Trombone Player Wanted #5: Are you talking to me?

Video #5: Trombone Player Wanted

Why is it so hard to talk about this (Running Time = 10:30 mins)

Are you talking to me? I hope so. I hope you are talking with all the people you are connected with in your workplace about your strengths. I especially hope you are talking with your leader and if you are a leader I hope you are holding conversations with all your direct reports on their strengths.

Be like the elephant who never forgets. Never forget to hold important conversations about strengths at work.

In this video, Marcus Buckingham implores us to engage in conversations around our strengths and weakness. Not to brag about our strengths or whine about our weaknesses but to give voice, power, and connection to who we are and what we bring to our team and our organization.

Here is some research he cites on conversations about strengths and weaknesses in organizations:

• 40% talk about weaknesses
• 20% talk about strengths
• 35% don't talk about these things

If this was the same in a family of 5 it would mean 2 people are talking mostly about weaknesses, 2 family members are not talking, and only 1 is talking about strengths --- and if it was just one person, who would he or she be talking to? How well do you think this family would be doing?

In the trombone playing subplot of the video our young trombone player is talking. He has found a girl who wants to play the trombone, he brings in the other drummer to team up with him, and the three children go tell their band leader about their plan. The band leader appears reticent but can see the gumption of the children to get this done.

We owe it to out teams and organizations to talk about our strengths, to be vivid on what we are good at and what we like to do, on where our teams can rely on us, and were we might need help.

Talk 5: Let's make some strong talk:

1. When was your last conversation about strengths?
2. When is your next conversation about strengths going to occur?
3. Who can you talk to today about your strengths?
4. Who do you need to talk with this week about their strengths?
5. How many strength-based conversations can you hold in the next 30 days?

Be strong, don't wait, hold these conversations today.

Picture credit: Elephant talk by http://flickr.com/photos/ginable/325235488/