Too often, we focus on skills that employees lack and what they’re not very good at and where they need to improve. But we hardly ever focus on what they’re already good at and how we can help them become even better at what they’re already good at doing. And this is a major error and presents many missed opportunities for employees and organizations alike.
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According to one study conducted by Gallup, workers who received strengths feedback had turnover rates that were 14.9% lower than those for employees who received no feedback. And teams with managers who received strengths feedback showed 12.5% greater productivity postintervention than teams with managers who received no feedback.
Below are important reasons why you’ll want to focus on promoting strengths training for your employees and managers.
It Yields Better Performance Results
When employees are encouraged to focus on what they’re really good at and can hone their skills to become experts, they become even more confident in their abilities and start performing at optimum levels. Instead of only recounting everything they can’t do well and how they’re failing, they finally get more opportunities to shine and utilize their strengths to their maximum potential.
When employees feel empowered and confident, they perform better and work harder. And this is beneficial for employers that can also reap the benefits of more productive, engaged, and empowered employees.
It Endorses a Positive and Collaborative Company Culture
When employees are celebrated for their individual strengths and expertise instead of feeling like they must conform to what everyone else is doing and achieving, every employee will feel as if he or she has something valuable, unique, and meaningful to contribute to his or her teams, coworkers, and partners.
And this will endorse a more positive and collaborative company culture. Individuals will be more willing to share their knowledge and skills with others when they know how valuable their unique skills and talents are, especially if others often seek them out and celebrate their strengths.
It Provides Employees with a Sense of Purpose
Employees in the 21st century really want to have fulfilling careers that are full of purpose and meaning. They are also beginning to care less and less about frivolous perks and incentives and really want to explore career options that leave them feeling truly satisfied and that assure them that they’re doing much more than simply earning a paycheck.
Employees cannot find a sense of purpose at work when they’re only completing activities that they’re not very good at doing and when they see no future doing what they’re doing. If you encourage employees to explore the talents that they already own, they will be able to find their purposes within your organization instead of outside of it. They will find value in the work they do at your organization overall, as well as in their everyday work activities.
Ultimately, if you want to retain your employees and encourage them to be more productive, be sure to focus on their strengths more often.