Adaptability

Today’s Goals You should be able to: Articulate what the Adaptability strength means to you Identify two ways you can develop your Adaptability 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 their 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 Adaptability strength Engagement Ask students to silence and put away electronic devices Make sure everyone has something to write with. Ask who does and who doesn’t have their strength . If applicable, ask them to sit next to someone who does not share the Adaptability strength.

People who are exceptionally talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to go with the flow. They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time. Facilitator Notes Time: 7 minutes You live in the moment. You don't see the future as a fixed destination. Instead, you see it as a place that you create out of the choices that you make right now. And so you discover your future one choice at a time. This doesn't mean that you don't have plans. You probably do. But this theme of Adaptability does enable you to respond willingly to the demands of the moment even if they pull you away from your plans. Unlike some, you don't resent sudden requests or unforeseen detours. You expect them. They are inevitable. Indeed, on some level you actually look forward to them. You are, at heart, a very flexible person who can stay productive when the demands of work are pulling you in many different directions at once. Group Discussion: What are some ways you’ve seen your Adaptability 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: 7 minutes Clip from the film Forest Gump. Clip is 3:07 minutes Group Discussion What aspects of the Adaptability theme did you see in this clip? Give specific examples.

What’s Your Perspective? Balcony Loves change Flexible Goes with the flow Easy going Basement Directionless Indecisive Sheep Inconclusive Whimsical 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 Achiever? Now that you are aware of the basement or barrier labels. What are some things you can do to manage and/or avoid them?

A what? Facilitator Notes Time : 15 minutes Directions Have the students sit in a circle on the floor. The facilitator will sit within the circle and before them will be many small objects. Facilitator will pick up an object, a pencil for example, and while passing it to the person at their right, he will say "Ttheir is a pencil" The person will answer, "A What?" The facilitator will answer "A pencil", and again the person will ask "A what?" and the facilitator will again answer "A pencil." The person will answer "Oh, a pencil." The person than turns to their right and the process continues; "This is a pencil", "A what?" "A pencil" "A what?" "A pencil" "Oh, a pencil!" Practice this once so everyone can follow the pattern. Then start again, this time continually adding in objects so each person is carrying on two conversations at once. One person will say to the person on their right, "This is a pencil", then turning to their left they'll ask "A what?" and continues, passing on the next object. Try to get the objects clear around the circle. Group Discussion What did you observe during the activity? Can you think of a time when you tried to use an old belief or idea to understand a new situation? What happened? What steps are required to change our understanding of a situation or ourselves as part of the change process?

Next Steps for Adaptability Find study buddies who are serious but have a relaxed work style. Join organizations that have flexible requirements. Avoid highly structured environments Facilitator Notes Time : 15 minutes Next Steps for Adaptability Choose study partners who are serious yet share your easy-going, relaxed work style. Avoid individuals who are tense and anxious. Make a list of potential study buddies. Join organizations that sponsor events that demand flexibility in terms of planning as well as execution. Capitalize on your ability to monitor and adjust. You may thrive in chaos. Avoid environments that are highly structured or routine, with lots of rules and regulations. Intensify Strength (handout –Supplemental Activity 2.K: Intensify Strength p. 38 of StrengthsQuest Activity workbook) 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.