Can Strengths be Applied to Any Role?

I've been in e-mail conversation with a reader of our book -- I thought you might find it interesting! She poses, essentially, this question: How can somebody play to her strength when there are few job openings and remuneration that make the most of her strengths?

The assumption in this question is that certain strengths are more applicable to certain roles -- and the corollary, that certain roles require certain strengths. For simplicity sake, let’s assume all available jobs are technical IT jobs. If I have no strengths that can be used in the field of technology, I will not succeed and I will not contribute. However, what I believe is much more likely to happen, is that each and all strengths can be applied to most any role. If your strength is data analysis, where is that needed in the development and support of technical innovation? If my strength is creativity, how can it be utilized in the design and creation of technical products? If Carol’s strength is in relationship building, how can it serve IT customer management? If Tom’s strength is in design, how can his strength be used to market products and services?

Basic to this philosophy is our belief and experience that all strengths are useful … and that it is the great diversity of our strengths that creates innovation, inspiration, and engagement. This is one of the great benefits of looking through the lens of strength – our strengths are applicable across a wide range of jobs, organizations, and roles. If I have strength in seeing the big picture, I can apply that in the field of literature, or IT, or social justice. What is imperative is that workers and leaders look deeper than technical skills, to the underlying strengths that can feed and nourish the business, especially when combined with the strengths of the person in the next cubicle, and the other person down the hall.

I would love to hear your further thoughts on these questions …

Interviewing for Strengths

This month's Gallup Management Journal (www.gmj.gallup.com) features an article by Brian Brim, Debunking Strengths Myth #3, in which he writes about "probing for strengths." Brim suggests many questions, including "How do you communicate?" "What drives you?" "How do you set direction and make decisions?" "How do you overcome obstacles?" and "How do you maintain and build relationships?"

While these questions may be useful, they are likely to incite skill-based answers, or simply confusion. There's nothing wrong with tackling the strengths questions head-on. In our book, Play to Your Strengths, Carol and I suggest questions such as these:

• You indicate that you have a skill in empathy (or creativity, or analysis, or whatever they've listed on their resume or development plan.) What talent or strength do you possess that underlies this skill?
• What does the word "empathy" mean to you and how do you know you possess it?
• Tell me about a situation at work in which you were challenged to use your strength of "empathy."
• What do you excel at?
• What is easy for you?
• What are you passionate about?
• Tell me about the last time you were in the "flow" and lost track of time. What were you doing?
• Review the last two weeks in your mind. When were you at your best -- engaged and productive? What strength or talent was manifesting at that time?

It's fun and powerful to discuss strengths with employees, candidates, and best friends! It is useful for managers who want to engage the best of their staff members, as well as for people who work together or live together. Enjoy your discovery!