Strengths based SCHOOLS Presented by Ramon Utting Building People Building Teams

A wondering about this is whether there should be a mix of focus – domain and theme level? Ie could look at a team and an individual?

What is a team? What does it take to create and motivate a team?

Strategic Interdependence - The foundational goal

Embracing our strengths Embracing our weaknesses Interdependence “We serve …” COURAGE VULNERABILITY Embracing our strengths Embracing our weaknesses Dependence Independence Co-dependence “You serve me” “I serve me” Toxic Triangle “I’ll serve you, so that you will serve me”

Are you normal?

Clifton Strengths* – a language for healthy teams * Formerly known as StrengthsFinder

1 1 : 278,000 Dominant Themes (our ‘normal’) 1 : 131m 12 - 14 TOP 5 TOP 10 1 : 278,000 Dominant Themes (our ‘normal’) 1 : 131m 12 - 14 Supporting Themes 6-8 Lesser Themes 34 Talent Theme: An intuitive way of acting, thinking or perceiving that can be productively applied.

It’s a language to understand … What is natural and intuitive to me (Increases self awareness) What is natural and intuitive in others (Increases other awareness) Allows teams to achieve collaboration and interdependence rather than just the assumptions and judgments that “everyone understands everyone” or “everyone thinks/understands just like me (because I’m normal right?)” Increases the sense of ‘being heard’ leading to wellbeing and engagement in a team which is maintained / increased over time

“Learning about my team’s individual strengths has helped me to have a better understanding of each person in my team and to change the way that I approach matters with each one depending on the situation and their strengths; whether it’s taking a different communication approach, or deciding who to delegate different tasks to.” J.R. (ECE Centre Manager) StrengthsFinders has helped to explain myself to me and to my team. It’s helped us to see the things that we do from a positive place rather than a negative. It’s incredibly freeing once you know each other’s ‘normal’. K.L. (Primary Teacher)

“A strengths focus has helped our team communicate and understand each other - it gives us a common language.  Things that used to irritate, we now see as strengths, and we intentionally encourage the use of strengths within the team and wider school setting”. M.C. (Syndicate Team Leader) “Based on the strengths and natural inclinations/talents of the team, we’ve been given responsibilities which has kept us engaged and productive and empowered to accomplish our team/individual goals. We have learnt to appreciate people’s personalities and avoid being judgmental so that we don’t miss out on incredible relationships because of preconceived ideas.” R.S. (ECE Centre Manager)

THE 34 THEMES ARE GROUPED IN 4 DOMAINS A starting point*: THE 34 THEMES ARE GROUPED IN 4 DOMAINS * Unfortunately, we wont have time to unpack the meaning of all 34 individual themes

Executing Influencing People with dominant executing themes know how to make things happen Strategic Thinking People with dominant strategic thinking themes help teams consider what could be. They absorb and analyse information that can inform better decisions Influencing People with dominant influencing themes know how to take charge, speak up, and make sure the team is heard Relationship Building People with dominant relationship themes have the ability to build strong relationship that can hold a team together and make the team greater than the sum of its parts Contributions: Concrete reality Focus on details Work with and develop processes Goals and deadlines Achieve completion   Contributions: Creating possibilities Planning direction Finding/processing information Ideas and creativity Problem solving Contributions: Convincing/engaging Igniting and outworking vision Enrolling participation Energising the group Contributions: Connecting and accepting Inviting and holding Listening and acknowledging Valuing individuals  

An ACTIVITY As a group, what is your impression of the team, given what you understand of the contributions of the domains (NOTE: Just focus on the colours of the themes, not the names) What do you think the team is good at doing? What do you think would motivate the team the most?

The deficit mindset We live in a world that is dominated by a deficit mindset – that the fastest way to achieve progress is to focus our attention on what is wrong Actually the opposite is true – more progress can be made by focussing on what is inherently strong But the Deficit Mindset is not 100% wrong – ie we can’t ignore our weaknesses. The key is to understand what is actually driving them.

1 Dominant Themes 12 - 14 Supporting Themes 6-8 Lesser Themes 34 TOP 5 A majority of our weaknesses come from here – and these are the really hard ones to change! Dominant Themes 12 - 14 Supporting Themes Very few (if any) of our real weaknesses come from here. And of those that do, we mostly deal with them by: Avoidance Collaboration These weaknesses are often easily addressed by changing roles or partnering with others 6-8 Lesser Themes 34

A weakness comes from … A lack of internal or external interdependence and therefore experiences a ‘toxic trigger’. The individual reacts most often by going into a state of overuse of their themes (very powerful drivers) and if the struggle continues, eventually into underuse. This behaviour is then recognised by self and/or others as a weakness

Executing Influencing People with dominant executing themes know how to make things happen Strategic Thinking People with dominant strategic thinking themes help teams consider what could be. They absorb and analyse information that can inform better decisions Influencing People with dominant influencing themes know how to take charge, speak up, and make sure the team is heard Relationship Building People with dominant relationship themes have the ability to build strong relationship that can hold a team together and make the team greater than the sum of its parts Overuse: Controlling Inflexibility Rigorous adherence to process Task over relationships Legalistic Overuse: Argumentative Over analysing Endless questions and discussion Stagnation Critical and judgemental   Overuse: Manipulation Dominating and Controlling Over zealous Over talkative Self centred   Overuse: Intrusive Overly emotional Relationally intense Holding grudges Fixated on relational toxicity Withdrawing  

Activity Looking at the teams you had before and using your understanding of the drivers of each domain (colours): Identify some potential conflicts in the teams? Is there likely to be any individual that could easily slip into overuse?

A strength is … It is a talent that has been matured with the addition of skills and character An ENERGY and PERFORMANCE asset that is good for YOURSELF and good for OTHERS The challenge for leaders is to know how to encourage, mature and co- ordinate everyone’s strengths into an interdependent team This starts with an understanding of just how different and unique we all are and how we can develop the EQ of ourselves, our leaders and the team