UMBC Women’s Leadership Summit March 1, 2006 Preparing for Success Anne Scholl-Fiedler, Director, Career Services Center

There is EXCELLENCE in each person…. It’s structure of skills, talents and attributes can be clarified and identified. These can then be recombined or developed to match the demands of progress or changing conditions.

Knowing your dependable strengths helps in creating career satisfaction and success. By knowing your core strengths you are able to manage the flexibility that today’s workforce calls for. By knowing your core strengths you are able to manage the flexibility that today’s workforce calls for. Motivated skills Motivated skills Unmotivated skills Unmotivated skills Productivity would increase by 40% if people were in jobs they did well and enjoyed! Productivity would increase by 40% if people were in jobs they did well and enjoyed!

People generally use less than 20% of their potential. 80% is hidden and rarely brought into awareness.

Potential Prevention Societal Bias – Traditional language Societal Bias – Traditional language Job titles Job titles Job applications and other forms Job applications and other forms

Good Experience Something you feel you did well. Something you feel you did well. Something you enjoyed doing. Something you enjoyed doing. Something you were proud of. Something you were proud of.

Important Note Good Experiences are things that you actively made happen. Good Experiences are things that you actively made happen. Good Experiences can come from any part of your life (leisure, school, work, hobbies, etc.). Good Experiences can come from any part of your life (leisure, school, work, hobbies, etc.). Good Experiences can come from any time in your life. Good Experiences can come from any time in your life.

Let’s get started! List as many Good Experiences that you can utilizing the definition given. List as many Good Experiences that you can utilizing the definition given. Assign a value to your Good Experiences, with Number 1 being most significant to you, as so forth. Assign a value to your Good Experiences, with Number 1 being most significant to you, as so forth. Transfer your top 7 Good Experiences on the sheets provided and briefly describe what you did to make that experience happen. Transfer your top 7 Good Experiences on the sheets provided and briefly describe what you did to make that experience happen.

Uncovering Your Dependable Strengths Accept yourself as unique in the kind of excellence always growing in you. Accept yourself as unique in the kind of excellence always growing in you. Elements of your excellence have been demonstrated from time to time in your life, most likely in experiences you feel are your achievements. Elements of your excellence have been demonstrated from time to time in your life, most likely in experiences you feel are your achievements. By carefully identifying and studying your achievements you will uncover a pattern of strengths and talents. The pattern theory. By carefully identifying and studying your achievements you will uncover a pattern of strengths and talents. The pattern theory. This pattern of strengths indicates the kind of career activities that are likely to be a part of your future achievements, regardless of your job title. This pattern of strengths indicates the kind of career activities that are likely to be a part of your future achievements, regardless of your job title.

A Dependable Strength typically shows up 3 or more times in your top 7 Good Experiences. You are energized by it. It is inner motivated. You almost cannot help using it whenever possible.

Reality Test This is your proof of the Dependable Strengths that you possess. The more proofs, the more dependable!

Success & security means being prepared for change. Know the package of skills and strengths you really possess.

By uncovering your Dependable Strengths, you become free to use, develop, or combine them in different ways to accommodate change. Change, then, comes to mean adaptation, flexibility, and opportunity, rather than the unknown and feared. This is true career success.

In the best of jobs, there will be some parts that you dislike. Even at the best party someone has to do the dishes. One way to cope with this is to form Partnerships of Excellence.

This approach assumes there is excellence in everyone and dignity in all work. What you dislike, perhaps do badly, there are others who can do it well! Your “poison” may just be someone else’s “cup of tea.”

Gains from this approach… More satisfied workers. More satisfied workers. Tasks are getting done more reliably and effectively. Tasks are getting done more reliably and effectively. You will gain respect for the skills of others – their excellence. You will gain respect for the skills of others – their excellence. You will improve the teamwork in your setting. You will improve the teamwork in your setting.

Networking for Success Tell your story from your authentic self Tell your story from your authentic self You are more than your job title You are more than your job title Clearly articulate your dependable strengths and the types of things you have done to support those strengths. Clearly articulate your dependable strengths and the types of things you have done to support those strengths. When you talk about your dependable strengths, you speak with passion and interest --- this is what people remember. When you talk about your dependable strengths, you speak with passion and interest --- this is what people remember. You want to be remembered and referred. You want to be remembered and referred.

Final Thoughts By knowing your dependable strengths you are better able to articulate your worth and value --- most business interactions look for value-added. By knowing your dependable strengths you are better able to articulate your worth and value --- most business interactions look for value-added. By growing your dependable strengths you increase your potential and enhance your levels of success. By growing your dependable strengths you increase your potential and enhance your levels of success. Working on your weaknesses or unmotivated skills may only bring an individual to an average level of functioning. Working on your weaknesses or unmotivated skills may only bring an individual to an average level of functioning. Focus on your successes! Focus on your successes!

Old tradition says, “Find out what you did wrong and never do it again.” New tradition says, “Find out what you did right, so you can be sure to do it again.” One way suggests going forward while looking back over your shoulder. The new way suggests a person find safe footholds and continue to climb.