The Weakness Trap

  Leadership   ProjectsAtWork  

Many project leaders spend enormous energy addressing the areas of weakness on their teams. Instead, they should focus on emphasizing and strengthening the strengths of team members.

What is the best thing to do with a weakness? According to Gallup Poll data, the most successful managers don’t normally try to fix an employee’s weakness. Instead, they work around it. Ignore it, if possible. While this sounds counter-intuitive to some, it actually agrees with what most of us have noticed in life.

Consider coaching. What would a football coach do with a short but fast player who has quick hands? Try to fatten him up and make him stronger? Of course not. The coach would place him in the defensive backfield where speed and agility are key. He would charge the small, fast guy with getting faster. Meanwhile, he’d take his biggest, strongest player and challenge him to become bigger and stronger.

Thomas had been written up as needing to work on his Analytical Skills for the last three years. His manager can do it again, but Thomas is probably not going to improve in this area. Is Thomas worth keeping? Absolutely! He produces a high volume of work. The only thing needed here is for the manager to refocus his improvement efforts on things that were more realistic and valuable. Challenge Thomas to do more heavy-lifting, just don’t…

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