Focus on employee strengths, not weaknesses, says LIAD speaker

Focus on employee strengths, not weaknesses, says LIAD speaker
World renowned management expert and motivational speaker Marcus Buckingham, whose previous engagements include presentations with Oprah and other major television networks, is to make his first appearance in the UAE at the upcoming Leaders in Abu Dhabi conference.
The highly sought after speaker, known for his inspirational presentations, is one of four high powered speakers to present at the conference which takes place at Emirates Palace on May 25.
He says that companies who focus on cultivating employee strengths rather than simply trying to improve their weaknesses can expect the greatest efficiency gains.
 “Building on an employee’s strengths is highly empowering and can unleash talents that may currently be grossly under utilised,” he says. “Doing so also sends positive signals about how an employee is valued in an organization and this makes them highly motivated.”
Marcus Buckingham says many managers tend to focus on employee weaknesses rather than create environments that allow their strengths to flourish and this will be a major theme for his hour-and-three-quarters session at Leaders in Abu Dhabi.
Widely considered to be one of the world’s leading authorities on employee productivity, Marcus Buckingham’s reputation and authority is based in nearly two decades researching the world’s best leaders and managers for the Gallup Organisation.
The knowledge he has gained from interviewing thousands of employees at every career stage has been captured in four books that have made him one of the top 25 authors for sales through Amazon.com.
“This is one of the major differences between managing and leading,” Marcus says. “Leaders can see the potential and unleash it, while managers tend to focus on the negatives rather than the positives.”
Joining Marcus Buckingham on the podium at Leaders in Abu Dhabi are former world chess champion Gary Kasparov; former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, General Wesley Clark and British entrepreneur extraordinaire Simon Woodroffe OBE.
The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Economy and Planning have lent their full support to the event. Leaders in Abu Dhabi is sponsored by Etisalat, Citi Private Bank and Omniyat Properties. Media partners include CNN, Al Arabiya, AMG, ITP, Oman Economic Review and The Times.