Help your team meet its goals: it’s all about strengths
One of my top 5 CliftonStrengths is Communication, which means it’s fairly easy for me to put my thoughts into words. In order to turn my natural talent of communication into a solid strength for my business, I’ve focused on how to hone that skill so I can be as proficient of a communicator as possible.
To help me get there, I hired a speaking coach who’s working with me on communicating more effectively. She’s also helping me strategize stories and examples for a Ted talk I’m planning to give later this year. (I’ll let you know when it happens!) Refining this skill helps me meet my goals and more effectively build my business. Since it’s drawing on my strengths, it also energizes me and keeps me excited about my work.
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT MANAGERS OR HR DIRECTORS?
To get the best results from your team, it’s tremendously important to understand what gives your employees energy and to put them in roles that engage them. When you do, you’ll watch employee satisfaction go through the roof and help each employee to meet or exceed your team’s goals. Simply put: know your people.
Each individual assesses quantified goals differently depending on their CliftonStrengths. For example, you may ask them to make 30 phone calls or bring 3 new ideas to a meeting. To get the most from each employee, it’s helpful to think about the tools they have to meet those goals. Someone with top CliftonStrength in the Strategic Thinking category may need a lot of time to think and process, while someone with a CliftonStrength in the Influencing category thinks, “ Let’s just try it!”
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR EMPLOYEES SKILL SETS:
Begin by identifying and understanding their individual talents and CliftonStrengths.
Whenever possible, set individual goals based on their CliftonStrengths that help them meet those goals.
HOW THIS MIGHT WORK ON YOUR TEAM
Let’s say you have a salesperson who needs to attend 10 networking events in a month, but doesn’t have the CliftonStrength of Winning Others Over. (People who do love the challenge of meeting new people and derive great satisfaction from breaking the ice, making a connection, and winning people over—networking events are a very happy place for them.)
If your salesperson, instead, has the CliftonStrength of Learner, that employee loves the process of learning. You can help them succeed by having them shift their perception of networking. Instead of making the events about getting people to know and like them, you might suggest they take 5 awesome questions to ask others so they can learn more about the people they meet. They’ll feel much more comfortable in that role than if they feel like they’re trying to gain someone’s favor. And they’ll make the connections you need!
After trying a new strategy like this one, it’s important to debrief with your employee. Find out if this approach made networking easier, whether it gave them energy, and ask what they’d do differently next time. When you talk through the salient points, you both learn what works and what doesn’t, can make adjustments, and move forward, continuing to help your employee and your bottom line.
Contact Millennial Guru today to learn more about how we can help you find creative solutions like this one for your team. It’s easy when you understand what makes your employees tick. Sure, you’ll see better results. But you’ll also boost employee satisfaction because your team will be able to meet their goals using their individual strengths, rather than trying to be someone they’re not. We’d love to help you get there!