Regular readers of this blog will know I’m a big fan of the strengths-based approach. I’ve seen teams and individuals light up with a new sense of purpose and a boost to their energy once strengths are identified. But this isn’t la-la land; there is actually a potential downside to our strengths. Used in the… Read more
When I facilitate workshops, the subject of strengths often comes up – particularly if the topic is leadership development, working in teams and feedback. In ‘How to build your personal brand’ we take some time to reflect on our strengths, and it never ceases to surprise me how tough some people find it to name… Read more
Q: ‘Why strengths?’ A: Because when we identify and apply our strengths, we’re energised, engaged, more effective – and more likely to do better work. When all team members are aware of their own and their team-mates strengths, they are more likely to apply these assets to the team’s performance. Q: ‘Doesn’t that… Read more
Why self-awareness? When it comes to being Emotionally Intelligent, self-awareness is often described as the ‘cornerstone’ of our EQ. Here’s a few reasons why it’s worth taking time to build our self-awareness: We can identify what we’re good at (and not so good at) We can better manage our thoughts, feelings and behaviours We… Read more
Sometimes we can hold ourselves back without even realising it. We’re working hard, taking focused time to get stuff done, doing what we’re good at – playing to our strengths. But there’s the potential rub: we may be staying stuck in our comfort zone when we could be stepping up. Questions about this often come… Read more
At the recent CIPD L&D Show, the Strengths Partnership team were out in full force, including one of the authors of this book (and co-creator of the tool), Dr Paul Brewerton. I think it’s fair to say that Strengthscope® is now firmly established as the UK’s leading assessment when it comes to helping teams and… Read more
It’s no surprise to this reader that ‘Optimize Your Strengths’ comes with endorsements by some pretty big hitters, such as Facebook, BNP Paribas, the London School of Economics – and an Olympian. Both the book and its theoretical foundations are being adopted by employers big and small. This is a slim volume and an easy… Read more
There are heaps of self-assessments, ability tests and personality assessment tools out there (I should know, having trained in a fair few). For the most part, they can be useful; particularly when it comes to raising self-awareness – the first step to becoming more emotionally intelligent. (By the way, if you want to check out… Read more
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