Str-Organization

       What is a Strengths-Focused Organization? 


A strengths-focused organization is one wherein members of that organization try to relate to each other by means of strengths-focused-relationships. In such organizations, members have had opportunities to articulate their strengths, which means that they are more articulate than your average person when communicating their strengths-focused identity.

        The size of the organization will, to some extent, determine the degree to which members can have strengths-focused relationships with all other members of the organization. If the size is over ten or twelve, members will have to be selective about the number of relations they can have that are truly strengths-focused.  It does take time to have an s-f-r, and when the membership in the organization is beyond a certain number, individual members will have to choose the relationships that allow them to be aware of the other person’s self-articulated strengths.

        In a strengths-focused organization, there needs to be a culture that fosters strengths-focused relationships.  Such a culture must have opportunities and means by which members of the organization can articulate their strengths, usually doing so in small groups that follow procedures like those described in the AST book, previously described on this website.  The members of the organization need to participate in activities that allow them to articulate their strengths with others, and also communicate those strengths by personal statements that are available to others in the organization.  It two people are going to work together in the future, both should have an opportunity to learn about each others’ articulated strengths. These opportunities could take place during times set aside to share strengths with each others in pairs or small groups.  Other opportunities, such as open files that show the strengths of other members, should be made available.

        In strengths-focused organizations, teams of people who work together should have time allotted to share their strengths before starting projects wherein two or more members of the organization work together.  Teams should take time to share each other’s strengths and brainstorm ideas about how each team member could use more of his or her strengths when carrying out the goals of the project.  The team members might trade tasks within the team project in order to optimize the opportunities for each member to use his or her strengths.

        If there is a system of evaluating the work of members in the organization, that system should have descriptions of each member’s self-articulated strengths and these strengths should be considered when evaluations are made.