Here's how you can uncover and harness individual strengths through executive coaching within your team.

I make it a point to regularly observe my team members in different scenarios to identify their natural strengths. By having one-on-one conversations, I delve deeper into their passions and skills, which often uncovers hidden talents. This ongoing dialogue helps me tailor opportunities that align with their strengths, ensuring they feel valued and motivated to contribute their best to the team.

To effectively leverage individual strengths, a leader must first recognize the diverse talents within their team. Being observant and approachable is crucial in fostering an environment where team members feel at ease discussing their skills and passions. During coaching sessions, utilize open-ended questions to unearth hidden abilities and interests. By acknowledging and valuing each team member's contributions, you not only enhance morale but also unveil resources that can be directed towards achieving your team's goals.

I've always been a big fan of recognising and proactively playing to strengths. If you haven't tried the Clifton Strength Finder tool, I highly recommend it. It identifies your top five strengths and then goals can be crafted around these. Even more powerful if you can do this as a team and recognise and celebrate each others diversity.

I recommend open 1 2 1 sessions where the leader should outline the goals of the company/project for a 6-month/one-year period, explaining in detail all the tasks that the team must perform. You can understand their preferences and strengths by asking direct questions where a specific employee sees himself contributing to the project in the best way. Additionally, I use a technique that I borrowed from Simon Sineck. The right question will outline the real things an employee wants to avoid doing. The question is as follows: "I hate surprises. Can you let me know what you don't want to see in our communication and what tasks you would like NOT to focus on, so we can make sure you do your maximum best in your preferred tasks?"

In my coaching practice, I've seen the power of recognizing individual talent. I once worked with a leader who overlooked a team member's potential because their strengths weren't immediately obvious. We conducted a series of one-on-one sessions to identify hidden talents. The leader later remarked, 'I had no idea we had such untapped potential.' Recognizing talent starts with taking the time to truly see each person, which can uncover abilities that significantly benefit the team.

During a coaching engagement, I helped a manager set personalized goals for their team based on individual strengths. This approach not only aligned each member’s work with their capabilities but also boosted their motivation. As one team member shared, Having a goal that plays to my strengths makes me excited to contribute.' Setting clear, tailored goals provides direction and purpose, helping team members focus on what they do best.

I coached a leader who was hesitant to provide feedback, fearing it might discourage the team. We reframed feedback as a tool for development rather than criticism. The leader began to provide constructive, strength-focused feedback, and noticed a positive shift. 'My team members started to feel more confident and motivated,' she reflected. Effective feedback highlights strengths while addressing growth areas, creating a balanced approach to professional development.

Offer constructive and regular feedback to help team members refine their skills. Feedback should focus on reinforcing strengths and identifying areas for further development.

Evite el equipocentrismo, donde aparecen síntomas y verbalizaciones de las personas como: -Las otras áreas deben trabajar para nosotros, somos el eje de esta empresa -Los errores o fallas en el trabajo son por por los otros equipos. -Nuestro líder es el mejor, nos protege y defiende siempre, así tengamos la culpa -Si no fuera por nosotros, esta empresa se acabaría. -Hacemos muy bien las cosas y eso a los demás les molesta, por tanto, nos critican. -Las otras áreas son lentas y no aguantan nuestro ritmo. No entienden nuestras prioridades. -Es difícil interactuar con otros equipos, pues desconocen lo que hacemos. -Preferimos no contar con nadie y nos dedicamos a hacer lo nuestro. Este tipo de signos, afectan el trabajo colaborativo y en red

While working with a tech startup, I noticed that encouraging collaboration based on individual strengths led to impressive results. I suggested forming cross-functional teams where members could learn from each other’s unique skills. The CEO noted, 'This approach has fostered innovation and camaraderie within the team.' Encouraging collaboration helps leverage diverse strengths, creating a dynamic environment where team members thrive together.

You are at the core of your universe. When Growth is fertilised on the individual's strength It flourish because it is rooted within the individual's core. Executive coaching helps in exploring and uncovering the individual strengths of a leader and empower him to build the growth on the foundation of those strengths. At times one does part of several initiatives but not able to pin point the strengths on which he can play and get wonderful results for organisation and team. Executive coaching helps in discovering the same. -Coach Sunil

One executive I coached was struggling to see beyond immediate tasks. We focused on empowering growth by encouraging team members to take on stretch assignments aligned with their strengths. The executive later told me, 'Allowing my team to step up has not only boosted their confidence but also revealed future leaders.' Empowering growth through strength-based opportunities drives both individual and team advancement.

1) When you are facilitating a meeting - be keen observant of emotions, tone behind team members voice when it there is passion(indicating strong opinion), neutral Stance 2) Scan through “Lens of Proactive Activities of Team members” – Note down who does what proactively and with less efforts than others 3) Experiment with sharing new challenges with team members to uncover the hidden strengths which even team members are unaware of so far (Johari Window) 4) Polish the mirror of Reflection by asking open ended questions – They are great way to uncover what are the interests of team members and strengths 5) Nurture a culture of Appreciation – Strengths will automatically stand out in this entire process of various individuals in the team

Promote consistent self-evaluation as a vital part of executive coaching in your team. Guide members in analyzing their use of strengths and the results achieved. This enhances self-awareness and emphasizes their impact on team success. It also reinforces each person's importance within the organization.

Schedule regular reflection sessions to assess progress, celebrate successes, and adjust strategies as needed. Continuous reflection ensures that strengths are consistently aligned with team and organizational goals.