Seeking the team's best performers and performance.
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 often 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 Maximizer® talents, as identified via the CliftonStrengths assessment.
If you are a leader or a colleague of someone with these 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 Maximizer® talents.
Each person with Maximizer® talents operates differently. Make sure you're not missing out on their unique contribution.
Disclaimer: The following insights represent the author's opinions based on their understanding of the CliftonStrengths® themes. These are not statements created by or formally endorsed by Gallup®.
Scouting Report
Position: Finisher / Forward
Ensures what chances the team is given are capitalized on in the best way possible.
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.
Strengths Seekers. Those with Maximizer® talents actively seek out those who've already built their talents into Strengths (or are well on their way). As a member of a team, these individuals will likely highlight those making superb contributions. They will also push & encourage other teammates to bring their absolute best. As a leader, consider positioning these individuals on teams where excellence is already the expectation; they will thrive in this team environment. You might also want to place them on teams where you could use some help figuring out what each person does best. Your Maximizer®-talented colleague(s) can provide you valuable insights into what each person does best.
Good to Great. Jim Collins may have pushed this phrase into common business lexicon, but those with Maximizer talents naturally live out this intention every day. They will drive a team to bring their absolute best. A mediocre report, or presentation isn't going to sit well with them. Instead, they will bring time and energy to making something it's absolute best. As a leader, consider positioning this person as a "last reviewer" so they can contribute the finishing touches.
Tendencies
Ways in which people with this theme might "overplay" their talents.
Seeking perfection. There is a (big) difference between seeking to bring your best, and seeking perfection. Those with Maximizer® talents, even with the best of intentions, may continue to delay projects, presentations, phone calls, or even sending the simplest email because they don't feel it's "perfect." These delays can have negative impacts on everything from team / company success, to the inter-personal relationships that make your team work. As a leader, work with these talented individuals to set some shared, standard expectations for what's superb (for people and for projects) so they know when to move on to the next thing and stop their incessant pursuit of perfection.
Downplaying others. Those with Maximizer® talents may seek to identify and work with those who've already refined their talents into Strengths, but they need to be wary of overlooking everyone else. Help remind them that just because they have refined their talents, doesn't mean others aren't trying to do the same. As a leader, considering positioning or pairing those with Maximizer® talents with those right on the cusp of greatness. The team members with Maximizer® talents will likely enjoy being alongside as others fine-tune their talents into Strengths.
Talent Combos / Position Modification
Strategic®: "The Refined Finisher" - Those with Strategic® talents are keen to identify and analyze a multitude of paths upon which to move forward, in order to select the best one. Those with Strategic® + Maximizer® talents are likely to look for "THE" path forward. Since both these talent themes have a knack for seeking out the ideal, consider positioning them on teams or in situations where making the absolute right choice is a must; they will rarely disappoint.
Restorative®: "Nickname" - Those with Restorative® talents are keen to repair systems, practices, and/or relationships, and minimize problems. As such, those with Restorative® + Maximizer® talents have a very unique and rare capacity to contribute across a very wide spectrum. They can begin a process or project looking at where it needs some TLC to get started, but will also push for the final results to be world-class. On the soccer field, this talent combo might be best represented by the player, Marcelo. A world-class defender for the Brazilian national team, Marcelo is also known for his goal scoring artistry.
Game Film
Check out these videos from Gallup to learn more about the Maximizer® talent theme.
Lead photo by Fauzan Saari on Unsplash
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