What Does Facilitating a Workshop Mean?
Have you ever felt that your company has the right people – but they’re disengaged from their jobs? Why is productivity at an all-time low, and is it your fault?
If you’ve ever found yourself asking these questions to the mirror – there is one simple answer. The LEADING cause of low productivity in over 125 countries is low employee satisfaction.
This is where FACILITATION (a certified method followed by productivity coaches worldwide) comes in – by which you understand everyone’s interests in your group, and align your team’s workflow to best match everyone’s pace.
What’s the best way to go about it? A Strengths Workshop! This uses Strengths-based leadership or Kintsugi Leadership to help you massively boost employee satisfaction and productivity! And it has a sensational track record:
- An astounding 90% of Fortune 500 companies have utilized Strengths-based facilitation, in junction with psychometric tools like CliftonStrengths to analyze and perfect their workflow.
- Research by Gallup shows that Strengths Workshops around Australia and New Zealand have made employees six times more engaged in their jobs! Leading to an on average 21% increase in profitability.
- The more satisfied one is with their job, the more passionately they will want to put in the hours. Employees who focus on their strengths are three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life! (Gallup)
What are the 5 P’s of Facilitation?
Given all the positive long-term benefits; do you think you’re ready to start your strengths workshop? Of course, you are! Here are the 5 P’s of workshop facilitation that will elevate it to the NEXT LEVEL- once you have a good understanding of them!
Purpose: Why are we holding this session?
Participants: Who will be attending the session?
Probable Issues: What are the potential problems or issues that may surface?
Process: How will we go about achieving the purpose and product?
Place: Where will the session be held, or what virtual meeting platform will be utilized?
In the following sections – we will focus on EXACTLY how you can organize a memorable strengths workshop following the 5 P’s of facilitation. But first, let’s understand what CliftonStrengths even is – and why we recommend it!
What are Pros and Cons of the Different Psychometric Tools?
MBTI vs DISC vs CliftonStrengths?
Many companies that are genuine about trying to improve employee engagement use several tools such as MBTI, DISC, Emergenetics, Enneagram or The Birkman Method to analyse their employees to assign them roles in the company – where they can be most productive, and direct their workflow.
But why should you choose Gallup’s CliftonStrengths if your company has already done an MBTI report? Well, it’s simple – the purpose and longevity of it.
Lets review MBTI, DISC and CliftonStrengths to get an idea of the pros and cons of each tool.
MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), proposed theoretically by Carl Jung, is a widely used psychoanalytic tool that assesses a person’s emotional quotient (EQ) based on four key parameters: Extraversion vs. Introversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving.
By understanding these aspects of personality, the MBTI provides valuable insights into what individuals excel at, helping them identify their strengths and potential areas for growth.
Whether in personal development, career planning, or team dynamics, the MBTI serves as a powerful guide for understanding and leveraging emotional intelligence.
Pros of MBTI:
- Popular and Widely Recognised: MBTI is one of the most well-known personality assessment tools, making it easy to discuss and apply in various settings.
- Easy to Understand: The 16 personality types are straightforward and easy for individuals to grasp, often leading to increased self-awareness.
- Good for Team Building: MBTI can help teams understand differences in communication styles and work preferences.
Cons of MBTI:
- Lacks Scientific Validity: MBTI has been criticised for its lack of empirical support and reliability. People often receive different results upon retaking the test.
- Overly Simplistic: Reducing personality to one of 16 types can be limiting, failing to capture the complexity of individual differences.
- Fixed Categories: The binary nature of MBTI (e.g., Introvert vs Extrovert) can oversimplify traits that exist on a spectrum.
DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness)
DISC – It focuses on four different personality traits – Dominance(D), Influence(I), Steadiness(S), and Conscientiousness (C), giving you your personality traits.
Pros of DISC:
- Focuses on Behavioural Styles: DISC is useful for understanding and improving communication and interpersonal dynamics within teams.
- Practical Application: The model is action-oriented, helping people adapt their communication and behaviour to different situations.
- Widely Used in the Workplace: DISC is a popular tool in organisational settings for improving teamwork and leadership.
