How do you use your coachees' strengths to improve their performance?

I like to start my relationship with a client/ coachee by understanding more about them and what drives them, so I always do an exercise that I call 'Careers Ups and Lows'. During this exercise, the coachee explains to me, in their words, the moments where they felt the happiest and the saddest in their careers - the key here is to identify the drivers and patterns behind those points. This is a great way to start identifying what they enjoy doing and what's really important to them, without them being 100% aware of it, so that results are pure.

Identifying your coachees strengths is one of the best ways to start a conversation with them. Here's how you do it.... ask them. Yes, simply ask "what are your strengths?" or reframe to "what are some things in your life that you are great at?" -- the key is to get them to share and speak about themselves. Personally, I say skip the assessments and psychometric testing until later. There is so much that can be uncovered through a heartfelt and honest conversation about the other person guided by you!

I disagree with this being the next step. I start a coaching relationship by understanding the goal first, then I look at what my clients are good at. It's important to know why they are seeking coaching so that I know the journey I need to take them through as a coach. Similarly, my clients are keen to know how I can truly help them achieve their goals before we start to work together.

Once they have identified their own strengths, then you could begin to map how that strength aligns with their goals. This is a great practice in having them begin to retrospectively explore if what they say they want is really aligned to who they are and what they have to offer. Often times there is a connection but as a coach it's your job to see it, spell it out and have the other person acknowledge it. This is coaching and this is where the magic happens. Our job as coaches is to reflect, reframe and review what others want, can't see or can can see but don't know how to make it happen. Aligning their greatness with their success is our job. Having them use their strengths to get it is theirs.

I know coaches love to dig for tools on this one but I am going to share an exercise I have used successfully for years and it's much less clinical and evokes the coachee to further explore their own strengths. Here's what to do: Ask them as a practice assignment or in a session the following: Using the list of strengths you have created (make sure they did this part or do it with them now) - list 1-3 areas in your life you use one of more of your strengths and what has the outcome been. Get specific, for example: if "being committed" is a strength then where and when did you show up as that and what was the outcome? The goal is to have "them" see their strengths in action and in real time. This allows them to own it.

Another exercise that I love to do is a SWOT analysis of my client's profile to achieve the desired outcome. This analysis will allow us to identify all opportunities for growth and agree on required actions. I love to support my clients by putting the spotlight on the strengths that become obvious to me, as we work together, and that they might have missed - and there is always something! Similarly, a coach always has a wide range of tools that can be applied individually to develop or polish skills.

This step is also part of the SWOT analysis I referred to previously. Once we know the weaknesses and threats to a client's ability to achieve an outcome, we come up with ways to overcome these. Sometimes, is as simple as learning to say 'NO' to things that they can do, but that they don't actually want to do. Other times is about creating 'ground rules' about work and how time is spent. In all cases, having a fresh perspective on the way someone operates is always hugely beneficial.

I agree about leveraging strengths. I think this is a great way to facilitate growth. I’ve seen leaders find out the strengths of their key leaders and then leverage those strengths to build confidence, fulfillment in the workplace, and show up differently in important meetings. Also, we don’t have to be good at everything. We can find others that are good at the things we are weak in. Empowering others to compliment each other also promotes growth.

Absolutely! The power of a team lies in the mix of their strengths. It's key to allow everyone to use their skills in a way that benefits the team and a leader to be able to identify those strengths and not feel threatened by them. A good coach can support a coachee to see the benefits of this approach and to use it in a way that positively impacts all involved.

Starting with helping your coachees understand that every area for development can become a strength. As for the current strengths, help your coachees utilize them for their benefit (i.e. being assertive when it is necessary) vs overusing them (i.e. being too pushy when it's better to take an observer's position).