This document provides an overview of strengths-based development and how focusing on employee strengths can increase engagement and business results. It discusses Gallup's research on strengths which found that high achievers spend most of their time using their strengths. The Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment identifies 34 talent themes and individuals have a unique combination of top 5 themes. Strengths-based organizations focus on identifying, developing and utilizing individual and team strengths across the employee lifecycle to improve performance, engagement and retention.

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2. Strengths-based Development
How to increase employee
engagement and boost profits
www.talents2strengths.com2

3. Roadmap:
www.talents2strengths.com3
Strengths-based
Organizations
Strengths-based
Leadership
Historical Context
Defining
Talents & Strengths

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THE BEGINNING OF STRENGTHS
The Gallup Organization
Don Clifton, former Gallup chairman
250,000 interviews of high
achieving individuals

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GALLUP’S RESEARCH ON HIGH ACHIEVERS
• Spend most of their time in areas of strength
• Have learned to delegate or partner with someone to
tackle areas that are not strengths.
• Apply their strengths to overcome obstacles
• Invent ways to capitalize on their strengths in new
situations

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CLIFTON STRENGTHSFINDER
®
34 main talent themes
• No theme is more valuable than
the other
• There is no best theme for
managers or leaders
• Based on 30 years of scientific research
• on more than 2 million individuals
ASSESSMENT

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A TALENT THEME is group of similar talents
A tendency to push hard
to complete tasks
Desire to achieve
Having internal
motivation
Finding satisfaction in
getting things done
Achiever
TALENT
“Natural recurring patterns of
thoughts feelings and behavior
that can be productively
applied.”
Enjoying hard work

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CLIFTON STRENGTHSFINDER
®
Top 5 Talent Themes
(A theme is a group of similar talents)
• 33,390,720 different permutations
with a unique order. There is a one
in 33 million chance that you will
meet someone with your same top
five in the order you have them.
• 278,256 possible unique
combinations There is a one in 278
000 chance that you will meet
someone with your same top five
regardless of order
• No significant cultural differences
in talent among the countries
researched.
• Gives incredible depth about your
uniqueness

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www.talents2strengths.com
CLIFTON STRENGTHSFINDER THEMES AND THEIR
CORRESPONDING LEADERSHIP DOMAINS
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10. WHAT IT IS
• A tool for development
• An instrument to help identify
how you are wired
• A way to identify “right” vs
“wrong” or “good” vs “bad”
talents
• A tool for hiring or promotion
• A way to understand the lens
through which you view the world • About labeling people
• A common language to integrate
into an organization or family
• A way to discover what energizes
you vs what exhausts you
WHAT IT ISN’Tvs
• A method to help maximize
personal and team productivity
• A one-size-fits-all approach
• An excuse to NOT do
something “because it is not
my strength”
• A complete explanation of
who you are and what you do
IT IS…. IT ISN’T….
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A Strengths-based
approach is about
perspective, not
the tool

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WHAT IS A STRENGTHS-BASED PERSPECTIVE?
Individuals already have in themselves what they need to
succeed.
“Individuals gain more when they build on their talents, than
when they make comparable efforts to improve their areas of
weakness.”
Clifton & Harter, 2003, p. 112
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2
Two basic premises…

13. Roadmap:
www.talents2strengths.com13
Strengths-based
Organizations
Strengths-based
Leadership
Defining
Talents & Strengths
Historical Context

14. “Most people, don’t know what their
strengths are. When you ask them, they
just stare at you blankly - or they
respond in terms of subject knowledge,
which is the wrong answer”
PETER DRUCKER
www.talents2strengths.com14
With education and training, anyone can possess basic knowledge or go
through the fundamental steps to complete a task. But the very best have
a significant edge: they build and apply strengths by doing what they
naturally do best every day. - Gallup

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GREATNESS COMES FROM BUILDING NATURAL TALENT
TALENT: A natural aptitude for something.
“Naturally recurring patterns of thoughts, feelings and
behavior that can be productively applied" - Gallup
What is a talent?

