DISCOVERING YOUR STRENGTHS

Understanding One’s Self-and-

Strengths-Based Teams

Learning OutcomesThe Customer Service Supervisor team will… Explore more of the meaning behind their

strengths through developmental activities.

Understand the significance of the domains of strengths.

Evaluate their ability to do their best work and how that translates into the development of their staff team.

Positive Psychology Guided belief: good is the opposite of

bad? Disease teaches healthy behaviors? Divorce teaches healthy, happy marriage

practices? Strengths have a unique pattern different

from weaknesses. Gallup’s Mission: Learn the talents that

make up success and strong leadership. Focusing on strength leads to better

satisfaction, performance and retention.

Exploring Your Strengths

Example

Signature Themes DefinitionEmpowers Me To…(How Do You Use

It?)Critical ActivitiesSignature Themes Definition

Empowers Me To…(How Do You Use

It?)Critical Activities

Responsibility Focus and drive to contribute to projects and teams

Contribute strong teamwork and exhibit high reliability

Committee work; Program development;

Arranger Ability to exhibit strong spatial organization and solve problems

Take the ideas of others and provide structure to projects

Training coordination; Scheduling opening/closing responsibilities

Relator Ease of finding connections with others

Develop strong interpersonal connections and establish effective teams

Teambuilding sessions with the CA staff; Developing rapport on committees

Developer Recognition of opportunities for growth and ability to provide guidance

Show care and interest in the experiences of others and strengthen working relationships

Developmental conversations with students about career development and involvement opportunities; Job action meetings

Empathy Recognition and appreciation of the emotions and feelings of others

Recognize the challenges of others and provide support when needed

Managing student distress; Mediating peer group disputes

Exploring Your Strengths How did you first react to your Strengths

assessment results? What are some thoughts about how you

may want to move forward in a Strength’s focused way?

The Four Domains of Strengths

Executing Influencing Relationship Building

Strategic Thinking

AchieverArranger

BeliefConsistencyDeliberativeDiscipline

FocusResponsibilityRestorative

ActivatorCommand

CommunicationCompetitionMaximizer

Self AssuranceSignificance

Woo

AdaptabilityConnectedness

DeveloperEmpathyHarmonyIncluder

Individualization

PositivityRelator

AnalyticalContext

FuturisticIdeation

InputIntellection

LearnerStrategic

Which domain is your strongest?

Watching Out for the Shadow Side

With all of this positive psychology, there has to be a “dark side,” right?

The shadow side of strengths comes not from a misuse of talents but a misperception.

These misperceptions can create conflict that challenges the success of a partnership or group.

What’s the Shadow Side of…

Competitio

n

Responsibility

Futuristic

Communication

Empathy

Activator

Woo

Belief

Q12 – A Quick Introduction The Summit: clear, focused and engaged. Camp 3

This last year, have I had the opportunities to learn and grow?

In the last 6 months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?

Camp 2 Do I have a best friend at work? Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work? Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my

job is important? Do my opinions seem to count?

Camp 1 Is there someone who encourages my development? Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about

me as a person? In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for

doing good work? Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?

Base Camp Do I have the materials and equipment I need? Do I know what is expected of me?

Developing a Personal VisionOne Key Question

To be able to lead effectively, one must first ask themselves the question, “what do I do best?”

Identify the top 10 statements in that you exhibit the greatest strength/passion related to your career and then try to narrow that list down to 5.

Are there items that are important to you that are missing from the list?

Developing a Personal VisionOne Key Question

What I Do Best Q12 – “I have the opportunity to do what I do best

every day.” How do your selections of what you do best match up

with your actual responsibilities on a daily basis? What I Want Most

Similar to what you do best, the most engaged employees have strong correlations between their talents and their environment.

How do your talents and your environment match up? What experiences are missing from your environment

that could increase your engagement on a daily basis?

Context for Group Development Tuckman’s Stages

Forming: What are you learning about the strengths of the group? What connections can you make about potential complementary talents?

Storming: What similar or different strengths may create conflict? Who may be able to effectively mediate conflict?

Norming: Who can contextualize positive patterns of partnership? How can combinations of strengths boost the effectiveness of projects?

Performing: How do you recognize strengths for success? How do you encourage continued development of partnerships?

Adjourning: How do you recognize the contributions of each group member? How can you maintain relationships?

How can you apply these questions to the development of your CA teams?

GO FORTH AND CONTINUE EXPLORING YOUR TALENTS

Questions?