Using Strengths to Navigate Generational Differences
In a recent CliftonStrengths workshop, someone asked if there are differences in how I see strengths show up between different generations. After administering nearly 1,000 CliftonStrengths assessments and leading dozens of team development workshops, I can say that the short answer is no. Certain generations are not more prone to having a particular set of natural talents. The differences between generations are better explained by how well talents have been developed.
When it comes to CliftonStrengths, there are a couple of key ideas to keep in mind:
Talent is a naturally occurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied. Everyone has talents.
Strengths only emerge when people intentionally put those talents to work. Talent x Investment = Strength
Often, people from the younger generations have not yet developed their talents into strengths simply because they have had fewer life experiences. Donald Clifton said you know you have identified a strength “only if you can fathom yourself doing it repeatedly, happily, and successfully.” The fewer things you’ve tried and mastered, the shorter the list of your strengths. However, this doesn’t diminish the talent that younger individuals have.
Developing talents into strengths requires four things:
Clear expectations: This is the foundation for success. If people do not have clearly defined goals, they will miss the mark.
Exploration: Once expectations are set and communicated, give people the freedom to experiment with the way they work.
Intentional reflection: Ask what was enjoyable about the task or process.
Repetition: repeat the parts of the process that worked and were fun.
This process encourages rapid strengths development, and it gives people a sense of agency in their work.
For people from older generations, the greater challenge is recalibration. The strengths that got them to their current role may not match up one-to-one with the strengths that are presently required. They feel like impostors or fish out of water, and covering insecurities can lead to bad behaviors. Some get stuck in their heads, some talk too much. Others constantly vent about people and situations, or they burn out because they’ve taken on too much.
The key here is to help individuals value their talents, name their strengths, and decide how to best invest in themselves next. They may need to use a different combination of talents, or they may need to learn entirely new skills. Still, the strengths development process is the same: define expectations, explore, reflect, and repeat what works.
No matter what phase of strengths development you and the people around you are in, strengths deserve to be celebrated.
Name the strengths you see in yourself and share them proudly.
Call out the strengths you see in others and celebrate their successes.
Acknowledging strengths builds greater trust and opens doors for effective collaboration.
People know who they can turn to when they need help thinking through a plan, sharing information with a large audience, reading the room before a presentation, or identifying the missing piece of a puzzle. Everyone is more motivated, energized, and productive.
And when teams are focused on developing strengths and encouraging each other to lean into their talents, many generational differences fade.
Want to help your team develop strengths?