16. • KNOWLEDGE: What you know. What you learn through
experience, reading and education
• STRENGTH: “The ability to consistently provide near perfect
performance in a given activity” - Gallup
• SKILLS: What you do: Applying your knowledge. The stuff
that you practice
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GREATNESS COMES FROM BUILDING NATURAL TALENT

17. COMPETENCE & STRENGTHS
TALENTS PRACTICE STRENGTHX =
A natural recurring way of
thinking, feeling and
behaving
Time spent gaining knowledge &
applying that knowledge to gain
skills
The ability to consistently provide
near perfect performance in a
given activity
A talent is a potential strength
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PRACTICE = a MULTIPLIER of talent

18. Roadmap:
www.talents2strengths.com18
Strengths-based
Organizations
Strengths-based
Leadership
Defining
Talents & Strengths
Historical Context

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If this was YOUR
report card, what
would you focus
on most?
REPORT CARD
Strategy
Communication
Taking Action
Networking
Presenting A-
A+
A
B
D

20. Our current paradigm is deficit-focused
❖ Most managers spend the majority of their time working with the
weakest performers, zooming in on their mistakes - trying to fix it.
❖ Most teachers and parents focus on student’s lowest grades, in stead
of celebrating the highest grades and help them to achieve even
more.
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We’ve made the wrong assumptions about fixing
weaknesses:

21. STRENGTHS DEVELOPMENT
THE RIGHT ASSUMPTIONS
2. The BEST people in a role
deliver the same outcomes but
use different behaviors to
achieve it.
1. WEAKNESS fixing might
prevent failure but will never
lead to excellence.
Developing STRENGTHS
lead to excellence.
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WEAKNESS FIXING VS
THE WRONG ASSUMPTIONS
2. The best people in a role
all get there exactly the same
way
1. Fixing weaknesses leads
to success

22. WHAT IS “STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP”
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Adopts practices to help you identify, cultivate and use your
talents & strengths at work.
As a leader, you don’t need to be competent in all areas - but your
team does.
Focusing on your talents & strengths and delegating tasks that
you’re not that good at, to others who are more experienced or
skilled.
Identify your team member’s strengths and encourage them to use
it in a way that benefits everyone.
Hire people based on their individual talents & strengths, not
because their skills and interests align with your own.

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CLIFTON STRENGTHSFINDER THEMES AND THEIR
CORRESPONDING LEADERSHIP DOMAINS - a lexicon for teams
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24. WHY FOCUS ON TALENT
• Speed
❖People operating from talent learn the role faster and adapt to
variance in the role more quickly
• Productivity and Precision
❖People operating from talent produce significantly more at higher
quality.
• Higher Employee Engagement
❖People operating from talent are more engaged, miss work less, and
build stronger customer relationships.
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BUT WHAT ABOUT WEAKNESSES?
WEAKNESS: a shortage or misapplication of talent, skill, or
knowledge that causes problems for you or others or hinders your
progress. (e.g. “Control freak”)
Do we just
IGNORE it?

26. #1 STRENGTHS MYTH: BUSTED!!
ADOPTING A STRENGTHS-BASED APPROACH DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN
IGNORE YOUR WEAKNESSES
• Understanding & Recognition are key
- Understanding: I know myself and how I normally act. I understand that what I do has
an impact on the world around me.
- Recognition: I recognize my behavior in the moment and make a intentional choice
about how I am going to respond to influence outcomes in a positive way.
When you know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strengths and
weaknesses of those around you, it allows you and your teams to take the most effective
actions.
You DO need to learn how to “MANAGE” around weaknesses - for as far as they’re
hindering your progress
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27. Create open communication and
transparency
Strategically and consciously
develop and
apply your talents to improve all
aspects of your life
Know and own your weaknesses
and blindspots too.
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Build complimentary
partnerships
Find or create support systems &
structures
HOW TO MANAGE WEAKNESSES
Adjust or change roles
Get the right education about
your talents & strengths

