Are you playing (at work) to your strengths? Now we know what it means to you
Bottom Line: I've always been a big believer in playing to one's strengths. There's endless research demonstrating that one's time and energy is best spent on doing what you're best at rather than attempting to work harder to compensate for your weaknesses. That being said we have new info that shows what it means to the average person in the workplace. Gallup produced new research putting hard numbers to it for employees and employers. Here's what it means to you.
Employees who are able to focus on their strengths at work at 8% more productive. On one hand, that might not seem incredibility significant but look at it this way. That's the equivalent of getting and extra 3 hours of work in during a 40-hour work week, or work that's worth an additional $3,880 per year to the average person making $48,500 per year. To employers the impact is even more significant. For most businesses the single most expensive cost of doing business that's preventable is turnover. Employees who feel they're able to focus on their strengths at work are 15% less likely to leave. So, here's some motivation for employers to allow employees to focus on their strengths:
- 8% more productivity
- 15% lower turnover
That's a no-brainier once you structure your business with people of complementary strengths. It's also motivation for employees who aren't able to employ their talent in their jobs.