Focus on strengths in The Good Conversation!

Focusing on strengths is an ingredient of The Good Conversation. The 'strengths-based' approach posits that if employees perform tasks at which they are already good, this will lead to even better performance, less sickness absence, more development, and less turnover.

What is the definition of the strengths-based approach?

The strengths-based approach is a perspective on development where the focus is not so much on improving employees' weaknesses, but rather on optimizing their strengths. In other words: attention to weaknesses weakens you, attention to strengths strengthens you.

In the strengths-based approach, there is plenty of room for employees to discover their talents and develop them further into real strengths through training, coaching and on-the-job experience. How does this work in practice?

Improvement agreements about shortcomings

Practice shows that when it comes to learning and change, the starting point is often weaknesses, the so-called deficiency approach. This starts at school, where students receive tutoring for subjects they are failing. Later, in their working lives, a B-score in the performance review ('needs improvement') results in a coaching program. The idea is to close the gap between existing and required competencies. This deficit-oriented approach is of course not wrong. Someone lying in the operating room with appendicitis hopes that the surgeon on duty has the skills to competently remove the inflamed appendix.

Make development agreements about strengths

Learning and developing from a deficit often costs energy. For example, turning a competency or task rated a four into a six requires hard work from the employee. During the development process, job satisfaction may decline ('I just can't do it') and the manager may become frustrated and irritated because their efforts (conversations, coaching) do not lead to the desired result. It can be different.

Fun makes in run!

Why not turn a seven into an eight? Learning and developing from strengths gives employees space, development power and opportunities to discover new insights, approaches and experiences. Not only fun and challenging for them, but also enjoyable for the manager. Employees perform even more tasks they enjoy and are good at. Job satisfaction and performance increase, to the great delight of the manager.