Well, Thanksgiving is past, so the title of this blog is a little misleading. I MEANT to write it Thanksgiving week, but somehow it's December and here I am :)
During this season of the year there are lots of reasons to think about life differently. At Thanksgiving we have a good reason to stop the rat race of our lives and be mindful of our blessings. Even those of us for whom "gratitude" is not a character strength can manage this one day a year :)
During Thanksgiving week I chose to be mindful of all the things I had to be grateful for, as I spent quality time with my parents who are retired in Florida. Being "mindful," according to Ellen Langer's research, involves noticing "novel distinctions" and being open to different ways of viewing the world. So on Thanksgiving Day I was grateful for good health, parents who loved me and each other, and the ability to travel and spend time with them.
On the day after Thanksgiving, I chose to spend the day noticing how people's strengths were being played out in their interactions with other people. Now remember--that was "Black Friday," the day that very few of us are on our "A-game" in interacting with others as we shove to get the "Doorbuster" at Best Buy. It helped me to reframe the way I saw people--focusing on how they were using their strengths meant that I focused on what they were doing that was productive. It also meant that I wasn't nearly as annoyed as I might've been another time--I was seeing them through those "strengths glasses" that Chip Anderson always referred to, which meant my own lens had changed.
I watched some amazing Positivity among the checkout cashiers, saw (and heard!) a lot of Woo and Communication among people as they stood in line, and was not nearly as frustrated with the Deliberative in front of me who was carefully checking her receipt to see that she got all the discounts to which she was entitled :)
You might try it sometime. Just spend a day noticing people's strengths--and taking a minute to be grateful for them. You might find that you'd like to have more than one "Thanksgiving Day" in your year!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I had the opportunity today to be part of a grant proposal planning session about how to utilize a strengths approach to help low-income middle-schoolers get ready for college. We talked about family expectations and how important those were to students' consideration of whether or not they were "college material." I think understanding students' strengths can help families be more supportive of the student's decisions about college and (later on) career.
When you start seeing the people you care about in light of their strengths, you see them through a different lens. You realize that they already have inside them the key ingredients that can be tapped for success. You see that they have at least 5 pathways (as Shane Lopez points out) to reach their goals, which gives them hope for the future. You recognize some new ways that you can come alongside in the process and be more supportive of them.
Parents may also realize that areas where they "bump up against" their son or daughter are the very themes of talent that their children can capitalize on for success. That "command" theme that drives parents nuts because it challenges them is the very talent that can be honed into a powerful voice for the marginalized--it's a voice that can potentially change the world. That "strategic" talent that negotiates every parent-child transaction, starting with "can't I take my bath tomorrow?" when they were 3 and by age 17 becomes "if you'll let me borrow the car tonight, I promise I'll do the dishes tomorrow!" is the same talent that can negotiate business mergers or new political agreements--when honed with skill and knowledge.
Particularly for parents who have never been to college themselves, seeing that their children have not only the opportunity but the means for success can provide parents with the confidence to let their kids try on this new role. It can make all the difference to both the student and the parents.
When you start seeing the people you care about in light of their strengths, you see them through a different lens. You realize that they already have inside them the key ingredients that can be tapped for success. You see that they have at least 5 pathways (as Shane Lopez points out) to reach their goals, which gives them hope for the future. You recognize some new ways that you can come alongside in the process and be more supportive of them.
Parents may also realize that areas where they "bump up against" their son or daughter are the very themes of talent that their children can capitalize on for success. That "command" theme that drives parents nuts because it challenges them is the very talent that can be honed into a powerful voice for the marginalized--it's a voice that can potentially change the world. That "strategic" talent that negotiates every parent-child transaction, starting with "can't I take my bath tomorrow?" when they were 3 and by age 17 becomes "if you'll let me borrow the car tonight, I promise I'll do the dishes tomorrow!" is the same talent that can negotiate business mergers or new political agreements--when honed with skill and knowledge.
Particularly for parents who have never been to college themselves, seeing that their children have not only the opportunity but the means for success can provide parents with the confidence to let their kids try on this new role. It can make all the difference to both the student and the parents.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Applying Strengths to Academic Success
I'm currently in the middle of a project analyzing the results of about 3,000 sophomores who completed a survey about their experiences in the second year of college. Because so many colleges are taking a strengths-based approach to at least some programming on campus, I added the question "I know how to apply my strengths to achieve academic success."
