© U PSTREAM A CADEMY W ORLD C LASS T RAINING: G ETTING Y OUR F IRM O N T RACK P RESENTED BY S AM M. A LLRED, F OUNDER & D IRECTOR O F U PSTREAM A CADEMY C APITALIZING O N P ERSONAL S TRENGTHS A ND T ALENTS P RESENTED BY T IM B ARTZ CEO OF A NDERSON Z UR M UEHLEN & C OMPANY

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “To excel in your chosen field and to find lasting satisfaction in doing so, you will need to understand your unique patterns. You will need to become an expert at finding and describing and applying and practicing and refining your strengths.” Marcus Buckingham

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY P RESENTATION R OADMAP 1.Observations regarding strengths and weaknesses 2.Five ways to begin focusing on strengths 3.Question and answer session questions to

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  O BSERVATIONS R EGARDING S TRENGTHS A ND W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Every one of us has a unique combination of strengths as well as weaknesses. Some strengths may be more valuable and/or more obvious than others. Some weaknesses may be more obvious and/or more irritating than others. O BSERVATION #1

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We have been raised in a culture that asks us to focus on correcting our weaknesses rather than maximizing our strengths. O BSERVATION #2

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Most evaluation forms lead evaluators to focus on fixing weaknesses rather than maximizing strengths. Habit tells us our focus points should come wherever an individual receives the lowest score. We tend to think of this as “low hanging fruit.”

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “If you think a weakness can be turned into a strength, I hate to tell you, but that’s another weakness.” Jack Handey

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY A number of personality tests are available to help identify our natural tendencies; the challenge is in determining how to transfer our talents into results for the firm. O BSERVATION #3

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY This idea/concept of playing to our strengths is easy to buy in to, but difficult to implement. If it were easy to play to one’s strengths in the business world, more people would be doing it. O BSERVATION #4

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Although we have lots of choices available to us throughout our careers, most individuals seem perfectly willing to accept a work life that doesn’t neces- sarily thrill them. O BSERVATION #5

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “Good is the enemy of great... Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” Jim Collins

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “As the decades have passed, I have come to realize the profound wisdom of my mentor’s remarks. The message is simple: Success comes from doing what you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it, how can it be called success?” David H. Maister

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Maister provides these statistics about how people spend their work time: “I love this” – 20% to 25% “I can tolerate this” – 60% to 70% “I hate this” – 5% to 20%

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY The predefined pattern of firm operation often makes it very difficult for an individual to play to his or her strengths. O BSERVATION #6

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY This book by Marcus Buckingham and Don Clifton represents breakthrough thinking about how to help individuals play to their strengths. O BSERVATION #7

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Most Common Assumptions About People: “Each person can learn to be competent in almost anything.” “Each person’s greatest room for growth is in his or her areas of greatest weakness.” Pg. 7

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “Most organizations take their employees’ strengths for granted and focus on minimizing their weaknesses. They become expert in those areas where their employees struggle, delicately rename these ‘skill gaps’ or ‘areas of opportunity,’ and then pack them off to training classes so that the weaknesses can be fixed.” Pg. 8

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “These are the two assumptions that guide the world’s best managers: 1. Each person’s talents are enduring and unique. 2. Each person’s greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strength.” Pg. 8

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  F IVE W AYS T O B EGIN F OCUSING O N S TRENGTHS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY If you haven’t already done so, read this book by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton. 1. L EARN A BOUT S TRENGTHS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY What is a strength or talent? A talent or strength is “any recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied.” For example: Inquisitive, competitive, charming, responsible, caring, persistent, communicator, leader...

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY The definition of a strength is consistent near-perfect performance in an activity. For an activity to be a strength you must be able to do it consistently. And you must also derive some intrinsic satisfaction from the activity. Question: Can we learn to love something?

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY The acid test of a strength? The ability is a strength only if you can fathom yourself doing it repeatedly, happily, and successfully. You do not have to have strength in every aspect of your role in order to excel. Excellent performers are rarely well- rounded.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Talents are your naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior. Your various themes of talent are what the StrengthsFinder Profile actually measures. The key to building a bona fide strength is to identify your dominant talents and then refine them with knowledge and skills.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Take the StrengthsFinder Profile and from the list of 34 themes of talent, get your list of signature themes. These themes/talents represent potential for your personal strengths. 2. I DENTIFY Y OUR S TRENGTHS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Review your top five talents and read about each one them in Chapter 4, “The Thirty- four Themes of StrengthsFinder.” Also read about how to manage these strengths in Chapter 6, “Managing Strengths.”

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Also review the results of your Leadership Skills Evaluation. Identify those recurring patterns of thought and behavior that point you towards your talents and strengths.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY The coach’s role is to not only help you identify your talents but also help you understand how to implement those talents to help the firm be more successful. Determining what you like doing most is a good place to start. Remember, there needs to be a connection to the firm’s success. 3. W ORK W ITH A C OACH /M ENTOR

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY People will stay with an organization that will make them a better professional. Consider these key questions: 1.Do I have the materials and technology I need to do my work right? 2.Does the firm allow me to do what I do best every day? 4. E XPLORE O PPORTUNITIES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Remember that you are looking for incremental change. Work to manage your own expectations. Look for opportunities to play to your strengths. Keep in mind the proper progression... “finding and describing and applying and practicing and refining your strengths.”

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Goal setting is a critical aspect of helping you focus on your strengths. Setting goals aimed at growing your strengths will be a lot more fun than working on goals to correct weaknesses. That being said, damage control with weaknesses is an important matter.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Questions to consider  Are job assignments matched with talent?  Do the best people get the best opportunities?  Is training focused on maximizing individual talents within the constraints of professional standards?

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  Do the best people get the best training?  Do coaches evaluate performance based on individual deployment of talents?  Do coaches assist individuals in methods to mitigate weaknesses? Questions to consider

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Regardless of your strengths, there are foundational characteristics every successful leader must have. These include: 1.Willingness to be coached and managed to enforced standards 2.Self-accountable 3.Habit of seeking excellence 5. B ASE-LINE C HARACTERISTICS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Foundational characteristics continued: 4.Teamwork in an atmosphere of mutual respect 5.Pursuit of continuous professional growth 6.Willingness to develop marketing talents and skills

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Closing thoughts...

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “Whether someone is the ‘right person’ has more to do with character traits and innate capabilities than with specific knowledge, background, or skills.” Jim Collins – Good to Great

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do. Not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our ability to do has increased.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  ELA P ARTICIPANTS A NSWER K EY Q UESTIONS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Due to background noise, the audio for Questions 1 & 2 is compromised. We apologize for this inconvenience and remind all participants to mute their individual line, do not place your line on hold.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY What is a “personal strength” or “talent”? Q UESTION

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY What do you feel are your talents and why do you believe those particular talents are your greatest strengths? Q UESTION

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY How have your strengths helped you further your career? Q UESTION

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY How has playing to your strengths benefited clients and the firm? Q UESTION

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Thank You!