Employee Engagement—is it in Danger of Becoming Endangered? {Guest Article}

By DeAnna Murphy

Rodd Wagner, noted author of Gallup’s best-selling book about the Q12, indicated in a recent Forbes Magazine article that “the age of employee engagement may be nearing its end.[1]”  He is not the only one suggesting that something in the employee engagement equation is not working, given today’s conditions. 

Cy Wakeman, a New York Times best-selling author and global thought leader, also suggests that it’s time to leave behind the old approach to engagement, and find a new way of thinking about this subject.[2]  She indicates that the present-day entitlement mindset is interfering, among other things, with employee engagement.

You don’t have to look very hard to see the trend that these thought leaders are pointing to.  Global engagement has remained mostly flat and unchanging for the better part of the last decade, according to a recent Gallup report.[3]  In fact, Gallup’s most recent worldwide report showed that the percentage of actively engaged employees (13%) nearly matched the 2005 by Towers Perrin Global Workforce Survey involving 85,000 employees, which found only 14% of all employees were actively engaged in their work[4].

Stephen Covey was fond of saying, “Nothing fails like success.”  Back in the 90s, when the term ‘employee engagement’ was coined and became popular, it was based on the mindset and paradigms of that time.  The formula for “success” in achieving employee engagement was based on the then-current values and way of doing business.

As you can see, things have changed:

Traditional Factors	Today’s Factors
Stable organizational environment Uniformity Life-time employment Individual work Horizontal structure External control and supervision Dependence on the organization Detailed job description Fixed schedules and patterns Physical demands Experience Working hard	Continuous change Diversity Precarious employment Teamwork Vertical structure Self-control and self-management Own responsibility and accountability Job crafting Boundarylessness (time and place) Mental and emotional demands Continuous learning Working smart

An employee engagement model based on external control and supervision, and high levels of dependence on the organization will not work in today’s market. With the number of Baby Boomers retiring, and the increase in Millennials filling the roles of previous Baby Boomers, the mindset has completely shifted.  The need for autonomy, and for self-control and self-management has replaced the old way of thinking.

Trying to continue to apply yesterday’s success formula to today’s conditions is the surest way of ensuring that employee engagement becomes increasingly critically endangered.

[1] Rodd Wagner, “The End of ‘Employee Engagement’?” Forbes. May 11, 2015. http://www.forbes.com/sites/roddwagner/2015/05/11/the-end-of-employee-engagement/3/

[2] Cy Wakemen. “It’s Time to Re-Think Employee Engagement.” Forbes. Jan. 14. 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/cywakeman/2013/01/14/its-time-to-rethink-employee-engagement/

[3] Amy Adkins. U.S. Employee Engagement Unmoved at 31.9%. Gallup Management Journal. July 9, 2015.

[4] Gerhard H. Seijts and Dan Crim.  “What Engages Employees the Most—or the 10 Cs of Employee Engagement.” Ivey Business Journal. March/April 2006. http://www.ifcaonline.com/wordpress2/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Ten-Cs-of-Employee-Engagement.pdf The drivers of employee engagement. IES Report 408. Brighton: Institute of Employment Studies. 2004.

[5] Schaufeli, W.B. (2013). What is engagement? In C. Truss, K. Alfes, R. Delbridge, A. Shantz, and E. Soane (Eds.), Employee Engagement in Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.

Author: DeAnna Murphy

DeAnna Murphy has over 7,000 hours coaching and facilitating experiential learning and leadership development programs – and is the founder and president of Strengths Strategy Inc., the leading strengths application organization in the world. She is the author of soon-to-be-released Unlocking Strengths—A New Approach to Empowering Performance, Energy, and Relationships.

It's Time to Rethink Employee Engagement [Guest Article}

By Cy Wakeman - author of Reality-Based Leadership and The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace
www.realitybasedleadership.com

As leaders, why do we spend so much time trying to fix our employees’ circumstances? If we’re listening to conventional management wisdom, we probably believe (or hope) that a stress-free, obstacle-free working environment will magically turn everyone into happy, productive employees.

That’s why we distribute employee engagement surveys – to find out how we can create the perfect workplace. You know the place: where processes run smoothly, no one ever gets frustrated and we get to work with our BFFs. So we hand out the surveys, compile the responses, create action plans, implement the suggestions, and are rewarded with new levels of productivity. Right?

Wrong. Here’s the problem. Traditional employee satisfaction surveys make three assumptions that just don’t hold water.

