Strength

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2.0 Workshop… STRENGTHS FINDER Understanding My Top 5 Talking about My Top 5 with Others Using My Top 5 (in the Job Search, Interview and New Position)

STRENGTHS FINDER What is this and how can it help me?

Many images were drawn from a slideshare presentation by James Chang, Owner at Focal Point Display

ACTIVITY: I will focus on my strengths

“WHAT will HAPPEN when we think about what is RIGHT with people rather than FIXATING on what is WRONG with them?”

Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. (1924-2003) The Father of Strengths-Based Psychology and Creator of the Clifton StrengthsFinder®

77%

PATH OF MOST RESISTENCE?

23 year old groundskeeper at ND’s stadium with “heart”… who earned a spot on the football practice squad… and 2 years later “suited up” for the final game of his senior year… and tackled opposing quarterback in the final seconds of the game… instant HERO!

Do you have the opportunity to focus on what you do best every day?

WHAT IS IT?

HOW CAN IT HELP ME?

WHAT IS IT?

HOW CAN IT HELP ME?

You are one in ~34 million… 33,390,720 to be exact 

People Who Focus on Using Their Strengths…

Why Strengths Matter

Companies in the Top Quartile on Engagement Experience

Gallup Q12 Survey 2012 Reports brentobannon.com

PERSPECTIVE Take a deep breath and think about your strengths… just you… thinking about you.

Knowledge Skill

Talent

How does a Talent… become a Strength? Investment …time spent practicing, developing skills, building knowledge

Investment is a MULTIPLIER of talent!

Talent x Investment = Strength 2 5 10

Talent x Investment = Strength 5 5 25

WHAT IS IT?

HOW CAN IT HELP ME?

What would you do even if you weren’t paid to do it?

WHAT IS IT?

HOW CAN IT HELP ME?

BALCONIES…

and…

BASEMENTS

From Insights to Awareness…

Knowing the tendency exists

Doing something to catch yourself in the moment and change your behavior

YOUR journey this morning… Understanding My Top 5

Talking about My Top 5 with Others

Using My Top 5 (in the Job Search, Interview and New Position)

Chatting Self-Reflection Take some time to really KNOW what it means for you

Get feedback through conversations with the people you trust

Applying your Awareness Increase effectiveness & optimize your efforts

A few helpful tips to keep in mind Fight the urge to rush… There’s no “right” formula…

It’s about how… not if…

Value your uniqueness

Why is self-reflection important? Invest in yourself and work smarter, not harder » With the intensity of being at a career crossroads, it may seem counter-intuitive to take time to do this strengths stuff…but it has never been more important to operate at your best, and that starts with you!

Get beyond the ‘label’ of your Top 5 » What is it really saying about you and about what you do best? Don’t judge a book by it’s cover…many of the strengths have a deeper meaning than how you may interpret the ‘label’. Make it your own, customize how you think about your strengths!

KNOWING starts with you » Only when you understand yourself…your preferences and typical behaviors…can you start to really grow and develop to do what you do best!

First Impressions… Understanding YOUR Top 5 • What was your first reaction to your Top 5? • What part of your Top 5 surprised you? • What strength did you expect to see among your Top 5 but didn’t? • Which strength among your Top 5 stands out to you and why? • What have you discovered about yourself?

ACTIVITY: Making My Top 5 Real My Top 5

Here’s My Definition of This Strength in a Few Words

Here’s What I Like Most About This Strength

ACTIVITY: Dynamic Duos Learner_________ + Individualization___ = I love to learn what makes people tick (strength)

(strength)

(Describe the dynamic)

_____________ + _____________ = __________________________ (strength)

(strength)

(Describe the dynamic)

_____________ + _____________ = __________________________ (strength)

(strength)

(Describe the dynamic)

_____________ + _____________ = __________________________ (strength)

(strength)

(Describe the dynamic)

ACTIVITY: When My Top 5 Become Barriers When I use _____________ effectively, it looks like this: ____________________________________________________ When I misuse ______________ , it looks like this: ____________________________________________________ When I misuse_____________, people say: ____________________________________________________ When I use _____________ effectively, people say this: ____________________________________________________

ACTIVITY: When My Top 5 Show Up

How My Top 5 Work For Me

My Top 5

How My Top 5 Work Against Me

Why is chatting important? We all bring something a little different to the table » There is a 1 in 33 million chance you will meet someone with your Top 5 in the same order you have them! Get out there and share your unique story!

Awareness is key and feedback is a gift » You may need a little help to be aware of the impressions you make and the effect (positive or negative) you have on others. Talking to another person to prompt your thinking, give room for real feedback, and ask the hard questions will do just that!

Invest in your own development » Think about what you heard from talking to others about your strengths…points of consistency and places where you may see inconsistent behaviors. Then, think about how to take the path of least resistance!

ACTIVITY: Speed Dating

FUTURISTIC

BELIEF

INDIVIDUALIZATION

Why is it important to apply your new awareness? Leaders have a lot of responsibility » Figure out how to use your strengths to be the most effective employee you can be! Your recruiter and new manager will be a “star”…

Connect the dots between engagement, strengths and development » Did you know that employees who have the opportunity to do what they do best every day are 6 times more likely to be engaged in their work? It’s true. Being part of a team environment that taps into the unique strengths of each individual increases the productivity and growth of the whole team!

At the end of the day…it boils down to improving how we search for an opportunity, interview and work » The collective strengths create something greater than the simple sum of the parts. Discover ways to search, interview and work more effectively and achieve more!

JOB SEARCH Summarize your insights

JOB SEARCH Review your ideas for action

Example… FOCUS Seek roles in which you can function independently. With your dominant Focus talents, you will be able to stay on track with little supervision

INTERVIEW PREP Evaluate your potential job

INTERVIEW PREP ACTIVITY: STAR (or CAR) + Strengths

JOB SEARCH | INTERVIEW | NEW POSITION University of Minnesota Resources

http://strengths.umn.edu/videos

JOB SEARCH | INTERVIEW | NEW POSITION University of Minnesota Resources

http://sph.umn.edu/site/docs/careers/tipsheets/Strengths%20Quest.pdf

JOB SEARCH | Career exploration process University of Minnesota Resources

http://strengths.umn.edu/videos

Strengths Domains

Jackie

The Mash Up Executing

Influencing

Relationship Building

Strategic Thinking

You?

“FIT” Skills, education, personalities, interests, company culture, supervisor

What comes to mind?

I learned… I re-learned… I want to learn more…

QUESTIONS?