3 Strengths & Teamwork

Understanding strengths—yours and other people’s—is especially important when working in teams. 

 Activity 

Take the High 5 Test. You’ll need the results for future work, so paste them into a document and save it.

Strength, Weakness or Challenge?

It’s easy to criticize ourselves: I should be more assertive or I shouldn’t procrastinate. But doing that can damage our self-esteem, making it even harder to turn weaknesses into strengths.

These two changes in how you think can make a huge difference:

Challenge vs Weakness

Think of weaknesses as challenges. Calling something a weakness can make it feel like a fixed trait—something that can’t be changed. But a challenge can be defeated.

Strengths are a Spectrum

Think of strengths and challenges not as opposites, but as on a spectrum. Challenges aren’t the opposite of strengths; they’re simply too much or too little of a strength.

For example, if you’re passive, it doesn’t mean you’re not assertive at all—just that you’re not assertive enough. If you’re aggressive, it means you’re too assertive.

Thinking of strengths and challenges as parts of a spectrum means you don’t have to change completely, or become someone you’re not. You just need a bit more or less of some strengths. This kind of thinking makes building your strengths feel much more achievable.

 Activity 

Talking About Your Strengths

In job interviews, you can expect to be asked about your strengths and weaknesses. Always be prepared to discuss one or two realistic but not overwhelming challenges. Acknowledge the challenge briefly and then talk about what you’re doing to turn it from a challenge into a strength.

For example, you might say “When working in a team, I used to micromanage, and end up doing all the work myself. I’m working on that by encouraging my colleagues to take ownership. Together, we create consensus, clear boundaries and realistic expectations. Since doing this, my last two projects have been much more enjoyable and successful—for all of us.”

List of Weaknesses With Examples will help you understand how to talk about your professional challenges.

 Activity 

What’s your Conflict Management Style? Take the Conflict Management Style Orientation Self-Assessment

Teamwork

The ability to work in teams is an essential employability skill. The Conference Board of Canada defines teamwork skills as the ability to work with others and contribute to projects.^[1] They divide teamwork skills into two major categories:

Click on each skill to see the details

Become a Star Team Player. Watch 10 Ways to Become a Star Team Player

Process Conversations

Process conversations make teamwork more productive and less frustrating. They’re simple conversations where you discuss and agree how your team will function.

Process conversations are strengthened when the outcomes are documented and saved to the team home for later reference.

Strong process conversations answer questions such as:

At the end of your team process conversation, make sure to ask if there’s anything else: What else do we need to discuss?

Become a Process Conversation Expert

Read or listen to How to Strengthen Relationships with ‘Process Conversations’

The 5-Finger Vote

Sometimes a simple yes or no isn’t enough. The 5 finger vote gives useful nuance to discussions and decisions.

Instead of asking yes/no or for/against questions, ask team members to vote with their fingers. The scale is:

You can also use this to ask, before a discussion, if discussion is even necessary.

As a simple example, imagine that your team is trying to decide if your logo should be red or green. Before the discussion you take a 5 finger vote. Most members are 3, 4 or 5 for green; one person is a 2. Your team might decide you don’t need a discussion because the one person who doesn’t like it is only mildly against it. You can avoid wasting time on discussion when most people already agree.

However, if most people were 3 and one person was 0, you might decide to have a discussion.

Alternatively, you can add up all members’ fingers and use the total to decide. (Ok, that’s  37 fingers for green and 17 for red.)

 Activity 

How much do you know about Strengths and Teamwork? Test yourself alone or with a group.

 Workplace Quiz 

This chapter introduces the Workplace Quiz, an activity that gets you thinking and talking about workplace cultures. You’ll see a Workplace Quiz in each subsequent chapter.

Are you ready for the Canadian workplace? Test your knowledge.

 Worksheet 

Please complete and submit the Strengths & Teamwork Worksheet