28. Roadmap:
www.talents2strengths.com28
Strengths-based
Organizations
Strengths-based
Leadership
Historical Context
Defining
Talents & Strengths

29. WHAT IS A “STRENGTHS-BASED ORGANIZATION?”
www.talents2strengths.com29
• Positive
• Strengths-based
• Growth orientated
• Excellence focused

30. A STRENGTHS-BASED ORGANIZATION:
www.talents2strengths.com30Source: Gallup - Building a strengths based organization by Tony Rutigliano
• People are the foundation of a strengths-
based organization
• It is achieved through unleashing individual
and organizational strengths
• Characterized by all-round
excellence across a balanced
scorecard

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• Strengths-based policies and practices span the
employee lifecycle.
Attract Select Onboard Maximize
Performance
Develop Engage &
Retain
> > > > >
STRENGTHS
Leaders Managers Frontline Coaches/HR
Source: Gallup - Building a strengths based organization by Tony Rutigliano
• Strengths guide attraction, engagement and retention of
talent at all levels

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Our STRENGTHS are the lens through which we view the world
It affects the way we:
• Process information
• Experience others
• Accommodate change
• View time and structure
• Communicate
• How engaged we are at
work

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How is engagement measured?HOW IS ENGAGEMENT MEASURED?
Source: Gallup Engagement Hierarchy

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT MATTERS:
ENGAGED: employees work with passion
and feel a profound connection to their
company. They drive innovation and move
the organization forward.
NOT ENGAGED: employees are
essentially “checked out”. They’re
sleepwalking through their workday, putting
time - but not energy or passion - into their
work
ACTIVELY DISENGAGED employees
aren’t just unhappy at work; they’re busy
acting out their unhappiness. Every day,
these workers undermine what their
engaged coworkers accomplish.
Source: Gallup - Daily

35. THE POWER OF STRENGTHS TO GROW ENGAGEMENT
• An employee who truly knows how to apply their strengths is:
15.3 times more likely to strongly agree they have the opportunity to do what they
do best every day.
• Of the employees who felt their manager focused
on their weaknesses, 22% were actively
disengaged as employees.
• Applying strengths is a way to eliminate
disengagement in local teams.
Source: http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/193499/strengths-based-employee-development-business-results.aspx
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8.2 times more likely to strongly agree they know what is expected of them at work

36. • I’m good at what I do
• My work is energizing • My work is tiring
• Time drags on
• I look forward to my job • I dread my job
• Time goes quickly
• I’m enjoyable to be around
• I treat customers, colleagues,
friends well
• I don’t excel at my work
• I have very few positive
moments
Using Strengths… Not using strengths
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Why Strengths?
Focusing on strengths dramatically improves everyday life at work…
Source: Stone, A. & Harter, J. K. (2009). e experience of work: A momentary perspective. A collaboration between Gallup, Stony Brook University, Princeton University, and
Syracuse University
WHY DOES IT INCREASE ENGAGEMENT?

37. THE VALUE OF DEVELOPING STRENGTHS
Critical Metric Improvement
Employee engagement +15%
Increased productivity +21%
Increased profits +22%
Increased customer engagement +10%
Lower employee turnover (low turnover
organizations)
-16%
Lower employee turnover (high turnover
organizations)
-72%
Fewer safety incidents -59%
Source: http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/193499/strengths-based-employee-development-business-results.aspx
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82 000 business/work units | 1,8 million employees | 73 countries | 49 industries

38. PRACTICAL NEXT STEPS:
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• Take the StrengthsFinder assessment
• Create a team talent map for your organization
• Create a plan to develop ONE of your talents
• Get in touch so I can support you
• It’s been taken by more than 18 million people in 50 countries
• It’s available in 20 languages

39. Curious how to implement a strengths-based
approach in your life, career or organization?
www.talents2strengths.com39
Contact me
Marja Botha van Doorn B.Proc | MCT | EMBA Cert
Executive Coach/consultant: Leadership & Team Development | Employee Engagement