PEORIA MAGAZINE January 2023

A s humans, we are naturally inclined to work in teams. Therefore, in group environ ments, our performance is of ten better. However, we are all different, even if we seem to fit together perfectly. Each teammember has his or her own abilities, strengths and motivations. When we develop them, not only can we get closer to our goals but we tend to become more engaged and satisfied at work. It's awin for both the organization and the employees. However, we often waste time and valuable opportunities by focusing on shortcomings and weaknesses. Fortunately, we can start reinforcing our team's strengths right away by bolstering the innate personal qualities each employee has. Today, we'll discover the ways to do it. IDENTIFY TEAM STRENGTHS It may sound a bit obvious, but many of us fail in the first and essential step: identifying our team's strengths. Even if our employees have worked in our organization for years, we shouldn't assume that all of them know their strengths. Many are not confident enough or have not recognized their abilities. Therefore, before executing any other action, observing what each member does well and consistently is essential. We should pay attention to what our team does easily, what excites our employees, and even the non-work related things they do well. LISTEN TO EVERY MEMBER If we want to improve our team's strengths, we must also ensure that the environment allows workers to do what they do best every day. Communication tools become more important here. To promote our team's development and success, we must make sure that each employee can actively participate in activities and feel heard.

When employees think their voices are heard, they also feel happier and share their thoughts and ideas, improving their overall performance and contributing to business process optimization. MAKE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS MORE POSITIVE Receiving constant complaints about our shortcomings and weaknesses can be stressful and demotivating. In many cases, negative reviews make us think we are not good enough or are disconnected from the team. However, helping our employees identify their strengths can increase the team's productivity, happiness and motivation. FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL SUPERPOWERS Each teammember has superpowers, and we can help them leverage those strengths to achieve general goals. Gallup studies showed that people who use their strengths in daily tasks are six times more likely to feel engaged with work. Also, when they do what they are good at, employees are 8% more productive! Therefore, if we match work tasks and goals with each team member's strengths, we will be able to increase productivity and engagement across our organization. It's also important to let eachmember know their strengths in teammeetings or when deciding on projects. Besides making us grow, working in areaswe're good at is rewarding and can help us learn more and stay engaged. PROMOTE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Communication is key to an orga nization's growth and success, but it does not only refer to messages between departments. Encouraging team members to reach out to one another for help is also important.

In a teamwhere everyone trusts each other and their superpowers, we usually feel comfortable and perform better. OPEN OUR MINDS TO CHANGES Sometimes, improving some aspects of ourselves, our organization and our team requires changes. Therefore, we should look at the whole picture without bias and create a space that promotes problem-solving. An employee might perform better in a different position, for example. If we identify that someone's strengths are better suited to other roles and make those changes, our team will likely excel. RECOGNIZE TEAM MEMBERS' ACHIEVEMENTS Another Gallup study showed that 25%of American workers feel "ignored," with 40% being disengaged. Fostering professional development through achievement recognition is also key to leveraging a team's strengths and winning. BOTTOM LINE Creating a positive environment where all employees feel comfortable, motivated and valued is essential to boost the team's performance. If we identify our strengths and manage to match them with what we have to do on a daily basis, growth opportunities will spread throughout the organization. Each teammember has superpowers. By taking a positive and encouraging approach, we can leverage them to make it a win-win for everyone!

Dee Brown is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, philanthropist and host of the WTVP program “Self-Made with Dee Brown CEO.” A member of the Forbes Business Council, he is president and CEO of The P3 Group Inc. in Memphis, the nation’s largest minority owned development and construction firm

JANUARY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 85