Careers and Employability Service Once upon a time... exploring strengths stories Vicky Mann & Hannah Woolley

Learning outcomes: Describe the concept of strengths as defined by the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP) Explore the role of narrative and storytelling in career development learning Identify the application of strengths in a range of career stories Consider the value of using strengths stories in your own workplace context

Focus on strengthsFocus on weaknesses

What are strengths? No words… only pictures…

What are strengths?

Things that you are good at and perform well. Things that feel natural and true to your real self. Things that energise you and give you a buzz. When using your strengths you are likely to: Feel happier and more engaged. Have a greater sense of overall wellbeing. Be more productive. Benefits to an organisation: Performance, engagement, quality, productivity, reduced turnover, customer satisfaction, profit.

What is Realise2? Realise2 is an online strengths assessment and development tool created by the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP). Realise2 works by asking you to rate 60 attributes according to: how energising you find them how good you are at them how often you use them Your responses are scored to determine where different strength attributes fall in your Realise2 quadrant profile.

The 4M Model

An example profile Marshal ModerateMinimise Maximise

Are employers using strengths based recruitment? Yes, but why? Positive and developmental experience for applicants Cost effective Improved fit and retention Moves away from a problematic competencies approach Example: previous Ernst and Young interview questions (graduate scheme) What energises you more, starting or finishing a task? How do you feel in situations where you are not fully prepared? Do you think there should be more hours in the day? Do you prefer to listen or to talk?

Are employers using any other strengths based HR processes? Employee lifecycle Management Development Team Development Graduate Recruitment Performance Management Employee Engagement Change Management Internal Coaching Learning and Development Team Development

Cochran’s narrative approach Cochran suggests that ‘like stories, careers contain two important elements: action and time. The client acts or interacts with his or her environment within a timeframe’. Cochran promotes the process of ‘emplotment’ whereby a client is encouraged to cast them self ‘as the main character in a career narrative that is meaningful, productive, and fulfilling’.

Cochran’s narrative approach to career counselling: Ask the client to ‘elaborate a career problem’ so that you can fully appreciate their current concern and begin to understand ‘the gap between the ideal and the actual’. Encourage the client to ‘compose a life history’ in order to provide the opportunity for them to ‘tell their story’ and for you to gain an understanding of how they have arrived at their current position. During this phase you may also support the client to identify patterns in their own narrative, and ‘gather meaning from their life experiences’. ‘Elicit a future narrative’ by inviting the client to ‘consider their strengths, interests, and values as they may appear in the future... [and] project what would constitute success in their future lives’.

Further suggested approaches Jepson notes that the use of characters and career narratives is useful as the client is able to see their own story as you would a novel or a play and then apply literary criticism and constructively analyse their own character’s story. Law endorses a similar approach and suggests that story boarding ‘engages a narrative process - where students and clients set down a significant episode in their work-related experience’ through which they are able to depict what is going on and what they can do about it.

Sara’s Strengths Story

Your Strengths Story Some examples...

What are the benefits of using a strengths based narrative approach with students? To encourage confidence by focusing on positive attributes To support a student to identify themes and patterns within their own career narrative To help a student to imagine and evaluate potential future career options To encourage students to understand what they have to offer to employers beyond typical skills and competencies and to provide a different language for them to express and communicate this with

Next steps… How could you apply a strengths based narrative approach in your own work with clients?

Learning outcomes: Describe the concept of strengths as defined by the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP) Explore the role of narrative and storytelling in career development learning Identify the application of strengths in a range of career stories Consider the value of using strengths stories in your own workplace context

Questions?