Here is a great question that came in during our recording of the EntreLeadership Podcast Q&A episode:

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For me, the most important step to focusing on a team members strengths, is to find out what they actually are. For example, I once hired a team member that came with tons of recommendations and years of experience.

A few months after putting him in the the seat, I began to see areas where he was falling apart. Over and over I had to go through and fix problems like this was a person new to the industry. Eventually I sat down and really poured over his DISC personality profile. There it was staring right at me.

I sat him down and asked him one simple question – You hate doing this job don’t you? He immediately broke down and agreed profusely. I then asked if he’s been in the industry all these years because he could do the job, instead of it being a passion. Once again, I hit a nerve.

At that point I decided that I would never hire another person that “could do” the job I had. I only wanted people who were crazy passionate AND could do the job. That combination creates a strength that’s needed.

On top of that I found the incredible StrenghtsFinder 2.0 to be invaluable. In Why You Must Discover Your Strengths, I interviewed the author Tom Rath. You will be amazed at how we as a society will spend more time focusing on our weaknesses, instead of our strengths.

Another great tool is Values or Motivators profile. It shows you what motivates people in life. Two of my highest are Altruistic and Economic. Which means I absolutely love helping people, and I also want to see a great return on every investment I make. Whether time or money.

When you use and understand tools like these, you’re able to build a much stronger team.

Question: What do you do to build an environment of team members working in their strengths?