CDAA International Career Conference, Cairns 2011 Three tools to capture clients’ strengths with Dr Ann Villiers, Mental Nutritionist

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Your gift: identifying a person’s strengths

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Signs of a strength You feel successful, have some ability in it Drawn to the activity It feels easy, learned it quickly After, may be physically tried but not psychologically drained Feel fulfilled, powerful, restored Buckingham 2007

A strength requires certain natural talent combined with skills and knowledge

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3 tools for identifying strengths: Buckingham – Strengths Statements Seligman – Signature Strengths Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship – Reflected Best Self

Buckingham – Strengths Statements 3 step process: Capture Clarify Confirm

Capture: What you do when feeling: powerful, confident, on fire … e.g. ‘I loved it when I was learning something new about communication.’

Capture: What you do when feeling: drained, bored, forced … e.g. ‘I hated it when I was chasing up invoice payments.’

Clarify: Change tense from past to present. ‘I feel strong when …’

Clarify: Identify which aspects are critical. Ask 4 questions: Does it matter why I do this activity? Does it matter who I do this activity with/to/for? Does it matter when I am doing this activity? Does it mater what this activity is about?

Strength Statement: I feel strong when … I learn something new, from someone I respect, that I can use, about communicating with people.

Confirm: Strengths test: 12 items, rank 1-5 E.g. I often find myself volunteering for this type of activity. I pick up this type of activity quickly. I always look forward to doing this type of activity. 53+ = strength, 46- = not a strength

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Seligman - Signature Strengths Rank orders 24 character strengths, grouped under 6 virtues Top 5 = Signature Strengths Characteristics: Trait, psychological characteristic Valued in its own right Onlookers elevated, inspired Valued in almost every culture

What is a strength: Sense of ownership – This is real for me Feeling of excitement while displaying it Sense of yearning to find ways to use it Invigoration rather than exhaustion

My Signature Strengths: Industry, diligence and perseverance Love of learning Curiosity and interest in the world Hope, optimism, future-mindedness Fairness, equity, justice

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Reflected Best Self Unearths how you are experienced at your best Not the best self, your best self Highlights your presence and impact on others Not an abstract catalogue of strengths – provides a number of stories about you at your best

Ask 5-7 significant others – friends, family, co-workers, people who know you well – to share written feedback describing you at your best. Specific examples No negative comments

Reflected Best Self portrait When I’m at my best I …

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Issues to consider when using these tools Issue 1: People’s resistance Can feel self-centred

We are works in progress Issue 2: Strengths are not static RBS is not a static portrait We continue to evolve Strengths Statements change as talents manifest themselves differently over time We are works in progress

Issue 3: Not an invitation to ignore weaknesses Weakness = activity that makes you feel weak Manage around weaknesses Need to identify behaviours, personality traits that might interfere with performance

Issue 4: Intuitive thinkers may find analysis and review frustrating These tools involve thought, mindfulness, noticing, reflecting. The language of strengths and weaknesses is mainly an emotional one. ‘I love this …’, ‘I can’t stand this …’

Issue 5: Walk our talk Do we know our strengths? Are we comfortable talking about our strengths? Are we building a life around our strengths?

Issue 6: Build a life around strengths How can this knowledge be used to enhance the quality of my work and life? How might I incorporate my best self into my current job, relationships, and future career plans?

Making the most of what strengthens you 2 ideas - Buckingham Create a Strong Week Plan Push towards 2 strengths-specific activities, away from 2 weaknesses

2. Putting strengths to work Identify how and where each strength helps in current role. Find missed opportunities to leverage strengths in current role. Learn new skills and techniques to sharpen each strength. Build your job toward each strength.

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What do you need to do to build your life around your strengths? ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

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Your gift: identifying a person’s strengths

‘Don’t get to your grave with your song unsung.’ Cavett Robert

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