One of the early challenges in building a strengths-based culture was in the Executive team. We're largely a team of visionaries and ideas people - not great in terms of turning ideas into action.

This we learned to our cost when we tried to introduce a radical performance management scheme. We presented our concepts to the Board, but we’d allowed ourselves to get carried away with the vision and hadn’t covered all the implementation challenges – we were ravaged!

When Caret analysed the team we discovered that, out of eight, I was the only implementer! We changed the scope of my role to maximise my strengths, allowing me to take an overview of projects to make sure that things happen. Now we think more laterally about who needs to get involved and at what stage to ensure we can deliver something successfully.

My colleagues bring their vision, their connections and perspectives and we draw on my strengths in being able to ensure the challenges for implementation are built in right from the start. Pooling our strengths makes for a stronger organisation and what comes to the table is a much better product. 

Janice Smith
Corporate Services Director
Midland Heart
www.midlandheart.org.uk