Tag Archives: Personal development

A Strengths Approach, You Tube training videos

Minding your language

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The language of strengths individualises each of us; whereas, the language used to describe problems tends more to aggregate us into less well-defined groups. In the following brief video, I will contrast the types of language we use for describing ourselves either from a problems perspective or from a strengths approach. Click on the following link now to access the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bALixNzWHVU

 

This video is part of the email sequence providing subscribers with access to a wide range of strengths-based resources. If you wish to subscribe to the email list click the following link (it’s FREE resources that I am offering, with no catch!):

https://positiverisktaking.lpages.co/working-with-strengths-2/

A Strengths Approach

FREE ‘Strengths’ Resources

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Steve Morgan (Practice Based Evidence) presents: Working with Strengths

Click on the following link to find out more about my 8-point Strengths Checklist, and a range of other resources:

https://positiverisktaking.lpages.co/working-with-strengths-2/ 

I have been developing and delivering a Strengths Approach since it was first formally introduced to me by Professor Charlie Rapp in 1991. It has been without doubt the most exciting and influential set of ideas I have experienced throughout a long and varied career; and expanded further through my reading around the Gallup organisation strengths literature.

I now offer FREE access to ideas that will help you identify and work with your own strengths. Whether it is our own personal development, or that of others around us, it shouldn’t be a secret as to how we can become more of who we really are.

Best wishes,

Steve Morgan

Practice Based Evidence & The Strengths Revolution.

Practice development, Working with Risk, You Tube training videos

Making risk decisions

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Risk decisions are challenging, and can be difficult, but should not be governed by fear and a ‘what if’ syndrome. In this video I use four separate quotes to help us reflect on our decision-making processes.

 

Use the following link to also access a free training webinar which introduces my simple 5-step process to risk decision-making, which also form the core modules of the Positive Risk-Taking Membership Site:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97

Positive Risk-Taking, Working with Risk, You Tube training videos

Reasons to be cheerful…

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Jazz guys on Frenchman Street [2]

In this video I share a wide range of quotes that reflect different aspects of risk-taking. Indeed, I would suggest they help us to understand and reflect on the whole rationale that underpins why we should be taking calculated risks.

Use the following link to also access a free training webinar which introduces my simple 5-step process to risk decision-making, which also form the core modules of the Positive Risk-Taking Membership Site:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97

 

A Strengths Approach, Positive Risk-Taking, Working with Risk

Risk Aversion or Risk-Taking?

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Positive Risk-Taking logo

We all work with risk; we all have to make risk decisions, and sometimes those decisions involve the challenge of taking risks. Part of overcoming the challenges resides in our awareness of our own mindset in relation to risk. I have a simple 5-step approach to helping me make the challenging decisions… in work as well as in life.

Click on the following link to access a free webinar that provides 40+ minutes of training in the challenges risk can present, and an introduction to my 5-step approach:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97

This webinar condenses 30+ years of my experience working in and alongside health and social care services, and 60+ publications around the subject. Risk is something we should embrace from a positive perspective, and this webinar develops this mindset.

Podcast Episodes, Practice development, Teams

Podcast Episode 095: A Funky Case Study

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2So, what does funky and creative working look like when you have to implement things through a team? It is one thing for a creative individual to plough their own furrow, but as soon as you get two or more people together the opportunity arises for three or more opinions on how to go about things!

In this episode I outline my consultancy work across 2000-2010 with an assertive outreach team that was based in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The vision was largely developed by the team manager, Sue Jugon, with reference to the training I undertook as part of the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. It requires careful recruitment, and the type of training and practice development support established at the time as the Practice Based Evidence consultancy.

What it looks like is a commitment to good clear communication, flexible working, and on-going reflection and developmental support. The outcomes were best reflected in the changes seen in what were deemed to be very challenging clients when you devote sufficient respectful time, and deliver client-centred working rather than overblown service rhetoric.

For the full content of this episode click the links to iTunes and Sound Cloud (or go to Stitcher Radio):

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/strengths-revolution-steve/id867043694

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/095-a-funky-case-study/id867043694?i=361448998&mt=2

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” [Phil Jackson]

Person-centred working, Podcast Episodes, Practice development, Teams

Podcast Episode 094: Making it funky

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2We spend so many hours, and restless nights, focused on work, so don’t we deserve to get enjoyment, fun and creative challenge in our work? Managerial structures, systems, procedures and processes are designed to achieve consistency and homogeneity of output. Monitoring and auditing of standards and targets keeps a watchful eye how we work. So, are we in danger of losing the pursuit of genuine creative endeavour? Where will positive risk-taking fit into this controlled picture?

