Strengths Advocate Training - Gallup University Omaha - Day Three...

Today wrapped up Strengths Advocate training here in Omaha. Today centred on strength coaching and ways to get others (and us) to better understand strengths, to begin to see some tendencies with strengths (although everyone is different, so tendencies should never carry too much weight), and start to think about next steps.

The biggest next step for me is that the training we have had this week is just the beginning - we need to keep the strengths-based conversations going and to have people share their accomplishments and what they have done.One way to do that is through Winner cards, a tangible artifact of a strengths conversation, particularly useful for talking strengths and performance.

took a look at the resources available for strengths and some of teh worshops and sessions that as an advovate I can now deliver to my colleagues - really looking forward to that opportunity.

We reviewed some other ways of looking at strengths keeping in mind that the outcomes need to always be kept in mind. One way to look at strengths is that they relate to:

• Strive
• Think
• Relate

Most of my signature themes are in the Think domain, with some in the other two - another way of looking at thngs. Strengths can also be looked at as how they rekate to time:

• Past
• Present
• Future

Some strengths rely on the past - information, experiences etc., some rely on the here and now, and some are future looking.

Finally strengths can be looked at as either being Initiators or Relators - all of these different ways of looking at strengths may help people take them on board and that is the key - developing a strengths language and culture in your institution that makes sense.

A lot of information over the last three days to take in and distill. My Input and Intellection themes will be working overtime the next few days as I assimilate what I have learned and my Responsibility theme will ensure that I will be posting about it here. I'm also going to go back and talk to the other strengths advocates at my College and start the conversation about developing an advocate network so we can be getting out our institution's message on strengts (my Achiever, Developer, and Contextthemes in action...). Hmmm...

Strengths Advocate Training - Gallup University Omaha - Day Two...

Day Two began with a discussion of the four domains of strengths leadership. These domains are:

1. Executing
2. Influencing
3. Relationship Building
4. Strategic Thinking

My signature themes lie mostly in the Executing and Strategic Thinking domains, which fits with who I and many others think I am. I picked up a copy of Gallups's latest strengths book "Strengths Based Leadership", which describes the domains in detail and contains a code to take a leadership-focussed Strengths inventory (which I will do shortly).

We talked more about strengths coaching and how to ensure that any discussion around strengths needs to be in context - strengths need to be discussed in context or they are not relevent to the individual or team. Several of the exrecises and activities developed by Gallup were reviewed as a way of presenting strengths in context so that meaningful strengths conversations can be held.

We then took turns presenting our strengths implementation plans (yesterday's homework) - in our case we talked about how to best introduce strengths and employee success to our colleagues on the campus.

We then wrapped up the day with an amazing discussion with Shane Lopez, Gallup's senior scientist in residence about some of the latest research being conducted at Gallup around strengths - an incredible comnverstaion. They have developed principles of strength-based education that provide a framework and introduction to strengths.

The day focussed on coaching and the use of strengths - how to help others understand their themes and what they mean - tips, hints, and exercises to assist in the implementation of strengths. All in all a very interesting day. My head is full of ideas about how to engage in strengths conversations with my colleagues (there's that Intellection strength coming through again). Hmmm...

Strengths Advocate Training - Gallup University Omaha - Day One...

The first day of Strengths Advocate training at Gallup University happened today in a sunny and warm (64F) Omaha. we spent most of the day reviewing in depth the 34 strength themes that make up the strengths process.

One of the interesting things that came out of the day was that while two people might have the same strength, it is different based on the other strengths they have and the items in the inventory that identifies that strength. Two people can have the same themes and be completely different - and that is not only OK, but perfectly natural.

It was interesting to see all 34 themes – it is revealing :-).

My top 10 strengths themes are:

1. Learner
2. Intellection
3. Input
4. Achiever
5. responsibility
6. Arranger
7. Activator
8. Relator
9. Developer
10. Context

And my bottom 5 are:

1. Empathy
2. Maximizer
3. Competition
4. WOO
5. Individualization

All in all a pretty accurate description of who I am (for those of you who know me, what do yiu think?). The best part of the day was this afternoon when we had one on one strengths coaching sessions – lasted over an hour, going over all 34 of the themes – the facilitator was excellent, describing me accurately just from my strengths! It was quite impressive and an amazing discussion. She felt that some people find me intimidating because of my intellectual capacity and approach, my need to be learning and acquiring information, and all the thinking I do (I hope that isn’t true - the intimidating part, not the thinking part). We both agreed that I spend a lot of time in my own head thinking – and that saying “NO!“ is a difficult thing for me to do (but I am trying to learn, so just say NO!!). It may explain my overly long blog posts, among other things. Hmmm...

