Energise Your Team: A Strengths-Based Strategy for Resilience

Team resilience doesn’t start with pressure.
It starts with energy and whether your team has enough of it to keep going, keep caring, and keep growing.

And if your team’s energy is running low, you’re not alone.

We hear it all the time across public sector teams in higher education, healthcare and local government:

• “Everyone’s stretched.”

• “Motivation’s been hard to maintain.”

• “People are doing their best — but they’re running on empty.”

The good news? Resilience doesn’t require a huge investment of time or money.
It requires a change in focus towards what energises people, not just what needs doing.

What’s Depleting Your Team (and What Builds Them Back Up)

Team fatigue doesn’t always come from too much work. It often comes from the way people are working, especially when those ways feel misaligned, unnoticed or disconnected.

Let’s take a look:

Energy Drainers                                      Energy Builders

Constant change with no reflection    Space to pause and acknowledge progress

Lack of clarity or autonomy                   Purpose, ownership and clear priorities

Feeling invisible or unappreciated      Recognition and strengths-based feedback

Tasks that don’t align with skills          Strengths-aligned work that energises people

Also read: Small Shifts, Big Wins: How Tiny Habits Build Long-Term Growth

How Strengths Help Teams Build Resilience That Lasts

Resilience isn’t about enduring more. It’s about working in ways that restore energy, not drain it.

When individuals and teams have opportunities to use their strengths more often, research shows they experience:

• Higher motivation
• Greater adaptability to change
• Improved wellbeing and confidence
• Deeper engagement, even in tough environments

These aren’t abstract outcomes. They’re real-world effects we’ve seen from frontline NHS teams, student-facing services, local authority teams and more. And it all starts with helping teams understand what energises them — and how to build more of that into the day-to-day.

Also read: How to Build a Team That Thrives in Uncertain Times

4 Strengths-Based Habits That Help Teams Recharge

You don’t need to overhaul your strategy.
Just try one of these small, energising shifts:

1. Spot Strengths in Action

Create a shared space (physical or digital) where team members can highlight when they’ve seen someone use a strength.

Example:

“I saw [Name] use [Strength] when they [Action]. It made a real difference.”

This helps your team develop a shared language of what’s working and reminds people of their value when things are tough.

2. Map Energy Givers and Drainers

Set aside 30–45 minutes in a team session and ask:

• What tasks or projects give you energy?

• What things tend to drain it?

Then look for small adjustments, even 10%, that better align work to people’s strengths. It could be swapping responsibilities, adding support, or simply shifting expectations.

3. Add a Weekly Energy Check-In

At the start of each week, ask:

• “Where’s your energy at, 1 to 5?”

• “What’s one thing that could boost it this week?”

This simple check-in builds trust, invites support, and normalises rest and recovery, essential for sustainable performance.

4. Close the Week With Recognition

Ask your team:

• “What went well this week?”

• “Who made a difference for you?”

It’s a quick but powerful way to reinforce belonging, a key pillar of team resilience.

Also see: Building Team Resilience: Strategies and Benefits

Want to Energise Your Team in a Way That Lasts?

You don’t need to fix everything. You just need to start with what gives people energy and remove a few of the things that don’t.

Resilience isn’t about pushing through. It’s about helping your team find better ways to work, recover and thrive.

How Strengthify Can Help

We work with public sector teams to build lasting team energy and resilience through practical, positive, strengths-focused sessions and programmes.

Here’s how we can help:

• Strengths Discovery Sessions:
  Help individuals reconnect with what energises them and how to work more sustainably.
• Management Development Programme:
  Equip managers to lead with clarity, care and confidence even in high-pressure environments.

• Team Development Workshops:
  Strengthen trust, collaboration and morale in one engaging, energising team reset.
• Appreciative Inquiry Workshops:
  Explore what’s working in your team and build from it together.

Every Strengthify programme is crafted with you, for your team. Simple to run. Meaningful to experience.

Get in touch to find out what would work for your team.