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

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4. Your gift: identifying a person’s strengths

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6. 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

7. A strength requires certain natural talent combined with
skills and knowledge

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9. 3 tools for identifying strengths:
Buckingham – Strengths Statements
Seligman – Signature Strengths
Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship – Reflected Best Self

10. Buckingham – Strengths Statements 3 step process: Capture Clarify
Confirm

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

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

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

14. 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?

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

16. 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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18. 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

19. 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

20. 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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22. 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

23. 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

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

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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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 …’

30. 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?

31. 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?

32. 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

33. 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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35. 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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37. Your gift: identifying a person’s strengths

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

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