Workshop based on Gallup's Strengths Assessment presented to the Utah Association of CPAs Leadership Academy.

1. Building a High-Performing Team
Team
Diverse Strengths & Shared Values

2. The Research: Which Puppet Would You Choose?

3. We Tend to Gravitate Towards People
Who Are Just Like Us . . .

4. It Happens in the Workplace Too . . .

5. Common Ground is Important . . . So
is Diversity
Shared Values
Diverse Strengths

6. Do Values Really Matter?
“We wanted to come up with committable core values
and by committable, meaning we're actually willing to
hire or fire people based on whether they're living up to
those values, completely independent of their actual job
performance.“
-- Tony Hsieh, Zappos Founder

7. How can you find out what their
values are?
Zappos Hiring
Process . . .

8. Values & Motivation
Passion =
Values in
Action
“Man is so made that when anything fires his
soul, impossibilities vanish.”
--Jean de la Fontaine

9. How Can We Get Them to Bring
Their Values to Work?

10. A Word About Strengths
• Is it just something that you’re good
at?
• Is it different from a skill or ability?
• Traditionally we would define a
talent in terms of the output
• Strengths theory defines it in terms
of energy and engagement

11. Know Thyself
A leader needs to know his strengths as a carpenter
knows his tools, or as a physician knows the instruments
at her disposal. What great leaders have in common is
that each truly knows his or her strengths – and can call
on the right strength at the right time. This explains why
there is no definitive list of characteristics that describes
all leaders.
- Dr Donald O. Clifton

12. Why do we fail to get to know ourselves?
• Fear – maybe we don’t measure up
• Compartmentalization
• The “busyness” of life and other distractions

13. Leadership is the capacity to
influence human thought,
emotion, and behavior
starting with my own.

14. How do I identify my strengths?
• What is working well and how can I do
more of it?
• What things energize me?
• Do I feel a sense of yearning or
inevitability?
• Would I do this even if I weren’t getting
paid?
• VIA and SBL surveys

15. Net Energy Yield

16. Where Do You Invest Yourself . . .

17. Compounding . . .
Small, Intentional Tweaks

18. Change the Frame

19. Why Focus on Strengths . . . What About
Weaknesses?

21. Focus On Strengths

22. NotWeaknesses

23. Strengths in Overdrive

24. How Well Do You Know Your Team?

26. Why Should I Get to Know My Team?
• Can’t they just put their heads down and do their
work?
• This is a fast-paced work environment. We focus
on results. We don’t have time for personalities.
• I’m not your therapist. We have a job to do, so
let’s do it.

27. Strengths and Motivation
What works for one employee may not work
for another. The approach needs to be
tailored to each team member.

28. A Tale of Two Staff
Executing
Relationship Building

29. Personalize
We’re all unique (no this is not photo shopped)

30. Build a Common Vocabulary
Strengths
assessments are a
doorway to a
conversation . . .

31. Build a Common Vocabulary

32. Engagement –
The Holy Grail of Organizational Success

33. How Engaged is a Pitcher in the Batter’s Box?
Why did I
swing at a
sinker?
Please
don’t miss!
When can I
get back on
the mound?
How good
are A.
Rod’s
lawyers?
Are any of the members of your team playing out of position?

34. Gallup 12 Keys to Engagement
• At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every
day.
• In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for
doing good work.
• My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me
as a person.
• There is someone at work who encourages my development.
• In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me
about my progress.

35. Bringing It All Together: Strengths in
Teams
• Individual Exercise
o Think of a team project that went really well. Why did your team
succeed? What roles did different members of the team play?
o Think of a team project that went off the rails. Why did your team
struggle? What roles did different members of the team play?
o What strengths are missing on your current team?
o Is there anyone who is currently playing out of position?
Brainstorm other roles they may be able to play.
o Do you notice any strengths in overdrive, individually or
collectively?

36. E-Bay: A Case Study
“Jeff and I had very complementary skills,” Omidyar told us in
our interviews. “I’d say I did more of the creative work
developing the product and solving problems around the
product, while Jeff was involved in the more analytical and
practical side of things. He was the one who would listen to an
idea of mine and then say, ‘OK, let’s figure out how to get this
done.’ ”

37. Team Strengths in Overdrive
• Case Study #1: Is too much Harmony a bad thing?
• Case Study #2: Achievers collide . . .

38. Dan Griffiths, CPA, CGMA is the Director of Strategic
Planning at Tanner, LLC, a Salt Lake City-based professional
services firm with 85 team members. Prior to merging his
practice with Tanner, he co-founded Proficio Services Group
to provide strategic & business planning, leadership
development, and business coaching services. Dan is a
graduate of the 2010 AICPA Leadership Academy and in
2011-2012 served as the chair of the Young CPA Network
Committee for the AICPA. Dan has also been very active
with the UACPA and in 2011 was recognized as the
Outstanding CPA in Business and Management. He was
recently selected to serve as Utah’s elected member of the
AICPA Governing Council. Dan is an avid flyfisher,
backpacker, and gardener. He and his wife Bibiana just
welcomed their fourth child to the family.
Contact Dan at: dgriffiths@tannerco.com
Or connect with him on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/in/dangriffithscpa