One of the things I've noticed informally over the years is that this element -- knowing how to apply one's strengths to academic tasks -- appears to be the "toughest" part of implementing a strengths program. Everyone loves to learn about their talent themes and there is a burst of positive emotions when that happens initially. And lots of people say that it has helped their relationships to understand how other people's talents make them good at what they do, but also can be annoying sometimes. But actually being able to develop those talents into strengths and APPLY those strengths to challenges -- well, that's the tough part.
So now I'm intrigued by this finding with 3,000 sophomores. Those who said they "definitely" knew how to apply their strengths to achieve academic success also were at the top of the scale on other important outcomes: they were more likely to say they would definitly graduate from their institution, they were more engaged in class, they sought out faculty more frequently, they were more involved in campus activities, they were more satisfied with their total college experience, and they were more likely to perceive their tuition dollars as a good life investment.
At first I thought this item was a proxy for academic self-efficacy. Surely this item just means they're confident and know their way around the system academically. But I statistically controlled for academic self-efficacy before running the analyses--and this item still contributes uniquely and significantly to our understanding of sophomore success.
So that's pretty cool. But what does it mean? Since not everyone who answered the survey had participated in a strengths-based program, we really don't know what they were thinking when they answered the question! So that's my next task--to figure out what students mean when they say they know how to apply their strengths academically--and then to ask them how they do that. We need specific examples. We need to understand this phenomenon better. I'm convinced it's at the heart of long-term results for strengths programs.
My colleagues at Azusa Pacific University are taking this next step with me. Dr. Sharyn Slavin-Miller will head up a qualitative study of the most and least engaged of our sophomores on campus. She'll follow up with those who returned as juniors, as well as with those who left the institution. She'll ask them lots of questions, but this one will be part of her study: "What do you do to apply your strengths to academic challenges? What does that look like for you?"
Dr. Karen Longman will also be working on a corollary study that will go more in depth with students who have participated in APU's strengths-based first-year seminar, building on the work that Dr. Eileen Hulme and Dr. Paul Kaak have begun. Dr. Anita Henck's focus is on strengths-based staff development programs and complements the work we're doing with student programs.
So stay tuned--I'm intrigued by our initial findings of the difference that it makes when students say they know how to apply their strengths to succeed academically. Now we need to know how they do that--and how we can teach other students to do that, as well!
One of the things I've noticed informally over the years is that this element -- knowing how to apply one's strengths to academic tasks -- appears to be the "toughest" part of implementing a strengths program. Everyone loves to learn about their talent themes and there is a burst of positive emotions when that happens initially. And lots of people say that it has helped their relationships to understand how other people's talents make them good at what they do, but also can be annoying sometimes. But actually being able to develop those talents into strengths and APPLY those strengths to challenges -- well, that's the tough part.
So now I'm intrigued by this finding with 3,000 sophomores. Those who said they "definitely" knew how to apply their strengths to achieve academic success also were at the top of the scale on other important outcomes: they were more likely to say they would definitly graduate from their institution, they were more engaged in class, they sought out faculty more frequently, they were more involved in campus activities, they were more satisfied with their total college experience, and they were more likely to perceive their tuition dollars as a good life investment.
At first I thought this item was a proxy for academic self-efficacy. Surely this item just means they're confident and know their way around the system academically. But I statistically controlled for academic self-efficacy before running the analyses--and this item still contributes uniquely and significantly to our understanding of sophomore success.
So that's pretty cool. But what does it mean? Since not everyone who answered the survey had participated in a strengths-based program, we really don't know what they were thinking when they answered the question! So that's my next task--to figure out what students mean when they say they know how to apply their strengths academically--and then to ask them how they do that. We need specific examples. We need to understand this phenomenon better. I'm convinced it's at the heart of long-term results for strengths programs.
My colleagues at Azusa Pacific University are taking this next step with me. Dr. Sharyn Slavin-Miller will head up a qualitative study of the most and least engaged of our sophomores on campus. She'll follow up with those who returned as juniors, as well as with those who left the institution. She'll ask them lots of questions, but this one will be part of her study: "What do you do to apply your strengths to academic challenges? What does that look like for you?"
