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Collaboration

Leadership

Receiving, retaining and processing information

Transmitting information or ideas

Finding solutions to challenges

Using imagination and generating new ideas

Overcoming challenges and setbacks to achieve goals

Setting goals and designing routes to achieve them

Supporting, encouraging and motivating others to achieve a shared goal

Working cooperatively with others to achieve a shared goal

Identifying influence

Comparing views

Analysing views

Investigating bias

Strategic questioning

Evaluating perspectives

Communicating sensitively

Speaking engagingly

Adaptive communicating

Negotiating

Constructive communicating

Presenting

Inspiring others

Following instructions

Evaluating approaches

Continual learning

Imagining

Sharing imagination

Expressing imagination

Generating ideas

Suggesting improvements

Combining concepts

Identifying opportunities

Defining success

Flexible thinking

Reflecting critically

Facilitating creativity

Championing creativity

Improving performance

Practising resilience

Supporting resilience

Identifying successes

Working carefully

Recognising strengths

Understanding reactions

Sharing reactions

Recognising reactions

Facilitating discussions

Managing disagreements

Coaching

Motivating others

Emotional intelligence

Taking responsibility

Reflecting collectively

Learning collectively

Developing others

Improving culture

Step

Evaluating others

I identify others' strengths and weaknesses

Core ideas

What it means to evaluate others

Evaluating others is about building up a sense of their relative strengths and weaknesses. When assessing a team, leaders should consider different areas where strengths and weaknesses may exist.

A team’s knowledge refers to the information and expertise members have in different areas. Some people may have deep knowledge about specific topics, while others may lack certain information needed for tasks.
Relationships within and beyond a team affect how well members work together. Some people naturally build strong connections, communicate clearly, and work well with others. Others may struggle with teamwork, misunderstand instructions, or find it difficult to express their ideas.
Character strengths influence how individuals approach challenges. Some people show resilience, patience, or creativity, while others may struggle with self-doubt, impatience, or resistance to change.
Essential skills are also important. Some team members may already be strong in areas such as creativity, problem solving, or communication, while others may not.

Finally, experience plays a key role in how confident and capable team members feel. Some may have handled similar tasks before and know how to manage challenges, while others may be new to certain situations and require guidance.

Why understanding others’ strengths and weaknesses is helpful

Understanding team members’ strengths and weaknesses allows leaders to make better decisions, create balanced teams, and provide the right support through:

Better task allocation: Assigning tasks based on strengths ensures that work is completed efficiently and to a high standard.
Opportunities for growth: Recognising weaknesses allows leaders to provide learning and development opportunities.
Improved teamwork: Understanding how people interact helps in building strong relationships and avoiding conflicts.
Increased confidence and motivation: Encouraging people to use their strengths can boost morale and job satisfaction.
Better problem-solving: A team with a good mix of strengths can tackle challenges more effectively than one where skills and knowledge gaps are ignored.

For example, if a leader knows that one person is highly organised but struggles with creativity, and another is full of ideas but finds planning difficult, pairing them together can create a more balanced and productive approach.

How to identify others’ strengths and weaknesses

It is important to assess strengths and weaknesses fairly and accurately, without making assumptions or being influenced by biases.

Observe actions, not just words: Sometimes, people may say they are strong in an area but struggle in practice, or they may underestimate their own abilities.
Gather feedback from different sources: Ask team members about their own strengths and weaknesses, but also seek feedback from others who have worked with them.
Look at results over time: Instead of judging based on one situation, consider patterns in performance and behaviour.
Avoid favouritism or assumptions: Ensure that assessments are based on actual work and results rather than personal preferences.
Support a mindset of growth: Strengths and weaknesses are not fixed - people can improve with experience and training.

By assessing team members fairly and thoughtfully, leaders can create stronger, more effective teams where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and grow.

Assessment

Reflective questions for individuals can include:

What are the main dimensions along which a leader should consider their team’s strengths and weaknesses?
Why is it helpful to understand your team’s strengths and weaknesses?
How can you assess a team’s strengths and weaknesses while avoiding biases?
When have you assessed the strengths and weaknesses of a team?

Observation cues for trainers can include:

Is the individual able to reflect effectively on the relevant strengths and weaknesses of a team that they are leading?
Is the individual able to reflect while avoiding biases or assumptions?

Evidence can include individuals’ self-reflections, written evidence of analysing others’ strengths and weaknesses, and observations from others.

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Skills Builder Hub

Access Hub

Skills Builder Hub is a complete platform for educators around the world to build their learners’ essential skills.

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Skills Builder Benchmark

Access Benchmark

Skills Builder Benchmark allows individuals to discover their own essential skills.

It’s free to get started, and is used by individuals, employers, educators and NGOs across the world.

A mockup of Skills Builder Benchmark on a laptop screen. The display shows the beginning of the Skills assessment for Adapting.

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Re-published for Universal Framework 2.0, the handbook helps any educator to use the Skills Builder approach with their learners - whether in primary, secondary, college or specialist settings.

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Listening Step 1: Focusing

Listening Step 2: Recalling

Listening Step 3: Checking

Listening Step 4: Retelling

Listening Step 5: Recognising purpose

Listening Step 6: Note-taking