HR News

Q12 Article Series: Q3 – At Work, I Have the Opportunity to Do What I Do Best Every Day

As we move on to Q3, we’re exploring Individual Contributions, which Gallup refers to as “Know Me.” Question 3, “At Work, I Have the Opportunity to Do What I Do Best Every Day,” looks at the intersection of your talents, skills, and knowledge. 

Employees and their supervisors can identify areas for skills development to grow skills and knowledge. But employees will be most engaged, and create strong outcomes they can be proud of, when managers help align their work with their talents and give them the opportunity to do what they do best every day. 

The Strengths Philosophy: 

Talent x Investment = Strength. 

Your talents are the natural, inherent themes that make up your best self. By taking the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment - available at no charge to all George Mason faculty and staff - you can discover your Top 5 Talent themes. These talents become strengths when you intentionally invest in developing them, which happens in three phases:

Name - Know your individual talents. 

Claim – Understand how your talents show up and the unique value and opportunities they bring. 

Aim – Intentionally invest in your developing your talent themes and strengths. 

Next Steps:

  1. Take the CliftonStrengths Assessment:
    Faculty and staff can access the assessment for free. Contact hrlearn@gmu.edu for more details.
  2. Request a Strengths Workshop for Your Team:
    Request a team Strengths workshop or individual coaching through our Workplace Coaching Program.  

Gallup’s research shows that employees who are given the opportunity to use their strengths are 6 times as likely to be engaged at work. 

Supervisors can engage in individual conversations about strengths by asking: 

  • What parts of your job do you most enjoy? What parts of your job do you feel you are best at? 
  • What do you wish you could do more of every day? 
  • What gets in the way of you doing more of what you do best every day? 

Tips for Supervisors: 

  • Host a Strengths workshop for your team; a team Strengths chart will provide insight to on the team’s shared talents, areas of opportunity, and complementary partnerships. 
  • Start team meetings with a question like “How have you used your strengths this week?” 
  • Display your Top 5 strengths in your workspace or email signature and encourage your team to do the same. 
  • Start projects off with a conversation about how each team member’s strengths will be leveraged for success. 

Tips for Individual Contributors: 

  • Take the CliftonStrengths assessment and explore your results. 
  • Ask your teammates and colleagues about their strengths and share yours. 
  • Choose one of your top 5 talent themes and create an action plan for developing that plan with intentionality.  

This article was written by Robyn Madar. For more information, visit the Faculty and Staff Experience Survey website or email engagehr@gmu.edu.