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My passion for CliftonStrengths© helps me identify what motivates my team members, not just what motivates me, so everyone feels valued. When people feel understood, they’re more likely to take part actively in discussions, contribute to decisions and ask for help when they need it.
We all have a preferred decision-making style. I like to move quickly with the information available and course-correct later. Others take a more deliberate and methodical path to be sure their initial decision is the right one. Neither approach is right or wrong, they’re simply different. Knowing how others think, feel, and behave helps us build trust and work together more effectively.
If you used the activities in the January issue of Team Talk to set clear goals, now is the time to take action–so everyone can play their part and contribute to the best of their ability.
Pictured: Debbie Pennick, Assistant Director of the Center for Government Innovation, a service of the Office of the Washington State Auditor.
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In this issue, we explore teamwork through strengths | |
This issue is all about turning strengths awareness into everyday teamwork.
You already know that strengths matter at the individual level. But the real impact shows up when strengths are understood, shared and intentionally applied across a team. When people recognize how they contribute best (and how others do too), collaboration becomes more natural, conversations become more productive and culture becomes more intentional.
In the sections ahead, we’ll walk through:
- What strengths-based teamwork looks like
- How different decision-making and working styles can successfully coexist
- Ways to use strengths as a foundation for team conversations
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A practical, ready-to-use teamwork exercise (PDF) you can bring to your next meeting
- A real-world strengths reflection that shows how contribution matters more than comparison
- Simple leadership practices that support stronger, more engaged teams
My goal is to give you practical language, examples and tools you can use right away. Think of this issue as both encouragement and a field guide; I’m here to support you as you build stronger, more connected teamwork one conversation at a time.
Need a refresher? Have your personalized Strengths Insights report handy and check out the summary of talent themes (PDF) and strengths domain resources (PDF) before you continue.
| Teamwork at work: Stronger teams start here | |
Now, let’s focus on what teamwork truly is, and how to apply it in your daily work.
You’ve had your Teambuilding Workshop with me—now how do you carry that excitement into your day-to-day responsibilities?
It starts with intention:
- Build strengths language into your everyday conversations
- Connect strengths directly to real work
- Talk about how each person contributes to shared goals
- Recognize that humans are unique, even when goals are shared
We all have two hands, but most of us feel more skilled and coordinated with one. If I asked you to tie your dominant hand behind your back and work with the other, you’d likely struggle and feel discouraged. To make a valuable contribution, you need to be able to use your “strong hand.” Strengths work the same way—people contribute best when they work in ways they naturally do well.
| | Strengths in practice: Foundations for team conversations | | |
All 34 CliftonStrengths© themes are valuable. But if someone had to work from the viewpoint of a domain that doesn’t come naturally to them, their work would feel harder, less effective and less enjoyable. That’s why finding each team members’ motivation matters.
Keep these principles front and center:
- There is more than one way to get work done, and done well
- Value how your teammates naturally contribute
- Let each person define excellence and success in their own way
- Ask team members how their strengths can make work easier, faster and more genuine
When strengths become everyday language, collaboration becomes more natural and more productive.
| | Strength moment: Teamwork in action | | Try this exercise with your team | | |
Want a simple strengths-based team activity? Try this.
Research consistently shows that teamwork improves problem-solving, job satisfaction, engagement, stress levels, motivation, creativity and innovation. Strong teams start with strong individual contributors, so understanding each person’s strengths is a valuable exercise.
To help with this understanding, we’ve created a Team reflection activity sheet that you can use at a team meeting or as a quick reflection activity. Using the word TEAM, each person names the qualities or mindsets that their talents bring to help the group succeed. It’s a simple way to recognize individual strengths and spark a short team conversation.
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Why this teamwork exercise works
Think of great teamwork like a potluck. Everyone brings something different: a treasured recipe, a new discovery, a favorite local dish. Each unique contribution invites conversation and discovery. Teams work the same way. Different strengths create richer outcomes.
Ask this question based on a current task or project:
“Where do you contribute to team success in this work?”
You might hear:
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A Relator remembering small wins so the team can celebrate together
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An Activator planning ahead so last-minute stress is reduced
Individual efforts like these build collaboration, trust and shared goals.
| | Leading with teamwork in mind | | |
Definitions of “winning” vary. For some, it’s numbers and statistics. For others, it’s improvements, resilience and persistence. Different definitions are valid—and useful.
Leaders can support strengths-based teamwork by:
- Asking each team member what “winning” means to them
- Inviting multiple definitions of success
- Encouraging individuals to work from their strengths
- Embracing the improved outcomes that follow
The goal is not a team of well-rounded individuals, but a well-rounded team made up of people performing in light of their strengths.
| | Bring teamwork into your team meetings | | |
Add small, practical strengths moments to your meetings by asking strengths-based reflection questions:
- What strength(s) did you use to help you decide your next step?
- What natural talent(s) did you rely on to make that decision?
- How can we adapt this process to better align with your strengths-based work style?
- How could the strengths of other team members help you accomplish this task?
- I can tell you really enjoyed that assignment. Do you think it’s because it aligns with your strengths? How so?
Consistent small practices build lasting team culture.
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Thanks for continuing the journey with us!
Thank you for spending this time with us and investing in your team. Building strengths-based teamwork doesn’t require a complete overhaul, it grows through small, consistent actions: better questions, more awareness, more appreciation for how each person contributes.
If you try even one idea from this issue – a strengths-based question in a meeting, the TEAM exercise or a conversation about what “winning” means – you’re already moving your team forward. Progress happens one practical step at a time, and we want to hear how it’s going. Email TeamTalk@sao.wa.gov to share your tips and recommendations with us for a chance for them to be featured in a future issue of Team Talk.
Remember: you don’t have to do this alone. We’re here to support you with tools, ideas and encouragement along the way. Keep the conversation going, keep noticing strengths in action and keep creating space for people to do their best work and love the work they do.
We're glad you're here—and we'll see you next issue.
Best,
Debbie Pennick, CPA
Assistant Director | Center for Government Innovation,
a service of the Office of the Washington State Auditor
Stronger teams, one strength at a time.
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