Assessing Individual Strengths

Feeling undervalued? Not sure where your strengths lie? Training activity guru Sivasailam (Thiagi) Thiagarajan has created a quick and fun way for team members to assess individual strengths...

Recently, I completed a Reflected Best Self (RBS) activity that involved a dozen people sending me emails with their perceptions of my strengths. This is an effective activity that helps participants to identify—and leverage—their strengths.

You can learn more about this activity by reading How to Play to Your Strengths by Laura Morgan Roberts, Gretchen Spreitzer, Jane Dutton, Robert Quinn, Emily Heaphy, and Brianna Barker (Harvard Business Review, January 2005).

Here's a faster face-to-face activity that I created by combining RBS, the Envelopes framegame, and the Psychic Massage closer. I recently conducted this activity with several intact work teams to help them discover and share individual strengths and to increase their engagement by structuring their jobs around these strengths.

Purpose
To create a verbal self-portrait that incorporates your strengths (as perceived by your colleagues).

Participants
Any number of people who work together (for example, members of an intact work team) organized into playgroups of 5 to 9 members.

Time
Allow 5 minutes per each member of the playgroup for the group activity and 15 minutes for the individual activity.
Example: If the playgroup has 7 members, the group activity will require 35 minutes. The individual activity will require 15 minutes.

Handout
Player's Instructions (including the list of strengths) - see below...

Supplies and Equipment

• Envelopes
• Writing paper
• Countdown timer
• Whistle

Flow

Brief the players. Organize participants into playgroups and ask each group to sit around a table. Explain that the object of this activity is to identify the strengths of each individual member of the group as perceived by his or her colleagues. Also explain that the activity has two phases: The first one takes place in groups and the second one is completed by individuals.

Distribute supplies. Give a copy of Player's Instructions to each participant. Also distribute a blank envelope and several sheets of blank paper to each participant.

Clarify the steps of the activity. Explain that all instructions for the participating in the activity are included in the handout. Ask participants to skim through the handout to understand the flow of the activity. After a suitable pause, invite participants to ask questions about the activity and provide brief answers. Reassure the participants by announcing that you will be circulating around to help with any problems during the activity.

Begin the group activity. Tell participants to begin by writing their names on the envelope and passing it to the person on the left. Set the timer for 3 minutes and ask participants to write the strength statements. Assist any participant who requires additional clarification. At the end of 3 minutes, blow the whistle and ask participants to fold the statement and place it in the envelope (without sealing the envelope).

Conclude the group activity. Ask participants to repeat the procedure outlined in the handout. Continue timing each round. When the envelopes make their way to the participants whose names are on the envelopes, announce the end of the activity.

Assign individual activity. Ask participants to pick up their envelope, retire to a convenient location, read the strength statements, and process the information by following the instructions given under “Individual Activity” in their handouts. Ask them to spend at least 15 minutes on this activity. Thank the participants and send them on their way.

Handout: Player's Instructions for Strength Envelopes

Group Activity

Prepare your envelope. Write your name on the face of the envelope (where you would usually write the address). Write the name in big block letters. You don't need to write your address.

Exchange envelopes. Pass the envelope to the person on your left. Receive the envelope from the person on your right.

List strengths. You have 3 minutes to complete the next task. Think of the person whose name is on the envelope you received. Think of three or more strengths of this person. (See below for a list of strengths from which you may choose appropriate ones.) For each strength, come up with a couple of specific examples of how you have seen the person use the strength in action. Briefly write the strengths and examples on a piece of paper.

Here's an example:

Strength: Reliability
This strength in action:

1. You promised to deliver the regional sales report on May 17th. Most of us expected you to ask for an extension because the deadline date was very tight. However, you delivered a high-quality report on the promised date.
2. When people ask questions during staff meetings, you give detailed answers. The information you provide is always accurate and up to date.

Exchange the envelopes again. At the end of 3 minutes, fold the paper and put it inside the envelope. Do not seal the envelope. As you did at the beginning of the game, pass this envelope to the person on your left and pick up an envelope from the person on your right.

List strengths again. Do not open the envelope. You have another 3 minutes to repeat the process writing down at least three strengths (along with appropriate examples) of the person whose name is on the face of the new envelope.

Stop the activity. Repeat the process of exchanging envelopes and recording three or more strengths of the person. Continue doing this until you receive the envelope with your own name. This concludes the group activity.

Individual Activity

Work alone. Collect your envelopes with the strength statements inside. Retire to a convenient location and process the information (Later, if you want to share the information you may do so with one or more of your friends. But right now, process the information all by yourself).

Do it yourself. Before you open the envelope and read the statement, prepare a list of strengths that you feel you have.

Bask in the positive feedback. Open the envelope and read the strength statements from your colleague. Savor what the others think to be your strengths.

Remember the Johari window (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window)? Reflect on the following questions:

• Which of your strengths are recognized by most other people—and by yourself?
• Which strengths surprised you (because you never realized that you had them)?
• Which strengths did most people list?
• Which strengths are listed by only one person? What is about your relationship that makes this person perceive this unique strength?

Create a self-portrait. Make a list of your strengths. Use this information to create a verbal portrait of your reflected best self.

Create your ideal job. Figure out how to restructure your daily routine and your job activities so that you are able to apply your strengths more frequently and more effectively.

List of Strengths

Accountability, Adaptability, Assertiveness, Boldness, Bravery, Calmness, Caring nature, Caution, Cheerfulness, Cleverness, Commitment , Confidence, Continuous learning, Courage, Creativity,
Critical thinking, Curiosity, Dependability, Detachment, Dignity, Diligence, Discretion, Efficiency, Emotional intelligence, Energy, Enthusiasm, Equity, Extroversion, Fairness, Flexibility, Friendliness, Future-mindedness, Generosity, Gratitude, Helpfulness, Honesty, Hope, Humility, Humour, Idealism,
Impartiality, Improvisation, Inclusiveness, Independence, Industry, Ingenuity, Integrity, Intelligence, Interpersonal intelligence, Introversion, Intuition, Kindness, Knowledge, Leadership, Listening skills,
Logical thinking, Long-term focus, Loyalty, Maturity, Modesty, Neutrality, Objectivity, Open mindedness, Optimism, Organisation, Originality, Patience, Perseverance, Perspective, Playfulness,
Proactivity, Prudence, Quantitative skills, Realism, Reflective nature, Relaxed nature, Resiliency, Respect, Responsiveness, Self-assertiveness, Self-awareness, Self-control, Self-esteem, Sense of humour, Sense of priorities, Sense of purpose, Sensible nature, Service mentality, Simplicity,
Sincerity, Social intelligence, Spirit of adventure, Spirituality, Spontaneity, Street smarts, Sympathy,
Teamwork, Technical expertise, Tolerance for ambiguity, Trust,  Truthfulness, Versatility, Warmth, Wisdom, Wit

Reproduceed from THIAGI GAMELETTER. Copyright © 2009 by The Thiagi Group, Inc.

Dr Sivasailam 'Thiagi' Thiagarajan