Building on Our Strengths:

Strengths-based Strategies for Student Affairs

March 5, 2010

Material included in this handout may not be reproduced or presented without explicit written

consent of the Gallup Organization, and the facilitators.

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ACTIVITY: Think of a time you…

• could not wait to start an activity.

• picked up an activity easily.

• were lost in the moment.

• wondered “How did I do that?”

• felt satisfaction and could not wait to do it again!

Writing Challenge

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4 4.

5 5.

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DISCUSSION: Myths and Truths

Wrong Assumptions

� All behaviors can be learned.

� The best in a role all get there the same way.

� Weakness fixing leads to success.

The TRUTHS that allow you to play to your strengths most of the time

� As you grow you become more of who you already are.

� You are going to grow and develop the most in your areas of strength.

� What your team needs of you most of all is for you to bring your strengths deliberately.

DISCUSSION: Roots of the Strengths Movement

� Positive Psychology

� Donald Clifton

� Gallup

� Clifton Strengths Finder

� Marcus Buckingham

Strengths Quest Mission

To enable students, leaders, and educators to discover. develop, and apply strengths in

academics, career and beyond

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DISCUSSION: Strengths Development Framework

Notes:

Building on Our Strengths: Strengths Based Strategies for Student Affairs

DISCUSSION: Strengths Development Framework

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“Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put

in every heart. Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.” —

-Rumi

DISCUSSION: Talent and Strength

Talent: A naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively

applied.

� Behavior patterns that make you effective.

� Thought patterns that make you efficient.

� Beliefs that empower you to succeed.

� Attitudes that sustain your efforts toward achievement and excellence.

� Motivations that propel you to take action and maintain the energy needed to

achieve.

� You can not not do it.

� Talents are potential strengths!

Theme: A group of similar talents.

Skill: The capacity to perform the functional steps of an activity.

Knowledge: What you know, either factually or through awareness gained by experience.

Strengths: Produced when talents are refined with knowledge and skill

� Talents + Skill + Knowledge = Strengths

� Talents are like diamonds in the rough

� Strengths are like diamonds that have been cut and polished

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REFERENCE: Is it a Strength or is it a Weakness?

If It is a strength It is a weakness

I am

thinking…

I can’t wait to start I hate to have to do this

This is fun When will this end?

I could do this forever This is going to take forever

This is my calling Thank goodness this is nearly over

Just try and stop me Can I sit this one out?

I am feeling Powerful Frustrated

Passionate Fragmented

Euphoric Disoriented

Natural Awkward

Authentic Drained

Confident Distracted

I want to Find a way to do more of it Hope I never have to do it again

Learn more about it Get the new person to do it

Find role models to learn from Shove it to the right side of the desk and

forget it

Look for people who are really

good at it

Do anything else instead

Buckingham, Marcus. Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding

Performance. Free Press. NY, NY. 2007 p99

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“Despite the American myth, I cannot be nor do whatever I desire- a truism, to be sure, but a

truism we often defy. Our created natures make us like organisms in an ecosystem: there are

some roles and relationships in which we thrive and others in which we wither and die.”

-Parker Palmer, Let Your Live Speak

DISCUSSION: What Gives You Energy?

ENERGY

OUTCOMES

EXPECTATIONS

Notes:

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ACTIVITY: What is Your Filter?

Notes:

Building on Our Strengths: Strengths Based Strategies for Student Affairs

is Your Filter?

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QUESTIONS: Frequently Asked Questions

I can’t just ignore my weaknesses, so what do I do?

Why do I only get my top 5?

Are my themes really that unique?

Notes:

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REFERENCE: Incidence of Themes

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Destiny is not a matter of chance,

It is a matter of choice;

It is not a thing to be waited for,

It is a thing to be achieved.

-William Jennings Bryant

STRENGTHS COMMITMENTS

WHY CAN’T THIS LAST FOREVER?

One of my Signature Themes that I want to learn more about and consciously apply more often:

One thing I will do differently starting tomorrow:

WEB SITES OF INTEREST

http://strengths.org The Clifton Strengths School

https://www.strengthsquest.com The Strengths Quest home page

http://strengths.gallup.com The Gallup Strengths home page

https://www.strengthsfinder.com The Strengths 2.0 Web site

http://gmj.gallup.com The Gallup Management Journal

http://strengths.ning.com Strengths School

http://www.davidzinger.com Employee Engagement Blog

http://marcusbuckingham.com Marcus Buckingham’s home page

http://tmbc.com The Marcus Buckingham Company

http://www.sjsu.edu/wellness/strengths/ Strengths at SJSU

Questions or Feedback scott.geddis@pcmail.maricopa.edu