Imagine working every day at that which you are best; at that which matches your personal style and your inborn talents; at that which energizes you and utilizes your best strengths.

A strength is a naturally occurring talent multiplied by knowledge and skill. Knowledge is that which is learned. Skill is knowledge put to practice. Knowledge and skill increase with experience, education, and use. Talent is inborn. It is a natural propensity. It cannot be learned, only enhanced.

All too often, organizations focus on weaknesses - on remediation of faults and failures - rather than on strengths and talent. Annual reviews are centered primarily on what went wrong and how to fix it. Although weaknesses cannot be ignored, they do not represent the best area for improvement. Weaknesses must be identified and overcome, but they cannot be the focus for growth.

Talent, on the other hand, is the inborn ability of a person. Talent does represent the best opportunity for growth and improvement - as well as the best opportunity for fulfillment and engagement.

Employee enthusiasm, commitment, personal responsibility, and accountability are crucial elements to the success of any business. Engaged employees are builders. They perform at consistently high levels. They want to use their talents and strengths at work every day. They work with passion, they have an instinctive bond with their company, and they drive innovation and move their organization forward.

Unfortunately, only about 29% of the U.S. workforce is engaged.

The touchstone of true sustainable business success is employee engagement. The key to employee engagement starts with talent, strengths and personality. It is the understanding of what makes an individual unique, what talents and strengths they bring to the organization, and what their personal styles, foibles, motivations, and expectations are.

The best way to develop people and to maximize personal and organizational performance is to identify talent and build strengths through Strengths Based Performance Management.