Building Strengths in Teams Toolkit

1. Building Strengths in TeamsToolkit Develop high performing and engaged teams through strengths sessions

2. Strengths Session Timetable

3. Introducingthe Session Today SECTION 1 Warm up delegates to the strengths approach and your session

4. Introducing Capp Strengths Countries Organisations 2005 120 220 250 Founded

5. Strengths Partners A Diverse and Highly Respected Portfolio

6. Today’s Objectives • Team Strengths • Individual Strengths Understand your team now Understand the impact of your team’s strengths and weaknesses Each have a strengths action Understand the benefits of using strengths and how to spot them Understand your own and the strengths of team members Learn the Strengths Profile Model of Development Know how you can use your strengths to achieve your goals

7. Icebreakers SECTION 2 Choose one of the following to suit your audience

8. Icebreaker 1 One Good Thing // Share • One good thing that happened last week • What are you looking forward to about this session?

9. Icebreaker 2 Strengths Items // You have 1 minute to • Introduce yourself • Share your strengths item and why you have chosen it

10. Icebreaker3 Strengths Feedback // Using Post-it notes • Write each team members name and a strength you think they have • Stick the strength you think they have to the person • When everyone has finished introduce yourself and your Post-it strengths in three sentences

11. Icebreaker 4 Strengths Pictures // You have 5 minutes to • Draw a picture illustrating your top strengths • Introduce yourself • Present your drawing You have 1 minute to

12. Icebreaker 5 Strengths Bingo // Using your Strengths bingo boards • Walk around the room bumping into each other • Ask the questions on your board and mark off matching answers • First to fill a line gets a prize!

13. Introducing Strengths SECTION 3 Building engagement with the strengths approach

14. Strengthspotting Volunteer – share something that drains you for 2 mins Observer – take notes on what you see and hear

15. Strengthspotting Same observers – take notes on what you see and hear Same volunteer – share what you enjoy doing for 2 mins

16. Strengthspotting

17. Defining Strengths Performance Energy Use How well you perform when using these strengths How energised you are by using these strengths How often you use these strengths

18. Benefits of Strengths • SECTION 4 • Understand what strengths can do for you and your team

19. Benefits 1 Why You Should Use Strengths • Happier and more confident • Higher levels of self-esteem and energy • Experience less stress and more resilience • More likely to achieve goals • Perform better and more engaged at work • Develop quicker in areas of strength

20. Benefits 2 Why Your Team Should Use Strengths • Increased productivity & goal attainment • Effective talent management • Improved relationships and communication • Increased engagement & wellbeing • Improved delegation • Increased creativity • Role clarity Richardson & West, 2009; Losada & Heaphy, 2004

21. Benefits 3 Managing for Strengths • Employee performance 21-36% higher • 73% chance employees more engaged at work • 44% more likely to earn high customer satisfaction scores • 38% more likely to work with high-productivity teams • 50% more likely to have lower employee turnover Corporate Leadership Council, 2002 Harter and Schmidt, 2002

22. Strengths Profile Model of Development • SECTION 5 • Taking action with the Strengths Profile Model of Development

23. Model of Development Overview

24. Model of Development – Taking Action Model 1 • Use realised strengths wisely • Understand your strengths • Align realised strengths to goals • Use strengths to compensate • Combine strengths to your advantage • Don’t overplay • Use unrealised strengths more • Identify • Find the need/opportunity • Practice • Develop and hone • Expand and stretch your reach • Use learned behaviors when needed • Re-energise by looking at context • Complete tasks in between things you enjoy doing • Find a complementary partner • Explore if it’s a strength overplayed • Use weaknesses less • Explore whether performance critical • Use strengths to compensate • Find a complementary partner • Undertake training/development

25. Strengths Families

26. Using your Realised Strengths Wisely Model 2 Understand your strengths Align realised strengths to goals Use strengths to compensate Combine strengths to your advantage Don’t overplay RS

27. Using your Unrealised Strengths More Model 2 Identify Find the need/opportunity Practice Develop and hone Expand and stretch your reach US

28. Using your Learned Behaviours as Needed Model 2 Re-energise by looking at context Complete tasks in between things you enjoy doing - strengths ‘sandwiches’ Find a complementary partner Explore if it’s a strength overplayed LB

29. Using your Weaknesses Less Model 2 Explore whether performance critical Use strengths to compensate Find a complementary partner Undertake training/development WK

30. Understanding Your Own Strengths • SECTION 6 • Bringing individual strengths to life

31. Own Strengths 1 Your First Impression! In pairs, reflect on your Profile: • What was your initial reaction? • Did it resonate with you? • What was your biggest surprise?

