Discovering Your Strengths:
What the Strengths-Based
Approach can do for Faculty
Advising Success Center & Career Services
Bemidji State University
March 27, 2013
INTRODUCTIONS
Margie Giauque
Individualization
Communication
Empathy
WOO
Developer
Zak Johnson
Responsibility
Relator
Analytical
Individualization
Developer
CLIFTON STRENGTHFINDER 2.0
Donald Clifton was a professor at the
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in
psychology for over 30 years was
know as the Father of Positive
Psychology.
•
Based on 40 years of study of human
strengths , Donald Clifton along with
The Gallup Organization and Selection
Research, conducted 2 million
interviews and came up with 400
themes of talent that great
employees possessed.
•
They condensed those 400 into a
smaller number and created a
language of 34 common talents
THE STRENGTHS APPROACH:
THE 34 TALENT THEMES
Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Belief
Command
Communication
Competition
Connectedness
Consistency
Context
Deliberative
Developer
Discipline
Empathy
Focus
Futuristic
Harmony
Ideation
Includer
Individualization
Input
Intellection
Learner
Maximizer
Positivity
Relator
Responsibility
Restorative
Self-Assurance
Significance
Strategic
Woo
Weakness Fixing. . .
The wrong assumptions
• All behaviors can be learned
- If you try hard enough, you can do it.
- If you want it badly enough, you can do it.
- If you dream it, you can achieve it.
• The best in a role all get there exactly the same way.
• Weakness fixing leads to excellence.
Strengths Building. . . The right
assumptions
• Some behaviors can be learned. Many are nearly
impossible to learn. There is a difference between
talent, skills, and knowledge.
• The best individuals in a role deliver the same
outcomes, but may use different behaviors.
• Weakness fixing prevents failure. Strengths building
leads to excellence.
Concept of StrengthsQuest?
• You have a group of talents within you.
• Your greatest talents hold the key to high
achievement, success, and progress to levels of
personal excellence.
• Becoming aware of talents builds
confidence/provides a basis for achievement.
• Learning how to develop and apply strengths will
improve your levels of achievement.
• Each of your talents can be applied in many areas
including relationships, learning, and leadership.
StrengthsQuest Formula
for Success
Skills
Talents
Knowledge
Strengths
• Discover
• Develop
• Apply
SQ at BSU
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•
•
•
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Spring 2009 Introduced
StrengthsQuest (SQ) to Bemidji
State University.
Fall 2009 had all new entering
freshmen through FYE courses
take the assessment.
Career Services to presents to
FYE students on using your
strengths to choose a major.
We use it in Academic and
Career Advising Sessions.
Continue to have FYE students
take the assessment (20092012).
StrengthsQuest at BSU
• StrengthsQuest in First Year Experience (FYE) All
students in FYE are issued a SQ code
• At the conclusion of fall semester 2012, 2500
students, faculty, and staff have taken SQ.
• New Student Orientation T-Shirts “Do you know your
top five?”
• SQ is making a difference because it fits- advising
and learning!
Orientation T-shirts
Why isn’t everyone living
their strengths?
Most people are not aware of, or unable to
describe their own strengths. . . Or the
strengths of the people around them.
Rath, 2007
My Strengths and How I Use Them
• Take five minutes to complete.
• Write down your top five themes of talent.
• Add a brief description.
• Why do you think it is a strength?
• When/Where have you recently used this strength?
SEVEN PRINCIPLES YOU CAN USE TO MAKE THE
MOST OF YOUR TALENTS:
1. Know your talents.
2. Value your talents and assume personal responsibility for
using them in strengths development.
3. Talents are most powerful when inspired by a personal
mission.
4. Healthy, caring relationships facilitate the development of
strengths.
5. Reliving your successes helps you develop strengths.
6. Practice your talents.
7. Teaching leads to learning.
•
To gain further understanding of talents, teach others about them.
WHY A STRENGTHS-BASED APPROACH
PROMOTES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
•
Strengths Awareness Confidence Self-EfficacyMotivation
to ExcelEngagement
•
Apply strengths to areas needing improvementGreater
Likelihood of SUCCESS
STRENGTHS PARADIGM IN EDUCATION
• Engages students in something other than fear.
• Levels the playing field among students and between
student/educators (mentors).
• Provides positive language and value-added
observations regarding behavior.
• Reframes the concept of “student success”.
IDENTIFYING STUDENTS’ GIFT AND STRENGTHS
• A major reason students leave school is because
they are unsure of their major and/or career AND are
not getting the help they need to figure that out.
• Students who are aware of their gifts and strengths
find it easier to select a major.
StrengthsQuest Resources
www.strengthsquest.com
• Access to online StrengthsQuest book and resources
• Action items for applying strengths to academic
advising.
• Curriculum development and Teacher Action Items
• More information learning about all 34 Themes to
help understand others
• Templates for making door signs with top five
Door Signs/Bulletin Boards
Name Signs/Name Badges
Bulletin Boards
Contact Information
Margie Giauque
Director Career Services
mgiauque@bemidjistate.edu
(218) 755-2775
Zak Johnson
Director Advising Success
Center
zjohnson@bemidjistate.edu
(218) 755-4226