Look East builds team spirit

Team | August 24, 2016
Look East team members pose with Blue, the Sporting KC mascot, during a scavenger hunt as part of a team-building exercise
Look East team members pose with Blue, the Sporting KC mascot, during a scavenger hunt as part of a team-building exercise

Let’s face it – when people say we are going to spend time “team building” do you roll your eyes and dread the day’s activities?

When the Look East team held an employee owner meeting on Aug. 19, our focus was not on traditional team building, but instead on creating a culture where individual strengths thrive. By taking the StrenthFinders assessment, we were able to identify each team member’s top five strengths. This enabled us to better understand more of who we are and how we are wired. This ultimately makes Look East a more effective team.

People who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged on the job. Teams that focus on their strengths are 12.5% more productive. Coach the people you lead to improve their performance.

Clifton StrengthsFinder

What we learned in an afternoon of team building can be applied to our clients. Whether it be in athletics, corporate, or non-profit teams, organizations and teams benefit from everyone having a high level of self-awareness based on their unique giftedness.

There are so many reasons why I think StrengthsFinder training and team building can help any team, but here are my top five.

  1. Everyone gets along better when they know their own strengths and the those of their teammates.
  2. All teams have a better chance of success if their members can increase their engagement. Strengths-based organizational consulting can help people be more self-aware and engaged.
  3. Leaders who know their team’s strengths are more likely to position people in areas where they can be most successful. They have a distinct advantage over those managers who do not.
  4. If team members are positioned in their greatest area of strength, they will feel more empowered because they have a greater chance of success. Their ability to trust their manager will only increase.
  5. Team chemistry is a much sought after and elusive proposition. After a decade of working in the field – StrengthsFinder training absolutely helps improve team chemistry.

By Melissa Daugherty