This document discusses strengths-based teamwork and how focusing on individual strengths rather than weaknesses leads to greater performance and engagement. It defines teamwork as blending individual strengths in a common direction towards meaningful goals. Strengths are refined talents combined with skill and knowledge that allow consistent top performance. However, most people spend only 17% of their time using their strengths. Focusing on weaknesses can lead to frustration, while focusing on strengths builds confidence and motivation, resulting in 73% engagement. Recognizing each person's top 34 strengths themes allows for optimizing roles. In summary, a strengths approach identifies and leverages natural talents for maximum productivity and satisfaction.

1. Strengths-Based TeamWork
Sepide Pourmarashi
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2. What Is TEAMWORK?
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3. What Is TEAMWORK?
A kind of work that blends individual STRENGTHS so
that they complement each other,
and in doing so brings people together with a sense
of friendship and shared vision
So That
strengths applied in a common direction
towards meaningful goals.
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4. Strengths Discovery
“Bringing Talent To Life”
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5. Performance Equation
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PERFORMANCE
Skills
Talent &
Type
Knowledge
What you know What you can do
WHO YOU ARE

6. What Is Talent?
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7. What Is Talent?
Recurring patterns of thoughts, feeling or behavior
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8. How Talents Develop?
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9. A Recipe For Strengths
TALENT
X Investment
 time spent practicing
 developing your skills
 building your knowledge base
= Strength
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10. What Are Strengths?
By refining our dominant talents
with skill and knowledge,
we can create strengths : the ability to provide
consistent, near-perfect performance in a given
activity (Clifton & Harter, 2003)
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11. Where We Are Now? (Gallup Survey)
 What percentage of typical day do you spend
playing your strengths?
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“Most of the time:
17%”
“Most of the time:
17%”

12. Where We Are Now? (Gallup Survey)
 Which will help you be most successful?
(Weakness Fixing OR Strength Building)
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Weakness Fixing:
59%
Weakness Fixing:
59%
Strengths Building:
41%
Strengths Building:
41%

13. Strengths Philosophy
 “Individuals gain more when they build on their
talents, than when they make comparable efforts
to improve their areas of weakness” (Clifton &
Harter , 2003)
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Weakness Fixing Model
-All behaviors can be learned:
• If you try hard enough, you can do it.
• If you want it badly enough, you can do it.
• If you dream it, you can achieve it.
-Weakness-fixing leads to success.

15. Frustration(Disappointment) Anger
 De-motivation  Resentment (feeling of ill
will)
Lack of employee engagement
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Results Of Weakness Fixing Model

16. Chance of being engaged at work when the
organization does not focus on Strengths?
(According To Gallup Survey)
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Results Of Weakness Fixing Model
9%9%

17. 17
Strengths Building Model
-Some behaviors can be learned. Many are nearly
impossible to learn. There is a difference between
talent, skills, and knowledge.
-The best in a role deliver the same outcomes, but use
different behaviors.
-Weakness-fixing prevents failure. Strengths-building
leads to success.

18. Strengths Awareness Confidence
Self-Efficacy Motivation To Excel 
Employee Engagement
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Results Of Strengths Building Model

19. 19
Results Of Strengths Building Model
Chance of being engaged at work when the
organization focus on Strengths?
(According To Gallup Survey)
73%73%

20. Engagement At Work
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“Our team
beat the
record
again?”
ENGAGED
“Let’s go for
lunch early”
NOT-ENGAGED
“Our
leadership is
really
screwed up”
ACTIVELY
DISENGAGED

21. Knowing Our Strengths
 Most people think they
know what they are good at.
They are usually wrong….
(Business guru, Peter Drucker
1909-2005)
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22. What Are Strengths?
 Most of us:
 Little /no answers of strengths
 Confuse strengths with knowledge
 Keen awareness of weaknesses (Parents,
Schools, Employers)
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23. What Are Strengths?
 #1:
 Myth: As you grow, your
personality changes
 Truth: As you grow, you
become more of who you
already are
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24. What Are Strengths?
 #2:
 Myth: You will grow
the most in your areas
of greatest weakness
 Truth: You will grow
the most in your areas
of greatest strengths
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25. What Are Strengths?
 #3:
 Myth: A good team member
does whatever it takes to
help the team
 Truth: A good team member
deliberately volunteers his
strengths to the team most
of the time
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26. What Are Strengths?
 Strengths:
 Before doing an activity: You look forward to do it
 While doing it: You feel effective
 After doing it: You feel fulfilled & authentic
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27. What Are Strengths?
 4 S.I.G.N Of Strengths:
 1-Success: Self-Efficacy, Activities that
 Fulfill and sustain
 Energize
 Generate positive feelings
 2-Instinct: Activities that
 You are drawn to
 You volunteer for
 You look forward to
 May be a bit scary 27

28. What Are Strengths?
 4 S.I.G.N Of Strengths:
 3-Growth: Activities that
 Feel easy and effortless
 Don’t seem to require you to concentrate
 Make time speed by
 Bring you happiness
 4-Needs: Activities that
 Seems to fill innate need
 Feel authentic and correct
 Feel satisfying
 Charge your “batteries”
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29. Why Focus On Strengths?
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 Speed: People operating from strength learn the
role faster and adapt to more variance in the role
quicker.
 Productivity and Precision: People operating
from strength produce significantly more at
higher quality.
 Longevity and Attendance: People operating
from strength stay longer, miss less work, and
build stronger customer relationships.

30. Recognizing & Putting Talent
To Work
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 Nearly a decade ago, Gallup unveiled the result of
a landmark 30-year research project that ignited a
global conversation on the topic of strengths.

31. Recognizing & Putting Talent
To Work
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 Results of the research are 34 themes that were
developed that became the common language for
talent. These are very specific terms that describe
what people do well.

32. Recognizing & Putting Talent
To Work
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Achiever Connectedness Harmony Positivity
Activator Consistency Ideation Relator
Adaptability Context Includer Responsibility
Analytical Deliberative Individualization Restorative
Arranger Developer Input Self-Assurance
Belief Discipline Intellection Significance
Command Empathy Learner Strategic
Communication Focus Maximizer Woo
Competition Futuristic
Clifton StrengthsFinder Theme

33. References:
 StrengthsFinder 2.0 ; Tom Rath ; Gallup Press; 2007
 Strengths Based Leadership; Tom Rath , Barry Conchie; Gallup Press; 2008
 Comprehensive Strengths Based Approach To The First-Year Experience; Laurie
A. Schreiner, Ph.D.; Eileen Hulme, Ph.D.; Azusa Pacific University: 2006 Annual
Conference on the First-Year Experience
 Building A Strengths-Based Organization (International Facilities Management
Association Austin, Texas, May 13, 2010, Melinda Figeley Dean, SPHR
 National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers ;August 21,
2006;Omaha, Nebraska
 Strengths-Based Performing Teams, Facilitator; Presenter: Chiquita T. Tuttle,
MBA, Marketing Management & Health Care Consulting, LLC, Oakland,
California 94605, Bananactt@comcast.net
 Strengths and Leadership; Presented by: Jeremy David Jones
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34. Thanks For Your Attention
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