3 Ways Using Strengths-Based Language Builds Extraordinary Teams

What makes teams great?

It’s the million-dollar question, and one that researchers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and consultants have invested countless hours and millions of dollars trying to answer. Google even undertook a two-year initiative in an expensive attempt to discover the secret sauce behind the best performing teams. Everyone everywhere wants to know the magical formula behind a great team.

Why is this such a pressing question?

The reasons seem almost infinite. There’s the ideation reason: great teams are far more likely to innovate, be creative, push beyond the status quo. There’s the engagement piece: when employees are working on a team where they feel supported and valued (and where they might even be able to form friendships) they’re much more likely to stay. Then there’s the productivity piece: when you put together the right team, where everyone is in the right seat and making the most of their talents, you can be faster and more intentional, thereby creating an uptick in productivity. The list goes on.

With such clear value, it’s no surprise that the answer to the question – what makes teams great? - is so fiercely sought after. I won’t tell you I have the one and only answer, but I will say that in my experience, the best teams are those where a.) individuals have a great awareness of self and others, and b.) the team is built in a way that strengths are complementary.

Whenever I lead team-building sessions, my main goal is for teams to be able to identify their talents and apply a strengths-led approach to everything they do. Strengths-based language not only helps cement team-wide awareness, but it gives the leaders the tools they need to make well-grounded decisions on the fly.  

After seeing many a team in action, here are three ways I’ve seen the language of strengths be an effective tool in building and maintaining extraordinary teams:

It Generates an Understanding of Others (Not Just the Individual)

It’s simply not enough to only know your own strengths and talents. I always stress how important it is that everyone learn about each others’ strengths. The ideal scenario is for the whole team to have a good grasp on each contributors’ talents, and also where they might need some extra support. By having this full-picture, wholistic perspective, individuals have a better sense for how their talents fit in to the bigger puzzle. They know where they bring value and where they might need some help, and also understand where they can seek for said help as well as where they can play the role of support. Whole team awareness flips the script from “me” to “we.”

It Increases Effectiveness and Productivity By Speeding Up Decision-Making

“Which team members should we send to the upcoming networking event? Who would be best to champion this new initiative? Who should we pull into tomorrow’s brainstorming session?” Cue decision-fatigue! Every day we all face an onslaught of decisions that need to be made, and it can be overwhelming. When you’re on a team that’s trying to move a project forward, it can slow your progress, if not be totally paralyzing. Strengths-based teams are able to make informed decisions through a common language without draining time and energy. “We should send Bill and Sarah to the next networking event, they’re strong in WOO and love connecting with our new clients. Samantha would be great for the new initiative, since Achiever is her top strength and she told us she likes to help drive projects to the finish line. Who on our team has Ideation and Futuristic in their top five? They may be great to rope into our next brainstorming session!”

It Gives Leaders the Tools to Create More Balanced Teams
Diversity matters in all forms and functions, and having a diverse assortment of strengths is always the ideal. Just imagine if you intentionally overloaded your team with people high in Restorative to solve problems? It might just be too much of a good thing. Your focus would be mainly on the problems, which sometimes can come across as overly negative to others as there will always be some issue that needs to be addressed. Someone high in Maximizer might help the team further improve whatever project, process, initiative, or function that your team is working on, going from good to great. When leaders have the full picture of the strengths make-up of a team, they’re able to aim for complementary talents rather than create a pool of sameness. It helps generate a sense of team-wide balance, overall excellence, and a more engaged team.

By understanding, appreciating, and investing in the unique talents of each team member, it becomes much easier to create cohesive, collaborative teams. And behind great teams lies innovation, creativity, effectiveness, camaraderie, fun, and as an added bonus, a positive impact on the bottom line.