Strengths Spotting

This article is based on a workshop given by Corrine Thomas at the November 2024 BA Manager Forum, using the cards and worksheets from the Strengths Profile Accreditation Programme. 

There is a difference between strengths and competencies. A competency is a learned skill, whereas a strength is an innate talent. Often, we don’t understand our own strengths. We might ask ourselves what we can do better and improve at – instead of asking the more fundamental question: ‘What am I good at?’ 

Why Use Strengths? 

Tapping into your innate strengths will help you become happier and more confident at work. You will have higher levels of self-esteem and energy, experience less stress and you will develop more resilience. By leveraging your strengths, you are more likely to achieve your goals, to perform better and be more engaged at work.

When you are tuned into and developing your areas of strength you will develop in these areas more quickly and find that you become passionate about what you are doing. 

Why Strengths Help the Team 

When a team uses Strengths, there is increased productivity and goal attainment, effective talent management, improved relationships and communication, increased engagement and wellbeing, improved delegation, increased creativity and better role clarity.  

In 2002 the Corporate Research Council (with researchers Harter & Schmidt) interviewed 19,000 members about their drivers for performance. It was found that a formal conversation about strengths led to a 36.4% increase in performance compared to a formal conversation about weaknesses, which led to a 26.8% decrease in performance.  

The Harter & Schmidt research also found that if a team was managed for strengths employees were 44% more likely to earn high customer satisfaction scores and 38% more likely to work with high productivity teams; 

Ultimately, focusing on employee strengths is better for your organisation, your employees and your customers.  

Strengths: A Definition 

“A pre-existing capacity for a particular way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is authentic and energising to the user, and enables optimal functioning, development and performance.” – Linley 

You know you are tapping into your strengths when you are good at something and enjoy doing it. Also, strengths are energising. We can be good at things we don’t particularly enjoy - the difference is that these are learned behaviours and we will find these activities draining. You feel like the ‘real you’ when you are using your innate strengths.  

Finding strengths in yourself and others is incredibly helpful for both you and your team. 

Identifying Core Strengths 

You can explore your core strengths through qualitative methods or through quantitative methods. There are a choice of tools including VIA Strengths. the Clifton Strengths Finder and finally the Strengths Profile. 

There are 60 strengths in Alex Linley’s Strengths Profile. Each strength has three elements: how well you perform it; how energised you are; and how often you use these strengths. Your realised strengths tick all three boxes.  

The SP Model of Development  

The SP Model of Development allows you and your team to identify your realised strengths, unrealised strengths, learned behaviours and weaknesses.  

Realised strengths should be used wisely. The better you understand them the better, then you can align them to your goals. You can use your strengths to compensate for weaker areas and combine them to your advantage. However, you must not overplay your strengths, you still need balance. 

Learned behaviours can be used when needed. You can re-energise yourself when using learned behaviours by considering the context. You may think something is a learned behaviour, but it is actually an overplayed strength. You can balance learned behaviours with activities you enjoy doing.  

Try to use your unrealised strengths more. To do this you need to identify them, and then find a need or opportunity to make use of them. If they have not been used you need to develop hone and practice to expand the strengths you use. 

It may seem obvious, but you need to use your weaknesses less. You can explore whether it is critical to work in that area. You can find a complementary partner to help balance your weaknesses, undertake training and development or use areas of strength to compensate for your weaknesses.  

Team Strengths 

It is a useful exercise to identify the strengths you need in your team to build an effective BA Practice. You can talk about when you have felt valued by your team, when you have felt engaged as a team and when you have observed exceptional teamwork. Equally, it’s important to consider when your team has struggled or experienced stress, what challenges you face and what has helped you as a team to overcome these challenges.  

Corrine Thomas has been involved with the BA Manager Forum since its start in 2008. Corrine is a trainer and mentor for AssistKD, and also works independently as a careers coach and an accredited Strengths Profile Practitioner. Corrine has a Masters in Positive Psychology.