Slowing Down Is Not a Luxury. It’s the Work.
Pretty much every team workshop I run the stakeholder has a similar desired outcomes list:
- Understand each other better
- Work better together
- Leverage each other
- Communicate better
And when I ask individuals what they want at the start of the workshop, the most common theme:
“I want to understand my colleagues better.”
It sounds simple. It rarely is.
We know we all think, feel and behave differently. Yet the moment frustration creeps in, we forget. Remember that statistic, the chances of you having the same Top 5 talent themes in the same order as someone else – 1 in 33 million.
One in 33 million.
If you have worked with me before, you know I don’t stop at the Top 5. That’s like cooking with only five ingredients. Perfectly fine but imagine what you can create when you have more in your pantry. A team brings a very full pantry of possibilities.
If you genuinely want to understand each other better, you have to share more and sharing takes time.
Slow enough to hear every voice
I usually start works shops in a similar way, introductions, guiding principles, some data, a fun ‘stand up’ activity. Then we move to where they share insights with each other from their report.
It’s at this point I often offer a choice, we can:
- Share in small groups first, which feels safer and quicker
- Or go round one by one and hear every voice in the room
We talk about the pros and cons of both.
Small groups create intimacy.
Full group sharing creates shared language.
Small groups are efficient.
Full group sharing builds collective understanding.
Sometimes the team chooses speed and sometimes they choose depth.
When they choose to hear from everybody, I acknowledge that whilst it may take longer it will be much richer.
Listening to 10 or 12 colleagues share insights from their report yes can take some focus and stamina but I notice something shifts when everyone is heard.
→ People become more curious.
→ They begin spotting how someone else’s talents complemented theirs.
→ They see where powerful partnerships already existed.
→ They may also see why certain tensions exist
When we rush this work, we skim the surface. It can feel a bit hollow. Like eating a McDonald’s when what you really needed was a proper meal.
You cannot build trust in a hurry (although there is a book out there called the Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R Covey) You cannot build understanding at speed.
If your goal is genuinely to “work better together”, then give it the time it deserves.
You wouldn’t expect a garden to bloom because you glanced at it for half an hour. You water it. You tend it. You give it time. Muscles and fitness don’t develop by going to the gym once.
A workshop is not a quick fix, it’s not the end point. It is a starting point for different conversations. See below for some actionable tips, I am always here to support you.
P.s Ready to Do Something With This?
If you’ve done a strengths workshop before, don’t let the report gather dust.
Dig it out. Read it again. You will see something different now.
Share it with a colleague.
Have a conversation about where you naturally align — and where you don’t.
Can’t find your report?
If you did your workshop with me and you’ve misplaced it, just hit reply.
I’ll send it to you. No judgement. We’re all busy.
Got a new team member?
If someone new has joined your team and you’re curious how you’ll work together, don’t guess. Let’s get them a code to take the CliftonStrengths assessment.
Understanding difference early prevents unnecessary friction later.
Done the “swap reports” activity before?
You know the one.
Where you exchange reports and explore:
- Where you’re similar
- Where you’re different
- Where you might rub each other up the wrong way
- Where you could complement each other
If you haven’t done that in a while, do it again but this time, choose someone different.
Stretch your curiosity.
Want to go deeper?
Gallup have some excellent updated “Power of Two” worksheets that help you explore partnerships in more depth.
Let’s use them.
Let’s upgrade your team grid.
Let’s help you look at that fuller pantry.
You don’t need another workshop to start.
You just need one conversation.
And if you want support to structure that conversation properly, you know where I am.
