Developer

Today’s Goals You should be able to: Articulate what being an Developer means to you Identify two ways you can develop your Developer strength. Reflect on ways you can use your Strengths to contribute to your community now and in the future. Facilitator Notes Welcome Introductions (name, title, department, fun fact) If there are 10 or less participants in the session who are not familiar with one another, ask them to introduce themselves. Share that this session is a part of the Be Better @Iowa Initiative. The Be Better initiative is aimed at establishing the University of Iowa as the university that creates leaders who leverage their strengths, leadership knowledge, and leadership skills to contribute to their communities now and in the future. Learning Goals Share the takeaways Ask students if they have additional things they’d like to learn about the Developer strength Engagement Ask students to silence and put away electronic devices Make sure everyone has something to write with. Ask who is and who is not an Developer. If applicable, ask students to sit next to someone who doesn’t’ share their top strength.

People who are exceptionally talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from evidence of progress. Facilitator Notes Time: 7 minutes People exceptionally talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in other. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from evidence of progress. You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth -- a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of "flow" where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments -- invisible to some -- are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you. Group Discussion: What are some ways you’ve seen your Developer strength show up in your life and interactions with others? Either inside or outside of the classroom. Provide an example to get the conversation started.

Facilitator Notes Time: 5 minutes Clip from the film Stand and Deliver (1988). Clip is 3:46. How did James Edward Olmos’ character exhibit the Developer strength?

What’s Your Perspective? Balcony Identifies and help grow talent Teacher Coach Enjoys investing in others Basement Wastes time on low-potential people Spectator May not be individual contributor Facilitator Notes Time : 7 minutes A barrier label describes when a talent is mistakenly devalued and dismissed as a weakness. Remember: Nobody is perfect. Nobody can always be in the balcony. Everyone finds themselves in the basement from time to time. Group Discussion: Do you agree with the balcony and basement/barrier labels associated with Developer? Now that you are aware of the basement or barrier labels. What are some things you can do to manage and/or avoid them?

Thank You Facilitator Notes Time : 15 minutes Activity Have participants divide into small groups of 3-5 people, or conduct as an individual exercise if you prefer. Have the groups identify at least 10 situations where a written thank you would be appropriate. Then ask each group to take 5-8 minutes to write a thank you note or letter for one of their situations. Then bring the groups together and have each group share their thank you message and why the situation warranted such a message. At the end, have the groups share their lists of situations too. Group Discussion Have you ever written a thank you message? Besides getting gifts from friends or family, what other situations in your life?? • Can you think of situations where you should have written a thank you note and didn’t? What happened? What lasting impacts does that act of writing your thanks have in the long term? Adapted from - http://kenosha.uwex.edu/files/2010/10/44-Thankyounotes.pdf

Next Steps for Developers Help someone else Practice explaining Enroll in classes with group projects Facilitator Notes Motivate yourself by tutoring or helping someone else in the class to understand concepts you have gained from the lecture, the reading, and the discussion. Pretend that you are going to explain to others what you are trying to learn. Enroll in classes with group projects, specifically those that include community service opportunities. Intensify Strength (handout – Intensify Strength worksheet) Ask the students to develop talent based actions to respond to each touchpoint on the worksheet. Debrief this activity by asking students to share their responses with a small group. As with so many others, the positive effect of this activity can be enhanced by having students discuss their work in small groups and/or report to the entire group.