A new study conducted by Gallup may help people achieve more by setting goals designed around the skills and strengths they already have. While the study focused on helping organizations do more with fewer resources, the information can be applied to help students achieve better results. It can also be used to offer parents a way to help their children identify and pursue individual dreams.
The most critical aspect of the study revealed that people who are able to use their unique talents and gifts are more satisfied, productive, and engaged. They’re also better able to meet expectations. Parents can foster success in their children by supporting the unique talents and interests each child exhibits.
In the workplace, this research can help companies not only develop a stronger, more productive workforce but also achieve better loyalty and dedication from their teams through fostering individual skill sets.
Identifying unique skills can be difficult for an employer, but Gallup has developed the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment Test to help people discover their individual talents. Translating those talents into skills that can be applied to on the job performance is the challenge, but the study revealed that employees who are able to use their personal strengths when setting goals are seven times more likely to be better performers on the job because of a stronger sense of engagement.
The results support investment in programs designed to help companies develop their talent based on the strengths the employees demonstrate. Strengths-based goal setting benefits both the company and the employees. It encourages employees to do well. It also fosters a better relationship between managers and their teams as well as a better ability to provide meaningful motivation.
Many of the same goal-setting approaches can be applied by coaches, teachers, and parents when helping children be successful in their endeavors. By helping the child identify and foster individual and unique talents, the child will develop both a stronger sense of self and a positive self-esteem that will sustain him or her throughout life.
The same steps can be applied on the job and off:
- Describe what the individual needs to accomplish by using outcomes, not steps in a process. There is almost always more than one way to reach the finish line, and by identifying outcomes rather than limiting how they can be achieved, the individual can leverage his or her own potential.
- Identify the individual’s unique talents and strengths that they can use to achieve the results expected.
Whether it’s a child on a soccer team, a teenager taking a placement test, or an employee managing a project, the more each person can identify and use his or her individual strengths, the better the outcome will be.
As an employee in a small office, I can attest to the fact that when employers allow people to use their individual skills, these people perform better at work. I started at my company in one position, but after my employer saw that I had graphic design skills, I switched roles, and I’ve never been happier. I love that my boss lets me use the skills I have, and doing work that I love helps me (I’m motivated, engaged, enthusiastic) and the company (b/c I love my job, I do better work). It’s a win-win for everyone!