Dr. Karen Longman will also be working on a corollary study that will go more in depth with students who have participated in APU's strengths-based first-year seminar, building on the work that Dr. Eileen Hulme and Dr. Paul Kaak have begun. Dr. Anita Henck's focus is on strengths-based staff development programs and complements the work we're doing with student programs.
So stay tuned--I'm intrigued by our initial findings of the difference that it makes when students say they know how to apply their strengths to succeed academically. Now we need to know how they do that--and how we can teach other students to do that, as well!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Strengths as an Excuse?
Sometimes I hear people use their signature talent themes as an excuse for poor performance or as a reason not to engage in a task that's expected of them.
Examples?
Examples?
- Kate enters the department meeting 20 minutes late, after 8 people have waited impatiently on her. As she slides into her chair, she breezily says, "oh well, that's my Adaptability for you...what can I say?"
- After Jeff rudely interrupts a colleague's story and has obviously hurt that person's feelings in the process, he shrugs and says, "Hey--I have no Empathy, and Command is my #1. Get over it."
- When Jake is asked to organize his reports more effectively and turn them in by the deadline, he says, "Well, Discipline is not in my top five. I'm not sure this is something I can do."
- When colleagues are asked to take turns on a departmental task that simply has to get done and that no one enjoys doing, Tamara responds with, "hmmm...that's not my strength" as she slides out the door.
In each of these examples, the task or skill is one that is routinely expected in the job. It's not a choice, a preference, or a privilege. Some things we just gotta do--and saying, "that's not my strength" misses the point.
So what is the point?
Strengths are qualities that enable us to do something particularly well--thus, they cannot be a reason for poor performance. Strengths only lead to positive outcomes, or they wouldn't be strengths! Talents can have a "shadow side" when we haven't honed them or developed them fully into strengths, or when we misapply them or fail to apply them. So a talent theme of Command can have a bossy shadow side, whereas an appropriately leveraged Command talent theme can result in the strength of taking charge and leading people through an emergency evacuation of a building.
A weakness is anything that interferes with our own performance or the performance of others. When we don't meet the expectations of our work, that's an area of weakness. Or if what we do keeps others from doing their jobs well, that's an area of weakness as well. And the trick is to apply our talent themes to those areas, so that they no longer interfere with performance. So rather than saying it's okay to be late and make others wait on me since I have the "strength" of Adaptability, it would be better to deploy my Strategic talent theme and set my watch 10 minutes early--and ask a colleague to stop by my office on her way to the meeting to help me be on time.
Talent MULTIPLIED by knowledge and skill equals strength, not excuses.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Invest in Your Talents
Over the past several weeks I've done a number of faculty workshops that have been focused on taking a strengths-based approach to learning. As I've interacted with faculty on this topic, it has become clearer to me how important the issue of talent development is. By this I mean that any strengths-based approach within education cannot simply focus on identifying strengths (or, to be more precise, identifying areas of greatest talent!).
The areas of students' greatest talent are simply the beginning of the journey. They point to what energizes the student naturally, what will connect most easily with the curiosities and passions already within him or her. They are a huge clue to motivation, for they are a way of validating what the student brings to the table--a message that too often higher education has neglected completely. We tend to focus on what the student is lacking--all those areas where they are not well prepared or do not yet have the abilities they need. But what a difference it can make to identify what that student brings to us -- how we as fellow learners are all enriched by their contribution to the learning environment.
But it can't stop with that. The rest of the story is just as important, if not more so! I like the way Tom Rath has started to talk about strengths as "talent multipled by investment." If there's no investment, then all the talent in the world won't produce strength (that consistently near-perfect performance). Even the most talented chess players, musicians, and basketball players spend a LOT of their time practicing. They invest effort that multiplies their talent into an amazing strength.
The importance of investing effort is confirmed in some of the research that is coming out of ACT. One of the best predictors of student learning and success is the quality of effort that students invest in the learning process. Dr. Eileen Hulme, one of our faculty at Azusa Pacific, just completed a grounded theory study of high achieving students at multiple universities and found that the central phenomenon, the core that all the students had in common, was their belief that high levels of achievement were most of all about effort -- just plain hard work.
So that's the message we need to send to our students as we start this new year -- how are you going to invest your time and energy so that your talents are developed and honed? Your best opportunity for growth is in your areas of talent, but the growth will only happen when you invest your energy to acquire the knowledge and skills. Talent x Investment = Strength!
