MDS Alert

Keep a record of the things your team does best and assign everyone a role that will best make use of his or her competencies.

A typical approach teams take when trying to improve themselves is to assess their weaknesses and start to correct them. But you can also give your team a boost by capitalizing on its strengths. The following team-building exercise is a good way to start:

Determine the team’s three greatest strengths. During a meeting, have team members tell you every compliment the team has received lately from supervisors or customers. Write these down on a flip chart, and from there pinpoint the team’s chief strengths.

List the five most important people the team is working for, whether they’re internal customers, management, or clients. Ask your teammates how you can use your team’s strengths to help meet their needs.

Identify ways you can make your strengths even stronger. If your team is known for its technical expertise, you might ask for more technical training.

Publicize your new plan. Let your supervisors and colleagues know about how you plan to improve your team’s performance, and solicit feedback from all of them.