Finding the Right Tasks for Each Team Member

Ever wonder how to take your team from good to great? In my years of experience leading various teams, I've realized that recognizing individual strengths is the way to go. Let me break it down: 1. Identify Strengths: It starts here. You can't make the most out of your team if you don't know what they excel at. I usually do assessments or have straightforward 1:1 conversations to dig deeper. Trust me, everyone has something they're good at... you just need to uncover it. 2. Open Communication: Once you know everyone's strengths, share them. I've found that openly discussing these in team meetings can break down barriers. It gives everyone a sense of belonging and value. 3. Role Alignment: This is where the magic happens. Assign tasks and roles based on these identified strengths. If John is good with numbers, he should be handling the budget. If Sarah is a people person, client relations might be her jam. 4. Ongoing Development: Don't just stop at identifying strengths, help your team develop them further. This could mean sending them to training programs, assigning them a mentor, or giving them challenging projects. 5. Celebrate Wins: Recognition is huge for motivation. When someone uses their strength to benefit the team, acknowledge it. A simple "great job" can go a long way. 6. Check the Pulse: Keep regular tabs on how well the strengths-based approach is working. Is the team more engaged? Are they happier? If not, it might be time to make some adjustments. 7. Be Flexible: Just because you've assigned roles based on strengths doesn't mean it's set in stone. People grow, and their strengths may evolve. Be prepared to realign roles as needed. 8. Feedback Loop: Create a culture where team members can give and receive feedback about how they're using their strengths. It keeps everyone accountable and can lead to more personal and team growth. 9. Monitor Impact: Keep an eye on key performance indicators (KPIs) to see the direct impact of a strengths-focused approach. You'll be surprised at the uptick in productivity and morale. 10. Review and Adjust: Periodically revisit your approach. Are team members still in roles that suit their strengths? Is the team achieving its goals? Make adjustments as necessary. In the words of Peter Drucker, "The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths, making our weaknesses irrelevant." #LeadershipDevelopment #leadership #TeamLeadership

FY25 planning is upon us. And I’m reminded of a universal truth in business … There will never be enough headcount. Even in the best economies, teams have to prioritize and strategize. But budgets today are tighter than ever, and that means no one is coming to save your team. As leaders, we have to find a way to do more with less. The best way I know? Stop looking at team members as the sum of their job descriptions and, instead, as individuals with their own skill sets, backgrounds, and experiences. Here’s an example: We have five product marketers on our team. Initially, we were going to give each PM the same scope of work. They would oversee every area of a product from start to finish. But they each have their own talents. One PM is a fantastic communicator — both for speaking events and written assets. Another is obsessed with data. They chase insights no one else would bother with — or think to look for. Another’s market knowledge is unmatched. And another understands the ins and outs of a successful product launch, including what makes for crystal clear messaging. Giving each of them the same scope of work meant we weren’t maximizing their unique skill sets — we were actually hurting our productivity. So, we broke their scope of work into projects where each PM could do the work that aligned with their expertise. As soon as we removed old constructs around job descriptions and roles and started organizing work around talent, we started to do WAY more with less. And now we’re looking at how we can do something similar across other teams. But there are things you’ll need if you want to start optimizing around your talent. Your team needs to be fully onboarded and integrated. Your team members need to have been in their roles long enough so that you understand their unique skill sets. The team needs to work well together so that each one can contribute to overall projects and initiatives without friction (this means hiring team players and people who mesh with your culture) If you’re like me and battling the FY25 scaries, take a deep breath. Step back and rethink the roles on your team and how you’ve been approaching work and talent. What’s your best advice for doing more with less? #CMO #marketing #womenintech #leadership

You don’t need better people. You need better pattern recognition. Over the years, I’ve seen it too many times: Leaders label someone “difficult” ↳ When that person is simply in the wrong role. Every employee brings a gift: -Vision. -Service. -Teaching. -Leadership. -Connection. -Encouragement. -Problem-solving. But when those gifts don’t match the job? They get misread as performance issues. The one who challenges every decision? ↳ Might have the gift of vision — they see what's coming before others do. The teammate who jumps in to help before finishing their own work? ↳ Could have the gift of service — they instinctively support the team, even at a cost. The colleague who writes overly detailed instructions? ↳ May hold the gift of teaching — they want others to succeed without confusion. The one who constantly checks in on how people feel? ↳ Likely has the gift of connection — they tune into team dynamics early and deeply. ---Here’s your Monday reset:--- This week, don’t just manage behaviors. Decode and understand them. → Assign the questioner to risk analysis → Give the helper complex systems to support → Let the explainer train new hires → Ask the connector to mediate team friction Misalignment drains energy. But alignment...It multiplies results. What gifts are hiding in plain sight on your team? And what might change if you finally gave them the right work?