CREATING OUR BEST SELVES THROUGH STRENGTHS AND WELLBEING

CREATING OUR BEST SELVES THROUGH STRENGTHS AND WELLBEING A Strengths Essentials workshop to help employees Discover, Develop and Apply their Strengths

NAME TENT Name you want to be called 5 Signature Themes

Think of a time when you were at your best Couldn t wait to start Picked up the skill quickly Lost track of time Had a moment of unexpected excellence Could not wait to do it again Page 3

Line up by number years you have worked in higher education

Share a story about a time you were at your best Share as many details as you can

Page 4 WRITING CHALLENGE

The Myths and The Truths TRUTH: As you grow become more of who you already are MYTH: As you grow you your personality changes

The Myths and The Truths TRUTH: You will grow most in your areas of greatest strength MYTH: You will grow most in your areas of greatest weakness

The Myths and The Truths TRUTH: A good team member deliberately volunteers their strengths to the team most of the time MYTH: A good team members does whatever it takes to help the team

Positive Psychology: The Root of Strengths

Deficit Based Grade and Progress Reports Performance Evaluations

Donald Clifton the The father of Strengths-Based Psychology and the grandfather of Positive Psychology -2003 American Psychological Association Two million interviews Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors Success Over 400 talents Validated

CLARIFYING THE LANGUAGE Talents Themes Strengths

YOUR GREATEST TALENTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqhpsrlt32k

Talents Behavior patterns that make you effective Thought patterns that make you efficient Beliefs that empower you to succeed Attitudes that sustain your efforts toward achievement and excellence Motivations that propel you to take action and maintain the energy needed to achieve You can not not do it Talents are potential strengths!

Achiever Competition Signature Themes Developer Empathy Input

Identify Talent Underline or highlight the phrases in your strengths report that resonate with you Cross out those that don t The highlighted are your talents

Talents Natural ways of thinking, feeling and behaving X Investment Time spent developing your talents, skills and knowledge = Strengths Talents used productively

NAME IT Make your Signature Themes your own. Identify what each theme means to you. AIM IT Flex and leverage your talents toward a specific goal, objective or desired outcome. CLAIM IT Appreciate the unique power and value of the talents you have and bring to others. Page 23

Thrive Despite the American myth, I cannot be or do whatever I desire a truism, to be sure, but a truism we often defy. Our created natures make us like organisms in an ecosystem: There are some roles and relationships in which we thrive and others in which we wither and die. Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak Page 6

Despite the American myth, I cannot be or do whatever I desire a truism, to be sure, Thrive! but a truism we often defy. Our created natures make us like organisms in an ecosystem: There are some roles and relationships in which we thrive and others in which we wither and die. Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak

My boss doesn t care if I m thriving, or energized by my work she just wants the job done.

How do we THRIVE? Energy Outcomes Expectations

What Gives You Energy? Really?? You want me to meet a bunch of strangers? You're expected to attend a gathering There will be 50 people there You won't know anyone Wow! New friends!

What Gives You Energy? There is a place for everything and I love to put everything is in its place! Why waste time putting stuff away that I may never need!

What Gives You Energy? Lets think about Lets get it done

Strengths are the lens that energizes you Input- Situation Your Strengths Lens Your Energy

Different Paths

Your Greatest Talents What was your first reaction to your Clifton Strengths Finder results? What new discovery have you made about yourself? What, if anything, surprised you about your results? Have you shared your Top 5 with anyone? What was their reaction? Page 7

Treasure Hunt Talk to as many others in the room who have at least one Signature Theme different than your own. Jot down the theme you discussed, and at least one benefit of that theme. Page 9

Weakness Something that gets in your way or in the way of others success

Talk about Weaknesses Identify a weakness that you believe is currently getting in your way of achieving excellence? Pair up with someone you don t regularly work with and describe the weakness and how it impedes you Switch and repeat

Define the Weakness lack of skill or knowledge non-strength overused strength underused strength

Mitigate the Weakness Open communication/transparency Leverage other talents Use support systems Form complementary partnerships Adjust/Change role

Overall StrengthsQuest Database 1,656,272 1,524,351 1,519,142 1,494,103 1,223,431 1,074,795 955,653 913,730 865,487 857,759 776,452 764,738 746,418 731,315 707,074 696,649 695,123 645,838 628,325 627,649 600,349 597,736 590,316 574,575 570,479 562,524 531,325 520,855 514,919 443,066 334,369 313,940 311,754 261,594 Achiever Relator Learner Responsibility Strategic Input Harmony Maximizer Adaptability Empathy Arranger Restorative Positivity Developer Ideation Woo Focus Communication Individualization Connectedness Intellection Analytical Includer Belief Competition Activator Deliberative Consistency Futuristic Context Significance Discipline Self-Assurance Command 35 1. Achiever 2. Relator 3. Learner 4. Responsibility 5. Strategic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v Fireworks and Space Shuttle

HOMEWORK: Model Your Strengths Create a message (picture, drawing, poem, song, etc.) that represents you and your Signature Themes. Developer Relator Analytical Restorative Harmony 38

Strengths Reflections What is one of your themes you would like to know more about? What is one theme, different from yours, that you now value more than you did before this workshop? Strengths Commitments What is one thing you will do, starting tomorrow, to develop your talents into strengths? What is one thing you will do, starting tomorrow, to better use your talents to build strong relationships with others? Page 11

Live Your Strengths Every Day! Know your Top 5 Be proud of your Top 5 Post your Top 5 Donate your Top 5 See you in Session 2

SESSION 2 A Strengths Essentials workshop to help employees Discover, Develop and Apply their Strengths

NAME TENT Name you want to be called 5 Signature Themes

HOMEWORK: Model Your Strengths Share with others at your table the message you created that represents your Signature Themes. Developer Relator Analytical Restorative Harmony 45

The Truths TRUTH: As you grow you become more of who you already are TRUTH: You will grow most in your areas of greatest strength TRUTH: A good team member deliberately volunteers their strengths to the team Page 2 46

Talents Natural ways of thinking, feeling and behaving X Investment Time spent developing your talents, skills and knowledge = Strengths Talents used productively

Why do Conversations about Strengths Matter? Strengths Awareness Confidence Hope Motivation to excel Engagement - an emotional commitment Long Legs Long Lashes

Employee Engagement 12% in customer ratings 16% in profitability 18% in productivity 37% in absenteeism 31% in turnover 49% in safety incidents 27% in shrinkage 50

Why Strengths Are Important 100% 2% 80% 31% 45% 57% 61% 60% Engaged 40% 51% 33% Not Engaged Actively Disengaged 20% 40% 38% 0% 18% 22% 1% All Ignored Weakness Strengths

Are You One Of The 2 Out Of 10?

Active Disengagement

Students in strength development programs are more likely to : have higher feelings of hope be more engaged have higher GPA s complete more credits have more persistence have higher completion rates than students who are not.

Applying your Strengths What about your role at South Mountain Community College energizes you? Think of a goal or project you have been working on recently at work. Identify one of your strengths or themes that you used in the past 10 days to assist you in reaching this goal? Did you partner with anyone with a complementary strength to assist you in reaching this goal? What was the complementary strength you partnered with? Turn to someone at your table and share a discussion on your responses to these questions. Page 4

Talent Connection Theme What this allows me to do When / Where I recently used this theme Restorative I listen well and can provide suggestions that help solve problems. A co-worker was having a hard time finding a solution for a problem a student was having. I was able to understand the situation and offer the input on how the situation could be solved. Page 5

Critical Activities My Themes Critical Tasks Adaptability Individualization Empathy Answer phone questions Organize student records Responsibility Consistency Meet with a student one on one Page 6

