While you may have a general understanding of your employees’ capabilities, truly knowing their innate strengths is essential for long-term team success. By taking the HIGH5 strengths assessment, you’ll gain invaluable insights into each individual’s unique set of skills and how to foster their talents. This comprehensive tool provides a roadmap for optimizing your team’s collective strengths, enabling you to assign tasks aligned with their natural abilities and create an environment where everyone can thrive.
Doing so will also assist you in inventorying skill gaps within your team, so you can hire more intelligently. It may seem like a daunting task, though. Would you have to learn about each individual’s abilities, and take them into account every time you make a decision? While this may seem like a tough task that takes a lot of extra effort, it is truly easier and more enjoyable than you might believe. In fact, the increased productivity makes the small amount of additional planning worthwhile. In this article, you will learn specifically how to assign tasks based on your team’s strengths.
What are team strengths?
Team strengths are the unique combination of knowledge, skills, virtues, and traits presented and shared among a group of individuals. These innate qualities contribute to a team’s success over time by uniting members under common goals and values, fostering a cohesive unit. To truly understand and harness the power of these strengths, consider taking the HIGH5 strengths assessment.
This comprehensive tool provides detailed insights into each team member’s natural talents, allowing you to optimize their contributions and create a synergistic, high-performing team. These strengths are not as role-oriented, meaning they can be applied to team members no matter if they are a C-level executive or an intern.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
Conduct regular team-building exercises that allow team members to showcase their strengths in action. This not only reinforces their self-awareness but also fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other’s unique contributions.
Benefits of focusing on team strengths
Understanding strengths is crucial, because of its ability to facilitate company growth over time. Additionally, there are many other benefits you should be aware of when it comes to team cooperation.
They communicate well with each other
Communication is one of the essential skills you can instill into your team. Once all team members learn how to properly communicate, the flow of knowledge becomes seamless, and the team effectiveness skyrockets. Communication ensures that no team member is left behind and that everyone remains on the same page to avoid confusion.
To promote a healthy and effective communication pattern in a group, it is essential to make each member feel heard. Ensure that everyone speaks in turn, everyone listens, and everyone has the chance to have their opinion considered. Avoid distractions, derailments, accusations, and non-constructive criticism, and make sure to always talk from your perspective.
Research has shown that team communication is strongly related to team performance. In addition, how we communicate is just as important as how often we communicate – perhaps even more so. A meta-analysis of team communication and performance conducted by Marlow et al. (1) showed that communication quality had a significantly stronger relationship with team performance than communication frequency, and it is valuable to distinguish between different communication types.
The researchers classify communication into eight different forms, of which information elaboration – which involves exchanging information and ideas, and discussing and clarifying different perspectives in face-to-face meetings – had the strongest relationship with performance.
Strong teams understand the importance of valuing and hearing each other’s opinions, creating a comfortable and innovative workplace. Clear communication also allows leaders to delegate tasks based on individual strengths, as the managers will soon find it is in the team’s interest to ensure everyone prospers.
They focus on goals and results
Strength-focused teams unite through effective communication, but they also find common ground with their team goals and aspirations. When teams understand each other’s desires, even disengaged employees will work for the good of the group.
In 1990, organizational psychologists Edwin Locke and Gary Latham developed the Goal-setting Theory, based on research from previous decades (2). The authors suggest that people are motivated by challenging and attainable goals that align with their skills. When goals are clear enough, they provide a directive function for how to manage time.
If they are ambitious enough, goals can provide an energizing function, and if they are challenging enough, they can also create a persistence function by motivating people to keep working towards achieving said goal. The Goal-setting Theory is considered one of the most robust theories in organizational psychology and has been empirically supported by many studies since, as presented by the authors in their 2002 review (3).
Because every member is responsible for the team’s overall success (as well as making sure their individual contributions are of quality), teams become more result-oriented and motivated. Individuals are encouraged to set aside their differences to find a common goal. Using their strengths, they can all contribute to achieving valuable and desired results.
