Consistency

Today’s Goals We want you to be able to: Identify two ways you can develop your Consistency strength. Identify two valuable things about Consistency in action Feel comfortable working with others with the Consistency strength towards a positive goal in a group setting. 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 Consistency 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 Consistency. If applicable, ask Consistency to sit next to someone who is not an Consistency.

People exceptionally talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone with equality by setting up clear rules and adhering to them. Facilitator Notes Time: 7 minutes Balance is important to you. You are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same, no matter what their station in life, so you do not want to see the scales tipped too far in any one person's favor. In your view this leads to selfishness and individualism. It leads to a world where some people gain an unfair advantage because of their connections or their background or their greasing of the wheels. This is truly offensive to you. You see yourself as a guardian against it. In direct contrast to this world of special favors, you believe that people function best in a consistent environment where the rules are clear and are applied to everyone equally. This is an environment where people know what is expected. It is predictable and evenhanded. It is fair. Here each person has an even chance to show his or her worth. Group Discussion: What are some ways you’ve seen your Consistency 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 with speech from Malala Yousafzai (2014). Clip is 2:36 How did you observe about Malala’s message and how it relates to Consistency?

What’s Your Perspective? Balcony Fair and just Problem solver Makes fair policy and rules Basement Needs everything to be “by the book” Inflexible Unwilling to customize/ individualize 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 Consistency ? Now that you are aware of the basement or barrier labels. What are some things you can do to manage and/or avoid them? Understand the basement and the barrier labels Develop a plan to manage and/or avoid them Recognize when you are in the basement Climb back up to the balcony! 

Next Steps for Consistency Always practice what you preach. Seek roles in which you can be a force for leveling the playing field Facilitator Notes Time : 15 minutes Next Steps for Consistency Always practice what you preach. This sets the tone for equality and encourages peaceful compliance. Seek roles in which you can be a force for leveling the playing field. At work or in your community, become a leader in helping provide disadvantaged people with the platform they need to show their true potential. 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.