Transcript Know Your Strengths

UMBC Women’s Leadership
Summit
April 15, 2009
Utilizing Dependable
Strengths for Success
There is EXCELLENCE
in each person….
It’s structure of skills, talents and
attributes can be clarified and
identified.
These can then be recombined or
developed to match the demands of
progress or changing conditions.
What to Expect
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An introduction to a process where you can utilize
more of your potential to create more satisfaction and
success in your life.
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An understanding of what a “good experience” is as it
relates to revealing patterns of strength.
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How to understand the difference between a
dependable strength and other skills.
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Fun --- talking about yourself and hearing about
yourself!
Knowing your dependable strengths
helps in creating career satisfaction
and success.
By knowing your core strengths you are
able to manage the flexibility that is called
for in today’s workforce.
 Motivated skills
 Unmotivated skills
 Productivity would increase by 40% if
people were in jobs they did well and
enjoyed!
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People generally use
less than 20% of their
potential.
80% is hidden and
rarely brought into
awareness.
Potential Prevention
Societal Bias –
Traditional language
 Job titles
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Good Experience
Something you feel you did well
 Something you enjoyed doing
 Something you are proud of
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Good Experiences can come from
Any time of your life
Any part of your life
Important Note
Good Experiences are things that you
actively made happen.
 Good Experiences can come from any
part of your life (leisure, school, work,
hobbies, etc.).
 Good Experiences can come from any
time in your life.
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Let’s get started!
 List
as many Good Experiences
that you can utilizing the
definition given.
 Assign a value to your Good
Experiences, with Number 1
being most significant to you, as
so forth.
Listening for Strengths
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Form groups of 3 quickly
Appoint a timekeeper
Tell 3 Good Experiences
Others listen carefully and jot down strengths
heard
Clarify by asking what and how, but no why
questions
Listeners read out loud list of strengths and give to
speaker
Repeat until all have spoken
Discuss Good Experiences
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How does it feel to be talking only about Good
Experiences?
How did your partner look – their demeanor?
Did you learn something new about your partner?
What was your reaction to your partner’s Good
Experiences?
Did it sound like your partner was bragging or
boasting?
Points about Dependable Strengths
 A Dependable
Strength would typically
show up repeatedly throughout your
top Good Experiences.
 You are energized by it.
 You are inner motivated to use it.
 You almost cannot help using it
whenever possible.
Uncovering Your Dependable Strengths
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Accept yourself as unique in the kind of
excellence always growing in you.
Elements of your excellence have been
demonstrated from time to time in your life,
most likely in experiences you feel are your
achievements.
By carefully identifying and studying your
achievements you will uncover a pattern of
strengths and talents.
This pattern of strengths indicates the kind
of career activities that are likely to be a
part of your future achievements,
regardless of your job title.
Success & security
means being prepared for
change.
Know the package of skills
and strengths you really
possess.
By uncovering your Dependable
Strengths, you become free to use,
develop, or combine them in different
ways to accommodate change.
Change, then, comes to mean
adaptation, flexibility, and opportunity,
rather than the unknown and feared.
This is true career success.
In the best of jobs, there will be
some
parts that you dislike.
Even at the best party someone
has to do the dishes.
One way to cope with this
is to form
Partnerships of Excellence.
This approach assumes there is
excellence in
everyone and dignity in all work.
What you dislike, perhaps do badly,
there are others who can do it well!
Your “poison” may just be someone
else’s “cup of tea.”
Gains from this approach…
More satisfied workers.
 Tasks are getting done more reliably
and effectively.
 You will gain respect for the skills of
others – their excellence.
 You will improve the teamwork in your
setting.
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Networking for Success
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Tell your story from your authentic self.
You are more than your job title.
Clearly articulate your dependable strengths and
the types of things you have done to support those
strengths.
When you talk about your dependable strengths,
you speak with passion and interest --- this is what
people remember.
You want to be remembered.
Final Thoughts
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By knowing your dependable strengths you are
better able to articulate your worth and value --most business interactions look for value-added.
By growing your dependable strengths you
increase your potential and enhance your levels of
success.
Working on your weaknesses or unmotivated
skills may only bring an individual to an average
level of functioning.
Focus on your successes!
Old tradition says, “Find out what
you did wrong and never do it
again.” New tradition says, “Find
out what you did right, so you can
be sure to do it again.” One way
suggests going forward while
looking back over your shoulder.
The new way suggests a person
find safe footholds and continue to
climb.
One Day Workshop
Rediscovering Your
Passion
 April 27, 2009
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