My Clifton Strengths results helped me understand my approach to building and maintaining effective teams and organizational culture, as well as future steps to improve my teams effectiveness.
My strength of "harmony" enables me to find common ground, encourage communication, and foster group unity and collaboration, all of which are vital for effective teamwork. The strengths of "relator" and "individualization" shape my approach by driving my genuine interest in building trust and appreciating everyone's unique qualities. This helps create an environment where individuals feel seen and valued while also figure out how we can best work together despite our differences. Collaboration and compromise are key to problem-solving in teams.
Moving forward, I will seek team members who complement my strengths. I would benefit from having a team members who are confident and capable of completing tasks, as my tendency to overanalyze can sometimes slow down team progress. Overall, I value clear communication and strive to create an environment open to new ideas and perspectives ·
The strategies I employ to foster innovation and collaboration within groups and teams include:
Getting to know individuals well, connecting with them intentionally, and remembering details about their goals, aspirations, and preferences.
Recognize each person's strengths and talents, encouraging them to utilize them.
Encourage team members to acknowledge their strengths and others as well.
Adapt my communication style to each team member and encourage others to do the same to maintain harmony and have effective communication.
Model active listening and encourage others to practice it too.
Allow teams to unfold naturally without taking control. This enables members to participate actively and learn their roles in groups/teams. (GPII taught me this).
Encourage the team to see the larger picture when making decisions.
Strategies I plan to employ:
Acknowledge power differences within the team.
Spend more time discussing our vision and goals.
Provide various forms of communication so people feel empowered to share their ideas in ways that are most comfortable for them.
Become intentional about relaxing and allowing my team to have fun (I tend to be too serious).
References:
CliftonStrengths. (2023). Harmony®: developing your leadership skills [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfvfLBnX5rc
CliftonStrengths. (2020). CliftonStrengths Harmony Theme: Developing Teams and Managers -- Theme Thursday -- S6 [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUxSoZxU6PQ
CliftonStrengths. (2023c). Individualization®: developing your leadership skills [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCtZiG6YoqY