The areas of students' greatest talent are simply the beginning of the journey. They point to what energizes the student naturally, what will connect most easily with the curiosities and passions already within him or her. They are a huge clue to motivation, for they are a way of validating what the student brings to the table--a message that too often higher education has neglected completely. We tend to focus on what the student is lacking--all those areas where they are not well prepared or do not yet have the abilities they need. But what a difference it can make to identify what that student brings to us -- how we as fellow learners are all enriched by their contribution to the learning environment.
But it can't stop with that. The rest of the story is just as important, if not more so! I like the way Tom Rath has started to talk about strengths as "talent multipled by investment." If there's no investment, then all the talent in the world won't produce strength (that consistently near-perfect performance). Even the most talented chess players, musicians, and basketball players spend a LOT of their time practicing. They invest effort that multiplies their talent into an amazing strength.
The importance of investing effort is confirmed in some of the research that is coming out of ACT. One of the best predictors of student learning and success is the quality of effort that students invest in the learning process. Dr. Eileen Hulme, one of our faculty at Azusa Pacific, just completed a grounded theory study of high achieving students at multiple universities and found that the central phenomenon, the core that all the students had in common, was their belief that high levels of achievement were most of all about effort -- just plain hard work.
So that's the message we need to send to our students as we start this new year -- how are you going to invest your time and energy so that your talents are developed and honed? Your best opportunity for growth is in your areas of talent, but the growth will only happen when you invest your energy to acquire the knowledge and skills. Talent x Investment = Strength!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Strengths Intervention Strategies
There are a number of strengths-based intervention strategies that are effective with college students. Before deciding on which one to use, however, it's important that you know what outcome you want your intervention to affect.
Some of the outcomes of strengths-based interventions that have been measured so far include: (1) academic self-efficacy; (2) academic performance--either GPA or exam grades in a course; (3) retention from one year to the next; (4) academic engagement; (5) meaning in life; (6) satisfaction with college; (7) satisfaction with the particular strengths-based experience, such as advising or a specific course; (8) hope; and (9) strengths awareness and ownership. Significant results have been found in each instance, although the research designs vary. Some are quasi-experimental studies and some are correlational studies utilizing multiple regression to predict the particular outcome.
One of the best studies was conducted by Dr. Linda Cantwell in 2005 as part of her dissertation research at Azusa Pacific University. She utilized a strengths-based approach to her first-year Public Speaking class for an entire semester and compared students' academic engagement, exam scores, and public speaking performances (rated blindly by qualified observers) to those of students whose section of the course had been randomly selected as a control group. She found significant differences between the two groups on all her outcomes--and on academic engagement in particular. She also found significant differences in students' perception of the entire campus climate--and this was after controlling for their entering levels of academic engagement.
For more information on the impact of strengths-based interventions, plan to join me at 11 am Pacific time on Wednesday, September 5th, for a live webinar -- free! Contact Irene Burklund at the Gallup Organization (irene_burklund@gallup.com) for more information on how to sign up.
Some of the outcomes of strengths-based interventions that have been measured so far include: (1) academic self-efficacy; (2) academic performance--either GPA or exam grades in a course; (3) retention from one year to the next; (4) academic engagement; (5) meaning in life; (6) satisfaction with college; (7) satisfaction with the particular strengths-based experience, such as advising or a specific course; (8) hope; and (9) strengths awareness and ownership. Significant results have been found in each instance, although the research designs vary. Some are quasi-experimental studies and some are correlational studies utilizing multiple regression to predict the particular outcome.
One of the best studies was conducted by Dr. Linda Cantwell in 2005 as part of her dissertation research at Azusa Pacific University. She utilized a strengths-based approach to her first-year Public Speaking class for an entire semester and compared students' academic engagement, exam scores, and public speaking performances (rated blindly by qualified observers) to those of students whose section of the course had been randomly selected as a control group. She found significant differences between the two groups on all her outcomes--and on academic engagement in particular. She also found significant differences in students' perception of the entire campus climate--and this was after controlling for their entering levels of academic engagement.
