We’re often asked whether the At My Best strengths cards are appropriate to use with senior leaders. Occasionally learning and development professionals query whether the top tier will find such a visual and tactile tool too simplistic. We’ve yet to see that reaction from a senior team!
In fact, we’ve heard many stories of how well the strengths cards have worked with leaders, helping them connect with when they are at their best and recognising the strengths of the people around them.
A practical example
Last year Work Positive, the business psychology consultancy behind the At My Best tools, had the opportunity to work with senior managers at the world-renowned BBC. What we found was an audience who were keen to engage and explore what they do best, both individually and collectively, and who were eager to get their hands on the strengths cards.
The one-hour taster session on ‘using your strengths at work’ was developed by Work Positive as part of the corporation’s ‘Leadership Playlist’ – one of their leadership development offerings for middle-senior leaders. Our session ran 3 or 4 times a day at a series of events, reaching approximately 200 BBC leaders.
This short workshop considered:
- What are psychological strengths and why do they make a difference at work?
- What are your own strengths and how could you use them with greater impact?
- How can you use strengths spotting to bring the best out of others?
What the workshop included
- An introduction to positive psychology, strengths and the key elements of flourishing at work
- Why is this stuff important? What difference does it make to individuals and organisations?
- A practical exploration of strengths with the At My Best cards – sharing stories of personal successes and listening to spot strengths in others
- Identifying the strengths of your team
A take-away strengths tool
Something that worked particularly well was that delegates got to take their strengths cards away with them at the end. This meant they could easily share learning with their teams, putting into practice some of the practical exercise they’d picked up at the workshop.
Feedback on the workshop was excellent with many of the leaders who attended continuing to use the strengths cards with their teams.
“Great session packed with information and practical demonstrations of the key messages in a short space of time.”
Delegate & Senior Manager at the BBC.
Further information
Work Positive offer a range of pre-designed workshops, including a couple that make use of the At My Best tools:
• An Introduction to Strengths
• Strengths Masterclass
Contact us to find out more.