1. Discovering your Strengths
The Strengths Awareness Movement
Developed by Lucy Coelho & Will Vogt

2. "When I dare to be powerful – to use my strengths in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
Audre Lorde

3. Cultural languages & personalities
Myers Briggs (ENTJ) 360 (Whew, no one scorched me) DISC (Just something I had to do… can’t remember it) That Facebook personality test (pretty darn good, actually) Horoscopes (Nope, unless it’s my birthday…) Strengthsfinder 2.0 (Easily accessible, fun and spot on...)

4. What’s my passion. How do I get paid to do what I love to do
What’s my passion? How do I get paid to do what I love to do? What if my life doesn't go anywhere? Will I be successful in my career? How do I choose the right career for me? How do I know I have chosen the right career? How do I find happiness in my career? What motivates me?
Most of us have asked ourselves all or some of these questions at least once in a life time:
What’s my passion?
How do I get paid to do what I love to do?
What if my life doesn't go anywhere?
Will I be successful in my career?
How do I choose the right career for me?
How do I know I have chosen the right career?
How do I find happiness in my career?
What motivates me?

5. One day you wake up and find yourself in a job that doesn’t engage you, that doesn’t call the best in you, a job where you are just making the time, putting in your hours until the weekend comes around again. A job that probably pays you well. But it’s a job where you feeld trapped. When this happens, many of us choose to blame someone else other than ourselves, but the responsibility is yours!

6. “When we find ourselves stuck in unhappy careers, it is often the result of a fundamental misunderstanding of what truly motivates us.”
Clayton M. Christensen

7. Less than 2 out of 10 people get to play to their strengths at work most of the time!
The very sad news is that research shows that less than 2 out of 10 people get to play to their strengths at work most of the time. Some people want to play to their strengths but they think that they have gone too far down the road to do anything about it. With their best intentions, they have the pressure to get any job that can support their families and pay their bills.

8. “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking, and don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking, don't settle.”
-Steve Jobs
My favorite quote!

9. Work can be a place where…
You can be challenged in just the way you like to be challenged
People recognize you for what you do well and push you to become better and better at it
You can get to make the kind of difference only you can make
You can get to experience the thrill of success
where we can be challenged in just the way you like to be challenged. Where people recognize you for what you do well and push you to become better and better at what you do. A place where you can get to make a difference that you only can make. Where you can get to experience the trill to success.

10. Understanding Your Strengths
Your interests are a very good clue to your strengths.
Look closer at your strengths and take them seriously.
You grow most in your areas of strength. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore your weaknesses. It just means that you will grow most where you’re already strong.

11. Strengths vs. Weakness
Strengths – Any activity that makes you feel strong, before, during and after.
Weakness – any activity that leaves you feeling weaker after you do it.
To push your life towards your strengths,
you have to be specific about exactly which activities
are your strengths

12. Definitions
Strengths – Power, force, vigor. Any activity that makes you feel strong, before, during and after. The ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific activity
Skills (Ability) – The ability (capacity, potential) to do something well, expertise, a particular ability
Talents - A natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving
Motivation – Getting people to do what they want to do, in good times and in bad. A force or influence that causes someone to do something

13. Simple Math
SKILLS – The ability to do something well, expertise, a particular ability +
TALENT - A natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving
INVESTMENT - Time spent practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base
___________________________________________________________ _
= STRENGTH (the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance)
Building your talents into real strengths also requires practice and hard work, much like it does to build physical strength.

14. Like vs. Dislike I feel Strong when…
I feel weak (drained, bored) when…
This doesn’t mean that you should ignore your weaknesses. It just means that you will grow most where you’re already strong.
Our interests are a very good clue to our strengths

15. Why is this important?
Having the opportunity to develop our strengths is more important to our success than our role, title or even our pay.
A strengths-based approach improves confidence, direction, hope, and kindness toward others.

16. Myth 1 – As you grow, your personality changes.
Myth 2 – You will grow the most in your areas of greatest weakness.
Myth 3 – A good team member does whatever it takes to help the team.
Truth 1 – As you grow, you become more of who you already are
Truth 2 – You will grow the most in your areas of greatest strength.
Truth 3 – A good team member deliberately volunteers their strengths to the team most of the time

17. “At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday”
Most of us have heard this sentence (BEST people manager series). Having a manager who focuses on your strengths decreases the odds of your being miserable on the job. The true is that the majority of people do not have the opportunity to do what they do best everyday.

18. The most effective leaders:
Are always investing in strengths
Surround themselves with right people and then maximize their team
Understand their followers’ needs
Don’t ignore individuals’ strengths
Don’t focus on well-rounded individuals but build well-rounded teams

19. Where is the focus?
If you are able to help the people you lead focus on their strengths, it will dramatically boost engagement levels throughout your organization
If you focus on people’s weakness they lose confidence
If an organization’s leaders are able to help each person capitalize on their strengths, it’s likely to create a more rapid individual and organizational growth.

21. 34 Major Strengths Achiever®
People strong in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
Activator®
People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.
Adaptability®
People strong 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.
Analytical®
People strong in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.
ArrangerTM
People strong in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.
Belief®
People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
Command®
People strong in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.
Communication®
People strong in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
Competition®
People strong in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.
Connectedness®
People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
Consistency® / FairnessTM
People strong in the Consistency theme (also called Fairness in the first StrengthsFinder assessment) are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world fairly by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.

22. Context®
People strong in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.
Deliberative®
People strong in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.
Developer®
People strong in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
DisciplineTM
People strong in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.
EmpathyTM
People strong in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others' lives or others' situations.
FocusTM
People strong in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.
Futuristic®
People strong in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Harmony®
People strong in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don't enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
Ideation®
People strong in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
Inclusiveness® / Includer®
People strong in the Inclusiveness theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.
Individualization®
People strong in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
Input®
People strong in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

23. Intellection®
People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
Learner®
People strong in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
Maximizer®
People strong in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
Positivity®
People strong in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
Relator®
People who are strong in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
Responsibility®
People strong in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
Restorative®
People strong in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.
Self-Assurance®
People strong in the Self-assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.
Significance®
People strong in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.
StrategicTM
People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Woo®
People strong in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

24. Four Domains of Leadership Strength
EXECUTING 
INFLUENCING 
RELATIONSHIP
STRATEGIC THINKING
Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Command
Developer
Context
Belief
Communication
Connectedness
Futuristic
Consistency
Competition
Empathy
Ideation
Deliberative
Maximizer
Harmony
Input
Discipline
Self-Assurance
Includer
Intellection
Focus
Significance
Individualization
Learner
Responsibility
Woo
Positivity
Strategic
Restorative
Relator

25. Executing
Team members who have dominant strength in the Executing domain are those whom you turn to time and again to implement a solution. These are the people who will work tirelessly to get something done. People who are strong in the Executing domain have an ability to take an idea and transform it into reality within the organization they lead.
Influencing
People who are innately good at influencing are always selling the team's ideas inside and outside the organization. When you need someone to take charge, speak up, and make sure your group is heard, look to someone with the strength to influence.
Relationship Building
Relationship builders are the glue that holds a team together. Strengths associated with bringing people together -- whether it is by keeping distractions at bay or keeping the collective energy high -- transform a group of individuals into a team capable of carrying out complex projects and goals.
Strategic Thinking
Those who are able to keep people focused on what they could be are constantly pulling a team and its members into the future. They continually absorb and analyze information and help the team make better decisions.

26. My strengths…
Personalized results from the Strengths Insight Report (8/30/11)
Strategic - People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Futuristic - People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Communication - People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
Woo - People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
Achiever - People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

27. Thank you.