What's After Basics of Effective Strengths Training? (Part 3)

On a recent Called to Coach, we spoke with the Principal Architect of Gallup's Global Learning Strategy, Dean Jones, as a follow-up to several 2016 Called to Coach sessions he led on leading strengths trainings. This is Part 3 of that discussion. You can also access Part 1 of "What's After Basics of Effective Strengths Training?" and Part 2 of "What's After Basics of Effective Strengths Training?"

Below is a summary of the conversation. Full audio and video are posted above.

What has changed since 2016? A lot of the focus on basic strengths education is naming, claiming, and aiming. Coaches are discovering that basic strengths education is necessary in order to inject strengths into organizations; a way of inviting them into the world of strengths.

Gallup is making CliftonStrengths 34 and enhancements more widely available, and people need to understand how to name, claim and aim their strengths. An e-learning module on the basics will be available in the fall to provide some introductory material, to help people get started. (This module doesn't replace a half-day or daylong coaching course.)

In Part 1 of this series, Dean introduced the idea of what a coach should do after basic strength trainings. He broke this down into four directions: expanding the breadth, expanding the depth, calibration and awareness. In Part 2, he talked about breadth and depth. In Part 3, we will give some context about advanced strengths trainings, talk about calibration and awareness, and then have a Q&A about strengths trainings.

With companies that are starting to implement strengths, the education is about building initial awareness and appreciation of strengths. This is important early work to do. But often, education stops there. The next piece is helping people with application and with deeper development. Strengths development should be your "ticket to being world-class."

Calibration

• Is helping people to increase the precision with which people can apply their themes and produce consistent, near-perfect results (deconstructing our successes and unpacking our failures)
• Sharing talent themes and strengths with others
• Pointing strengths at performance: What themes can I use to accomplish an individual goal, what are my strategies for success?
• Theme dynamics -- individual, interpersonal (complementary partnerships), team blend
• Team blend -- how do our talents/strengths complement or impede each other, how can we achieve a kind of gestalt effect, how can we break down a team goal and use our strengths to accomplish it (bring our talents to bear)
• Activities
  • Cross-domain work
  • Pairs math -- I contribute this; you contribute that
  • Break down a team goal
  • "Game film" analysis of a success

Awareness

• Theme awareness (balconies and basements) -- helps/hinders (balance between self-expression and self-regulation)
• Situational awareness

Dean Jones' Top 5 CliftonStrengths are Activator, Focus, Woo, Strategic and Relator.