Doubling your team output in 6 months?

Let me share here an approach for your team strategy that will increase the output like a river flowing down a mountain.??

Allow me to begin by sharing my experience with you. Because you see every time I'm starting up with a new customer who requires my advice on an organizational strategy, I start by listing down all the problems that they're facing in their organization which prevents them from growing and achieving their goals. And what strikes me is that in 90% of the cases, those problems relate back to a suboptimal team constellation or even a dysfunctional team.

? Let me clarify myself; I'm not saying that team constellation is the pinnacle to growing your company. Things such as a clear cascaded strategy backed by financial projections, the right product with a good market fit are equally important. Yet still, very often, a handful of adjustments to the tasks and responsibilities that individuals in the team are doing make up for 50% of the work to be done towards a breakthrough.

So when I am starting up with a new customer, I list down all of the problems that they are facing and all the things which block them from achieving their goals. The next step is connecting all of those problems to intrinsic human strengths. 

?What are intrinsic human strengths?

The Gallup Institute is a strength-based assessment company that has developed this great tool called the StrengthsFinder 34 and which works wonders when it comes to assessing not only your natural intrinsic strengths but also of your team as a whole. The strengths shown in their tool are all of the 34 identified human strengths in psychology. All others derive from these 34.

?Let me give you an example of how to connect problems in your company with intrinsic strengths:

When I hear that a team rarely does that what the owner or management wants within the timeframe they want, then their conclusion is usually that the team is the problem. To me, this rings a bell that the team and management are not naturally strong in communication. The methods and consistency of their communication codes for loss or misunderstood information from which the lack of execution is just a symptom. When I then perform a team strengths assessment, in 90% of the cases, it confirms that what I already expected; the absence of naturally strong communicators.

?Another one?

Another example of what I encounter at the companies I help is that the management has grand visions for the next few years. That is very important for a company to initiate growth. However, they fail to make substantial steps closer to their vision because they lack a cascaded strategy, with tangible goals for the daily business units in the company.They know where they want to be, but fail to see the road to there and decide what they need to take with them on their journey towards their destination. The management concludes that the lack of motivation, the lack of resources, or not the right timing to go for their goals. Again symptoms, because what I see is the absence of people who are naturally strong in strategy — someone who understands the way up the summit and what to take on their trip. A team strengths assessment usually reveals this truth, and the adjustments, such as attracting a strategic partner, make all the difference.

You see, the best strategy to make a constellation of your team is to do it based on intrinsic human strengths, not skills. Skills are essential to get things done in high quality. However, to get the maximum out of yourself and your team, skills need to manifest intrinsic human strengths. 

?What does this mean? 

Let's take communication as an example. Communication is one of the 34 human strengths. So to manifest that strength, that talent, you could develop the skill of public speaking. Public speaking is a way of communicating. Now you have John, who has this strength at place number 34 (weak), and Jane, who has this at place number 1 (very strong). Both of them take 10.000 hours of beating on the craft of public speaking. They both take the same course. Who will end up being the better public speaker? Right.. it is Jane. 

? Therefore, when starting at a new customer, one of the first things are the strength assessment of the team. I summarise and conclude the strengths and weaknesses of the team as a whole. Then I make recommendations to the management on how to tweak and leverage the team's intrinsic strengths for maximum result. Usually, within weeks after the implemented tweaks, the output of the team increases.

? People perform at their best when they get the chance to work with their natural strengths. Imagine if only 80% of what people do would be related to their strengths. It would be like paddling the river downstream, not against it. It does not only motivates and energizes, but it also produced results, it is the way to go. Doubling your team's output in 6 months is possible, not easy, but possible. 

?I invite you to take the next step in your team management this 2020 and offer your people a strength assessment which not only in and of its own will motivate, but will also provide you with tools to achieve more with less effort.

If you need help with interpreting is results or if you need help with assessing your team as a whole, drop me a message.

Leon

The tool I use most: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx