Using a Strengths-Based Approach to Change

“Strengths do more than perform.  They transform.”  ~ David Cooperrider

We all think we know what our strengths are.  Ask any savvy executive what her strengths are and she will likely tell you something like “decision-making” or “team-building.”  How about, “woo” or “input”?  Not likely.

“Decision-making” and “team-building” are not among the list of 34 strengths that the Gallup Poll has identified from over 30 years of research with millions of employees around the world.  But, “woo” and “input” are.

We assume we know what we are good at, but as it turns out we don’t have a clue.  We haven’t even heard of some of these strengths.  I mean, really, do you know what woo is?  Woo is one of the coolest strengths on the planet and about 1 in 5 of my clients have it—and they don’t even know it!

The reason why it is important to know what your strengths are is because people who work from their strengths have been found to be six times more engaged on their jobs.  Worker engagement has recently been found to be an important corollary in protecting people from the downside of being a workaholoic.  Not only that, managers with a strength-based approach nearly double the likelihood of their success.

David Cooperrider, PhD who developed Appreciative Inquiry, a strength-based approach used to create organizational and personal change, has found that focusing and building on one’s strengths is transformative.  Listen to him talk about that in this video and how when one takes a strength-based approach it can result in leading and designing positive institutions.

So what is Woo, anyway?  Winning Others Over. Someone with the woo strength enjoys the challenge of meeting new people. Strangers are rarely intimidating. On the contrary, strangers are energizing.  Wow!  What a great strength to have.  I love having someone with Woo on my team.  They are great at sales.  Great at development.  Great networkers, event managers and a host of other things that I personally don’t really like to do myself.

Are you interested in what your strengths are and how you can use them to be more engaged and productive?   Contact me for a free StrengthsFinder assessment and coaching sessions to discover how you can leverage your strengths.

Interested in how your team can work together in using their strengths to transform your department or organization?  Call me to discuss doing the StrengthsFinder with your team or another break through training or retreat.

Have you used your strengths to your advantage?  I hope you will comment and share your stories of how using your strengths can be transformative!

Dr. Lynn K. Jones is a Board Certified Coach and an Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach based in Santa Barbara, California and a sought after coach and consultant for organizations and individuals across the US.   Her doctoral work completed at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University concerned organizational culture; she coaches, consults and trains organizations on what they need to do to create organizational cultures that are aligned with their vision and values using a process of Appreciative Inquiry.  She coaches individuals on achieving their reflected best selves.  A MSW@USC faculty member, Dr. Lynn K. Jones, MSW, DSW, CSWM, teaches Human Behavior and Social Environment and Leadership to social work students at the University of Southern California.

BCC Board Certified Coach #1487