Printer Friendly VersionIn order to increase the odds of engagement, happiness, and high-performance great leaders learn what people they work with like to do and what they are good at doing so they can be aligned with what they want.
Many people want to do something different than what they like and what they are good at because they believe others think that something else is more valued.
The leader’s job is to learn what workers like and what they are good at and then to convince them that what they like and are good at are indeed valued so that they will WANT to do it.
Professional research (e.g., see Gallup research on strengths) and personal experience show that organizations whose workers are internally aligned in this way get and stay more engaged and perform dramatically better.
Many people like to think they’re good at 10 plus things and enjoy many of them. Would suggest limiting the list of what we are good at and like doing to 2-3 things? How do you honestly assess what you’re good at? Ask a parent, friend or coworker?
The Gallup organization has developed an instrument to help professionals come to know their strengths. It is described in the book by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie called Strengths Based Leadership. Check it out!