Peer recognition, backed by specific examples.
A peer recognition exercise where participants take it in turns to nominate each other for strengths and traits that are valuable to the team, backed up with specific examples.
Each person hears how their colleagues genuinely see their strengths, often discovering qualities they hadn't previously recognised or fully valued in themselves.
Give each person time in the spotlight while the rest of the team names a strength they see in them, backed by a specific example. Set it up clearly, run the spotlight rounds systematically, and close by drawing together what has emerged.
Explain how the spotlight rounds work. Each person will be in the spotlight for two or three minutes, and during that time others name one strength they observe in them and give a specific example: a moment, a project, or a behaviour they have witnessed. Set the rules clearly. Be specific, because you are very organised is less useful than when the project was falling apart, you rebuilt the plan overnight and made it feel manageable again. Every contribution must include an example. The person in the spotlight listens and says nothing until others have finished. Move around the group systematically, and after each person's spotlight ask them what they make of it and whether anything surprised them, keeping that to a sentence or two. Watch for people who give shorter or more general responses and prompt them for an example, so everyone gets equal and genuine recognition.
Summarise what has emerged and close the session. The energy is usually high, but this exercise can occasionally surface unexpected emotion, because people are genuinely moved to hear how others see them. Create space for that without making it awkward; a simple acknowledgement and a moment of quiet is enough.
Use Team Strengths when a team is ready for genuine peer recognition and you want each person to hear how colleagues see their strengths. Everyone takes the spotlight while others name a strength and back it with a specific example.
Using this tool with a skilled facilitator means that discussions are focused, time is used efficiently, and the group moves toward consensus, making the session productive and impactful.