Strengths Advocate Training - Gallup University Omaha - Relax Day...

A quiet, relaxing day in Omaha today - Strengths Advocate training begins in earnest tomorrow morning. Today was a day to get caught up from yesterday's travel, and to get ready for the rest of the week.

Lots to see and do in Omaha, and we toured about the Old Market today - lots of shops and restaurants, lofts, and other funky emporiums - a very neat way to revitalize and maintain a city core.

Now it's off to Strengths Advocate training. It will be interesting to see what order all of my strengths are in (34 in total and for now I know my top five - Learner, Intellection, Input, Achiever, and Responsibility). I wonder which of my 34 strengths comes last? Hmmm...

Strengths Advocate Training - Gallup University Omaha

I'm off later today to spend next week at Gallup University in Omaha Nebraska to take part in Strengths Advocate training. We are using Strengths as part of our Employee Success Plannig process - later this year we will be rolling it out to our faculty and staff.

The Strengths Advocate training will give me a more in depth understanding of the Strengths process and will allow me to facilitate strengths training on my campus. I'm really looking forward to a busy and enjoyable week - it's great to be a learner again!

I'll be blogging the week and Twittering too (hondomac if you want to follow along). So it's off to the airport I go...

(Picture - StrengthsQuest Home)

Building A Strengths-Based Campus Conference - Day One...

A great opening session - led by Idahlynn Karre - it was a conversation and a "River Walk" about strengths - you picked a "buddy" from the audience and went for a "walk" with them talking about strengths and how you handled the bends in the river, the smooth water, rapids, waterfalls, and tributaries in the river of your life - very cool - a great exercise that really started the conversations about strengths and their application.

The AHA! moment that I had is that tying strengths in with the development of learning environments and other engagement and retention practices could lead to better retention. Have learners do Strengths Quest as part of the initial advisement and enrollment process and then engage them throughout their stay at the college by getting them to reflect and confirm their strengths - maybe that way they would make a more informed decision on what programme best fits, they select a programme that works for them, and attrition drops. We could include strengths as a portfolio learning opportunity - have learners (and faculty and staff) reflect on how their strengths impact their learning, and their learning environments. This could help us identify early those learners at risk or in need of supports, advisement or other tools and resources that would enhance their lerning experience. Hmmm...

Breakout sessions start tomorrow - lots on engagement and retention (I sense a theme - it's what is really important to me right now as an educator) and how to implement Strengths Quest with faculty and learners...

Building A Strengths-Based Campus Conference - Strengths School...

Those of you who have followed my blog for any length of time know that I am a big proponent and fan of all things Web 2.0 and social networking as they relate to adult education. One of my favourite Web 2.0/social networking sites is Ning. At Ning you create your own social networks - it has amazing potential for setting up networks for programmes or courses.

One of the best uses of Ning that I have seen is the "virtualizing" of the Strengths-Based Campus conference that I will be attending starting tomorrow until Friday (I am currently in Omaha after a 12 hour travel day - OMG O'Hare is a zoo!). For those who cannot attend the conference in person, they can join Strengths School, a Ning network setup for the conference. Presentations, comments, feedback and conference notes will be posted to Strength School for all to see. So, if you cannot be here in Omaha, I highly recommend that you "attend" the conference by joining Strengths School.

Now THAT is social networking at its best...

Building A Strengths-Based Campus Conference...

I'm off in the morning to Omaha Nebraska to attend the Building A Strengths-Based Campus conference at Gallup University.

The research behind the strengths-based movement is the Strengths-Finder research developed by Donald O. Clifton. Srength Finders takes a positive approach to employee (or student) success - identifying your strengths and helping you identify strengths in others to help build optimal team and collaborative expeiences.

The actual Strengths Finders 2.0 instrument is a series of questions that ask you to choose from one of two possible answers. the scored instrument then returns your top five of a total of thirty-four identified strengths. My top five strengths are:

1. Learner
2. Intellection
3. Input
4. Developer
5. Responsibility

Over the years I have taken a lot of tests to evaluate my personaity, tendencies and other aspects of my personality, aptitudes, and performance. I cam honsetly say that Strengths Finder has come the closest to describing who I think I am and who others think I am. The strengths listed here support my current job as an academic chair to a tee.

Over the three days of the conference I hope to learn how others have implemented the Strength-based approach at their institutions for both employee and learner success. We are in the process of adopting this approach at NSCC and I look forward to finding out the good, the bad, and the ugly of this success approach. I am a believer in its potential - I like its positivity and the approach of looking at strengths in people not of looking at what people do not do well. Let's focus on success...

(Photo from Strengths Finder 2.0 Web site)