Everyone contributes their fair share
When managers identify a team’s strengths, they show their employees that they all have valuable qualities relevant to the workplace. In a successful team, neglecting to utilize your strengths is not an option. Employees should be motivated to contribute their fair share of feedback, skills, work, and mentorship not just for their own sake, but also for the team. No employee wants to let down his or her own team after being recognized for their strengths. Thus, the employee engagement rate increases, and individuals feel more connected to their team.
They offer each other support
A common theme within team strength-oriented teams is working for the good of the group, by supporting each other during projects and in times of need. By highlighting each individual’s strengths and contributions to the other employees, you ensure that all members have a common understanding of the team’s dynamics. Employees realize that every team member plays a crucial role within the company and that their strengths are irreplaceable. So, they end up helping struggling employees find their work style and engage them further in the business.
They are organized
Strong employees realize the importance of organization within a team in order to bring out the best in each team member. Let your team members set a timeline for the project, develop a detailed plan, delegate tasks, establish a communication system, and schedule regular meetings along the way. The organization allows teams to stay focused and saves time.
Additionally, it allows resources to be more easily accessible to employees, leading to better use of their skills and more committed employees. Without organization, teams may have difficulty tracking project progress, and they might find it challenging to determine whether somebody’s skills are being utilized to their potential.
They have fun
Employee satisfaction is often significantly increased when managers focus on strengths. Satisfied employees are more likely to describe their jobs as fun and energetic, and are less likely to get bored or quit. This creates a culture of employees who are truly interested in their careers and decreases turnover rates.
Examples of team strengths and weaknesses
Every team has its flaws and skills. The following list will provide some of the most common strengths and weak points a team has, so you can be inspired to instill new strengths into your team.
Team strengths
- Collaboration skills
- Leadership and delegation skills
- Organization and planning
- Strong work ethic
- Adaptability
- Problem-solving and analytical thinking
- Reliability
- Willingness to mentor others
- Discipline
- Persistence
- Persuasion
- Energy
Team weaknesses
- Selfishness
- Aggression
- Close-mindedness
- Disorganization
- Poor handling of criticism or pressure
- Impulsiveness
- Excessive shyness
- Greediness
- Disengagement
How to identify team strengths and weaknesses?
As a leader or manager, identifying your team’s strengths and weaknesses is one of your most crucial tasks. While direct observation and honest conversations are essential, consider leveraging the HIGH5 strengths assessment to gain a deeper understanding of your team’s innate talents.
This scientifically validated tool goes beyond surface-level impressions, providing a comprehensive and objective analysis of each individual’s unique strengths. With these insights, you can ensure that every team member is positioned to contribute their best, while also identifying areas for growth and development.
Listening and observing employee interaction may also help you find their strengths. Even what seems like normal interactions reveal information about workers. If someone is always upbeat and energized when speaking, they can help motivate others to bring positivity into their work experience. On the other hand, quiet employees may be disengaged instead of simply introverted.
Pay attention to how they act in a different environment, as this can help you draw distinctions between disengagement and introversion. And if you suspect an employee to have lost their motivation, this is a good opportunity to sit down with him or her to address potential reasons, and together find ways to nurture their strengths.
Taking these steps helps you better understand your employees and find new ways to keep them energized. It allows you to tailor their tasks to their strengths, increasing their satisfaction and productivity simultaneously.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
After identifying individual strengths through the HIGH5 assessment, facilitate a team discussion where everyone shares their top strengths. This open dialogue can foster a greater sense of camaraderie, trust, and mutual understanding within the team
The 10 best ways to build team strengths
Apply individual strengths to achieve the team’s overall goal
Once you identify someone’s strengths, the next step will be incorporating these skills into the team’s goal achievement plan. Evaluate the best ways that a particular strength can be used in the workplace. Then, ensure that the individual’s role in the team is aligned with their strengths, based on both their prior job experience and personality traits.
