Strength in People: what’s in a name?
My mission as a strengths coach and people specialist is to empower organisations to recognise, understand, and work with the strengths of the people they employ. Hiring the right people for your teams, supporting them to maximise their talents and engage with their roles, and valuing their input, can make the difference between a frustrating workplace and a highly successful business.
I’ve spent more than three decades working in SMEs and owner-managed businesses, and then running my own HR consultancy. I’ve taken my experiences of work, management, and workplace culture, and used them to develop the People EcosystemTM model for HR, aimed at building effective organisations.
Where’s the evidence?
You don’t need to take my word for it. Studies by Gallup have shown that businesses investing in strengths-based development can achieve as much as a 29% increase in profit, alongside an increase in employee engagement of up to 15%, and an increase in customer engagement of up to 7%. Employee engagement is significantly higher in teams where at least 90% of employees have identified their strengths, and are working to build on those strengths in the context of their role in the organisation.
Team benefits
Gallup also found that coaching employees to discover and value their strengths brings benefits at every level of a business.
Imagine a team where every member can name and understand the talents of the people they work with. A team whose members can clearly see the link between each person’s strengths and behaviour, and the success of the organisation. A team where members partner with each other to develop and complement each other’s talents.
Understanding, nurturing and developing strengths allows teams and managers to plan, develop strategies, analyse team performance and direct projects, whether working with individuals or teams.
Putting people first
My background in business and HR has provided me with many insights into SME environments. I have come to understand that, because every organisation is made up of individual people, each and every employee has the capacity to influence their organisation, for better or for worse.
The People EcosystemTM model puts the focus on employees as individuals, and empowers organisations to work with each person to recognise their strengths, reward their contributions to the business and help them to find their place in the team.
It is unfortunately common for SME managers to approach the people in the business as anonymous workers, without exploring their talents and potential. A piecemeal approach to management can see discipline used as the primary method of managing performance – separate from rewards, training, and a recognition of what each person brings to the team.
My research has shown that all these elements of people management are connected. Successful organisations address people issues as part of the wider business ecosystem. Recognising and working with these connections can bring long-lasting benefits to any organisation.
Coaching for strengths
In my coaching, I recognise that there are many different approaches and tools available to help organisations improve their people management systems. I am careful to tailor the tools I use to the particular client or team’s needs, but I always begin with the assumption that people will thrive if they are recognised for and can use more of their strengths.
As humans, we are unfortunately predisposed to focus on our weaknesses. It is not uncommon for me to work with people at all levels in an organisation who have never really considered their own strengths, let alone the strengths of their colleagues.
Change is never easy, but my approach to people management and coaching is always to give employees a good understanding of their strengths, and a common language to use when describing and developing the strengths that contribute to a successful team.
Self-reflection
In order to better understand my strengths, and the coaching I can offer, I have been through the Gallup Clifton Strengths Assessment myself. Here are my top ten strengths, according to the assessment:
- Learner – I’m always curious
- Maximiser – I excel at taking something good and improving on it
- Strategic – I take the time to consider all the possibilities
- Intellection – I value depth of understanding
- Input – I look for and research relevant and tangible resources
- Individualisation – I help people do what they do best
- Futuristic – I am inspired to imagine a better future
- Connectedness – I am skilled at integrating parts to make a whole
- Relator – I am genuine and authentic
- Achiever – I am a hard worker, setting the pace for the people I work with
The next step
For more information on the People EcosystemTM model, and to see how I can help you maximise the strengths in your people, book a discovery call with Strength in People today.
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