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In the high-pressure world of engineering, technical excellence is often valued above all else. Numbers, specifications, and deadlines typically dominate conversations, leaving little room for human connection. But what happens when these technically brilliant minds get the opportunity to see each other through a different lens? We recently witnessed this transformation firsthand when implementing Coacharya’s proprietary SPEED program with a company’s leadership team.
Understanding “Sharing Strengths” in the SPEED Framework
The SPEED methodology (Sharing Strengths, Possibilities Exploration, Envisioning, Executing, and Delivering) offers a systematic approach to team coaching that begins with a critical foundation: Sharing Strengths.
This first step leverages Appreciative Inquiry—a methodology focused on identifying what works well rather than fixing what doesn’t. In practice, this meant creating a structured environment where each team member could articulate their strengths and how these strengths contribute to the team’s collective goals.
What makes this approach particularly powerful is its departure from traditional problem-focused conversations that often dominate technical environments. Instead, it creates space for discovery, appreciation, and connection—elements often missing in technically-oriented teams.
How We Facilitated the Strength-Sharing Process
The team coach’s role was crucial in creating both psychological safety and meaningful structure. Here’s how we approached the process:
- Day 1 of SPEED
- Participants were asked to reflect on specific instances where their strengths had positively impacted team outcomes
- Clear guidelines were shared about the appreciative nature of the day-long session
2. Setting the Space:
- The physical environment was intentionally arranged in a circle, removing hierarchical barriers
- Ground rules established: no interruptions, no criticism, only appreciative questions
- A brief mindfreeness exercise helped participants transition from their technical mindsets to a more reflective state
3. Facilitated Sharing:
- Each leader had 7 minutes to share their strengths in relation to the team’s goals
- After each sharing, other participants could ask questions that began with “I appreciate…” or “I’m curious about…”
- The coach modeled appreciative listening and guided the conversation away from problem-solving or critique
- Participants were encouraged to note connections between different team members’ strengths
4. Collective Mapping:
- Following individual sharing, the coach guided the group in creating a visual “strength map” showing how their combined capabilities address team objectives
- Gaps and overlaps were identified not as problems but as opportunities
- The session concluded with each participant sharing one new insight about the team’s collective capabilities
Immediate Transformation in Team Dynamics
The shift in the room was palpable. Engineers and technical leaders who typically communicated through specifications and technical language were now engaged in authentic human connection. Here’s what we observed immediately:
1. From Competition to Collaboration: The appreciative format reduced the underlying competitive dynamic that had characterized previous interactions. One senior engineer remarked, “I’ve worked with Raj for five years and never knew he had such strong visualization skills—I can see how that complements my analytical approach.”
2. Emotional Intelligence Activation: Leaders who typically presented professional personas showed genuine curiosity and appreciation. Facial expressions softened, body language became more open, and several participants showed visible emotion when their strengths were acknowledged by peers.
3. New Language Patterns: By the end of the day-long session, the team had already developed new linguistic patterns. “What strengths can we bring to this challenge?” replaced “Who’s responsible for this problem?”
4. Psychological Safety Surge: The appreciative environment created space for vulnerability. One of the team leaders shared how their strength in attention to detail stemmed from childhood experiences—something they had never disclosed before in a professional setting.
At the end of the day, the team was glued together and was near the vision board, identifying the collective goal. The body language demonstrated a shift from self-centred growth to collective growth.
The second day started with enthusiasm and curiosity. It was focused on ‘Presenting the future (Goal), Exploring Options (the possible options to be considered to move from current to desired), Establishing Structure (Necessary resources, budgets, etc), and Designing action steps.
Long-Term Benefits That Emerged
The impact of this single Strength-Sharing session extended far beyond the initial experience:
1. Optimized Team Allocation: Within two months, the leadership team had reorganized project responsibilities based on strengths rather than just technical specialties. Formed a sub-sub-team to delegate responsibilities.
2. Enhanced Communication Patterns: Previously siloed departments began proactively reaching out to leverage each other’s strengths. Cross-functional collaboration is enhanced.
3. Conflict Resolution Transformation: When disagreements arose, team members referenced the strengths session, approaching conflicts with curiosity rather than defensiveness. “Remember how Priya’s strength is strategic thinking? Let’s hear her perspective on this roadblock.”
4. Ripple Effect to Other Teams: Leaders began implementing mini-strength sharing sessions with their teams, creating a cascading effect of appreciation throughout the organization.
5. Innovation Acceleration: By recognizing and combining diverse strengths, the team launched two unexpected innovation initiatives that weren’t on the original roadmap—both addressing significant customer pain points that had previously gone unaddressed.
Why Strength-Sharing Works
The Sharing Strengths component of the SPEED program works particularly well in technical environments for several reasons:
- It transforms cognitive connection into emotional connection without requiring artificial team-building exercises that technical professionals often find uncomfortable
- It honors technical expertise while expanding awareness of other valuable capabilities
- It creates systematic pathways for appreciation that feel structured enough for analytically-minded professionals
- It shifts focus from deficits to assets, problems to solution-oriented mindsets
The leadership team we worked with didn’t just become more connected—they became more effective. By seeing each other holistically rather than just as technical resources, they unlocked new possibilities for collaboration, innovation, and genuine human connection.
As one senior leader reflected three months after the session: “I always thought my role was to direct the team based on my experience—that being right was what mattered most. Now I see that noticing and appreciating others’ strengths creates collective growth that far exceeds what I could achieve alone.”
Your Next Step: Learn and Reflect with Us
See how sharing strengths made a real difference for that engineering team? Coacharya’s leadership programs for organizations can bring that same kind of positive change to your teams. Let’s talk about how we can help your people connect and grow together.
Curious to learn more about the SPEED model? Join us for our upcoming ICW webinar, Systemic Team Coaching: The SPEED Process, where we’ll explore it in detail. We’d love for you to be part of the conversation – you can register here.
We’ve also put together a short reflection guide for you and your team before the ICW webinar. It’s a chance to think about the emotional connections that really help teams work well together – something that’s at the heart of Coacharya’s SPEED approach. No pressure, just a chance to explore some ideas together. You can download it here.