For more information on the impact of strengths-based interventions, plan to join me at 11 am Pacific time on Wednesday, September 5th, for a live webinar -- free! Contact Irene Burklund at the Gallup Organization (irene_burklund@gallup.com) for more information on how to sign up.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Best Strategies for Strengths Interventions Part I
I've gotten a few e-mails lately that have asked me what I think is the best strategy for introducing first-year students to their talents and then helping them develop their strengths. We've been doing quite a bit of research over the years with first-year students, but there isn't a simple answer to this question! No particular study has been done yet that has compared different exposure times, although there are a few studies that have compared strategies. Today I'll focus just on the time element. Next posting I'll address the strategies!
When Chip Anderson was still alive, he always said that strengths development takes time -- the exposure of students to their talents and to strategies for developing strengths is a process that is best distributed over time. So he always suggested 90 minutes of class time each week for an entire semester. But some studies have been done that show successful results with four 90-minute class sessions or workshop sessions; others have found some success with even a 30-minute one-on-one counseling session around students' strengths.
We think the best strategy is one that gives students exposure over time with a continuing application and development. It doesn't end the first year but becomes a process over all four (or more!) years of a student's college education. Each year should build on the previous learning, so that it is not repetitive but keeps advancing students' skills and knowledge in developing their strengths.
Two questions to ask before starting: (1) what do you mean by a "strengths intervention"? and (2) what outcomes do you hope to see in your students?
I'll deal with the second question this time and save the first question for next time, when I will focus on strategies.
In deciding what to measure as an outcome, you need to think about what you are hoping to accomplish in your students. If your context is a first-year experience program, you might want to measure student adjustment to college, engaged learning, or academic self-efficacy (one of the best predictors of student success). If your context is a student leadership development program, you might want to measure emotional intelligence or leadership skills. Career centers might measure career decision-making self-efficacy; chaplain's programs might measure sense of meaning and purpose; advising programs might measure goal-orientation or hope. The point is that you need to think ahead of time what your program wants to see developed in your students--and why!
Once you've done that, you can select appropriate measures. The Strengths Impact Measure is available from The Gallup Organization by contacting Irene Burklund at Irene_Burklund@gallup.com; it is one measure that assesses strengths awareness and ownership, sense of meaning and purpose, hope, academic self-efficacy, and academic engagement. The Engaged Learning Index--a new validated measure containing 15 items that assess the extent to which students are engaged in deep learning in their classes (a key predictor of learning gains and graduation) -- is available from the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education (www.apu.edu/strengthsacademy).
There are some great studies in process right now that are examining specific strategies for strengths interventions. There are also some very good studies that have already been done. Next time I'll focus on these!
When Chip Anderson was still alive, he always said that strengths development takes time -- the exposure of students to their talents and to strategies for developing strengths is a process that is best distributed over time. So he always suggested 90 minutes of class time each week for an entire semester. But some studies have been done that show successful results with four 90-minute class sessions or workshop sessions; others have found some success with even a 30-minute one-on-one counseling session around students' strengths.
We think the best strategy is one that gives students exposure over time with a continuing application and development. It doesn't end the first year but becomes a process over all four (or more!) years of a student's college education. Each year should build on the previous learning, so that it is not repetitive but keeps advancing students' skills and knowledge in developing their strengths.
Two questions to ask before starting: (1) what do you mean by a "strengths intervention"? and (2) what outcomes do you hope to see in your students?
I'll deal with the second question this time and save the first question for next time, when I will focus on strategies.
In deciding what to measure as an outcome, you need to think about what you are hoping to accomplish in your students. If your context is a first-year experience program, you might want to measure student adjustment to college, engaged learning, or academic self-efficacy (one of the best predictors of student success). If your context is a student leadership development program, you might want to measure emotional intelligence or leadership skills. Career centers might measure career decision-making self-efficacy; chaplain's programs might measure sense of meaning and purpose; advising programs might measure goal-orientation or hope. The point is that you need to think ahead of time what your program wants to see developed in your students--and why!
Once you've done that, you can select appropriate measures. The Strengths Impact Measure is available from The Gallup Organization by contacting Irene Burklund at Irene_Burklund@gallup.com; it is one measure that assesses strengths awareness and ownership, sense of meaning and purpose, hope, academic self-efficacy, and academic engagement. The Engaged Learning Index--a new validated measure containing 15 items that assess the extent to which students are engaged in deep learning in their classes (a key predictor of learning gains and graduation) -- is available from the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education (www.apu.edu/strengthsacademy).
There are some great studies in process right now that are examining specific strategies for strengths interventions. There are also some very good studies that have already been done. Next time I'll focus on these!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)