York Strengths Online Academic Year 2022-23 Workbook This workbook is yours to keep. The workbook is intended to be completed electronically. You can also just use a pad of paper, and refer to the workbook for the prompts. Part A - Information required to complete York Strengths Online You will be asked to share this via an electronic form in the ‘Submit Your Results’ section. ● Your York Strengths Grid (Section 6: Strengths Discovery) ● Your example of using a strength (Section 7: Talking About Your Strengths) ● Your goal and action plan (Section 8: What Next) Part B - Resources to support the discovery exercises This part of the workbook accompanies the additional exercises and activities linked from Section 6: Strengths Discovery for each York Strength. You may not complete all the activities, so please use these pages as you find them helpful. Part C - Resources to support the employer exercises Space for you to use if you complete the supplementary exercises provided by employers (linked from Section 6: Strengths Discovery for each York Strength) Part D - Your notes If you’d like to copy any content from the course to refer to later you can copy and paste into the space provided for ‘Your Notes’ at the end of this document. Areas for you to type into are marked like this Throughout the course you'll see indications of where to use the workbook displayed like this. 1 Index and Quick Links What Is A Strength? The York Strengths A: INFORMATION REQUIRED TO COMPLETE YORK STRENGTHS ONLINE Mapping Your Strengths Give An Example: Using One Of Your Strengths Planning For Action B: RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE DISCOVERY EXERCISES Strengths Discovery: Agile Learner Strengths Discovery: Digital Connector Strengths Discovery: Self Improver Strengths Discovery: Organisational Fit Seeker Strengths Discovery: Pioneering Thinker Strengths Discovery: Problem Solver Strengths Discovery: Relationship Builder Strengths Discovery: Resilient Achiever C. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE EMPLOYER EXERCISES IBM, Digital Connector NHS York Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust, Authentic Communicator The Great Brownie Bake Off, Pioneering Thinker Police Now, Problem Solver Nestle, Resilient Achiever D: YOUR NOTES 2 What Is A Strength? Strengths are those things you are both good at and love to do. Strengths are different to skills or competencies, which can be learned and practised successfully, but which may not motivate or energise the user. When you are using a strength you feel energised - they are who we are at our best. The York Strengths Agile Learner Agile Learners have a love of learning, and the capacity to acquire and apply new knowledge at pace. Digital Connector Digital Connectors enjoy the opportunities inherent in new technologies, being driven to exploit digital platforms to their full potential across many different applications. Authentic Communicator Authentic Communicators engage with people of all cultures and at all levels in an honest and respectful manner, adapting their style but remaining true to what they believe. Self Improver Self Improvers take every step to achieve their full potential, actively seeking out honest feedback that will help them develop as a person. Organisational Fit Seeker Organisational Fit Seekers are driven to achieve an excellent fit between their true selves and the work that they do, guided by an in-depth awareness of their values and beliefs. Pioneering Thinker Pioneering Thinkers are stimulated by change, continually approaching challenges in original and innovative ways. Problem Solver Problem Solvers relish the opportunity to analyse complex information, feeling energised by the problem as well as the solution. Relationship Builder Relationships Builders build honest relationships based on trust and credibility, feeling energised by collaborating with others and working towards shared goals. Resilient Achiever Resilient Achievers constantly push themselves to work hard and achieve their goals, using setbacks as springboards to go on and achieve even more. 3 A: INFORMATION REQUIRED TO COMPLETE YORK STRENGTHS ONLINE Mapping Your Strengths You’ll complete this in Section 6: Strengths Discovery Please complete this table as you move through Strengths Discovery, to show where each of the York Strengths appear for you. You will need this information to complete York Strengths Online. Cut and paste each York Strength below into the relevant box in the table. Agile Learner Digital Connector Authentic Communicator Self Improver Organisational Fit Seeker Pioneering Thinker Problem Solver Relationship Builder Resilient Achiever LEARNED BEHAVIOURS REALISED STRENGTHS Things you’ve learned to do but don’t Strengths you use and enjoy, that you energise you. perform well and that energise you. (Use when needed) (Use often but wisely) WEAKNESSES EMERGING STRENGTHS Things you perform less well, are likely to avoid and don’t enjoy using. (Use when essential develop so they don't hinder) Things you enjoy using, but your capability is still developing. (Develop and use more) 4 Give An Example: Using One Of Your Strengths You’ll complete this in Section 8: Talking About Your Strengths ● Context - explain the situation/context briefly ● Action - describe what you did, how did you go about the task/solve the problem/challenge ● Result - what was the outcome of your actions? How did you or others (e.g. society/group) benefit? Your Example Chosen York Strength: What was the situation where you demonstrated this strength? (suggest max 40 words) What did you do? What action did you take? How did you use your strength? (suggest max 80 words) What were the results of your actions? How did you feel when using your strengths? What was the impact on you or others? Could you have used your strengths to improve the outcome? What did you learn about yourself and your strengths? (suggest max 150 words) 5 Support with your actions. What are the challenges you might face, and how will you overcome these? Who can help you? L is for Length. How much time will you give to achieving this goal? Do you have a timeframe? Would it help to set your own deadline? 