Imagine you a leader who has recently arrived to take over an existing team. You want to quickly identify people’s strengths and their best contribution to the business. Here are three tips for making this happen.

1) You can invite each person to clarify their strengths and best contribution.

Invite each person to do the exercise called My strengths. They are to describe where they deliver ‘As’, ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’. Ask them to be super specific. If they deliver ‘As’ when leading projects, for example, ask them to give concrete examples. Do they prefer start-ups, turnarounds or maintenance? Do they like a project which has a deadline or some element of ‘performance’? Do they prefer it to be for 6 months, a year, 2 years or whatever? Invite them to also be honest about their ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’. Bearing all these answers in mind, they are to describe their best contribution to the team - plus the benefits.

2) You can invite each person to get feedback on their strengths and best contribution.

You can suggest that they get feedback: a) From 3 people they respect who they believe will be extremely honest; b) From any other people whose opinion they believe would be valuable. They are to invite people to do the exercise called Strengths feedback from other people. Those who give feedback should focus on three things. First, the specific activities in which they believe the person delivers ‘As’. Second, the person’s best contribution to an organisation. Third, the support the person may need to make this contribution. For example, help to build on their strengths and manage the consequences of their weaknesses.

3) You can make clear contracts about each person’s best contribution to the team.

Move onto holding one-to-one sessions with each person. Ask them to send all the information to you ahead of time. If appropriate, before the session it may be useful.

a) To do further research on each individual’s ‘As’, ‘Bs’ & ‘Cs’ to complete a thorough reality check.

b) To clarify what you believe would be the person’s best contribution - to the team, to the organisation or, if this does not fit, even outside the organisation.

c) To rehearse the meeting. Be crystal clear on the results you want to achieve. For example, getting a ‘win-win’ for both the person and the organisation. If you think the meeting may be difficult, rehearse all the possible scenarios and solutions.

My strengths

‘As’. The specific activities where I deliver ‘As’ are:

*

*

*

‘Bs’. The specific activities where I deliver ‘Bs’ are:

*

*

‘Cs’. The specific activities where I deliver ‘Cs’ are:

*

My best contribution. Bearing these answers in
mind, I believe my best contribution would be:

*

The benefits of making this contribution would be:

*

*

Strengths feedback from other people

‘As’. The specific activities where I
believe the person delivers ‘As’ are:

*

*

*

Best contribution. Bearing these factors in mind,
I believe the person’s best contribution would be:

*

*

The support they may need to make this contribution – to build on their strengths & manage the consequences of their weaknesses - is:

*

*

*

Meet with each person. Invite them to kick-off by sharing their strengths and the feedback. Clarify what they see as their best contribution. Be honest if you have any reservations. Explain that you want to get things right - both for the person and the organisation. If it gets heated, ask them to take time-out to reflect and meet again in the future. Providing the homework has been done properly, however, the one-to-ones normally work out successfully. You will then be in a good position to make clear contracts about their best contribution to the business.