Executive development has moved away from working with KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) in favor of signature strengths. Instead of 360 evaluations that focus on one's weaknesses with a remediation plan, executives are now assessed for their strengths which are less resistant to change, but nevertheless, adaptable to change. The approach is more positive and emphasizes one's talents and how to blend individual talents to the company's mission, goals, strategies, and objectives. One approach is Marty Seligman's VIA Signature Strengths Survey found on his website: www.authentichappiness.com. Another approach is Gallop's Strength Finder assessment found on their website: www.gallop.com. Both approaches are in the developmental stages but open the door for further research and application to individual, group, and corporate environments. For example, suppose John Doe, CEO, is an empathic, warm, caring, and good process person. He has excellent teamwork skills, can bring groups to consensus, and heal open wounds left by competing factions. However, he is also charged with generating additional capital which requires marketing and fundraising skills, which is not one of his signature strengths (perseverance, industriousness, persistence). Instead of replacing John Doe and incurring exorbitant replacements and retraining costs (including buying out his contract and stock options), it might be easier to introduce John to a marketing environment. One approach might be to have the CEO spend a couple of months with his marketing director, purely as an observer and view the KSAs necessary for marketing to consumers. Using John's existing signature strengths, he might "reframe" his marketing strategy as "giving value and service to the customer that is consistent with his core values and beliefs of fairness."

 

Coaches can play an important role in "shadowing" executives and giving them a sounding board for their thoughts, feelings, and actions. The coach should be mindful of his client's signature strengths and play into his strong suit to help the client achieve results that might lend themselves to less salient strengths. This bolsters self-confidence which is critical to desired results. In this day of uncertainty, mergers, layoffs, and "you're fired" vis a vis Trump's reality show, The Apprentice, it is refreshing to know that emotional intelligence and personality traits can be modified somewhat to set the stage for change. The signature strength movement is nothing more than a replay of accentuating the positive (positive reinforcement) as opposed to punishing executives for results beyond their control. Executives, after all, are people too, with the same fears, doubts, and anxiety as the rest of us. I'm reminded of what one executive told me a long time ago: no one ever has 100 percent of the information to make an informed decision, but you do the best job you can, based on the information you have available. Also understand that decisions do not occur in a vacuum, and the process of decision-making occurs along a continuum with no right or wrong answer. In the age of quick fixes, bottom lines, sound bites, ROIs, executive performance still comes down to desire and motivation.

 

 

"Helpful Hints" is a monthly feature of The Executive Connection. In this section of our Newsletter, we will discuss accountability structures necessary to stay focused on your business plan and objectives.

 

"This Month's Helpful Hints"

 

Take the VIA survey found on Marty Seligman's website: www.authentichappiness.com. Are there any surprises?

 

List your strengths and how these traits have helped you make good decisions in the past. Do your strengths match past and present job assignments?

 

In your next coaching engagement, focus on your client's strengths to achieve change in his or her life.