There's a reason why managers’ focus on strengths and weaknesses is so important.
Most organizations are obsessed with fixing weaknesses. They conduct performance reviews, 360-degree assessments and the like to evaluate how well employees and managers are measuring up to predefined goals and competencies.
Managers are instructed to look at an employee’s assessed gap and coach for greater performance in areas of weakness. But such assessments usually pay only cursory attention to an employee's strengths. Performance reviews and subsequent remedial programs focus almost exclusively on weaknesses.
Focus on What Works
Too many managers assume that employees need to be good at many things, rather than excellent in the key areas.
Recent studies have firmly established that focusing on what works, followed by a program to scale it to greater levels, is a more practical and efficient approach to developing people and their performance.
Managers who take a strengths-based approach help employees identify strengths and align their talents with their work. These managers don't ignore employee weaknesses, but fixing them isn't their primary focus.
Managers who focus on strengths enjoy superior team performance, as opposed to managers who focus on weaknesses.