Creating A Can-Do Workforce Through StrengthsQuest Debra L. Hammond, Executive Director California State University, Northridge University Student Union, Inc. Sharon S. Kinard, Manager, Administration & Communications California State University, Northridge University Student Union, Inc. Mark Pogue, Vice President Education Practice Gallup Organization Direct Link: Hashtag: #acuiblock3e QR Code

Do You Use Your Strengths Every Day? Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Investing in Strengths Drives Engagement Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Got Engagement? Engaged – These employees are loyal and productive. They are likely to stay with their company for at least a year. They are less likely to have accidents on the job and to steal. Not Engaged – These employees may be productive, but are not psychologically connected to their company. They are more likely to miss work days and to leave. Actively Disengaged – These employees are physically present but psychologically absent. They are unhappy with their work situation and insist on sharing this unhappiness with colleagues. Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Engagement? Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Organizational Focus Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Gallup/Lumina Poll In your opinion, which one of the following is the main reason why students get education beyond high school? Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. To get a good job To become a well-rounded person To learn to think critically To learn more about the world To earn more money All of the above 33% 5% 1% 3% 53% 3%

StrengthsQuest (SQ) Path CSUN – Learning Centered Institution Associate Director, Marketing & Programs, introduced organization to SQ Invited Campus Colleagues to 1-1/2 day SQ Training 1 staff/1 graduate assistant attended StrengthsQuest Summer Conference Introduced SQ to our Board of Directors (student volunteers) – pilot program Students started drinking the Kool-Aid Trained key/interested staff in SQ (1-1/2 day) Certain staff started drinking and making the Kool-Aid Introduced SQ at Student Retreat – 150 student assistant employees – 8 hour program Hired SQ coordinator – assist in writing curriculum/training/retraining staff (former graduate assistant) StrengthsQuest Moments – added to staff meeting agenda Some staff are utilizing SQ with student/professional staff More work to do! Need to infuse throughout the organization

The Engaged Student Employee Work has meaning/purpose beyond the paycheck Intrigued that natural talents can be intentionally applied to work situations Intentional application and practice can lead to desired results

The Engaged Student Employee 1.First, you be engaged Know your talent themes Become familiar with how you use them at work 2.Second, provide SQ assessment for students (career centers may provide) 3.Third, set aside minutes per one-on-one meeting with students to facilitate an SQ discussion Five minutes prior to start of meeting, review student’s talent themes (long description). Keep them in front of you.

The Engaged Student Employee MS Outlook Contact

The Engaged Student Employee (Where do I begin?) Begin the engagement process with SQ online tools. Professional Action Items: Student Action Items: Resources (activity worksheets): Strengths Educators> Resources

Supervisor’s Journal Notes

Supervisor’s Journal Notes (cont.)

All-Staff SQ Grid

Case Study USING A STRENGTHSQUEST FRAME OF REFERENCE

Based on the case study and the themes of these two individuals: 1. Why do you think there was conflict in this working relationship? 2. What could have been done to set this project and these people up for success? THEMES Sam Command Futuristic Context Significance Restorative Cynthia Individualization Relator Discipline Empathy Strategic

SAM Command take control of situations, make decisions Futuristic inspired by the future, inspire others with their visions of the future Context think about the past, understands the present by researching its history Significance wants to be important in the eyes of others, independent, wants to be recognized Restorative adept at problem solving, identify what’s wrong/solve it CYNTHIA Individualization intrigued by unique qualities of each person, figure out how different people can work together Relator enjoy close relationships with others, deep satisfaction working with “friends” to achieve a goal Discipline enjoy routine and structure, like to create order Empathy can sense the feelings of others, can walk in other shoes and know how that feels Strategic creates alternate ways to proceed, can spot relevant patterns and issues Where are the connecting points?

SAM COMMAND influencing FUTURISTIC strategic thinking CONTEXT strategic thinking SIGNIFICANCE influencing RESTORATIVE executing CYNTHIA INDIVIDUALIZATION relationship building RELATOR relationship building DISCIPLINE executing EMPATHY relationship building STRATEGIC strategic thinking

Suggestions Spend a great deal of time and money selecting people properly in the first place Focus performance by legislating outcomes rather than forcing each person into a stylistic mold Focus your training time and money on educating about their strengths and figuring out ways to build on these strengths rather than on remedially trying to plug “skill gaps” Devise ways to help each person grow his/her career without necessarily promoting them up the ladder or out of strength areas Source: Now, Discover Your Strengths Buckingham, M. & Clifton, D. The Free Press, 2001

High Achievers Spend most of their time in their areas of strength Focus on developing and applying their strengths and managing their weaknesses Use their strengths to overcome obstacles Invent ways of capitalizing on their strengths in new situations

What to do with Weaknesses The beauty of the strengths approach is that by developing your strengths, you have a new approach for managing your weaknesses Apply your strengths to challenging tasks in areas of your weakness Tips for managing your weakness:  Collaborating with others  Delegating to others  Learning the skills and/or knowledge needed

Consider Do your employees have the opportunity to do what they do BEST every day? Our job is to assist employees in feeling engaged! Our job is to help employees engage at work.

Concluding Thought Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is only by spending oneself that one becomes rich. Source: Sarah Bernhardt

Reflection Questions How will what you have learned during this session contribute to your personal development, professional development, or both? As a result of your attendance at this educational session, what question(s) do you have that is important for the profession to further examine? Please identify one “wicked awesome idea” that you will take with you and try to implement immediately in your jobs or to further discuss with colleagues at your home institution.