Wrong assumption #1: Every employee response is equally important.

Wrong assumption #2: Every employee opinion is credible.

Wrong assumption #3: Engagement alone drives results.

These assumptions are artifacts of the old employee engagement approach – the one that strives to create a magical workplace where there are no challenges to overcome and everyone is happy. It is time we admit it –  this just isn’t working.

Let’s put a stake in the ground and change the way we approach employee engagement, starting with these five practices.

Don’t treat every opinion the same. Listen to what your top performers tell you. They’ve proved their value and earned their credibility, so go ahead: play favorites. Spend less energy on the demands and complaints of your worst employees? (You know the ones – resistant, hard to please, full of excuses.

Insist on personal accountability. Allow employees to see themselves as architects of their own circumstances, not victims. Challenge them to take on more responsibility, and hold them accountable for the results. By replacing a sense of entitlement with a sense of empowerment, you make them bulletproof – capable of handling anything that comes along. Note: this only works if they know you care about their growth and development.

Employ quid pro quo. Employees have gotten into the habit of making requests. Maybe they want flex hours or a bigger office or a free lunch every Wednesday. You, as a manager, also need to get in the habit of making requests. In response to the next employee who makes a request, turn the tables and ask, “What are you willing to do to get that?”

Foster a “Yes” culture. Companies are not democracies. We do not vote on decisions. There are people who get paid to make decisions and people who get paid to implement those decisions. Buy-in is not optional. Once a decision has been made, employees should use their expertise to manage the risks and make it work.

Stop trying to create a perfect workplace. There will always be change, conflict, challenges, disagreements, discomfort and frustration in the workplace. And that’s good news! As it turns out, humans can’t be happy and engaged without struggle and strife. Without obstacles and mistakes, we never feel a sense of accomplishment or grow on a personal or professional level. So, instead of removing all these healthy hurdles for your employees, empower them to make the leap. It’s better for them and for the company.

If you must conduct an engagement survey, try one that factors in a certain level of accountability.  Don’t just take the word of the vast majority – many of whom work to collect a paycheck not to add value.

Why you should be able to play ALL of your Talent Themes - not only to your top 5 Strengths

by Dries Lombaard - Executive Coach: Strategic leadership Institute

Before you make the assumption that I have shifted my view away from a "strengths focus", let me assure you it is not the case.  We absolutely will always have most sustainable energy and best results if we play towards our natural talent needs and energy.  I am being prompted for some time now to write something to bring another perspective on the "Strengths Stampede" as some refer to it, especially when it comes to unlocking of your Top 5 Strengths Report from the brilliant Clifton StrengthsFinder online assessment.  In my view, the Top 5 StrengthsFinder report should be viewed merely as the cover page of a menu. Not only have you not seen all on offer - you haven't tasted anything yet!

When I say we should understand how to play to ALL of our talent themes, I refer to the fact that we are confronted regularly in life with situations where we are forced out of our rhythm and natural energy created by our natural Strengths.   If that happens, we cannot stop working, living or playing.  We need to function as best we can.

If we view the All 34 StrengthsFinder Report as generated by Gallup, we clearly see that our strongest energy and need lies towards the top of the sequence list (first 10-12 themes), and our strongest resistance, and draining effect, lies towards the bottom of the list (last 5 - 8 themes). Unfortunately these are not revealed in the Top 5 Report - from there its immense limitations.

We should always push towards our strongest themes....and we should always try and avoid our weakest ones.

Let me share a metaphor that I use a lot to explain to people how to interpret the sequence of all the 34 StrengthsFinder themes.  I find the metaphor of the game of golf works extremely well to explain the dynamic of our 34 talent themes in action.  Even if you haven't played a single shot of golf in your life, everyone is familiar with the most basic practices of the game - and the most basic layout of a golf course - being the fairway, the putting green, the rough, the bunkers and areas that are "out-of-bounds".

Playing your best game - stay on the fairway

Everyone loves the look of a beautiful fairway.  The gentle slopes, the green grass - cut neat and short, the clear view towards the putting green.  Playing on a fairway is why most people love the game of golf.  You can drive the ball with gracious power and see it fly through the blue sky, bouncing....rolling....stopping clearly visible a few hundred yards down the course.

A nice brisk walk towards your ball, aligning with the direction of the flag, and with a lower number club you graciously lift the ball with a perfect loop towards the green.  Yeah!  That's what the game is all about!

