Once working and focused in tune with what they do best, your people are freed up to deliver their very best performances. They encourage others to work to their strengths too. Thus, each is far more effective. By recognising this in each other, there is another benefit. Everyone realises the value that differences can bring to the team, business or organisation. And that is valued - people work together much more freely.

So, by challenging each other to be honest about what others can do better than they can, all benefit. Everyone is enabled to deliver what they do best, and by elevating them to work together, the bond grows as each values the performances where they work best.

In their excellent book, Now Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman explore the hugely value-creating process which many organisations have embodied in their culture, by enabling individuals to do what they do best, more of the time.

The best individuals deliver exceptional performance in about just 5-6 of the likely 8-10 competencies which their job requires. The enlightened ones realise they cant do everything well and discover coping strategies for those areas which they need to deliver, but cant, for one reason or another - simply they bring huge qualities to their role, but not everything. This fits for management roles from top to bottom of an organisation.

So, then, cease the struggle!

Performance Reviews stop focusing on getting better at those skills which are not their natural A set. More, they help them focus on what they are great at, leveraging their abilities to the organisations best value.

And, hey, guess what, by doing this, they feel better, get much more of a buzz and their performance is elevated even more. Its like an upward spiral. When this is happening across the business, fabulous results are achieved.

There is less struggle and dread of their reviews less time wasted and individuals valued for what they are individuals and celebrate their unique skillsets.

So, how to cover the bits that arent too hot? The best discover coping strategies with supporters around them, some delegate, some hire support. In fact, they often partner up with one or a number of colleagues who can deliver well, their own Achilles Heel skills.

Look around, many CEOs have great support executives, who often complement their skill strengths. (Often the 'Finance Guy' who is keeping a tight rein on the creativity of the CEO - i.e. a reality check )

Focusing on what they do well, and getting others around them to do what they do well makes for much more effective and enjoyable working. Together with exceptional results - of course!

And it is such a release.

Martin Haworth

Thanks for taking a look at me! I work with people to help them realise their potential and make the most of their life. I also help managers to get the very best from their people, to make their businesses, teams, departments, whatever, to be successful.

Usually this is through my 'Coaching Managers to Coach' workshops, delivered worldwide, which includes experiential and hot-seat coaching for all participants - a great, fun learning experience. Click the big green link panel on any of the website pages!

There are over 1000 hints and tips, and that doesn't include the blog, which is updated pretty well daily, if not more often!

With a background in team management of groups from 6-300 and a great ICF coaching accreditation, I reckon I'm almost unique in my experience and training to make this work for you.

So take a look, checkout my other articles and maybe even set the blog page as a favourite:-) And, you know, if you want to get in touch, give me a call. I'll talk about almost anything, but I love helping people make the best of their workplace. Or e-mail me through the contact page on the site.

Ooops, I nearly forgot, I do manager soft-skills analysis with a programme called 'Intercept' and if you just want some one-to-one business coaching, I do that too. There's also a button on the navigation bar on the website pages for that too.

Fees, well, let me see, can I say that we can work something out? That's the way I work.

Thanks for happening by!

Martin