For instance, placing someone with technical skills and coding experience in a computer data management position would be beneficial to the overall team, as that individual is using their strength to help the team achieve their goal of developing software.
Incorporate strengths into performance conversations and reviews
How do you ensure teams continue using their strengths for the long term? You must ensure they feel heard, and valued, and have the opportunity to learn. Experienced managers do this by consistently evaluating performance and using a strength-based approach to improvement. If you see an employee struggling, consider speaking to them about new ways to use their strengths. Having a conversation about strengths allows employees to recognize their value to the team and whether they are using their strengths properly.
Help employees align their strengths with the expectations and responsibilities of their roles
Sometimes, your employee’s strengths may conflict with the tasks they are assigned. This could prevent the employee from fulfilling their potential, which could again, in the worst case, lead to lower team performance. Managers must learn to foster employee strengths by guiding individuals to focus more on using their strengths in their roles (read more on team coaching) Expectations for every role should be centered around each team member’s strengths and potential. As a result, the current team becomes the best version of themselves.
Encourage team members to act as “strengths advocates” to help others use their talents and gifts more fully
Every team has members who truly wish to go above and beyond. They want to help lead the group and give direction to their colleagues. These individuals should be viewed as leaders and strength advocates. Strength advocates act to ensure people make strength-based contributions to the team. Ask them to motivate other employees by pointing out their potential and skills.
Allow cross-training for team members with multiple strengths
Cross-training employees in additional tasks that fall outside their regular routine or area of expertise has been shown to improve individual performance (4) – and thereby also team performance. An effective strategy for cross-training employees is to pair them with a more experienced team member, or a member of another group or department. This will be a win-win situation: the experienced employee develops training skills while the new team member learns new skills and strengthens their existing ones.
Offer strength-based training opportunities
When you see someone truly invested in developing a certain strength, acknowledge them. Tell them that you see how hard they work on their skills and how much they have already developed. Communicate that training a particular strength could be beneficial to that individual throughout their entire career. Support them if they wish to invest time in learning new strengths, as long as they continue having the same positive attitude and the strengths center around your industry.
Create or invest in a team strength course
Such courses help employees understand their strengths, how they apply to the workplace, and how to develop new skills while also using current strengths. The investment would likely be worthwhile, for strength learning opportunities help you optimize task delegation and improve workplace efficiency.
Give employees the option of participating in off-site activities
Generally, employees who invest time in activities such as courses and conferences outside of work, display a motivation to learn about their strengths and excel at work. Make sure that you recognize their interest and reward them. Do not force individuals to attend such events, but rather, encourage them and help them by presenting them with relevant activities and giving them opportunities to attend. The people who show up/do not participate will tell you which team members are driven for self-improvement.
Organize team-building exercises
In addition to off-site courses and conferences, organizing team-building exercises outside of the workplace in the form of entertaining pastime activities can be a great way not only for the team to develop better dynamics, but also to observe each individual’s strengths in action. Who is more likely to take the lead and delegate tasks? Who is the most strategic in the group? Who is most keen to cheer the others on?
Activities such as sports games, obstacle courses, escape rooms, or scavenger hunts offer unique opportunities for the team to work together in solving challenges, while at the same time providing a refreshing break from the normal work situation, which can in itself increase productivity. Cooperating with each other in fun and engaging situations will help keep up the team spirit and bring the group members closer together.
Some may regard team-building activities as superficial, or worse, a waste of time and resources. However, the effect of team-building exercises has, in fact, been scientifically proven. A large meta-study from Small Group Research (5) identified and categorized four different team-building components – goal setting, interpersonal relations, problem-solving, and role clarification – and proved that team-building has a measurable, positive effect on all of these aspects.
