Paperwork Submitted

Just a bit of paperwork needed to be completed in order to register for the Jan 14-15 Strengths Coaching session. Since the paperwork is due Dec. 31st, and I'm out of town then, I made it a priority to complete everything today. I was able to get everything completed and send it off to the contact at Gallup University. Receipt confirmed, so I am all set!

It's Official! Strengths Coaching

Today I received an email from Michelle Bouwens at Gallup University. It includes time-sensitive materials for the Faith Strengths Performance Coach Level I Program! This program is coming to Saint Ambrose in mid-January and includes those who will receive training to a strengths coach for the parish. I'm really looking forward to it!

The next Living Your Strengths program is scheduled to begin Feb. 2, 2010. With this mid-January training program, I should be ready to go for the February session!

Living Your Strengths II - Follow-up Session

Today I attended my first follow-up session to the Saint Ambrose Living Your Strengths Program. Called LYS II, this session allowed for continued discussion about our Top 5 Strengths. There are somewhere between 9-12 participants in this session. There were a few discussion questions about examples of our strengths in action; when we weren't operating from a strengths perspective; etc. From a discussion I had with one of the facilitators a few days earlier, she had me share about the Go Put Your Strengths to Work book and other activities we could do to enhance our understanding of our Top 5 and how we can activate them in the work we do. Our next session will be scheduled possible in mid-January. Looking forward to it!

Now Discover Your Strengths

Got a chance to facilitate a group session for Clifton StrengthsFinder at work this Wednesday, 8 people in total. Made personal frames of each of their Top 5 Signature Themes as a keepsake and brought homemade chocolate treats too! With this session, I was able to add some national and best-practice-company comparative data which made the session even more interesting! The group got to see how they scored compared to both these averages as well as senior leadership at the bank where I work. They also are interested in the Go Put Your Strengths to Work follow-up exercise, perhaps reading and discussing one chapter per month. Looking forward to it!!

Two other group sessions will be coming up in early 2010.

Thanks Father Bob....

During Mass on Thanksgiving day, Father Bob taught us a new word that his nephew created: Tha-Your-Come! This new word is a combination of "Thank You" and "Your Welcome" which for a young boy learning so many new words, his interpretation of these was "thayourcome":)  Father Bob wove this nicely into his homily about gratitude/thanks and accepting of gifts etc.

Father Bob also took a moment to publicly recognize and thank a few parishoners for volunteering in the many activities going on at St. Ambrose. I was sitting closer to the front on this day, so I was one of the ones he pointed out. He noted my involvement in the Living Your Strengths program and jumping right in to get involved.

I also learned that the next new class for Living Your Strengths will begin in February, and our ongoing Support Group meets on December 14th. I'm really looking forward to them both! Here is a link to LYS details if you are interested in learning more!

http://www.stambrose.us/lys.htm

Sharing the Wealth

The Strengths Finder book may in fact be one of my most favorite. I have bought and shared so many copies of it, I almost forget all of those who I've given a copy to! This always comes back though, as others who have received a copy tell me about their experience with it. I love learning about their "top 5 signature themes" and the different insights or even "ah-ha" moments people have with it.

If you took the Strengths Finder, please share your "Top 5" and/or your insights and experiences with it.

My Top 5 Signature Themes were Achiever, Learner, Responsibility, Arranger, and Relator.

Strength-Based Coaching

Today was a great day as Carol Maline from Saint Ambrose asked me if I would be interested in taking a class to become a strengths coach! I had taken the fall version of Living Your Strengths class and definitely want to continue working with this wonderful tool to enrich the lives of others. How exciting!  The class is Jan. 14-15, 2010. More details to come...