Workers who use their strengths every day are three times more likely to view their quality of life as excellent, six times more likely to feel engaged at work, 8% more productive and 15% less likely to leave their positions, a Gallup analysis finds.
To ensure that your workplace reaps the benefits of a strengths-based approach to employment, Jim Asplund, chief scientist of strengths-based development and performance impact consulting at Gallup, and Gwen Elliot, a talent management senior practice consultant at Gallup, recommend:
- Having in place managers who believe in a strengths-based approach.
- Getting leaders to share their own strengths and acknowledge asking for support in areas in which they don’t excel.
- Developing coaches — for instance, from the human resources area — to help staff members determine their strengths and build on the findings.
- Fostering a strengths-based culture by reshaping job roles to fit employees, not the other way around. Managers can review employee performance and suggest goals based on staff members’ individual strengths.
- Tying employee strengths to business goals.