Positioning people and resources for maximum effect.
Leaders, and colleagues, need to position people on work project teams effectively and efficiently to ensure work gets done and people stay engaged. A lot of leaders spend too much time trying to guess where to put people because they don't have a point of reference.
What follows is a "scouting report" for those with Arranger® talents, as identified via the CliftonStrengths assessment.
If you are a leader or a colleague of someone with Arranger talents, consider how you can best position them in the context of your team and your projects. You can also use this as a discussion piece to find out how they see and use their Arranger talents.
Each person with Arranger talents operates differently. Make sure you're not missing out on their unique contribution.
Scouting Report
Position: Transitioner / Midfielder
This theme is key in helping your team "put the right people & pieces in the right places at the right time."
Contribution
Ways in which this team member can make a direct and immediate impact. Use these insights to consider where you place them on the team or in an organization.
On-Field Captain. The coach might set the direction and objectives, but individuals with Arranger talents can often help a team reconfigure itself in the moment. Be sure not to stand in their way if you avoid it. These talented individuals can naturally sense how different people can work together effectively.
If projects are starting to flounder, they can sense the who, what, and how other team members or resources might be brought to bear to get it back on track. On a soccer field, you'd recognize this as a midfielder calling for their teammates to supplement the defense.
If a project is nearing completion they might also know who and what to put in place to reach the goal; like calling everyone forward for a successful corner kick.
The Rover. These talented individuals are also great at jumping into really complex situations and figuring a way forward. While they share traits with their Adaptability-talented peers, those with Arranger talents don't just go with the flow, they will often create new direction and bring fresh resources. When managing and placing these people within a team, ensure you don't "overbook" them; they are a contribution multiplier if you provide them time & energy to float among a lot of different projects.
Tendencies
Ways in which people with this theme might "overplay" their talents.
Wrecking ball. The same instincts and abilities that make Arranger-talented individuals masters are reconfiguring troubled projects or teams can also prove diasterous if they jump into a team that is functioning at near perfect levels. Be cautious when coaching and placing these people that you don't drop them into situations that are already working really well.
The redesigning procrastinator. Some with Arranger talents might delay launching initiatives if they don't feel they have the perfect timeline, team, and resource configuration. Even though those with Arranger talents are driven to execute, they can often get to focused on execution of the design phase, and less on the plan's execution. Be prepared to help them move forward with the ideal plan in that moment; don't worry, they'll figure out ways to improve it along the way.
Talent Combos / Position Modification
Responsibility: "Defensive-minded Field General". Team members possessing Responsibility + Arranger talents will ensure every task & every challenge is assigned to someone. Like a sweeper in soccer, they make sure everyone and everything is "marked" and handled. Think Becky Sauerbrunn or Abby Dahlkemper from the USWNT.
Command: "A midfielder's midfielder". Think of the most vocal, supportive, take-charge individual on your team and you might be identifying someone with a Command + Arranger set of talents. These individuals will do everything in their power to ensure the team is taken care of, and everyone's part of the success. Think Steven Gerrard of Liverpool.
Game Film
Check out these videos from Gallup to learn more
Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash.
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