In this episode I reflect on a review of a previous book I co-authored that identified our approach as ‘Funky Mental Health’. Funky ways of working are about working with and around the rules; breaking the rules in a creative rather than illegal way. It is about pushing the boundaries, but needs a few conditions to support it to happen. I outline how it needs a vision, a guide of what exceptional people do naturally, a flexible environment, and team-working. I also reference a classic example of putting all of this into practice from my Practice Based Evidence consultancy work.

For the full content of this episode click the links to iTunes and Sound Cloud (or go to Stitcher Radio):

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/strengths-revolution-steve/id867043694

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/094-making-it-funky/id867043694?i=360203262&mt=2

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” [Scott Adams].

A Strengths Approach, Organisations, Podcast Episodes, Practice development

Podcast Episode 093: A Strengths Leadership Programme

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2How serious are we about truly developing the talent of our key people? The world is over-populated with academic pursuit of leadership initiatives, all competing to produce people with accredited qualifications. But what about developing people with the confidence to deliver on the practical day-to-day challenges that our businesses through at people?

In this episode I outline my specifically created Strengths Leadership Programme for the key staff members… our team leaders & team managers. Based in the Gallup research and literature it focuses on identifying talent, developing strengths, and applying this knowledge to personal and team development in the practices that team leaders work in every day. It offers a 4-day workshop introduction, but is focused more on local impact of knowledge through supervised and supported practice over a year, and the nurturing of specific peer group support. If you’re looking for another certificate to hang on the wall go somewhere else.

For the full content of this episode click the links to iTunes and Sound Cloud (or go to Stitcher Radio):

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/strengths-revolution-steve/id867043694

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/093-strengths-leadership-programme/id867043694?i=360203263&mt=2

“If you spend your life trying to be good at everything, you will never be great at anything.” [Tom Rath].

“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson].

A Strengths Approach, Podcast Episodes

Podcast Episode 092: Using StrengthsFinder

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2How do you go about identifying your natural talents? Most of us stroll through life largely oblivious to what we may excel at. Either we are subject to the constant focus on our weaknesses, and attempting to get them fixed, in the flawed assumption that this helps us to massively improve our performance. Or, we are simply just not aware of resources that can focus attention more on the task of identifying the talents and developing our true strengths.

The Gallup organisation has not just researched this area for several decades, but also mined the massive database to inform and develop the tools for strengths development. In this episode I reflect on this process of identifying talents and developing strengths. I use my own results from taking the StrengthsFinder test (on two separate occasions) to illustrate the process and themes of talent that have emerged out of the Gallup work.

For the full content of this episode click on the links to iTunes and Sound Cloud (or go to Stitcher Radio):

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/strengths-revolution-steve/id867043694

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/092-using-strengthsfinder/id867043694?i=360203264&mt=2

“The key to human development is building on who you already are.” [Tom Rath]

Podcast Episodes, Positive Risk-Taking, Practice development

Podcast Episode 091: Positive Risk-Taking in practice

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2It’s one thing to have a great idea but another entirely to put it successfully into practice, particularly if it is about delivering on difficult and challenging decisions. What does it take to put positive risk-taking into practice with clarity and confidence?

This was a concept I developed in 1994 and have been refining and implementing with so many people in the intervening years. Everyone wants to feel like they do good risk-taking practice, but when examined closely there are a plethora of obstacles to be overcome in the process.

In this episode I outline a list of 14 essential ingredients for putting positive risk-taking into practice. A combination of shared understanding by individuals, teams and organisation management is a good starting point; but that is often difficult enough to achieve. I outline the value of strengths-based practice for underpinning good risk-taking decisions, as well as consensus in teams, adequate training, supervision and support, and the application of checklists and tools I designed specifically for the purpose.

For the full content of this episode click on the links to iTunes and Sound Cloud (or go to Stitcher Radio):

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/strengths-revolution-steve/id867043694

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/091-positive-risk-taking-in/id867043694?i=359052989&mt=2

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” [Tony Robbins].

“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” [Denis Waitley].