A strengths-based culture is where an organization has embraced coaching in the workplace and made it part of its culture and identity. At NYU we have already seen the seeds of this culture planted in NYU’s commitment to cultivating leadership.  

I’m going to cheat and quote the 7 strategies Gallup suggests to create this empowering culture by setting a foundational strategy and structure for it.

1. Leadership alignment: setting the stage for a Strengths-based culture. This has to start at the top, and those at the top need to buy in for the culture change to be effective.
2. Management alignment: developing teams and employees through the lens of Strengths. People don’t leave companies as much as they leave managers. Finding the right people to manage is essential — and challenging — and they must be empowered with the tools to develop employees. Internal communication: generating awareness and enthusiasm for Strengths. This can be fun and involve t-shirts, StrengthsFinder happy hours with Strengths-based activities or posting the Strengths of team members where everyone can see them.
3. Strengths community: making Strengths an integral and natural part of the organization’s day-to-day policies and rituals. Using a team grid, considering who may be best at what task through a Strengths lens, and incorporating the language in meetings are all ways to build the community around this shared language.
4. Performance management: focusing on development and recognition of employee Strengths. Performance plans are out; development plans are in. Understanding the most powerful way to encourage the development of employees, using Strengths, improves both morale and performance.
5. Coaching: building a network of Strengths experts and advocates. Incorporate a few on-site Strengths advocates to act as resources for your team. This assures everyone that your organization is serious about sustaining Strengths.
6. Brand building: tying the organization’s Strengths-based culture to the larger brand. Having a Strengths-based culture becomes apparent to your customers and your clients; you become known for excellent customer service, next-level client communication or hospitality that gets talked about.

For more information on this, check out Strengths-Based Cultures Are Vital to the Future of Work by Steve Crabtree on Gallop’s website. It ends with several supporting links including a free webinar recording.

As you may have guessed, much of this website is focused on items # 4 and 5.  This will cultivate individual leaders and further develop managers on an individual basis.  It’s my hope that by building a network of advocates and examples of this form of leadership throughout NYU, this approach will gain traction and get the attention of those who can champion this on an organizational level.  Change as to start somewhere and we can choose to take those first steps.