by Kelly Harrison
Chances are, many of us have heard the phrase, “Play to your strengths,” but I personally never considered what the implications of that phrase were until the last few years, as I began working with a coach during my move from the military to the private sector after nearly 22 years serving as a Navy helicopter pilot.
So how can knowing your strengths help you flourish personally and professionally?
Think about a team sport, and imagine a team you know well playing that sport. I’ll demonstrate the ideas using an example of soccer but you can choose any team sport for this exercise. Now, imagine this team has a player who is extraordinary at a single position. Let’s say this team has an amazing goalkeeper for this exercise. But you can choose any position that makes sense to you. Think of the specific qualities that make this player extraordinary for that position.
Now, let’s imagine you show up to a game to watch this team play and the coach has taken that player you’ve identified and moved them to a new position. For the goalkeeper example, let’s say she’s now been thrown in as a midfielder. Think of one reason why this position change may not work for the player or the team. What is one skill she needs to succeed that may not be one of her strengths?
Did you think of running endurance or speed? Maybe it was ball handling under pressure. Perhaps you thought of the habit she needs as a keeper – stopping the ball with her hands – which could cause penalties if she defaults to habit in this new position. Is rounding out her skills forcing this exceptional goalkeeper to be a midfielder what’s best for the team? For her?
It’s interesting that leaders sometimes approach feedback conversations as a means to shore up weaknesses. What if instead leaders highlighted what’s going right and identified ways to enable direct reports to leverage their strengths more often?
There is plenty of evidence to show that people respond much better to positive feedback and it helps motivate them to work harder when they hear positive feedback. If you – or one of your teammates – isn’t flourishing at work, maybe they aren’t playing to their strengths.
In my own work with my coaching clients, people are usually most hesitant to dive in on strengths work, especially those who are analytical, like me. It can be uncomfortable to ask friends, family, and colleagues to highlight positive attributes. It can also be uncomfortable to explore what we believe are our positive attributes with a coach. But in the end, every single client (especially the most hesitant ones) has commented on the incredible value understanding their strengths brings to their daily experience. It can increase both effectiveness and motivation and can also help you identify ways to adjust your current role’s responsibilities so you are gaining the joy of fully leveraging your strengths in your professional life.
I recommend you start by understanding your own strengths. Then see if that understanding changes your approach to work and to the value you place on your teammates. You don’t need to be a great midfielder if you’ve always been built to be a goalkeeper. Find the right colleague who complements your strengths and watch how your and your team’s effectiveness and motivation skyrocket while they accomplish objectives in record time. Working with a coach might help too!
Kelly Harrison
Keynote Speaker | Executive and Team Coach | National Small Business Association
