When faced with a new work project, there is a certain type of employee who will instinctively need to know anything and everything about the project. This team member will have questions…and lots of them. When you use this team member’s strengths efficiently, they will find facts like it’s their superpower.
Of course, if every employee acted this way all the time, you’d never get anything fully done, because there will always be more questions to ask, facts to find. So, it’s important to know which employees will naturally wade through all that information, get the “gist” (a few bullet points, maybe), then move on.
Both of those strengths sound great, right? But it’s a shame there aren’t employees who possess strengths somewhere between those two…Wait! What’s that? There’s a significant number of people who naturally gather and share information by explaining, editing, and working within priorities? Imagine if you knew this and were able to put all these people in the right positions to optimize productivity. You’d look like a genius!
You know those people who plan for everything, then organize their plans? Who have color-coordinated systems for everything and keep each process running perfectly with a corresponding spreadsheet to explain how to keep it perfect? Some of those people may be on your team, and it’s up to you to harness their powers for good!
Not only that, but there are people out there who will naturally take those systems and make them better. They’ll keep the systems that run smoothly…well, running smoothly…and they’ll instinctively look to improve the things that aren’t working right.
And then, there are people who will make sure things don’t turn into a bureaucracy. They’ll find natural shortcuts and loosen rigid systems. These unsung heroes’ strengths are just as important to the cause. They’ll ensure you don’t wake up one day and realize you’re running your business like the DMV.
There are those among us who have more ideas than they know what to do with. These natural innovators will instinctively charge forward, ready to move your business into the future. Without these daring entrepreneurial types, you run the risk of helming the next Blockbuster Video (aka captaining the Titanic).
Of course, not every idea is a good or productive one (we’re looking at you, Quibi), and you’re going to need people on your team who will keep you from indiscriminately chasing after every idea that comes along. The stabilizing instincts of these status quo protectors will keep your fixing-what-ain’t-broke budget mercilessly low.
Finally, there are the people who hear ideas and think, “Hey…I’d love to make that work, but why don’t we test it first?” This is the type of employee who will instinctively help keep your business in that sweet spot where you’re refreshingly open to innovation without jumping onto every bandwagon.
Some people need to see it to believe it. Fortunately, some employees have an instinctual need to demonstrate. And when you give them the freedom to be themselves when tackling tangible solutions, they will build foundations, work with equipment, focus on quality solutions, and make you look like a brilliant boss.
Once those foundations have been created, you’ll need someone who is great at maintaining and renovating. These restoration-inclined superstars are also super helpful to bridge the gap between those with the need to demonstrate and another group of individuals who instinctively envision instead.
Those instinctual “imagineers” (not really the term, but if you call them that, they’ll like it) will likely burn out if they create tangible solutions too often. However, their strengths in conceptualizing solutions can also make you look like an elite leader…which you are on the way to becoming…now that you’ve read this guide.
Ultimately, when asked to work against their grain, your team members are likely to lose mental energy fast. Nobody wants that. But if you can place them in the right position to capitalize on their instinctive strengths, you’ll find that workplace productivity, collaboration, and communication will all improve dramatically.
If that sounds like an ideal scenario and you’re ready to learn more (like a BOSS), we have great news! Kolbe offers powerful solutions for individual leaders and teams. We promise you straightforward, practical, actionable advice focused on improving outcomes.
How is Kolbe different than those other tests (CliftonStrengths, Myers Briggs, etc) I keep hearing about? Read this to discover why using Kolbe is a boss move.
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