The main points of the meeting have been compiled in a summary, and the full recording is available via this link.

Talent and Strength Development

I help people uncover their own talents and strengths through tools, primarily "Gallup Clifton Strengths." Since we work with managers, we focus on finding their own management style for themselves and the entire management team, as well as building human-centered management systems that allow the potential within people to be maximized.
There is a common but misguided belief that the main factor of economic growth is the number of working hours. However, simply working more will not necessarily improve things. In fact, it might make it harder. This is why we need to do something different, something additional. From a data perspective, besides working hard, the second indicator is the percentage of time people spend focused on their strengths. It’s important for people to work longer and with enthusiasm, fueled by the fact that they are making the most of their natural inclinations or strengths. And the only role that can make this happen is that of the manager.

I have an idea to influence making Ukraine the best place in the world for realizing the talents of every Ukrainian. This mission cannot be accomplished without reforming the management culture. In the modern world, the manager is the most significant social figure. Previously, the most significant social figures were priests, teachers, and doctors. However, their influence has changed.

According to Gallup's largest study, managers and team leaders have a decisive impact on the long-term success of an organization. There are other factors as well: the quality of the product, strategy, resource availability – however, about half of the factors depend on the relationships between the manager and their teams at all levels.

Currently, many countries are experiencing a phase of talent shortages. It's a global trend where productive and ambitious workers are becoming increasingly scarce. This happens not because people are lazy, but because the systems created by humanity, corporations, and government institutions are not designed for people to realize their potential where they work.

Gallup and ADP Research: The Profile of an Ideal Manager

Gallup and ADP Research invited the best managers with top results and average managers to understand what unites them. Throughout this experiment, they asked various questions, such as how to motivate a person, how much to pay them, how to fire them, how to handle conflicts, etc. Most answers from less effective managers indicated they had a certain set of tools that they actively used.

However, the best managers stated that everything depends on the individual. They take a very personalized approach to each employee and understand that management happens on an individual level, primarily. I never claim that systems are unimportant. However, all of this only makes sense when it comes alive and manifests in real interactions among people, in communications within teams and between teams. If there is no constant, quality interaction between the manager and employees, the system becomes lifeless. It doesn’t come alive otherwise.

One of the key factors of internal motivation is autonomy. However, different people have varying needs for autonomy. The manager's task is to identify the autonomy needs of each individual.

In other words, the first thing the best managers do is treat each employee as an individual. Second, they continuously push the person towards higher quality results, and this is what development is all about. Development is not merely that a person learned a product or attended training. From the perspective of the best managers, development only happens when results improve.

Theresa Amabile’s Research “The Progress Principle”

Theresa Amabile's work "The Progress Principle" is one of the largest studies in history on the connection between employees' inner worlds and an organization’s financial metrics, including bankruptcies and tenfold increases in stock value.

As a result of analyzing employees’ diaries, Professor Amabile found that the most important factor related to success is small but regular progress in work. When a person feels they are getting better and achieving small results daily, it positively impacts their emotional state. It turns out that even minor achievements can bring as much satisfaction as significant victories, such as winning a tender or receiving an award. The best managers understand the importance of this process. They motivate employees to achieve new successes while considering the thoughts and desires of their teams.
Thirdly, the best managers prioritize the interests of the individual. In the modern world, putting the person first is the best way to get maximum results from them.

This raises the question, what does it mean to “put the interests of the individual first?” People do not always understand what is good for them. Moreover, what people want often contradicts what they truly need and what is beneficial for them. The talent of a manager is to realize this, uncover it, and convey it. At this stage, it’s important to understand that we are not taking away subjectivity. The manager does not make employees dependent on themselves. The manager creates conditions for people to develop their potential to the fullest. It’s essential to unleash what they naturally enjoy and excel at. To do this, we must understand what the way to unleash is. What to do with them? Where to look? For this topic, I recommend reading Henry Ford’s book “My Life is About Work.”