Hector Roman and Jesse Mendez — “In the Spotlight”
Hector Roman
For Hector Roman, knowing your associates on a personal level is just as important as knowing them on a professional level.
Hector, Quality Assurance Manager for Bentley Prince Street works with associates in his department to discover their strengths using the Gallup Strengths Finder assessment. He has also become a Certified Strengths Coach through Gallup, allowing him to guide his associates in one-on-one sessions.
Some of the associates Hector coaches initially do not believe or understand their top strengths, but after a coaching session, they realize how those strengths may already be used in their lives. Once an associate understands themselves better, he says, the flashbulb goes off and the associate can apply this knowledge to their work, which can increase their overall productivity.
Hector went through a similar realization process himself when he took the Strengths Finder in 2005. He discovered that his top five strengths were: Focus, Achiever, Strategic, Learner and Arranger. Hector understood where four out of his five strengths came from, but his top strength, Focus, was a question mark for him. During a coaching conference, however, Hector learned that Focus is all about being able to focus on just one thing, and paying attention to every detail of that one thing – a characteristic that describes him well.
Armed with a greater understanding of his strengths, Hector is encouraging other associates to discover their own talents and learn about their own strengths. Fourteen of the 16 associates in his department have taken the survey and received their results. Hector has coached nine of these associates and says he can notice a difference after meeting with them. In order to better apply the strengths-based approach in his department, Hector carries a list of each associate with their top 10 strengths so that he can always consider the best way to communicate with everyone.
Hector says because of the Strengths Finder results, some of his associates are finding increased satisfaction in their jobs. For example, based on feedback from the Strengths Finder, Hector moved one associate from an inspector position to a different position that allows him to take on multiple tasks. “He’s much happier now. He comes in here about every two hours to tell me what he’s found. Using his strengths, I was able to better place him within the company and, without that test, I wouldn’t have known that,” Hector said.
Jesse Mendez
Harmony, Responsibility, Relator, Analytical and Arranger are the top five strengths of Jesse Mendez, Dye House Supervisor for Bentley Prince Street.
Jesse became interested in the Strengths Finder after hearing about it from others within the company. After taking the assessment, he saw the possibilities to improve working relationships with his fellow associates. “We can better understand how they think, and therefore understand the decisions they make. Everybody is different and you learn to accept that,” Jesse said.
Jesse is also a Certified Strengths Coach, and says going through that program enabled him to relate better to his associates. “I am able to understand people better. The program allows me to see other associates’ viewpoints, and look at things from a new angle,” Jesse said.
To date, eight of the manufacturing associates from his department completed the Strengths Finder, and the feedback has been positive. The associates say the assessment is a good predictor of their abilities, and accurately describes their work style. Examining the results will enable all supervisors to better place associates within the company. “Using this survey will help us make the correct decision when selecting where to move associates,” Jesse said.
Jesse has a goal of having all 45 associates in his department take the Strengths Finder within the next few months. He is encouraging all associates to take the assessment and uncover their strengths. “I want all associates to be successful with who they are,” Jesse said.