Why should you focus on building strengths instead of fixing weaknesses?

Promoting strengths

"Why is it more important to develop strengths rather than focus on weaknesses?" As I see it, there is a fundamental difference in focusing on strengths because it's an uncommon thing that prompts reflection.

Unfortunately, we have this situation, which can be seen already in school,where one focuses on the weaknesses,their deficits, what they should improve.

But I belive this is the wrong approach.This is also evident when children don't want to do something.

You can't change their minds.Much more can be achieved if they are encouraged to do something they enjoy.

And I have experienced the same thing in my working life.

I belive it's essential that female and male staff alike,and society in general,focus more strongly in their strengths and talents,as this makes it easier to work with passion, enjoy work,and improve collaboration within teams so they can benefit from one another.

When teams know each other better,they can complement one another and offer mutual support,since what may be a strength for someone,might be a development opportunity for another.

And when all of that comes together, something poweful happens.

I myself have experienced how this approach motivates the team much more than only focusing on what needs improvement.

During preparation, you also mentioned the Gallup-Strengths-Finder.

Could you talk a bit about that in this context?For sure. I believe preparation and analysis are essential and that they are well embedded in the team.

What strengths-oriented tests do is reveal those strengths and talents through questions about real life.

And then, you get an analysed personality profile and it's essential that everyone is given tailored feedback so the results can be discussed with a coach specialised in the field,since there is a lot of fear around theses issues.

Of course. After all, what does it mean if my strengths are suddenly visible?

And maybe they're not the ones I need for what's being asked of me.

How do I deal with that?That is why it's so important to have good coaches trained in the field,so they can tell the team:"There is no such thing as simply right or wrong." Strengths-focused leadership is all about learning and sharing experiences.

And if I don't have a strength in a particular area,that doesn't mean I'm not good at it or unable to do it.

It just means that it might take a bit more energy for me than in areas where my talents and strengths lie.

For this to work, it's crucial to engage the team properly,to prepare them beforehand so you can reduce some of the fear,because this isn't a traditional approach and it's not yet very common.

But I believe it's a game changer.In the preparation, you also mentioned equal participation.

Could you expand a bit more about that in this context?

I believe it's fundamental to pay attention to diversity.

Diversity in teams, diversity in society.And we're not only talking about gender diversity,but so much more.

It goes far beyond that... cultural background, age,origin, religion, and so on.

In my experience, the more diverse a team is,the more versatile it is,and the more varied the talents and contributions from everyone.

And when one truly makes the effort to build diverse teams,there are countless studies that prove it, though there's no need to cite them all.

It's been scientifically proven that diverse teams focus more on solutions, are more creative,achieve better results,and support one another more.

I've seen this first-hand.