Survey Showing a Strengths in our WorkplacesIn 2001 only 2 out of 10 people reported that they had a chance to do what they do best every day at work. In 2015 this more than doubled to 5 out of every 10 people. Michelle McQuaid is an honorary fellow at Melbourne University’s Graduate School of Education, holds a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently completing her PhD in Appreciative Inquiry.

Michelle has just published the results of a survey of over 1,000 employees representing a cross-section of American workplaces. She’s compiled the results in powerful infographics such as:

The 2015 Strengths @ Work Survey Infographic

Published in conjunction with the VIA Institute on Character, here are a few key insights of The 2015 Strengths @ Work Survey:

  • 78% of employees who report having a meaningful discussion with their manager about their strengths feel their work is making a difference and is appreciated. These employees are most likely (61%) to be leaping out of bed in the morning to get to work.
  • The 51% of organizations who are committed to building their employee’s strengths have 74% of their managers in meaningful strengths discussions with their employees.
  • Research by the Corporate Leadership Council found that when managers focus on the weaknesses of an employee their performance declines by 27%, whereas when they focus on the strengths of an employee performance improves by 36%.
  • … an employee’s manager being primarily focused on their strengths, there is just a 1% chance these people won’t be engaged in their work.

This study shows how far and fast positive psychology and the strengths revolution is moving into our lives and workplaces.

It also points out just how critical strengths-based coaching skills are to employee engagement and effectiveness. And as Peter Drucker noted, “it takes far less energy to move from first-rate performance to excellence than it does to move from incompetence to mediocrity.”

Further Reading: