Listening, the miraculous superpower
Have you ever said the words, “Listen to me”? Or maybe even shouted them? It unfolded on an ordinary day, where my other job as “Mum’s Taxi” had me shuttling my kids home from basketball practice. The younger one filled the car with her animated conversations. In my mind, I was engrossed in conceptualising a […]
The Shoes of a Champion
This is the story of one of my favourite young women. Joy is her name. Joy by name, Joy by nature. She is my niece, we are all better for having her in our family. Joy is strong, and she does everything with joyous abandon. She recently started Olympic weightlifting again after a few years […]
CliftonStrength: Activator
Oh how I wish I had an Activator in my team! They’re pretty cool people. I love their energy. They take action and make things happen. People with the Activator theme are always ready to jump into action and get things started, often with a sense of urgency. They help overcome the inertia people like […]
CliftonStrength: Achiever
Have you ever been around an Achiever? They are driven people, forging ahead, making goals, attaining those goals, a force of nature! Exceptional in a team setting, they drive the team forward. Nina Simone, one of the most influential and iconic musicians of the 20th century. Nina Simone Musician, Activist Achiever Throughout her career, Simone […]
What do race, gender, and nationality indicate about your strengths?
NOT MUCH AS IT TURNS OUT. The characteristics of a your demographic group do not determine your potential strengths. You have as much chance of possessing any of the 34 CliftonStrengths themes as anyone else. The primary disparity between demographic groups is based on gender, specifically in regards to only two of the strengths: Analytical […]
My Heroes 1: My Mum
Sunday is Mother’s Day and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather start My Heroes blog posts off with than my Mum and everything I love best about her (that makes her a formidable Mentor). I thought it might be fun to guess some of her top CliftonStrengths from 50+ years of observing her natural […]
Ok, Ok, I get it. I’m the Manager. WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Manager: Hi, I’ve wanted to lead my team effectively, to have that sweet high-performing team you’ve been talking about, so I’m looking for some guidance. Me: Absolutely! Let’s go. Manager: That sounds great. Are there any specific insights or strategies that you think would be especially helpful for me? Me: How’s your trust-building and transparency […]
It’s the Manager who FOSTERS GREAT COMMUNICATION
Effective communication is the cornerstone of a successful organization. Whether it’s conveying expectations, providing feedback, or simply keeping team members informed, communication is crucial to achieving business goals. However, research shows that when it comes to communication in the workplace, it’s the manager who is responsible. According to Gallup’s “It’s the Manager” report, managers are […]
It’s the MANAGER
The single biggest factor in employee engagement and your team’s and organisation’s long-term success is the quality of managers and team leaders is the single biggest factor in your organization’s long-term success according to Clifton and Harter’s book, “It’s the Manager”. Sceptical? Heard it all before? Is there really any evidence to back up this […]
What are your Top 5?
Everytime I open up someone’s CliftonStrengths Assessment, I feel like it is Christmas! (Is that my Individualisation strength talking?!) I get excited to see what are their top 5 talents that we can turn into mighty strengths! CliftonStrengths, previously known as StrengthsFinder, is an assessment tool developed by the Gallup Organization that helps you identify […]