leren & ontwikkelen

Robert Walter Weir was one of the most popular instructors at West Point in the mid-1800s.

Experts have long encouraged people to “play to their strengths.” But based on my observations, this is easier said than done, because we often undervalue what we inherently do well. As a leader, the challenge is not only to spot talent but also to convince your people that you value their talents and that they should, too. Begin by identifying the strengths of each member of your team. You might ask them, “What compliments do you tend to dismiss?” since people often downplay what they do most easily. Once you’ve identified their key strengths, ask them, “Are you doing work that draws on your strengths? Are we taking on projects that make the most of your strengths?” If the answer is no, reassign people to new roles where their strengths will be put to better use.

Traditional notions of mentoring are top down: senior leaders guiding lower-level staff. But the tides are changing – and younger workers are now teaching up.

Conventional wisdom says you should ask your colleagues for feedback. However, research suggests that feedback often has no (or even a negative) impact on our performance. This is because the feedback we receive is often too vague — it fails to highlight what we can improve on or how to improve. New research suggests a better approach. Across four experiments — including a field experiment conducted in an executive education classroom — researchers found that people received more effective input when they asked for advice rather than feedback.