“You cannot be anything you want to be. But you can be a whole lot more of who you already are.” – Tom Rath  

How does one be a whole lot more of who they already are? 

Conventional wisdom has long alleged that addressing your weaknesses is the key to becoming the best version of yourself. When you fix the wrongs, you secure more wins. For this reason, many employees and employers are fixated on improving deficiencies. 

But here at SCPA, we flipped the script.  

We bring out the best in people by focusing more on what they’re naturally good at. Since 2016, SCPA has taken pride in being one of the first (if not, the only) Strengths-based companies in the Philippines. We build on your talents so you can be a whole lot more of who you already are.  

What is the Power of Strengths? 

Extensive research by Gallup reports that building on an employee’s strength to improve performance is more effective than fixating on their weaknesses. By practicing Strengths-based development, employers help their teams apply their strengths (aka talents, what they’re good at) to improve their motivation and increase productivity.  

Another comprehensive Gallup study revealed the results of practicing a strengths-based approach. The study included 49, 495 business units with 1.2 million employees across more than 20 organizations in 45 countries and seven industries. The researchers examined six outcomes: customer engagement, profit, sales, employee engagement, safety, and turnover.  

Ninety percent of the workgroups analyzed improved in performance across the different areas: 

• 3% to 7% increase in customer engagement 
• 14% to 29% increase in profit 
• 10% to 19% increase in sales 
• 9% to 15% employees engaged 
• 22% to 59% fewer safety incidents 

Organizations with high turnover rates experienced 26% to 72% lower turnover rates while companies with fewer turnover concerns experienced 6% to 16% lower turnover rates. 

By focusing more on strengths instead of weaknesses, organizations encourage a culture of productivity and better self-confidence. This is one of the reasons SCPA is passionate about being a company based on its team’s strengths.  

How SCPA Started Its Strengths-Based Journey 

Our Strengths journey began with a question that SCPA president Ven Sio felt compelled to answer. In 2016, the company was just recovering from the fire. It was a “building up stage” in SCPA’s journey; everything was being rebuilt from the ground up, including how the company developed its employees.  

Sir Ven wanted to be a good steward of the people entrusted to him by God. It was then he answered this need by facing this question: “What if we studied what was right about people rather than what was wrong about them?” 

He answered it by becoming a Gallup-certified Strengths Coach and started implementing Strengths at SCPA. The new development model was more than just a fancy test people took for fun. It was a movement that identified an individual’s unique strengths and positioned them in work responsibilities that drew out their best.  

To study what is right with people, we set our minds to see what’s great about the people we work with – just as God looks at us. But it goes beyond just seeing; we are to do something about these talents. We are to use these gifts to achieve our personal goals and the company’s.  

After 2016, the Strengths-based approach to building teams was on a roll. Each year, we achieved milestones in Strengths: 

• 2017: SCPA rolls out the Primer and High-Performance Management (HPM) for Managers. It also launches RISE Theme Teams Discussion on 34 Talent Themes. 
• 2018: SCPA’s HR team attends the Strengths Primer for Top 5 and Full 34. The branches also conduct their Primer and Theme Teams. SCAP also rolls out Unlock It: The Power of Strengths Use. We also attend the first Philippine-based Strengths Conferences. Sir Ven is one of the speakers. The company also conducts its yearly Strengths Coaching for awareness, development, and performance. 
• 2019: Departments undergo Strengths Team Sessions and Strengths-based Team Buildings with Gallup-certified Strengths Coaches. SCPA also rolls out the Strengths Strategies for Optimal Performance for Manila managers and HR nationwide. Manila managers also attend mentoring programs and coaching.  
• 2020: Due to the pandemic, SCPA’s Strengths trainings shift to virtual platforms. Despite the lockdown, the company continues its pursuit with Activate Your Strengths in Adversity. The Team SCPA page also functions as a space for Strengths Engagement. The company also launches Strengths in Action, which features employees and their strengths.  
• 2021: SCPA launches the competency-based Gen tracks that are tied to the Strengths perspective. This is also the third year of SCPA joining the Strengths Conference in the PH.  
• 2022: As the pandemic eases, SCPA Strengths returns with the Strengths Cohorts. We also launch the Strengths in Action in video format.  
• 2023: SCPA celebrates its first Strengths Day, which also introduced the Strengths Individual Journey. Employees are also welcome to map out their development progression once they unlock their Top 5.  
• 2024: SCPA celebrates its second Strengths Day with its first Strengths forum. The talk features Gallup-certified Strengths coaches who talked about celebrating, embracing, and appreciating our Strengths.  

