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Armstrong Results
What did you last spend your training dollars on? Was it on developing your strengths or on trying to compensate for your weaknesses? If it was on the latter, you are not alone. Many people and organizations ignore the investments with the greatest potential for return while wasting valuable time and money on training themselves in the very areas that will give them the least leverage. Over the last 35 years, the Gallup Organization has interviewed over 2 million people in a systematic study of excellence. As Buckingham and Clifton point out in Now, Discover Your Strengths¹, most organizations incorrectly assume that each person’s greatest room for growth is in his or her areas of greatest weakness. They point out that the world’s best managers assume the exact opposite; that each person’s greatest room for growth is in the area of his or her greatest strength. Not only are people missing this great opportunity for growth, but many are not even clear as to what their strengths are. When asked about their strengths, people often respond with a list of their most competent skills. However an area of strength is far more fundamental, enduring and unique than a skill set. One person might be exceptional at building essential partnerships for the organization, another at hearing the direction to take the organization or team, another seems to know what is feasible or not when considering a project, and another at creating a culture of accountability within a group. As Lorne points out in his article below, for most people, their area of strength is so obvious to them that they aren’t even aware of what it is. Wouldn’t it be a far better approach to discover and develop your strengths to the next level of competence and power? How can you contribute that in your organization and even more interesting, how can you lead others to contribute theirs? Once again, we were thrilled to have Lorne’s letter to the editor², in response to “What Every Leader Needs to Know About Followers”³, published in the April 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review. Enjoy!
1 Buckingham, Marcus and Clifton, Donald O. Now, Discover Your Strengths. New York: The Free Press, 2001 2 Armstrong, Lorne. What Every Leader Needs to Know About Followers. Letter to the Editor, Harvard Business Review, April 2008, p. 132. 3 Kellerman, Barbara. What Every Leader Needs to Know About Followers. Harvard Business Review, December 2007, Boston, MA. pp. 84-91. | ||||
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Stop Giving Grievous Advice
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Pathway for DevelopmentIn many organizations Executive Development is a particular challenge. At the Executive level, while the responsibilities are greater, there is often less valid and useful feedback that contributes to powerful development. At the same time there are unique demands and distinct roles – often adapted to particular strengths. Common approaches to addressing this include executive coaching, psychological assessments or sending executives to Executive Programs of leading business schools. All too often, these approaches settle on some idea or ideal of the successful executive, some template of how to act in certain situations, or specific solutions for resolving seemingly common issues based on past studies of other organizations. Either way, the emphasis is on the other - the other executive, the other organization, in a different time, under different circumstances and most importantly, with people who have different strengths. This leaves executives trying on different behaviours or strategies which at best is a low level of development. Our approach is based on the well-researched premise that each individual has a unique way of seeing the world around them and that their way of seeing the world gives them unique strengths. Developing those unique strengths is your best access to greater levels of performance for yourself and your organization. When you are ready to take your leading to a new level... leading more powerful accomplishments that serve your organization, your clients and your shareholders, we can help you identify your unique strengths and a powerful and practical pathway for developing them. If you are interested in developing your unique strengths, give us a call to find out about our Executive Development Assessment. |
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Armstrong Results ForumOn the topic of advice, here is some wise advice from the Chairman and CEO of Pepsico, Indra Nooyi. “My father was an absolutely wonderful human being. From him I learned to always assume positive intent. Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent. You will be amazed at how your whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different. When you assume negative intent, you’re angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed. Your emotional quotient goes up because you are no longer almost random in your response. You don’t get defensive. You don’t scream. You are trying to understand and listen because at your basic core you are saying, ‘Maybe they are saying something to me that I’m not hearing.’ So “assume positive intent” has been a huge piece of advice for me.”¹ If you have any questions or issues you would like us to address in upcoming newsletters, please let us know. If you have any questions or issues you would like us to discuss in upcoming newsletters, please let us know. 1 Unknown. "The Best Advice I Ever Got." Fortune on CNN Money.com. 04 2008. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0804/gallery.bestadvice.fortune/index.htm |
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Areas of Focus
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mm | About UsArmstrong Consulting Group works with senior leaders and teams to develop people and build performance in their organization. Please give us a call if you are interested in...
We hope you have enjoyed this issue of our newsletter! Sincerely,
email: kris@armstrongresults.com |
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