Administrative Professionals Conference – Your Dependable Strengths |

**** Please remember that I am typing this LIVE in the conference and that there are my own opinions scattered in and probably TYPOS!

Presenter: Anne Scholl-Fiedler, VP for Career Services & Learning Beyond

Getting the Tip of the Iceberg – 18 hour process
There is Excellence in everyone – you have a unique pattern of strengths: skills, abilities, and attributes, that can be clarified and identified – these can then be combined or developed to match the demands of progress or changing conditions

What to expect in this session?

an introduction to a process where you can utilize more of your potential to create more satisfaction and success for yourself
an understanding of what a “good experience” is as it relates to revealing patterns of strength
how to understand the difference between a dependable strength and other skills
fun: talking bout yourself and hearing about yourself

Potential:

Percentage of untapped potential – rarely use 20% of our potential (Margaret Mead)
Societal Bias and Traditional Thinking – how many of you have ever made a mistake? How many of you have ever made a success? – the bias is to really look at our mistakes v. what we have been successful at – look at how we grade our students??? we mark what’s wrong.. not necessarily what is Right – we are told: don’t boast, don’t brag, let your good deeds speak for themselves – we should embrace our successes
Cover words and labels – cover words: “job titles” (a cook v. plan & organize jobs, follow instructions, listen to what others are asking of me) – look at the strength v. the cover words / labels – when you are networking and people ask what you do: how do you respond? Job titles mean different things to different people – bring your strengths to the table

Good Experience – Must meet three criteria:

something you feel you did well
something you enjoyed doing
something you are proud of
Good Experiences can come from – any time of your life – any part of your life
specific events that you may have – something you MADE happen (not something that happened TO you) –
Earliest Good Experience: Age 10 or before – Share with a partner
Benefits of Good Experiences – increases your energy

Form groups of 4 – quickly
appoint a “time keeper”
Tell your two top Good Experiences (2 mins for each GE – total of 4 mins per person)
others listen and jot down strengths heard
ask clarifying questions / clarify details by asking what and how but… No Why Questions
Listens READ OUT LOUD written list of strengths and give to speaker (1 minute each)
Ask Speaker, “How Did You Feel?”
Repeat Until All have spoken
20 MInutes Total
Discuss Good Experiences

How does it feel to be talking only about Good Experiences? joyous / happy / exciting
How did your partner look – their demeanor? Happy / animated / excited / dynamic
What happened for you in this experience? Difficult to think of the good ones / sitting with different people and getting to know new people (your demeanor changes) / synergy and inviting /
What did you see happening for others?
what is your reaction to your partner’s Good Experiences? WOW – I can do anything… the stories are different but the results are the same because they finished / dependable strengths are patterns of strengths that you had at very early age… the name may differ but it existed (example: doing these rock operas as a kid became presenting and teaching in the future / write down your best experience of the day
Did it sound like your partner was bragging or boasting? NO – did you want to get to know more about the people at your table? YES
How is a Dependable Strength Different from any other Skill?

we are internally motivated to use – almost can’t help using it –
with more education and training – the outcomes are more ingrained on how we apply it and the benefits are longer term
There are things that we do really well but we don’t Enjoy doing them – Just to using those can cause burnout (unmotivated strengths)
Also learning about the dependable strengths of other members of your team
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.
Additional Comments

Accept yourself as unique in the kind of excellence always growing in you
elements of your excellence had been demonstrated from time to time in your life most likely in experiences you feel are your achievements
be carefully identifying and studying your achievements you will uncover a pattern of strengths and talents
this pattern of strengths will likely contribute to your future success and satisfaction – like a compass guiding you in the right direction .. we need to look more internally and talk about that more to bring it out
Next Steps

make a habit of documenting your good Experiences to reveal patterns and remind yourself of successes
set goals that flow from utilizing your dependable Strengths. These will be more likely to be completed.
Capitalize on further training that will build on your Dependable Strengths
Quote: “Work should add life to living” Bernard Haldane, originator, Dependable Strengths Articulation Process

Administrative Professionals Conference – Your Dependable Strengths