You can view your Top sequence of talent themes as your personal "fairway".  Generally it will be your top ten to twelve themes - maybe a few less, maybe a few more.  How many themes there are making up your fairway is less important than your understanding of it.  You should know the bends, the slopes, the challenges and the flow of your fairway.

And, as any golfer will tell you, you need to try and stay on the fairway.  That is actually the whole point of the game. Play the fairway towards the green, then put the ball into the hole.

Sounds easy, right?  Definitely easier said than done.  That is exactly the joy and challenge of trying to master the game!  The point is, with your talents, you should play on your fairway. Each one of us has our own very unique fairway, and that is where our game will excel most and where we will become the best we can be - while enjoying the game!
And of course we do not have the absolute luxury to play on our own fairway 100% of the time. Sometimes we will be part of a group or team that will play a course which are new and foreign to us.  Do we pack up and go home because of this?  No of course not.  It simply means that the game will be more challenging to us, and we will have to rely a lot more on our skills and tools (clubs) than on our natural game.  But we can still have a great game, no doubt.

Leaders can adapt their game

The famous South African golfer, Gary Player, once remarked (after a journalist called a shot of his a "lucky shot"):  "Yea, the more you practice, the luckier you get."
The more we play towards out natural talents, the more flexible we also become to adapt our game towards challenges like the weather, obstacles or unknown courses.  In leadership or management, this is a crucial skill and ability to develop. You simply do not have the luxury to lead or manage people and insist on playing your own fairway all the time.  Your success as a leader will be directly tied to your ability to let your followers play their natural game on their natural fairway most of the time - as long as the score card counts towards the favour of the team.

Playing from the rough

It is somewhat unheard of that a golfer will play through 18 holes without once landing up in the rough.  And of course this is no shame or tragedy - it's simply part of the game.  Frustrating, yes. But when it happens we simply adapt in order to play further.
The analogy here is that whenever we have to "tap into" our supporting or lessor talents (usually numbers 12 or 15 down to about numbers 25 or 28), we find ourselves "in the rough".  This is where, just like in golf, we are in a situation that requires more from as and takes us out of our comfort zone or "natural game".  It is regarded as simply a circumstance that is part of the game and we should deal with it best we can.

Most helpful in these situations are the tools and skill we can draw from. Just like we have a golf bag full of clubs, each for a different shot, we can draw on resources and tools when we find ourselves in the "rough" with our talents.  (Keep in mind that one of the best resources there is, is another person who finds your "rough" similar to his or her "fairway").
Of course practice makes perfect no matter where you play from. It is best to spend most time practicing your fairway shots - after all, precision with those shots will keep you on the fairway.

Here is the most important rule to remember when you find yourself off the fairway and in the rough. "When in the rough, always play back to the fairway."  As simple as that.  Sometimes a very short chip-shot will be enough to have you back in the clear, and the damage done will be minimal.  Taking the risk to use force and drive through the bushes or branches towards the pin may very well end up having you in a much worse position than you were in.

The principle from this analogy:  you can, and should tap into your supporting talents, when ever necessary to do so.  You have a lot more than your dominant 10 or 12 talents at your disposal!  It only takes a decision to play a different, and a bit more uncomfortable shot. With the right tools and some practice this may even become quite easy to do. This said: it is still not the same as playing your fairway.

Those irritating bunkers...or being "out of bounds"

If ever you've played a round of two of golf you will know what this means. That sinking feeling when you see your ball disappear into a sand bunker, or, even worse, into a pool of water.  This is basically what everyone avoid on the golf course.  Often bunkers or pools of water are also strategically placed near the putting greens where it can easily be a trap you find yourself in.
When it come to your StrengthsFinder talent themes, this analogy refer to your so called "Non Patterns. Those are usually the last 5 or 8 talents listed on your Full 34 Sequence Report.

Just like with a bunker on the golf course, we instinctively will try to avoid these themes.  We resist them just as we resist bunkers or water on the golf course.  And, when we do find ourselves within this situation, it can be extremely tricky to get out of it.  When "out of bounds" like a ball in water, we are penalised with an extra shot against our name.
And still, it is part of the game and part of the challenge.  It will be very immature to pack up your clubs and go home the first time you hit a bunker.  You cannot avoid the obstacles - and in the same way you cannot avoid the draining effect of your Non Patterns being in play in life or work. It is a reality.

