You may believe that you know your employees, but how well do you know your team’s strengths?
Understanding why they excel in certain tasks and how to foster their individual strengths can help the entire team succeed for the long term.
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 and every individual’s abilities, and then 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 strengths and skill sets that are presented and shared between a group of people.
They are qualities that contribute to a team’s success over time.
Strengths unite individuals under common goals and values, making the team a cohesive unit.
There is a vast amount of strengths teams can have, but in general, if a trait/hard skill benefits the entire team, it can be viewed as a team strength.
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.
Benefits of Focusing on Team Strengths
Understanding strengths is so crucial, simply because of its ability to foster company growth over time. Additionally, there are many other benefits you should be aware of.
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.
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
Since strength focused teams unite from effective communication, 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.
And since everyone is responsible for the team’s overall success (as well as making sure their individual contributions are quality), teams become more result oriented and driven.
Individuals are encouraged to set aside their differences to find a goal they can all agree on, and using their strengths, they can all contribute something to get valuable and desired results.
Finally, goals can serve as intrinsic motivators for teams using the strengths based approach. This is so since members will realize their own potential for contribution and will be encouraged to work to the best of their ability.
Everyone Contributes Their Fair Share
When managers identify a team’s strengths, they show all employees that they have valuable qualities that should be used when at work.
Deciding to simply avoid using your strengths is not an option in a successful team.
So, employees are 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.
Meaning, workers are willing to support each other in times of need and during a team project in general.
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.
When one has a focus on team strengths, they understand that in order to bring out the best in each team member, they must stay organized.
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. They may find judging whether or not someone’s skills are being used to their best ability challenging.
Solving this problem starts with organization and paying close attention to team strength.
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, 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.
List with 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
- Energetic
Team Weaknesses
- Selfishness
- Aggression
- Close-minded
- Disorganized
- Poor handling of criticism or pressure
- Impulsive
- Overly shy
- Greedy
- Disengaged
How to Identify Team Strengths and Weaknesses
As a leader/manager, identifying your team’s strengths and weaknesses is one of your most important tasks.
To find these qualities, you must remember to be direct and honest. In interviews, employees may downplay their strengths or lie about them to get the job.
Over time, you must build a trusting relationship with them so they can answer the question “what is your strength?” honestly.
Or you can suggest your team members to take the strengths test which will reveal their personal strengths and weaknesses
Also, consider viewing your team member’s social media profiles. Profiles may reveal lots of information on their interests and potential strengths, as well as their dislikes.
If you find they enjoy teaching high schoolers football in their spare time, consider giving them a chance to coach junior team members in their department.
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.
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.
10 Best Ways How To Build Team Strengths
Name the Strengths of Each Employee
Every team member has skills that can be used to benefit a team.
Effective managers look for ways to find these skills and 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.
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.
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.
Assign Team Projects Based on Employees’ Strengths
Even if an employee is unsure of their strengths, it is your responsibility as a manager to ensure they contribute to the team.
One way to do this is by assigning projects based on an employee’s strengths.
For example, if someone has great leadership skills, allow them to have more control and responsibility for overseeing the project. This is a far superior way of approaching delegation to assign tasks based on weakness improvement.
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, 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 also allows employees to understand how they are valuable 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 team’s strengths may stop aligning with their activities. Managers must learn to foster employee strengths.
You must guide 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
Just as there are employees who are already skilled in using a strength based approach, there will surely be new or inexperienced employees who may struggle to do so.
When this happens, consider pairing them with strong team members so they can also learn to use their strengths.
This will be a win-win situation: the experienced employee develops training skills while the junior team member learns to strengthen their skills.
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.
State that training a particular strength could be beneficial to that individual throughout their career in a certain industry.
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 such activities are very interested in learning about their strengths and excelling at work.
Make sure that you recognize their interest and reward them.
Do not force individuals to attend such events, but rather, see you do this of their own will.
The people who show up/do not participate will tell you which team members are driven for self improvement.
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
Team Strengths FAQ
What 10 characteristics make a good team?
Overall Conclusion on Team Strengths
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.