The SCPA Way of Doing Strengths 

Strengths is not just a concept in SCPA. It is a culture that is understood, shared, and experienced by all. It is a program that also supports the company’s goal of intentionally building up high-performing teams. Through Strengths, we create collaborative teams that trust and respect each other. Everyone knows how to partner with their colleagues based on their unique contributions and needs.  

Each employee’s journey begins with the CliftonStrengths Online Talent Assessment, which reveals their Top 5 strengths. After the assessment, everyone must undergo the Individual Journey and its road to self-mastery before they join team-based Strengths Activities.  

The Strengths Journey experience also tackles how you work with your teams. The Strengths Team Journey promotes productivity in team settings, teaching workgroups how to use their Individual Strengths together to resolve challenges and establish a stronger team.  

Coaching also plays a pivotal role in the success of everyone’s Strengths journey. Outside of SCPA, the term “coaching” has a different visual image. People know it as “The principal’s office” or, in worse cases, “being yelled at by your boss.” SCPA’s definition of coaching is drastically different. It is a conversation that focuses more on the team members and allows managers to have the space and opportunity to listen to their people.  

SCPA’s implementation of Strengths also involved its interaction with the Filipino culture. The company has different branches around the Philippines; therefore, language poses a concern. Everyone speaks English but there are nuances to the words we are trying to translate. How does one explain what Woo is in another dialect? 

To overcome this, SCPA worked with a local team of experts who can relay the deeper meaning of each Strength. Eventually, we discovered that local terms offer a richer description of some concepts. For example, the word “engagement” can be translated to “kusang loob.” In SCPA slang, we use the term “gigil,” hence our “Malasakit na may gigil” mindset.  

SCPA also goes beyond adapting Strengths terms into Tagalog by weaving talent themes with Filipino values. For example, the concept of “bayanihan” (community spirit) aligns beautifully with Strengths like Relator, Harmony, and Includer. Relators build connections that foster “bayanihan” while Harmony promotes peaceful collaboration within the team. Also, Includers ensure everyone feels valued, contributing to a strong sense of community. This fuels SCPA’s mantra of never letting the team down.  

By weaving Filipino cultural values into the Strengths track, SCPA created a program that resonated with its employees on a deeper level. This approach fostered not only program comprehension but also a sense of cultural ownership and pride within the workforce. 

Flip the Script: Strengths First 

A work environment that focuses more on fixing a person leaves a feeling of insufficiency. It invites a sense of “I’m not enough,” which tags along with other negative emotions like fear, anger, and anxiety. These do not motivate us or boost our creativity. Focusing on weaknesses and fixing them instead of giving space to strengths is an outdated leadership approach – and it is one that SCPA does not practice.  

We believe in helping people become more of who they already are. By understanding our strengths, we gain valuable insights into our talents and what we can uniquely contribute to the team. This applies to weaknesses as well. Recognizing our limitations allows for self-acceptance and realistic goal setting. 

Scientific research supports this approach. Studies show that individuals who feel confident and “enough” are more likely to contribute their full potential. This translates directly to the organization. When team members understand and accept their unique strengths and limitations, they can set a clear game plan, collaborate effectively, and leverage each other’s talents. This allows everyone to “shine” within the team, leading to greater overall success. 

Simply put, focusing on strengths isn’t about ignoring weaknesses, but about creating a foundation of self-acceptance and appreciation. This is how we empower our people to be a whole lot more of who they already are.  

Experience the difference a strengths-based approach can make when you join Team SCPA!