Again, there are specialised tools to get us out of such situations. You should rather not play without your sand-wedge as part of your kit. Practicing bunker shots will also be wise - as long as you do not spend most of your time practicing those shots, as a far better strategy will always be to avoid the bunkers. Nobody aim towards a bunker or towards water.

Similarly, we naturally will not aim towards our weakest themes. We will naturally resist it. But, in life and work, we cannot avoid it either. At times, we will have to play from a bunker, or even be penalised for a shot being "out of bounds".  It is part of reality.  Remember: playing a great bunker shot is not impossible - it's just not sustainable.

Playing the (real) Strengths game

Playing towards your Strengths means you will be confronted with all 34 of the talent theme patterns in some way.  Therefor, the revealing of only your Top 5 talent theme Report is in my view similar to playing at a driving range only, and boasting that you play golf.  Nice, clear and open grass in front of you. No obstacles. The only challenge being to find the sweet spot of your club.

You only really start understanding your talents, and developing your strengths, once you get out on the course, and experience the challenge of all the themes within you being challenged at any given time.

In the same way, if you are under the impression that knowing your Top 5 Themes only will be sufficient in taking on the challenges at life and work, you unfortunately will never experience what the real game is about.  Life is not only about your strongest few strengths.  It is about all your strengths, about tapping into supporting talents with skill, and about knowing exactly where the bunkers and water are so you can avoid it.

If I want to teach you how to hold a golf club and the basics of the game, I will start at the driving range.  I will never sell that to you as being golf though.

And most of all, reading every book about golf will help your understanding of it.  If you want to really improve your skills and game, you will need at least some coaching.

Finally: play towards the flag

If you play a driving range, you play for distance and practice.  If you play the course, you play towards the flag.

You should aim your natural talents - formed into strengths through added knowledge, skill and experience - at the flag which indicates your exact target.
The flags of the pin is not always visible from the base of the tee-off, but your fairway will indicate the direction you should play.

Having no direction you play towards, is merely practicing.  There is a time and a place for that, but be careful to not become the master of the practice shot, while the joy and achievement of the real game escapes you.


Oh, yes, just in case you don't know it, golf is about having fun.  Yep, it can be played professionally but even those pro's will tell you that if the fun is out of it, there is little motivation left.
If playing towards your strengths is not fun, you are missing the fairway somewhere. The nature of your talents are energy and need, and that per definition will be satisfying and an enjoyment to experience.

Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strategic Leadership Institute and NeuWorx, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade.  He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator.  

Talent is so obvious, it hides in plain sight

by Dries Lombaard; Strategic Leadership Institute

talent

ˈtalənt/

noun

1. 1.

   natural aptitude or skill.

   "he possesses more talent than any other player"

   synonyms:

   flair, aptitude, facility, gift, knack, technique, touch, bent, ability,expertise, capacity, power, faculty; More
2. 2.

   a former weight and unit of currency, used especially by the ancient Romans and Greeks.

   "a mighty steed bought from a Thessalian merchant for thirteen talents"

There are different perspectives of the term "talent".  The most common association of the word will always be to link it to "skill".  And I suppose, within some contexts, this may be accurate.  Generally what we perceive and observe as performance, and then call "talent", is actually skill....(mostly fuelled by talent).

From my perspective, talent is not the same as skill at all.  It is actually very different. (For more on the difference, read this blogpost).

Let me drill through the clutter and make the term "talent" as understandable and practical as possible.  In my experience through coaching people in their natural talent, it can be condensed to two words:

Energy, and Need. 

• Sustainable Energy

However you may define natural talent, it will always be a source of energy to you.  This energy tend to manifest in one or more of three areas:  emotional energy, physical energy and / or intellectual energy. Actually, it is more than mere energy.  It is sustainable energy.  Energy that you cannot ignore, avoid or get away from.  Energy that truly defines you.  (Some people may define this energy with the word "passion", but for me, passion is a broader concept than talent. Passion is your yearning, your desire, your lasting interest.) 

This energy obviously manifest mostly through specific activities.  And it is in the actual doing of the activities that you express your skill (or sometimes, lack of it). 

The ability to define your sustainable energy is crucial, as it gives it identity and you thus get a grasp on it in order to celebrate it for the unique talent that it is.  The moment you give expression in language and understanding to the different talents, something happens.  It is as if you truly own it then, simply because you can accurately name it for what it is. 

