Building a Strengths Based Culture

In our summer Cole McKee newsletter we described how one of our clients, Boston Scientific is building a Strengths based culture to increase their competitive edge. We think they are taking a smart, long term approach to this. The newsletter article is based on an interview with Tim the head of the UK business and Liz the HR Director. Here is an excerpt:

The viral approach to change is the only one likely to succeed in this case. A top down roll out would have been self defeating. However, this puts far more responsibility on senior managers to “walk the talk”. You need to identify your Advocates and get them to spread the message. Don’t waste time convincing resistors. Not everyone will get it straight away. You also need to remind people that we are focusing on strengths to improve performance.

The Boston view on Strengths is a hard edged business one. They have been pragmatic in their change strategy too. Using the principles from The Tipping Point they are spreading the focus on strengths through people rather than trying to impose a system. We think they will succeed.

Coaching in tough times

Most organisations we have worked with in recent times, now use coaching as an accepted way of developing talent and skills.  However, as the repercussions of the global recession have hit home, all aspects of development, including coaching, have been put on hold.

What does this mean for the long term effectiveness of the people in key roles in the organisation, who are left without access to means of enhancing their skill and knowledge base?

Strengths; why do organisations just not get it?

There is now a vast amount of evidence showing the best way to deliver high performance is by building on employees’ strengths. Despite this persuasive case most organisations continue to focus on individuals’ weaknesses and/or try to make them “good at everything”.

Why this completely irrational strategy?

Rosanne’s comment  is a plausible one. Sheer inertia results in many retrograde organisational practices and actions. However there are doubtless other causes. For example if you look at the personality traits or at least behaviours which organisations value they tend toward the critical rather than affirming. In the research on Myers Briggs types to be found in large companies the “T” preference is much more common than “F” especially in supervisory roles. People who report this way are more likely to critique, less likely to praise. It is not that such individuals never focus on Strengths it is just that their awareness is more acute for what needs to be corrected.

Most of the senior managers we work with and coach are Myers Briggs “T”s. While not naturally inclined to major on strengths they can all learn to put more emphasis on what people are good at and how to capitalise on this. Once a manager has started to focus more on strengths the pay off in terms of engagement and results makes it motivating for them to persist. Perhaps one day enough individual leaders will work this way that organisational habits will follow?