Cons of DISC:
- Limited Depth: DISC focuses on observable behaviours rather than underlying personality traits, which can limit its effectiveness for deeper personal development.
- Lacks Scientific Rigor: Like MBTI, DISC has been critiqued for its lack of empirical support and psychometric reliability.
- Simplistic Categories: The four-quadrant model may oversimplify the complexities of human behaviour and motivation.
CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder)
CliftonStrengths shows you both WHAT your strengths are and HOW to use them fully. This tool truly celebrates individual uniqueness. For instance, the likehood of someone sharing your exact top 5 strengths is 1 in 33 million.
The odds of sharing your top 10 strengths? A staggering 1 in 6 Billion. That’s as unique as your fingerprint.
CliftonStrengths gives a report on 34 Talent Themes. It highlights your top 5 themes from a 35-minute test.
This sequence shows which talents come most naturally to you.
It also shows which ones can be applied in your life and work. You also get lifetime access to the Gallup Access dashboard. It has many resources to help you understand yourself and others better.
Pros of MBTI:
- Popular and Widely Recognised: MBTI is one of the most well-known personality assessment tools, making it easy to discuss and apply in various settings.
- Easy to Understand: The 16 personality types are straightforward and easy for individuals to grasp, often leading to increased self-awareness.
- Good for Team Building: MBTI can help teams understand differences in communication styles and work preferences.
Cons of MBTI:
- Lacks Scientific Validity: MBTI has been criticised for its lack of empirical support and reliability. People often receive different results upon retaking the test.
- Overly Simplistic: Reducing personality to one of 16 types can be limiting, failing to capture the complexity of individual differences.
- Fixed Categories: The binary nature of MBTI (e.g., Introvert vs Extrovert) can oversimplify traits that exist on a spectrum.
DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness)
DISC – It focuses on four different personality traits – Dominance(D), Influence(I), Steadiness(S), and Conscientiousness (C), giving you your personality traits.
Pros of DISC:
- Focuses on Behavioural Styles: DISC is useful for understanding and improving communication and interpersonal dynamics within teams.
- Practical Application: The model is action-oriented, helping people adapt their communication and behaviour to different situations.
- Widely Used in the Workplace: DISC is a popular tool in organisational settings for improving teamwork and leadership.
Cons of DISC:
- Limited Depth: DISC focuses on observable behaviours rather than underlying personality traits, which can limit its effectiveness for deeper personal development.
- Lacks Scientific Rigor: Like MBTI, DISC has been critiqued for its lack of empirical support and psychometric reliability.
- Simplistic Categories: The four-quadrant model may oversimplify the complexities of human behaviour and motivation.
CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder)
With CliftonStrengths, you gain insights not only into WHAT your strengths are but also HOW to fully leverage them. This tool truly celebrates individual uniqueness. For instance, the likehood of someone sharing your exact top 5 strengths is 1 in 33 million. The odds of sharing your top 10 strengths? A staggering 1 in 6 Billion. That’s as unique as your fingerprint.
CliftonStrengths provides a comprehensive report on 34 Talent Themes and highlights your top 5 core themes based on a 35-minute assessment. This sequence reveals which talents come most naturally to you and can be productively applied in your life and work. Additionally, you gain lifetime access to the Gallup Access dashboard, offering a wealth of resources to help you better understand yourself and others.
Strength = Talent + Skill + Knowledge.
Your talents are the essence of how you think, feel, and behave. When you embrace and articulate what you do best, you begin to shift your mindset from trying to be everything to everyone, to strategically leveraging your strengths. This focus empowers you to excel in what truly matters, rather than spreading yourself thin and delivering mediocre results.
Pros of CliftonStrengths:
- Highly Individualised: With 34 Talent Themes, CliftonStrengths offers a nuanced and detailed understanding of your unique strengths profile.
- Actionable Insights: The tool not only identifies your strengths but also provides strategies for applying them effectively in your personal and professional life.
- Scientifically Backed: CliftonStrengths is grounded in decades of research, ensuring reliability and validity.
- Comprehensive Support: Lifetime access to the Gallup Access dashboard provides ongoing resources and tools for continuous development.
- Positive Psychology Focus: The tool emphasises what you do well, promoting a strengths-based approach to growth and success.
Cons of CliftonStrengths:
- Cost: Accessing the full 34 strengths requires a purchase, which may be a barrier for some users.
- Learning Curve: Understanding and applying the insights effectively requires a commitment to learning.
• Less Mainstream Recognition: While highly respected in business circles, CliftonStrengths may be less familiar to those outside these environments.
Why CliftonStrengths is the Best Tool Out of These Three:
1. Focus on Development:
Unlike MBTI and DISC, which categorise individuals into fixed types or behavioural styles, CliftonStrengths emphasises growth and development. It encourages individuals to leverage their innate talents to achieve personal and professional success.
2. Empirical Foundation:
CliftonStrengths is grounded in robust research and data. The tool’s reliability and validity are well-documented, providing a solid foundation for its application in various settings.
3. Highly Customisable:
With 34 talent themes, CliftonStrengths offers a more detailed and personalised profile, allowing for a deeper understanding of individual strengths. This granularity helps in tailoring development plans that are more aligned with personal and organisational goals.
4. Positive Psychology:
CliftonStrengths is built on the principles of positive psychology, focusing on what individuals do well rather than what they lack. This approach fosters a more engaged and motivated workforce, leading to better outcomes.
5. Versatile Application:
CliftonStrengths is not just a tool for self-awareness; it’s a strategic asset for leadership development, team-building, and organisational culture. It aligns closely with the goals of modern workplaces that value strengths-based leadership and employee well-being.
In summary, while MBTI and DISC offer useful insights into personality and behaviour, CliftonStrengths stands out for its scientific grounding, developmental focus, and comprehensive application, making it the most effective tool for fostering long-term growth and success.
What is the Main Purpose of a Strengths Workshop?
You must understand WHY you’re holding such an event in the first place. The biggest NO-NOs that we’ve seen in people’s understanding of strength workshops are what truly defeats its purpose, so make sure these are NOT you!
ITS NOT A CLASSROOM!
Do you remember those lectures you received back in high school?
Exactly, you don’t except for the fact that it felt forced and restrictive. A ‘workshop is the EXACT opposite of a classroom, everyone should be able to engage in the conversation to the extent of their comfort!
Dr. George Land in collaboration with NASA showed that “A formal school education kills off 98% of human creativity”. No company can survive without creative solutions to emerging problems
THEORY, THEORY, THEORY!
Sitting a bunch of people down and correcting their conception of strengths – immediately kills off their interest in trying to understand it. Humans are notoriously smart at identifying “solved problems”, and it lowers engagement hugely.
Strengths training is still very much a growing field, and one can learn a lot more about themselves and their peers if they converse freely without a “know-it-all”
FIXING WEAKNESSES!
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” Is the age-old saying that most agree with it. But is it the right way of thinking? Probably not.
It has been shown repeatedly that putting more work into our strengths instead of working on our weaknesses, MASSIVELY increases the productiveness of a business. This is what strengths training is ACTUALLY about, identifying everyone’s personal strengths, and allowing them to focus solely on that. While organizing a strengths workshop, one must keep this ideology at the core.
How to Understand Workshop Participants?
A workshop might last a day for attendees, but for organisers, it involves weeks of preparation. One of the most crucial aspects of planning a Strengths workshop is understanding the group dynamic.
After all, as the core ideology of Kintsugi Leadership teaches us, one size does NOT fit all!
Once you’ve ensured that participants’ basic needs (according to Maslow’s hierarchy) are met, here’s how you can tailor your workshop to different groups:
Strengths Workshop for INDIVIDUALS – Strengths PathFinder – The Self-Developer
They are usually THE most eager participants, excited to understand an gain insights about themselves even if the company isn’t as invested. We call them “Self Developers.”
They typically engage deeply with the content and bring a positive energy to the workshop. These are the individuals who finish their assessments first and are eager to know what’s next.
It’s essential to highlight their unique strengths using their Gallup CliftonStrengths talent themes. See our crisp Deatiled YouTube playlist for their explanations.
The likelihood of their 5 main talent themes matching with another individual is 1 in 33,000,000 – and that of ALL their 34 Talent Themes matching is 1 in 295,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That’s 1 in 295 nonillions (295 followed by 36 zeros).
1 in 295 nonillion! Take your time to count the zeroes – exhausting huh? That is exactly how exhausting it is for them to work in spaces NOT suited to their strengths!
That’s how unique they are. Help them understand how to capitalise on these strengths to avoid the frustration of working in roles that don’t align with their natural talents.
Read our blog on how to Strengthsify Your Career and unlock some great insights.
Strengths Workshop for TEAMS
Knowing one’s strengths not only enhances self-awareness but also fosters team bonding and engagement.
Imagine this, you’re new to a country and are working for a Sales company. It’s insanely tough to treat others as your teammates. Wouldn’t it help if you knew Dan’s pet peeve is also a closed office space? Or that you and Emily both love engaging in a personal meetup for a sales pitch?
Understanding each other’s strengths makes it easier to assign tasks and build rapport, allowing the team to focus on what each member does best, rather than on areas of struggle.
Strengths Workshop for LEADERS
According to Gallup, the four biggest traits an employee seeks in their employer are Trust, Compassion, Stability, and Hope.
The best way Leaders can instill these virtues at the workplace is by knowing their strengths, and thus encouraging their employees to do the same, making the work atmosphere less competitive and way more collaborative. Every leader needs to learn how to make everyone a better version of themselves, instead of just a mini version of the leader – the key to which is understanding their strengths.
Strengths Workshop for TEACHERS
Teachers are the perfect example: of how much execution matters in the workplace. Despite all teachers having the same syllabus to cover, some make lessons infinitely more enjoyable than others.
Teachers can learn to appreciate their students more for what they are capable of by learning to identify their strengths and skills from a young age. Understanding their strengths also allows them to put their best foot forward at work every day!
Imagine going to school, having won the state championship in football and being handed a Report card with a big fat F on it. Cruel huh? Let’s change that.
Strengths Workshop for STUDENTS
This is perhaps the most moldable time in a person’s life, and is the time to break away from the age-old convention of “fixing weaknesses”.
CliftonStrength has a separate test for students (Clifton Strengths for Student Assessment) from the age of 15 to 21, which highlights 10 talent themes instead of 34 – allowing a student to make more sense of all the options they have instead of being lost in a sea of options.
One must help them assess these skills effectively to focus on what they CAN do from a very young age, and put an end to the notion of ‘people-pleasing’.
Strengths Workshop for PARENTS
They have THE most stressful jobs of them all, imagine having to work all day and night with the burden of having to provide costly education and food for your kids.
It can’t be helped, sometimes they break. But shouting and scolding kids doesn’t truly help.
With strength training, they can find what their child does well at, and provide them with the RIGHT resources, instead of costly tuition in matters they are not even interested in.
Strengths Workshop for COUPLES
Let’s face it: lovebirds are not mind readers. And quarrels are often impossible to avoid. Misunderstandings are the leading cost of breaking relationships! So in discussing and finding their strengths, they can complement each other’s lives and learn how to work better together.
Love can overcome weaknesses, but when it starts being taken for granted, it becomes a real challenge to keep up and meet expectations. Show your attendees how devotion is not true love, but understanding each other’s ups and downs is the right start!
Probable Issues in CliftonStrengths Workshop – What can go wrong in a strengths workshop?
One must accept that, no matter how well you plan your workshop, something may go wrong.
The key is to NOT PANIC! Let’s go over things to avoid in a workshop to reduce these issues! In a global pandemic, see how Team Delta, led by an innovative leader, overcame challenges. They used Satori Connect’s strengths-based approach to succeed.
FORCING IT
The BIGGEST fear in any organiser’s mind comes true – no one seems interested and does not engage. Strengths training is still a relatively new concept, and not everyone will be eager to share their views and stories.
But should you keep asking them or coerce them in such a situation?
No.
Everyone has their own mental barriers of what they are willing to share. Place yourself in their shoes – and it may feel humiliating to be targeted in such a meet. The best way to combat this? Arrange for fun group activities, and icebreakers even if they seem silly (we’ll discuss a few later on). Sometimes, all someone needs to see is someone going through the same situation they are, so don’t portray yourself AS the “organizer”, and instead as a friend with creative ideas!
Making them SIT
This may seem weird, but it’s true. Making your attendees sit down, and you standing up again induces that lecturer mode of communication which we listed as a big NO-NO. Allow them to move about, and even if it is awkward at first – we’ve found it to be one of the best ways to increase engagement.
Handling Troublemakers
There will always be someone who tries to ruin the event, and it’s somewhat unavoidable. If such a situation arises, it’s best to respectfully agree with their views, and ask them to elaborate on what they believe the issue is.
In the end it actually plays to your favor – allowing employees to air out their doubts in an unconventional but productive way. Take their opinion as genuine feedback – because complaints are the most honest review that you’ll receive – and incorporate them into your next workshop! Do not feel discouraged by temporary hiccups.
The Process: How to Run a Good Workshop?
As a facilitator – you need not be perfect, but you should work on THESE qualities to make your Workshop enjoyable AND productive!
Effective Time Management
Being on time not only earns you respect, but it also respects others’ time.
91% of survey respondents agreed that time management would reduce stress at work according to the Timewatch 2022 survey. Traditional workplaces are NOT organized enough – leading to a stressful work life. So by effectively managing time in your workshop, you take advantage of the present scenario, encouraging more people to give what you’re saying value!
Positive Energy
Only people who are NOT confident in their cause manage tasks with negative energy. Positivity on the other hand – is contagious and has been proven to make people better listeners! Comfortable employees are productive employees – Timeswatch shows that the most productive people work from home 5 days a week!
Here’s what you can do to be a drop of golden sunshine – drop the seriousness! At a strengths workshop, it is your job to promote collaboration, and no one likes to work with a grumpy grump! Also, try rethinking your vocabulary, and exchanging negative phrases with positive ones. Don’t worry, it’ll be hard at first but it will start to become natural!
Adaptivity
Say something goes wrong – what is your attitude to the issue? As we discussed problem solving is a MUST when you are a facilitator. Slow down, take a breather – and be back at your game better than ever!
The one thing that can TRULY make your workshops strike a chord with your audience is the activities you arrange. Here’s a detailed list of games and activities you can try at your next workshop to break the ice! For more ideas check out SessionLab for some amazing alternatives!
LOVE, CRAZY, and ENVY!
Grouping: teams consisting of 4-5 people, based on the sector of work
Task: Give each person a worksheet. Select one of their 5 Top Talents from CliftonStrengths that they love, and one that they hate (they can be the same one!)
Then one group at a time 10 minutes each: have them visit the other tables, and record each of the strengths they love, and the ones they hate – while sharing their own with the group
Debrief: Once everyone is done, ask them if they have any talents that they love to match with someone or one that they hate. Then ask them if they saw anyone with a Talent that they ENVY (IMPORTANT- ask them why this is!)
This quick energizer sparks quick conversation and makes everyone more aware of each other’s strengths! You as the organizer, get a sense of not only their talents but which ones they are willing to convert into strengths – it’s an overall win-win!
DRAW YOUR TALENTS
Grouping: Individual (ideal for small-scale workshops)
Task: Give each person 5 sticky notes and a Sharpie to draw out each of their 5 Top Talents. They need not be artists, it’s the thought which matters! Once they are done, make them stick it on a bulletin board in a random order. It’s everyone else’s job to identify what talent they drew!
Debrief: Begin by showing them one of your drawings. Don’t make it too easy for them, instead twist it. This intrigues them further! At the end, encourage discussion on colour choices, and why they drew what they drew!
This one helps to demonstrate a crucial point – the same talent may be expressed in various ways. It’s like those optical illusions, where you might see a rabbit from one angle, and a duck from the other! It shows them that working according to your strengths is NOT the conventional rigid system they’re used to, and instead is flexible enough to accommodate everyone!
