Spotting strengths in yourself and others

Working with strengths

When trying to resolve problems, we often focus on our weaknesses and think of ways to address them, which can be stressful and draining. A learning organisation will be aware of the strengths of individual practitioners and how they can best be used.

As health and social care professionals, we know that working with strengths identifies the things people do well, that energise them, and that they find enjoyable. Nonetheless, we do not always apply these ideas to ourselves, focusing instead on areas for improvement rather than the assets we have at our disposal.

Strengths are often confused with skills that people can perform well, but skills are learned behaviours that can become ingrained and automatic over time. It is easy to mistake skills for strengths, but they do not energise or engage people in the same way. Strengths are not static: a person can build, grow, adapt and develop their strengths to help themselves in different situations. People who use their strengths are more likely to achieve their goals, experience less stress, and have more self-esteem and confidence; they also tend to be happier and more resilient.

When developing organisational resilience, it is crucial to work with strengths. As role models, leaders should be aware of their own strengths and those of other people. The strategies below provide some techniques to raise awareness of personal strengths in the self and in others. As well as role-modelling ‘strengths-spotting’, share these exercises widely in your organisation. They can be used in various settings such as meetings and supervision.

Spotting your personal strengths

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Deep roots: What do you still do now that you did as a child?

• Motivation: What activities do you do just because you love doing them?

• Voice: When does the tone of your voice indicate enjoyment and energy?

• Energy: What activities do you do that give you energy?

• Rapid learning: What things do you pick up effortlessly and quickly?

• Authenticity: When do you feel like ‘the real me’?

• Attention: Where do you naturally pay attention?

• Ease: What activities come easily to you?

Spotting the strengths of others

• Build a language of character strengths: Develop an understanding of the range of personal strengths to improve your ability to spot them in others; see the list of character strengths here.

• Develop your observation and listening skills: Enhance your awareness of what strengths look like in action based on: a) verbal cues (listen for a more assertive voice, improved vocabulary and clarity of speech, and use of specific strengths words); and b) nonverbal cues (look for improved posture and eye contact, smiling and laughing, and greater use of gestures signifying excitement and passion).

• Label and explain character strength behaviours: Show people that you notice when they show their strengths by a) identifying the specific strength demonstrated; b) explaining how you spotted it; c) showing that this strength is appreciated.

• Make strengths-spotting a habit: Build your skills by practising observing character strengths in people in different situations.

Spotting character strengths in meetings

• Go into meetings wearing your ‘strengths goggles’: i.e. a mindset that identifies strengths as they occur. After you spot strengths in people, point out what you observed, tell them the reason for your observation and show your appreciation.

The MORE model developed by Roarty and Toogood (2014) provides a strength focused approach to leadership that provides strategies to identify and develop your own strengths and those of the people in your organisation.

More involves:

• Myself: Identifying personal strengths managing weaknesses and aligning goals and objectives with strength.

• Other’s strengths: Introducing a strengths focus to others, identifying and developing their strengths and supporting them to manage their weaknesses.

• Regular Conversations: Applying a strengths focus to everyday conversations, during meetings and providing strengths-focused coaching (see peer coaching in KFP Wellbeing).

• Employee processes: Implementing strengths focused recruitment processes, performance appraisals and development discussions.