Developing Talents into Strengths Life Situation Theme Action to Develop Talent into a Strength I interact and have relationships with co-workers Learner I will have a conversation with others in my department to learn more about them. Page 7

Weaving your Themes Select two of your Signature Themes. Write a description of how the two themes you selected are best described when woven together. Theme A Theme B Describe themes woven together Learner Individualization I love to learn about what makes people tick. Focus Maximizer I need to focus on projects that I can help make excellent. Page 8

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH STRENGTHS A Strengths Essentials workshop to help employees Discover, Develop and Apply their Strengths

Learning To Value Others Through Strengths Valuing Appreciating Respecting Understanding Judging Page 9

Basements Balconies Page 10

Complementary Partnerships make up for a lesser talent. take over where one person leaves off. enhance what one person already possesses. Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary Page 11

Complementary Partnerships Partner with someone in the group Each of you pick one of your Signature Themes Write a description of how the two themes selected could complement each other in a project. Theme A Theme B Describe themes woven together Command Harmony We find just the right balance when communicating with others in difficult situations. Strategic Ideation Together we create unique solutions and action steps to implement them. Page 11 64

Form Complementary Partnerships Do you have someone in your life who can gently remind you when you are not using your talent productively?

Strengths-Based Teams Team Members: Share a mission and purpose. Understand the work of the team and have a clear and compelling performance goal or challenge. Understand and appreciates that he or she is great at some things and not very good at others. Are aware of each other s talents. Page 12 66

What Energizes You Most? Brainstorming Session I like working with people! I like making to-do lists with deadlines I have an idea! I would love to facilitate the session!

What Energizes You Most? A team planning a college wide event I like to plan I like to show others why it is important I always remember the event is about people I would like us to slow down just a little and be careful

The Truths What your team needs most is for you to bring your strengths deliberately People need not be well-rounded but teams do!

Strengths Matrix Execute Influence Relate Think Achiever Activator Adaptability Analytical Arranger Command Developer Context Belief Communication Connectedness Futuristic Consistency Competition Empathy Ideation Deliberative Maximizer Harmony Input Discipline Self-Assurance Includer Intellection Focus Significance Individualization Learner Responsibility Woo Positivity Strategic Restorative Relator Rath & Conchie. (2008). Strengths Based Leadership. New York, NY: Gallup Press. Page 13

Strengths Team Matrix What are the strengths and weaknesses of this team? Page 14 What does this Team s Matrix say about this team? Is one of the domains dominant? o What does that tell you about the team s ability to perform? Is one of the dominants underrepresented? Does the matrix expose any blind spots or gaps? Do any of the individual themes stand alone or are in dominance? o How could this impact the Team s dynamics and ability to communicate? How could this team use its knowledge of Strengths and Talents to achieve it goals? 71

Strengths Team Matrix What are the strengths and weaknesses of this team? What does this Team s Matrix say about this team? Is one of the domains dominant? o What does that tell you about the team s ability to perform? Is one of the domains underrepresented? Does the matrix expose any blind spots or gaps? Do any of the individual themes stand alone or are in dominance? o How could this impact the Team s dynamics and ability to communicate? How could this team use its knowledge of Strengths and Talents to achieve it goals? Page 15

How to Get a Code for Someone Else GallupStrengthsCenter.com 73

Live Your Strengths Every Day! Know your Top 5 Be proud of your Top 5 Post your Top 5 Develop your Top 5 Build a relationship with your Top 5 Donate your Top 5 Page 16

STRENGTHS COMMITMENTS 76

Example Strengths Matrix

Build a Table Team Matrix What are the strengths and weaknesses of this new team?

How To Get a Code for Someone Else GallupStrengthsCenter.com

Live Your Strengths Every Day! Know your top 5 Be proud of your top 5 Post your top 5 Develop your top 5 Build a relationship with your top 5 Donate your top 5

Gateway Strengths Database 1. Learner 2. Achiever 3. Responsibility 4. Relator 5. Input 85