The podcast by project managers for project managers. Are you building a strengths-based project team? Projects are more successful when we play to the strengths of the team. Connie Plowman, co-authored a book Developing Strengths-Based Project Teams with Martha Buelt. In this episode, Connie defines the difference between a talent and a strength as she introduces the concept of a strengths-based project team. Table of Contents 00:35 … Meet Connie 02:15 … StrengthsFinder and Strengths-Based Project Teams 03:20 … Remote Coauthoring 04:15 … Difference between Talent and Strength 06:36 … A Strengths-Based Project Team 10:12 … Benefits to Becoming a Strengths-Based Project Team 11:48 … Being Aware of Weaknesses 13:25 … The Value of Strengths-Based Project Teams 16:45 … Talent Theme Mapping 20:01 … Responding to: “That’s Not My Strength” 22:48 … Getting Started as a Strengths-Based Project Team 24:42 … Maintaining the Strengths-Based Process in a Team 27:50 … Career Advice from Connie 29:32 … Thanks to Connie 30:45 … Closing CONNIE PLOWMAN: ...project teams, to be strength-based, intentionally apply and integrate their skills, experience, knowledge, their talents, their strengths, their project management tools and techniques, everything that you bring to the table you intentionally apply and integrate those for greater team success.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  This is our bimonthly meeting to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  And we have a professional here today; don’t we, Bill. Meet Connie BILL YATES:  Yes, we do.  I’ve known Connie Plowman for quite a while now.  Connie and I got to know each other when I was serving on the REP Advisory Group at the global level, and she was in a global-level position with PMI.  And she is a delight.  So I’ve been looking forward to having a conversation with her on Manage This.  And then she goes and writes a great book.  So we’ll have fun talking through that book.  When I first met Connie, she was the chief operating officer for another consulting and project management training company.  And she just had a wealth of experience.  And I’m really looking forward to this conversation. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to meeting her. BILL YATES:  She’s an award-winner as well, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, I hear so. BILL YATES:  Yeah. WENDY GROUNDS:  Talk about that. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  So in 2016 Connie was awarded the PMI Eric Jenett Project Management Award of Excellence.  It’s named after one of PMI’s founders, and it’s one of the highest awards you can win with PMI.  I was delighted for her when she received that.  She’s been very involved.  She tends to retire and then find something else that she has to go do.  And right now I know she’s being a guest speaker and instructor with a local university.  She’s out in Portland, Oregon.  She’s serving as executive director for the CLIMB Center for Advancement at Portland Community College.  She just can’t step away. WENDY GROUNDS:  She’s having way too much fun to retire.  I like that. BILL YATES:  Yup. WENDY GROUNDS:  Connie, welcome to Manage This.  We’re so glad that you could join us today. CONNIE PLOWMAN:  Thank you.  I’m thrilled to be in your virtual podcast studio.  It looks like my dining room.  Hey, wait a minute, it is my dining room. WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re glad that we can see you virtually. CONNIE PLOWMAN:  Thank you.  It’s a pleasure to be here.  I’ve been wanting to do this for some time. StrengthsFinder and Strengths-Based Project Teams WENDY GROUNDS:  Connie, I want to start off by just asking you about this topic.  We’re talking about strength-based project teams.  How did you get interested in this? CONNIE PLOWMAN:  You know, that’s a really long question.  But