Strengths Discovery and Action Planning

Tom Rath STRENGTHSFINDER 2.0—Now Discover Your Strengths

Do you know what your natural talents and abilities are? What about the shortcomings and lack of skills we all tend to have?  Even more important, do you know how to use these “strengths” and understand your weaknesses to your advantage?  Tom Rath, author of StrengthsFinder 2.0 assures us, “You cannot be anything you want to be—but you can be lot more of who you already are” (p.9) by developing those talents we have and leaving room for growth.

In 1998, Roth began working with Gallup scientists to start a conversation worldwide of “what’s right with people” and how they could support individual’s understanding of each person’s “potential for growth.” By knowing ones strength and their accompanying behaviors, people would have a greater understanding how to develop strategies to meet the demands of daily life, professions, friends and family.

After purchase readers are invited to participate in the Gallup poll and discover their five most dominant themes of talent in rank order. “The purpose of StrengthsFinder 2.0 is not to anoint you with strengths—it simply helps you find the areas where you have the greatest potential to develop strengths” (p. 31). There lies the key in action steps to apply your strengths to move forward in a positive direction.

I took the Gallup StrengthsFinder Poll about 10 years ago, when I was an instructional coach, and then again just recently as an elementary principal.  I was unable to locate the original order of my initial results, but when taking it for a second time; three out of the five strengths remained the same. These three areas of strengths were not the surprise, but the last two items on my list were a surprise. The fourth I agreed with. Having Focus as a leader of a school in improvement, and as a student in my doctorial studies this makes a lot of sense.

The final item on my StrengthsFinder 2.0 list is almost offensive to me. I don’t consider this to be a strength at all, but a prideful characteristic found in those needing to be recognized and celebrated. Here is the power of Roth’s book. In detail you will learn the specific characteristic of this strength, what this strength sounds like with real life examples, ideas for actions (my personal favorite), and how to work with others who demonstrate this same personality. It is not the strength that defines you, but what and how you use it for growth and understanding of your behaviors. 

StrengthsFinder gives you the opportunity to do what you do best everyday. By putting their recommendations to action with a more mindful approach to maximize your talents, this can lead you to more aligned pathway to personal and professional success.

Simplexity

Michael Fulland & Joanne Quinn  coherence—The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems

As principal of a school in improvement, there is a constant sense of urgency. The need to facilitate learning differently is evident by our initial data, but the opportunity to be innovative to make it happen provides us with a multitude of possibilities. Recommendations are plentiful from a variety of researchers promising growth and positive change. What stands out with Michael Fullan and Joanne Quinn's new book coherence is the endorsement from one of educations top researchers John Hattie, author of Visible Learning

On the first page, first paragraph, Hattie states it eloquently. "Coherence is a book that demands action--it moves from the narrative of fixing one teacher at a time to asking about the coherence of the system (be it school, national, or world issues).  Fullan and Quinn create an important narrative about direction, working together, deepening learning, and securing accountability. The book sparkles with examples of coherence in action; it makes no excuses for employing the wrong levers of change.  This is the blueprint for a new vocabulary of education action; it shows where we need to go next, and is another example of Fullan at the top of his game" (Hattie, 2016).

Fullan and Quinn developed a coherent framework for school improvement planning starting with putting the "right drivers in action" as their foundation and leadership at the center. Their action framework puts the right drivers in action on the "route to success".  Start with focusing direction in each of your school systems, cultivating a collaborative culture with strong groups and individuals, deepening learning for better outcomes, and building capacity for results by developing skills to secure accountability.

As a building leader with many systems in need of revisiting with a pressing sense of urgency, the "simplexity" of the framework makes the task of prioritizing easier to facilitate the change that needs to occur.

Breaking Away from Isolation

Spike Cook, Jessica Johnson, & Theresa Stager BREAKING OUT OF ISOLATION—Becoming a Connected School Leader

One of the biggest surprises of being a school leader is how isolated you feel on a day-to-day basis. No longer is there a teacher next door you can drop in on for quick or engaging conversations. Your days are long and filled with other important conversations to lead the learning in a forward momentum.  If every minute is precious and geared towards supporting the teaching and learning system, how does one “overcome leadership isolation” (p. 3).

The author’s of Breaking Out of Isolation have a solution to this separation a school leader might feel and it starts by getting off the island. They coined the term Gilligan Syndrome after the famous TV show Gilligan’s Island.  It is easy to have the mindset of being “stranded”, it takes another mindset to reach out and be connected to like colleagues. These authors provide alternatives to the isolation found in school leadership with specific recommendations to find the tools for survival.  Here are a few highly recommended favorites:

·      Twitter: “Twitter is the faculty room you always wanted.” Ada, Bellow

o   Get away from just posting to connecting and contributing.

·      Voxer: “Messaging, Walkie Talkie Apps for Team Communication.” 

o   Have conversations, and keep them going.

·      PLN: Professional Learning Networks

o   Start small with about 5 to 10 people, follow them on Twitter, follow their blogs, participate in chats, and respond to their Tweets.

·      Read & Listen: Learn & Grow

o   Share new thinking with colleagues and move away from groupthink.

Start small and be purposeful. Learning one new pathway of connectedness and build on that new strength to another.  Find balance in the process and remember do not be plagued by the Gilligan Syndrome. There is a way off the island and these connected tools will help you build the raft to get off the island and overcome leadership isolation.