Tag Archives: Personal development

Podcast Episodes, Teams

Podcast Episode 038: Strengths Focused Teams

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2Good teamworking, as with so many things, is easily stated and claimed, but not always so easily evidenced. Bringing people together under the name of a specific ‘team’ doesn’t necessarily mean that they function as a true team.

From a strengths perspective, Steve Morgan offers a taxonomy of strengths focused teams… looking at three different levels in relation to the degree of strengths thinking and working that are incorporated into routine teamworking. He further develops the analysis of teamworking through outlining six principles of strengths-based teams… adapted from the original strengths principles focused on how we work with service users or clients.

It is recognised that in any given team there will be individuals who function at different levels in relation to strengths-based principles and practice; however, the extensive Gallup organisation research invites us to improve our overall effectiveness and value by focusing more in a strengths way of working.

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/038-strengths-focused-teams/id867043694?i=327596020&mt=2

“With an enthusiastic team you can achieve almost anything.” [Tahir Shah].

A Strengths Approach, Podcast Episodes, Positive Risk-Taking

Podcast Episode 034: Planning your business Part 2

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2Putting together a business plan is vitally important but requires some caution. We are reminded that the realities of life happen to us while we are busy making other plans.

For all the well thought out plans we still need to respond to events and circumstances. This episode explores five reasons why we should be cautious about the amount of time invested in planning, as well as the danger of becoming rigidly attached to our plans. Steve Morgan uses his own experiences through the Practice Based Evidence Consultancy in response to each of the points of caution.

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/034-planning-your-business/id867043694?i=326162015&mt=2

“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.” [Goethe].

 

A Strengths Approach, Podcast Episodes, Positive Risk-Taking

Podcast Episode 033: Planning your business Part 1

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2Whatever your career or business that you are involved in, you may engage in degrees of forward planning. So why put together a business plan? Whether you are ‘planning’ (i.e. the vision thing) or making plans (i.e. the detail thing), there are a number of good reasons to have a plan for your business or career in place, and also to keep reviewing that plan.

This episode sets out 6 reasons in favour of degrees of planning, and uses the presenter’s own personal experience in moving from employment in a national organisation to going it alone in self-employment as a case study to illustrate the reasons. The episode finishes with a message of caution through a reality check, life may rarely mirror your plans.

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

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

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/033-planning-your-business/id867043694?i=324631141&mt=2

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” [Dwight D. Eisenhower].

A Strengths Approach, Person-centred working, Podcast Episodes

Podcast Episode 027: Identifying values

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2What are values?

This episode highlights the importance of reflecting on these largely unseen influences on everything we think, we do, we decide, they inform our core beliefs, they are the sum of who we are. Nothing more than that! So, if they have such a significant influence we would be well advised to be more aware of what they are.

They come dressed up in almost endless lists of good words, but this episode argues for spending more time examining the impact they have on the ways we behave and act in particular situations. Steve Morgan poses a series of questions to help us explore our underlying values, offering examples from his own experiences by way of illustration.

Core personal and corporate values are contrasted, and examples are identified of where conflicting values can contribute to better decisions, or even disasters. As a strengths approach, the examination of values is one way of demonstrating how we are putting genuine person-centred practice into action.

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/027-identifying-values/id867043694?i=319716735&mt=2

“Living in a way that reflects one’s values is not just about what you do, it is also about how you do things.” [Deborah Day].

A Strengths Approach, Person-centred working, Podcast Episodes, Podcast Interviews

Podcast Episode 025: Kirt Hunte Interview

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2Kirt Hunte discusses his early introduction to the nursing profession growing up in Trinidad, before making the move to Guy’s Hospital in London. He reflects on a few important influences in those formative professional years before he developed his specialist interest in acute mental health care and the provision of crisis response and resolution teams.

He initiated the South Camden Crisis Team in 2001 and managed it through to 2011, and is in a good position to reflect on the qualities of a good team as well as its individual practitioners. Kirt identifies the support and development of new workers as one of many rewards of team management, as well as his rare combination of bringing gestalt psychotherapeutic skills and experience into the arena of short-term crisis working.

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/025-kirt-hunte-interview/id867043694?i=319164730&mt=2

A Strengths Approach, Podcast Episodes, Positive Risk-Taking

Podcast Episode 021: Strengths & Decision-Making

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2How do we go about making decisions? The answer partly depends on the situations or circumstances we are in… ‘situational decision-making’ is an assessment of the situation followed by a quick mental simulation of the likely outcome of our chosen course of action. It is based in experience, responds to pressures on available time, and helps us manage ambiguous detail. It is a partly intuitively based approach to decision-making.

Alternatively, ‘analytical decision-making’ is a more structured approach applied to research, clinical and other work situations where masses of abstract data need processing, or a range of different people come together to make a decision.

Ultimately it is not so much about finding the right or wrong decision, but more about our ‘confidence’ in the decisions we have made. Confidence will be underpinned by a focus on the strengths that can be identified and productively applied as a crucial component in our approach to making decisions. An absence of identified strengths can still offer confidence, but in these circumstances it will be confidence in making the more risk averse decisions.

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/021-strengths-decision-making/id867043694?i=318067222&mt=2

“When possible make the decisions now, even if action is in the future. A reviewed decision usually is better than one reached at the last moment.” [William B Given].

 

Podcast Episodes, Positive Risk-Taking

Podcast Episode 016: Risk Taking v Risk Aversion

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2Are we risk takers or are we generally more conservative in our risk decision making, more risk averse? There is no blanket answer to this question for any of us, as there are different situations and circumstances that influence us in different ways.

Health and Social Care service practitioners may become more risk averse in particular situations, and some will be more risk averse depending on their own experiences. When is it ok to be risk averse? When it is the clearly reasoned decision based on careful consideration of the information available to us.

Risk decisions will be part of everyday experiences within health and social care services across all sectors e.g. mental health, learning disability or older persons services. The same principles apply to all of us in our personal lives, when we are confronted with situations that require a difficult decision.

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/016-risk-taking-v-risk-aversion/id867043694?i=316511320&mt=2

“There is a short window at the beginning of one’s professional life when it is comparatively easy to take big risks. Make the most of that time, before circumstances make you risk averse.” [Joshua Foer].

Podcast Episodes, Positive Risk-Taking

Podcast Episode 015: Positive Risk-Taking

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2We live and work to varying degrees in a blame culture, which can drive us unintentionally to make more risk averse decisions on occasions. But taking risks is an essential part of a healthy life. The questions that we need to address are why we take risks, and then to consider how we go about taking risks.

The concept of Positive Risk-Taking is discussed in this episode, as something that emerged in the thinking relating to mental health services, but is equally applicable to everyone’s lives. The concept is firmly based in strengths-thinking, because we gain confidence in taking risks if we are more aware of our or others strengths. The discussion highlights the importance of clearer use of language in order to communicate more precisely what we mean.

A further message is that a risk averse option is not a risk-free option. Quotes are used to illustrate the importance of taking risks in our lives.

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/015-positive-risk-taking/id867043694?i=316182597&mt=2

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” [T. S. Eliot].

 

A Strengths Approach, Person-centred working, Podcast Episodes, Podcast Interviews

Podcast Episode 014: Steve Onyett Interview Part 2

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2In Part 2 of this extensive interview Steve Onyett explores his work interests and influences. With a focus on the current challenging and exciting times faced by health and social care services he discusses ideas around leadership, the role that solution focused approaches have played in his practice as well as development of others, and the ‘bonkers’ nature of the system that has emerged across the last couple of decades.

In relation to the priorities of the ‘system’ the question arises as to whether there is a place for the Sacred Fools to make a real impact? As for the next steps in his journey he explores the importance to him of becoming involved in the ‘Way of Council’ approach to personal development, and also outlines the true meaning of listening as he explores the idea of ‘listening from the heart’.

Steve embodies an excellent example of how and why we should honour both our ancestors as great influences on our own development, but also our successors through our care for the planet and the legacy we pass on to the next generation.

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/014-steve-onyett-interview/id867043694?i=315887798&mt=2

 

A Strengths Approach, Person-centred working, Podcast Episodes, Podcast Interviews

Podcast Episode 013: Steve Onyett Interview Part 1

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TheStrengthsRevolution_albumart_2-2Professor Steve Onyett reflects on the values that have influenced his work and personal development across the last 30 years, including where those values have emerged from. He identifies two particular people who have been influential, one specifically on his professional roles in mental health services, and the other offering him a mentoring role in his development as a spiritual being.

Steve is a well respected facilitator, coach, researcher and writer, but this interview also explores his aspirations in areas of environmental activism and the wider humanistic approach to personal development and his desire to support others. He is particularly engaged in the ‘Way of Council’, and the idea of a deeper ‘listening from the heart’.

For the full content of this episode click on the following 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/013-steve-onyett-interview/id867043694?i=315557844&mt=2