This is where people experience the research from Gallup so useful in this field, and why the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment is such a fantastic tool - defining 34 themes of talent.  StrengthsFinder accurately assess your talent energy, and then gives it names, ranked in order of importance according to your unique response to the 178 questions asked in the assessment.  True, some of the words used to describe the talent theme may be a bit confusing at first, but once you understand the true meaning behind the chosen term in context, it is always an empowering and even liberating experience to have a language to express your combination of sustainable energy to yourself and to others.

(If you know StrengthsFinder, think about someone having "Arranger Energy", "Ideation Energy", "Empathy Energy" or "Significance Energy".  Simply connecting the CSF terms with the word "energy" opens up a new understanding - especially if you coach people using StrengthsFinder as a baseline tool.)

• Unrelenting Need

A talent is a need. An unrelenting, lasting need for specific expression and specific stimulation. My experience in this field taught me that understanding talent as a need, even more than an energy, leads to the most important paradigm shifts within peoples discovery of their own brilliance and uniqueness.  In the same way that talents are energy in thought, emotional or behavioural expression, the different energies (talents) are constantly yearning to be fed. Talents have needs. Specific needs, and generic needs. These needs they have in order to function…to survive…to contribute.  If the “needs” are not met, the Talent will go dormant or stagnate.

Talent contribution is directly linked towards specific talent needs, and it is these needs that need to be managed well in order for the energy to flow best - and the talent to become a strength. 

Some needs are generic to all talents themes, like the need for affirmation, for celebration, for permission or opportunities to play or for expression.

Then again, there are needs specific to certain talent themes, like the need for more time, the need for people interaction, the need to connect with individuals, the need for constant comparison, for emotional expression, for action or activity, for accuracy, for routine, and yes, even a need for chaos.

Understanding talent themes as needs are so important because it is the key that unlocks the true development, and releases your talents to thrive and contribute fully. It is also the practical element in managing your talents well. If you know what a talent need, then you can feed it!

Even more, if the unique needs of talents are understood, it bring an element into the understanding of others that seldom get the attention it deserves within partnerships, relationships or teams. If you can view someone else not from the perspective of what they should bring, but from what they naturally need in order to function with  maximum energy, the dynamics change forever. 

Imagine being a manager who knows the exact needs of each of your team members, and providing them with the right opportunities and environment to unleash their natural energy within their talents.

Imagine being a spouse who can read the signs of your partners thoughts, feelings and behaviours when it longs for talent energy to flow.

Imagine being a parent who can guide your teenager according to his or her exact needs when it comes to the abundance of talent energy that flows through them.

Imagine being a person with enough self respect to be attentive to your own needs of talent, managing it well, so that your energy that is so unique to you can play as strengths when it combines with the needed knowledge, skill and experience.

(Referring to the StrengthsFinder tool, think about someone having "Focus Needs", "Maximizer Needs", "Includer Needs" or "Learner Needs".  Unpacking this with people you coach takes them to a new stratosphere of understanding themselves and others.)

• A simplified perspective on Talent

Whenever you hear the term "talent" again, do not think "ability", "skill", "performance" or "contribution".  Think ENERGY and NEED.  Then look at the people around you with the lens that identifies the energy for the beauty that it is (even when misdirected or miss-managed), and see their specific needs that yearns for opportunities.

If you want to experience the impact of this simple yet powerful approach, contact me at dries@strengths.institute . It is my passion to help people and companies thrive within their natural energy, by understanding and meeting the specific needs.

Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strategic Leadership Institute and NeuWorx, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade.  He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator.   

The Best Teachers Have Something in Common: What I learned About Strengths From Being Myself - [Guest Article]

by Rosanne Liesveld

It’s easy to think that the best in any given role all get there the same way. A strengths-based approach is different. While a strengths-based approach rings true regardless of job or industry, my experience as a teacher taught me what it truly means to soar with your strengths. 

It feels like I always had visions of being a teacher and what that “looked like.” Of course, my mental image of what I was hoping to become as a teacher came from many different places. As a student, my best teachers were always models I wanted to imitate. My mother was a teacher, so in some ways, my life was spent emulating her example. And, of course, there were the teachers from movies or books who enticed me to envision myself as one of them.

The truth is, when I finally did become a teacher, I realized that as hard as I tried, I could not really be completely like those models I admired, great as they were. Looking back on my time as a teacher, I now realize I taught a lot based on what came most naturally to me, rather than basing my teaching style on what I imagined “great teachers” would do. I naturally knew the adjustments needed for the uniqueness of each student. After some trial and error, I became more comfortable in my own skin, but I always felt like I had never quite reached the apex of success, simply because I didn’t “look” like other teachers I had known.

