality?The ISO 9001 2000... Read More

The Supervisors 14 Essential Truths For Communicating With Direct Reports

One amazing, but sadly true, fact of today's advances in... Read More

Why You Should Hold One More Meeting

If you are completely happy with where you and your... Read More

Does Your Management Style Remind People Of Something They Read In Dilbert?

With thanks to Jeff Foxworthy, the comedian who does the... Read More

Pricing Strategy for Retail Flower Shops

When you create your profit and loss statement to assess... Read More

Six Reasons to K.I.S.S.

Six Reasons to K.I.S.S. "Very often, people confuse simple with... Read More