Is your team maximizing and leveraging their strengths?

Early in my career I was a team of one.
 
Responsible for leading our outsourced operations and working around the clock to deliver.
 
And then I finally got the green light to begin building my team.
 
I don’t ever think I felt so much joy as I did in that moment.
 
In preparation for this moment, I already had the organization structure built, the roles I needed to support me and was ready to hire.
 
And I did.
 
I hired a diverse team in thought, experience (both life and work) and skillsets.  
 
And we got started.
 
They did well at their job, but I knew I wasn’t maximizing their strengths to the best of my ability.
 
Nor were they leveraging each other’s strengths.
 
This led to me trying to train everyone on every skillset they needed.
 
Which took time, effort, and resources.
 
It also created a downward impact of projects being delayed. Deadlines being missed. And the team continuing to work in silos.
 
None of which were necessary.
 
All I needed to do was get some altitude and uncover what their strengths at a higher level.
 
So each individual could leverage one another strengths.
 
I began leveraging CliftonStrengths assessment.
 
Every individual that joined my team took the assessment and we displayed everyone on the teams strengths.
 
AND it was a huge awakening.
 
For the most part, everyone on my team held different strengths. Different superpowers that we could leverage.  
 
And instead of continuing to work in silos we began leveraging each other’s strengths.
 
We knew who to go to if we needed to 
 
Woo someone.  
Analytics
Strategy
Communication
 
OR
 
Relater
Responsibility
Adaptability
 
The list goes on.
 
And soon after my team was 
 
Collaborating amongst one another, 
Learning
Empowering each other
 
And 
 
Projects were delivered on time and within budget.
 
How have you incorporated leveraging your teams strengths?