I enjoy construction work. Does this surprise you?
More specifically, I love the finished product and the feeling I get from a successful DIY project.
That’s the deck I built at our RV site. It might not be anything fancy to look at, but even building something simple takes skill and knowledge.
When feedback sounds like criticism
For several years I would sit on the side lines and watch my husband do all the construction work. I didn’t know how to build things and frankly, loud saws terrified me. But I was that annoying partner who would find little defects and flaws and want them fixed. You see, I’m the detail-oriented one in our partnership.
It irritated my husband because I was nit-picking his handy work and not giving him recognition for the overall accomplishment. In my defence, I was doing the very important work of quality control 😉.
Over nearly two decades, four decks, three fences and countless other weekend projects together, we learned how to leverage each other’s strengths.
Leaning into our unique strengths
This last deck project was easy peezy. I took on the job of project planning, ordering materials, and measuring the boards while my partner focused on cutting, drilling and leveling. Together, we discussed problems and came up with solutions.
My attention to micro-detail was put to good use and he was free to do what he does best. The deck was built in one day.
I share this story because it took us nearly two decades to learn each others strengths, and lean into them. At work, I would look to uncover people’s unique skills and leverage them. Why wasn't I doing the same at home?
Strengths-based leadership at work
Instead of focusing on people’s weaknesses, we get better results by pairing them with someone who has a different, but complementary skill set. For instance, partner a team member with frequent spelling errors with an individual who loves to micro-edit. This duo will play off one another’s strengths.
Understanding individuals strengths and motivations is a key leadership skill. Learning to leverage these strengths — and support team members by accepting that everyone has blind spots — is a superior leadership ability. The result is higher quality work, faster execution and less friction between co-workers.
What perceived problem do you have on your team that could be easily solved by leveraging another team member’s unique strength?
Sarah Doyle is a Certified Leadership Coach, communications consultant, group facilitator and speaker. She helps people leaders leverage their team's natural strengths and motivations, overcome group dysfunction, and kick their performance into high gear.
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