32. Own Strengths 2 Understanding Your Profile 6.27 Look at your Strengths Profile… • Where there any surprises? • How do your strengths help you? • What impact do your learned behaviours and weaknesses have? • What one unrealised strength would you love to do more of?

33. Own Strengths 3 Strengths to Overcome a Challenge In trios: • Nominate a speaker to discuss a challenge they currently face • Suggest ways they could use their strengths further • Ask the speaker to summarise their actions for the trio

34. Own Strengths 4 RS Are these the strengths that you want to be known for? Which are critical attributes to your personal brand? How are your strengths currently serving you? What current situations require you to dial this strength up or down? Which ones do your team members recognise and value the most? Which strengths will help you achieve your career goals? Using your Realised Strengths Wisely

35. Own Strengths 4 US How do you feel about your unrealised strengths? Which ones would you love to dial up (as opposed to should!)? How might you increase the usage of these strengths in your role currently? What goals can you set to challenge yourself to use your unrealised strengths further? Would combining them with any realised strengths help you to use them further? Which combination of unrealised strengths could be used to define your future personal brand? Using your Unrealised Strengths More

36. Own Strengths 4 LB Which of these do you need to achieve future success? Which ones are the most de-energising? What would it take to re-energise your learned behaviours? Can you rely on them only when needed? How would you do this? Who in your team might be able to support your learned behaviours? Using your Learned Behaviours as Needed

37. Own Strengths 4 WK Are your weaknesses performance or role critical? Do you need any of them to deliver your objectives? Can you reshape your role to rely on them less? How can you use your strengths to compensate? Is there someone in your team that could be a complementary performance partner? How can you ensure your weaknesses do not negatively impact your future career goals? Using your Weaknesses Less

38. Understanding Team Members’ Strengths • SECTION 7 • Get to know your team member’s strengths

39. Personal Poster Team Member Strengths 1 Create a personal poster including: • Your significant realised strengths • Come to me if… • I need to come to you…

40. Strengths Poster Example Team Member Strengths 1 Strengths: Counterpoint, Judgement, Humour Come to me if… You would like a different viewpoint based on sound, authentic, non-judgemental advice with some optional fun! I need to come to you… If you want me to write and adhere to a long drawn out plan and keep re-visiting it Weaknesses: Adherence, Planner

41. Sharing Key Strengths Team Member Strengths 2 Using Post-it notes : • Stick two realised strengths on your left arm • Stick two unrealised strengths on your right arm • Bump into someone, asking: How are you currently using your realised strengths? How could you use your unrealised strengths further?

42. Strengths Speed Dating Team Member Strengths 3 Share your personal poster including : • Your significant realised strengths • Come to me if… • I need to come to you… • Don’t forget to give feedback on your partner’s strengths

43. Guessing Strengths Profiles Team Member Strengths 4 You will see Profiles of team members placed around the room: • Write down the name of the person you think each Profile belongs to • When everyone is finished stand by your own Profile

44. Using your Unrealised Strengths More Team Member Strengths 5 Choose one unrealised strength that you wish to use more “Bump” into 3 different individuals and ask them for feedback as to how you could maximise this strength more at work Swap roles and then move to your next person US

45. Strengths Shield Team Member Strengths 6 What I would love to do more of My key realised strengths What I want to do less of How I need support Your Motto/Phrase

46. Strengths Shield Example Team Member Strengths 6 Explain better stories/anecdotes (unrealised strength in Explainer and Narrator) MissionHumourCounterpoint Doing too much at once (Time Optimiser and Action as learned behaviour To think through ideas before acting (Incubator as weakness) “Who will benefit from this and how?”

47. Complementary Partnerships SECTION 8 Encourage strengths partners for success

48. Offers and Requests Complementary Partnerships 1 • Write your name on 3 stickers • Write 2 strengths offers on 2 stickers and place on your left arm • Write 1 request on 1 sticker and place on your right arm • Walk around the room offering people your strengths and see who can support your request • Discuss and agree on next steps

49. Working Partners Complementary Partnerships 2 • Divide into your current working teams/partnerships • Discuss how your strengths can support each others’ weaknesses/learned behaviours • Discuss your next steps

50. Using Strengths To Achieve Your Goals SECTION 9 Reach your goals successfully by aligning your strengths