6 Planning For Action You’ll complete this in Section 7: What Next? Planning For Action Your goal G is for Great! Why is this goal important to you? O is for Outcome. What will success look like? How will achieving this goal help you in the longer term? Write it, draw it, visualise it, explain it! The more detail, the better. A is for Action. Achieving your goal will probably require more than one action. What are three things you need to do to achieve the goal? 1. 2. 3. 7 B: RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE DISCOVERY EXERCISES Strengths Discovery: Agile Learner Your notes on the reflection questions Self Assessment Exercise Reflections on Step 1 Quality of approach (highlight and mark in bold): Low 1 2 3 4 5 High Reflections on Step 2 Quality of approach (highlight and mark in bold): Low 1 2 3 4 5 High Reflections on Step 3 Quality of approach (highlight and mark in bold): Low 1 2 3 4 5 High Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Agile Learner in your York Strengths Grid. 8 Strengths Discovery: Digital Connector Your notes on the reflection questions Self Assessment Exercise Chosen app 3 things this app does well 1. 2. 3. 3 things this app could improve 1. 2. 3. App from a different sector Features that could be leveraged Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Digital Connector in your York Strengths Grid. 9 Strengths Discovery: Authentic Communicator Your notes on the reflection questions Self Assessment Exercise Part 1: You I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... Reflections ● How easy/ difficult did you find this task? ● What was the general tone of your statements? e.g. mostly positive, negative, neutral. ● Where was your focus? e.g. mostly physical attributes, personality traits, hobbies, or social factors. Part 2 10 Person you have chosen I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... I am... Reflections ● Was it easier/ more difficult to write as someone else? ● Were you generally more positive, negative or neutral? ● Where was your focus? Part 3 People you need to contact in the next month, with a brief summary of how you would communicate your message to each person and which aspects of your authentic self (identified in step 1) would you choose to share. Person 1 11 Person 2 Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Authentic Communicator in your York Strengths Grid. 12 Strengths Discovery: Self Improver You can print this page and draw your image, or just use a spare piece of paper. Reflections as you work through the remaining steps of the exercise Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Self Improver in your York Strengths Grid. 13 Strengths Discovery: Organisational Fit Seeker Your notes on the reflection questions Self Assessment Exercise Your ordered list of values Most important Least important Reflections Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Organisational Fit Seeker in your York Strengths Grid. 14 Strengths Discovery: Pioneering Thinker Your notes on the reflection questions Self Assessment Exercise What is your ‘default’ thinking type? Capture your reflections from step 2 here. Capture your ideas from the activity in step 3 here, if you wish. Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Pioneering Thinker in your York Strengths Grid. 15 Strengths Discovery: Problem Solver Your notes on the reflection questions Self Assessment Exercise Reflections on puzzle 1 Grid for puzzle 2 House 1 House 2 House 3 House 4 House 5 Car Door colour Tree Reflections on puzzle 2 Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Problem Solver in your York Strengths Grid. 16 Strengths Discovery: Relationship Builder Your notes on the reflection questions Self Assessment Exercise Reflections on questions in step 2 ● What three things are you good at, that give you energy? ● How do these show up in your professional and personal lives? How does it vary in different situations? ● What do you value? (see the Organisational Fit Seeker Strength for an exercise to help you uncover your values). Notes from step 3 Reflections on questions in step 4 ● How authentic are you with different groups, and how and why does this vary? 17 ● How has this impacted on the kind of relationships you have built with different people? Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Relationship Builder in your York Strengths Grid. 18 Strengths Discovery: Resilient Achiever Your notes on the reflection questions Self Assessment Exercise Maze 1 (Print this page if you’d like a paper copy of maze 1) Word Jumble 1 SISTLAB Reflections 19 Maze 2 (Print this page if you’d like a paper copy of maze 2) Word Jumble 2 SSIUNETALAB Reflections Complete the self reflection, and capture the result for Resilient Achiever in your York Strengths Grid. 20 C. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE EMPLOYER EXERCISES IBM, Digital Connector Notes on your proposal: Solution Overview User Experience Overview NHS York Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust, Authentic Communicator Paste your responses and model answers here if you wish, following the instructions on the screen when you have completed the exercise. 21 The Great Brownie Bake Off, Pioneering Thinker Capture your recipes, ideas and photographs here Police Now, Problem Solver Capture any notes or observations you want to record here Nestle, Resilient Achiever Capture any notes or observations you want to record here 22 D: YOUR NOTES 23
