StrengthsAsia started and has been leading the strengths movement with schools, teachers and students in Singapore since 2010. And of the many things we have learned, there is one key impact that we clearly see regarding strengths based or strengths focused teachers and educators. Teachers who know their strengths teach their students better!
Allow me to introduce Siva.
Siva is one of the most humble, open minded and teachable principals that I have met in all our years of building strengths culture and engagement with schools, teachers and students in Singapore. His humility, teachability and curiosity set the tone for his team of teachers to follow. His emphasis on helping his team know their strengths is based on his own personal experience that knowing one’s strengths leads one to be more curious about the strengths of others.
And the curiosity of others is a simple and powerful ingredient in enabling teachers to love their students better. In other words, teachers who are curious about their students teach better, serve better and care better.
And a good source of becoming more curious starts with oneself – knowing our strengths.
My team and I had a rich and rewarding time working with Siva’s KP team from Teck Whye Secondary School. We spent one day of helping them learn, love and live their strengths using the CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) tool by The Gallup Organization.
CliftonStrengths (Strengthsfinder) Tool
The CliftonStrengths (Strengthsfinder) tool is an online assessment of 177 questions. It takes about 20 to 45 minutes to complete the assessment and in turn, it reveals for the individual their Top 5 dominant signature talent themes.
And talent themes are the potential of our strengths. If you know what your talent themes are, you will also know how you can use your natural talents with practice and skills you have to bring about the unique strengths in leading, teaching, relating, planning, working, doing, etc.
In total, there are 34 CliftonStrengths (Strengthsfinder) talent themes as follow: –
- Achiever
- Activator
- Adaptability
- Analytical
- Arranger
- Belief
- Command
- Communication
- Competition
- Connectedess
- Consistency
- Context
- Deliberative
- Discipline
- Developer
- Empathy
- Focus
- Futuristic
- Harmony
- Ideation
- Includer
- Individualization
- Input
- Intellection
- Learner
- Maximizer
- Positive
- Relator
- Responsibility
- Restorative
- Self Assurance
- Significance
- Strategic
- Woo
Now, that’s a lot of talent themes to grapple with! But that’s not a problem at all.
Why?
Because we make it easy for teachers and students in schools to learn their strengths in a creative, fun, practical and interactive way. Something they can in turn use it with their students.
StrengthsAsia’s proprietary process and methodology is precisely the reason why we are the leader in using the CliftonStrengths (Strengthsfinder) in strength engagement with schools, teachers and students.
We bring strengths to schools through innovative fun!
Regardless of what we have or know, in the end, it is always down to who our clients are. And with Siva’s team, it makes hard work easy. Because the example of his leadership through his role as the Principal leads the way to openness, humility, teachability and curiosity.
And when that happens, magic happens. And the kids in his school are going to feel it!
Kim Pong is the CEO and Founder of StrengthsAsia, Creator of the REFRAME MasterClass and the first 20 Gallup Certified Strengths Coaches in the world. He is based in Singapore and works with organizations in Asia in creating an engaged workplace culture for leaders, managers and executives to thrive.