“When you focus on people’s strengths, it’s an amplification factor,” Martens says. “People are more energized when they’re able to use the skills they have. … I fundamentally believe that all of us have a contribution to make in terms of innovation, possibly even in design and other things. The question is: Do we take the time and take the energy to draw that out from individuals? And do we value and truly listen to their opinions?”
This doesn’t mean that employees are discouraged from improving in other areas. Rather, they are not made to adjust their working style to something that doesn’t work for them, and they shape their day-to-day around what they do best.
Click here to read the full article and to learn Rob Martens's four innovation "engines" that empower employees to reach their full potential, on Innovationleader.com.