FIVE CLUES TO KNOWING YOUR TALENT
Grouping: Individual (best for remote workshops)
Task: Send everyone the Five Clues to Knowing Your Talent worksheet by Gallup organization. Ask them to mentally revisit some intensely positive experiences in their life, and categorize them into the following 5 clues (the basis of which is mentioned in the worksheet itself):
- Yearning
- Rapid Learning
- Flow
- Glimpses of Excellence
- Satisfaction
Debrief: The activity revolves around the fact that when experiencing one of these 5 feelings – one or more of your talents is alive. That is also the moment your talent becomes your strength. Show them how these moments of time correlate to their talents.
This is the best way to coach people on their strengths – as they can form emotional bonds with their past experiences and find that their strengths have always been a part of them – driving their lives. Being able to identify them and put a label on them helps people grasp the concept of strengths training very fast!
Or you can sign up for our Cliftonstrengths Assessment from Gallup for $59.99.
Wait… if you buy it from us, it’s just $57. Here’s our Cliftonstrengths Assessment link.
WHICH PLACE IS BEST FOR A WORKSHOP?
The short answer to this is: whatever is comfortable for both you and the attendees. This is why it’s so important to first have a correspondence with the people attending – you know their needs without having to ask them directly.
This is why it’s always advisable to first reach out by sending them a detailed Google Form – which conveys both professionalism and care toward each participant.
What matters is utilizing whatever location you decide on to the fullest.
- If it’s virtual, make sure to create engaging activities that are simple and not too time-consuming. Test out the conference platform at least twice before the workshop – to avoid device and software errors.
If it’s in a live setting, have visual aids, pamphlets, or worksheets ready. It has been shown that it’s much easier to capture an audience using audio-visual cues rather than just your voice.
CONCLUSION on Strengths Workshop Facilitation
You have two choices in front of you:
Option 1. Chicken out because it feels too hard, going back to the regular old system where one waste over 80% of their time focusing on non-strengths, or in other words long-term stress.
Option 2. Actually do it. Help a community be in control of their own decisions, and show them how they can work their dream job.
Launching a workshop isn’t easy, but probably the biggest hurdle in your way is your brain which refuses to get out of its comfort zone. You don’t need us to tell you that success isn’t found in your comfort zone. It’s a small investment, to be able to exclusively work where your strengths are for a lifetime.
They say we learn best from personal experiences. To fully grasp how much a strengths workshop can impact one’s productivity – Enroll for Satori Connect’s “Decoding Your Strengths Workshop” to see how it’s done right! Help your teammates and other employees rediscover their “ME.” You will get full access to:
- Your CliftonStrengths 34 Report and StrengthsFinder 2.0 e-book
- Lifetime Gallup Access dashboard
- 1:1 Coaching on any life goal and strength from Gallup-certified coaches
- Identifying potential blindspots, and action items to fuel your areas of excellence!
By finding and focusing on individual strengths, and embracing imperfections – managers can create a culture of collaboration and mutual respect with the help of expert facilitators like YOU!
FAQ Zone for Strengths Workshop
What is the purpose of facilitating a workshop?
- Facilitating a workshop aims to enhance productivity by aligning the team’s workflow with each member’s strengths, improving job satisfaction, and fostering collaboration.
What are the 5 P’s of workshop facilitation?
- The 5 P’s include Purpose (why the session is held), Participants (who will attend), Probable Issues (potential problems), Process (how to achieve the goals), and Place (location or virtual platform).
Why is CliftonStrengths recommended for strength workshops?
- CliftonStrengths offers a detailed analysis of 34 Talent Themes, identifying the top 5 strengths, and providing actionable insights on how to leverage these strengths for personal and professional growth.
How can a strengths workshop improve employee engagement?
- Strengths workshops help employees focus on their strengths, leading to increased engagement, satisfaction, and productivity, as employees feel more aligned with their roles.
What are the common challenges in facilitating a strengths workshop?
- Common challenges include lack of engagement, resistance to participation, and handling disruptive attendees. Overcoming these requires adaptability, effective communication, and creating a positive environment.