Name the strengths of each employee
When you have effectively mapped the skills and abilities of each employee, you will have a clearer overview of each individual’s strengths, which you can use to help employees utilize them daily. Knowing an individual’s specific skill set helps the entire team succeed over time by ensuring they stay productive.
Employees do not perform as well when they are given tasks that are not based on both their hard skills and soft skills. Try to evaluate both their prior job experience and personality traits when issuing tasks to perform. Organizing regular meetings with your employees one-on-one to discuss these aspects may help increase their productivity and delegate tasks that align better with their skills.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
After identifying individual strengths through the HIGH5 assessment, facilitate a team discussion where everyone shares their top strengths. This open dialogue can foster a greater sense of camaraderie, trust, and mutual understanding within the team
Best team strengths quotes
The following quotes centered around team strengths can help you get an insight into how other successful individuals manage strength development, and why it matters so much.
- ”The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson
- “Unity is strength. . . when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek
- “Identify your problems, but give your power and energy to solutions.” – Tony Robbins
- “Focus on being productive instead of busy.” – Tim Ferris
- “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.” – Napoleon Hill
- ”Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one where they sprang up.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
- “It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” – Charles Darwin
- “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson
- “Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.” – John Rockefeller
- “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever.”― Amy Poehler
What are team weaknesses?
Team weaknesses are the collective limitations and areas where a group lacks proficiency or efficiency. Identifying these weaknesses is crucial for addressing gaps, improving team dynamics, and fostering overall growth.
Examples of team weaknesses
Team weaknesses may include aspects such as selfishness, disorganization, close-mindedness, and disengagement. They can manifest themselves in the form of heated arguments, non-productive discussions, inability to meet deadlines, and employees who dominate meetings without listening to others.
It is important to identify potential weaknesses both in a group and in individuals, in order to find productive solutions that benefit the team. As in the earlier example, if an employee struggles with a lack of motivation, talk with them about how to incorporate more engaging and challenging tasks that appeal to their skills.
If an employee is disorganized, provide examples of how to develop a time-effective schedule. If an employee is overly shy and afraid to speak in meetings, find other ways in which this person can express themselves and their opinions to the team. Initiating such discussions on a team level and one-on-one with your employees is essential to maintain their involvement and engagement in the task.
How do you turn team weaknesses into strengths?
Transforming team weaknesses into strengths involves identifying the areas needing improvement and creating targeted development plans. Encourage open communication and provide training or mentorship to address these gaps. By leveraging the unique strengths of team members, you can create a more balanced and capable team, turning potential drawbacks into opportunities for growth.
Team strengths FAQ
What is the greatest strength in teamwork?
The greatest strength in teamwork is effective communication, which ensures seamless knowledge sharing, mutual understanding, and cohesive collaboration towards shared objectives.
Overall Conclusion
Good teamwork consists of individuals coming together and working toward a shared goal. To ensure that everyone works effectively and feels valued, consider the many benefits of finding your team’s strengths.
Strengths-based leadership ensures that no employee feels unskilled or unvalued. Rather, they are encouraged to work to their full potential. Imagine how productive your team would be if every employee adopted this strength-centered mindset. Ultimately, their work ethic and results rely on how you choose to lead them.
References
- Marlow SL, Lacerenza CN, Paoletti, J, Burke CS, Salas, E. Does Team Communication Represent a One-size-fits-all Approach?: A Meta-analysis of Team Communication and Performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2018;144:145-170
- Locke EA, Latham GP. A theory of goal setting & task performance. Prentice-Hall, Inc; 1990
- Locke EA, Latham GP. Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation: A 35 Year Odyssey. American Psychologist. 2002;57(9):705-717
- Vasanthi S, Basariya SR. Employee Cross Training and its Impact on Employee Performance. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology. 2018;9(6):800-806
- Klein C, Diaz Granados D, Salas E, Le H, Burke CS, Lyons R, Goodwin GF. Does Team Building Work? Small Group Research. 2009;40(2):181-222