It wasn’t until I learned about the rather revolutionary concept of strengths that I could finally understand what great teaching looked like, for both me and all the other teachers that had such a big impact on students.   

When teachers learn to teach based on their innate strengths, it is like Independence Day for them, complete with fireworks and celebration. They finally feel what it’s like to be in their “zone,” so that the teaching they deem so sacred is done authentically, powerfully and with the kind of joy that keeps one focused and engaged. Rather than spending time trying to continually become good at every technique and approach, a strengths-based teacher can hone in on the talents that can take them to greatness.

The conventional approach to development is different than developing from strengths. Keep these three hallmarks of strengths-based development in mind to understand the difference this can make: 

1. Only some behaviors can be learned. The conventional approach seems to think greatness can be taught. We know to be truly world-class at something, it takes an element of innate talent. Skills and knowledge can be learned, but is no substitute for the potential at hand when we embrace natural patterns of behavior. Which behavior should you stop trying to learn or perform? Or which behavior should you perhaps find a complementary partner to help offer support?
2. The best in any given role deliver the same outcomes using different behaviors. If all it took to be world-class in a role was to follow the same steps as a previous champion, wouldn’t we all be winning gold medals and starting successful business ventures? Instead of assuming the best performers all get there by following the same steps, start by identifying the expected outcomes. I bet you’ll find that the individuals who meet and exceed those outcomes get there in very different ways, based on their own unique blend of talents. Allow yourself some autonomy in finding your best path forward. Can you write down your unique strengths-based approach to a given task or challenge that is successful and empowering?
3. Fixing weaknesses prevents failure, but building on strengths leads to success. Investing in your weaknesses will likely help you improve. But if all your energy is dedicated to fixing what is wrong, you should expect that improvement to peak at or around a mediocre level. Embracing what you do well and challenging yourself to do it even better leads to the kind of success legends are made of. You’ll get more out of what’s right than you ever will from what’s wrong. What percentage of your time do you spend working on your weaknesses vs. your strengths?

So, let’s be even clearer here about natural strengths and talents. Let’s say you have the strength referred to as Futuristic. You may not see how that affects your day-to-day work. You are always asking yourself, “Wouldn’t it be great if…?” You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow. While the exact content of the picture will depend on your other strengths and interests -- you are certain to energize others by helping them see your visions of the future. Often our colleagues, students or employees need pictures to raise their sights and, thereby, their spirits. You can paint a picture for others -- one that they would not always see on their own. The inspiration of describing a better tomorrow can catapult someone into a whole new path filled with motivation. 

As a teacher with Futuristic, I recently asked a student to find a box -- any ordinary box -- and put her best work in it from school, work or just notes about things she has accomplished or is proud to have done. I told her that someday in the future -- maybe five years from now -- she can open that box and look at all those “tokens” that paved the way for her future. She loved the idea, and now tucks away all the best of herself into that ordinary shoebox. All those tokens of hard work and success are building blocks for one day in her future when she will be a successful and happy adult. 

It will not be easy, as our complex world in education asks more and more of teachers. Every day more and more is being written about teachers who are not engaged. Gallup’s research shows that when people use their strengths at work, their likelihood to be engaged is significantly impacted. That is why it’s important for teachers to be aware of their strengths and draw from the reserve of motivation such awareness can net. But awareness is just one small step. Take the time to create a deeper awareness of one’s strengths and then apply those strengths, so that your brand of teaching becomes one that not only sustains you, but also has tremendous impact on your students.

We all know the teachers who made the most difference for us as individuals were the ones who really allowed us to run with our uniqueness. Those teachers celebrated our strengths and knew we were different from the rest of our classmates. They gave us opportunities to learn and grown and recognized us based on what we did best.

So, if we know that teachers made the most difference on us when they allowed us to soar with our strengths, it makes sense that they first started their roles not with their ideal perception of what a great teacher looks like, but with the authentic greatness they uniquely bring to the job. When you know your own strengths and allow them to soar, you encourage others to do the same. Imagine the difference we make in the world, from the classroom to the boardroom, when we ensure that every person, every day, learns and grows and understands the powerful potential that lies within. 

Rosanne Liesveld is a Managing Consultant at Gallup. She consults with K-12 school districts to develop comprehensive recruiting, assessment, hiring, and development strategies for teachers and principals. Rosanne’s primar