THE STRENGTHSPATH: May 2014

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Strengths @ Facebook

Facebook has a comprehensive multifaceted strengths program that is deeply embedded in the culture. In this short clip, Head of Learning, Stuart Crab explains some of the ways Facebook does it.

Monday, May 19, 2014

This video is a wonderful introduction to character strengths. Unlike talent, character strengths can be chosen and developed at will.

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Saturday, May 17, 2014

Who Is The Most Important Person In The Organization?

I am a huge fan of Harvey MacKay's books, speeches, newspaper columns and blogposts. While cleaning out some old emails, I ran across this post from November 2012. Harvey began the article with a provocative question...

"Who is the most important person in the organization?"

MacKay's wise answer... "Everyone"

Then Mackay continued with a short story:

"A sea captain and his chief engineer got into an argument about which one was more important to the ship. Finally they decided to trade places for a day. After a few hours, the captain suddenly appeared on deck, covered with oil and soot.

"Chief!" he yelled wildly waving aloft a monkey wrench. "You'll have to come down here! I can't make the ship go!"

"Of course not!" replied the chief engineer. "We're aground!"

This story demonstrates that everyone is important. As I like to say, "The boat won't go if we all don't row." You must be committed to each other."

This is a terrific strengths story. We need all of the strengths in play on every team if we want a healthy high-performance organization!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Flow...The 17 Triggers - Steven Kotler

The Rise of Superman: 17 Flow Triggers from Steven Kotler

The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance - Steven Kotler

In this "Google Talk" Steven Kotler talks about very recent advances in the Science of Flow. Flow is a state of extreme engagement, where the highest levels of performance take place in every field from art to accounting to athletics.

The One Question All Successful People Can Answer Immediately

In her article posted on "The Muse", Sarah Chang talks about, "The One Question All Successful People Can Answer Immediately".

The Question:

"If You Were A Super-Hero, What Would Your Super-Power Be?"

She's right. Two extensive studies have been done that completely support the idea behind knowing the answer to this question. "Awareness" of strengths and "Alignment" with those strengths are really the only common denominators of success across different roles, positions and functions.

What You're Really Meant To Do - Robert Steven Kaplan

Society constantly creates definitions of success for us...

This includes a barrage of input about and from:

Peer Push - "Come Work With Us"
Plant - "Who's Hiring"
Posting - "Who's Hiring"
Parental Push - "You Should Be A ______"
Promoters - "This Will Make Your Life Better"
Place - "It's Close By"
Pay - "I Can't Afford To Make Less"
Position Prestige - "The Title Sounds So Successful"
Programs - "The Television Version Of A Job"

In this "Google Talk", Robert Steven Kaplan shares a better way...

Passion - "What You Love"
Purpose - "What You Think Is Important"
Personality - "Fits With Your Temperament"
Potential - "What You're Naturally Good At"
Process - "What You Enjoy Doing"

If you like this talk, let me suggest his book by the same title!

Nick Campbell: Doing Your Best Work

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COACHING, CLASS, AND COLLABORATOR COMMENTS

The Purpose of this letter is to describe the benefits I enjoyed from my coaching experience with Dale Cobb. I had a very specific issue, which I needed help getting over the hump with. Our conversations were very helpful in keeping me on track and getting me to the finish line. I believe that Dale is a keen observer of the human condition and has the ability to reflect back an individuals thoughts and goals as one strives for success. I found the services offered by Dale to be timely and effective. In the future, I am sure I will be presented with challenges that require outside assistance. When that time comes, I will not hesitate to call on Dale for his fresh bright and insightful guidance.

Joe Sexton, Managing Partner, CFR Executive Search, Chicago, Illinois

“Working with Dale has always been rewarding. Dale has always been on the leading edge developing new ways of marketing his products and services. Always willing to try new approaches and follow through... Always convincing.”

Fred Friday, Junk King Franchise Owner, Chattanooga, Tennessee

"Dale has always impressed me with his integrity, marketing insights, compassion and follow through. He thinks outside the box, asks the questions that others fail to ask and has a real heart for training others to be the best they can be. You can count on Dale."

Tim Turner, Owner Turner Strategic, Atlanta, Georgia

“Dale is always the most prepared person in the room. He has the ability to listen and clarify the issue at hand. He is a creative, caring leader. He has always been a joy to work with.”

Beverly Sherman, Owner Creative Connections, Lansing, Michigan

“I would like to take the opportunity to offer my recommendation for Dale Cobb. He has the remarkable ability to clearly listen to a problem, understand the issues and suggest a course of action that satisfies the needs of me and my clients. I cannot tell you how many times his advice was precisely what I needed to close a deal or carefully resolve a difficult situation. He is resourceful and creative in his teaching style. Over all he helped me to be more efficient and successful in my career.”

Michael Ward, Houston, Texas

“Dale gives attention to detail and runs one of the best team meetings I’ve ever seen. He has the keen ability to make complex things seems simple enough that anyone could understand them.”

Elwyn Henderson, Owner-Partner Mosaic Images, Gilmer, Texas

“Thank you for all your time and encouragement. With your advice and direction, I was able to get a decent job offer. They even complimented my resume.”

Ben Davidson, Visalia, CA

Dale Cobb Bio

As a strengths strategist and and performance coach, Dale helps individuals and organizations maximize their effectiveness. He is the founder of SUCCESSPATH Career Development where he helps clients discover, develop and deliver their unique strengths in the workplace. Dale graduated from The Coaches Training Institute in 1999, has been certified as a "StandOut" trainer by the Marcus Buckingham Company and a "Strengths Performance Coach" by the Gallup organization. He lives on the Pismo Coast with his wife Susy.

STRENGTHSPATH QUOTES

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know it when you find it. Your time is limited; so don't waste it living someone else's life... Have the courage to follow your own heart and intuition. They somehow already know what they already want to become. Everything else is secondary.

~Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple Computers

Maintaining focus is the key to success. You should understand your circle of competence, the thing that you're good at, and spend your time and energy there.
~Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft

If there is any difference between you and me, it may simple be that I get up every day and have a chance to do what I love to do, every day. If you want to learn anything from me, this is the best advice I can give you.
~Warren Buffet, Investor

Voice lies at the nexus of talent (your natural gifts and strengths), passion (those things that naturally energize, excite, motivate, and inspire you), need (including what the world needs enough to pay you for), and conscience (that still, small voice within that assures you of what is right and that prompts you to actually do it)... There is a deep, innate, almost inexpressible yearning within each one of us to find our voice in life.
~Stephen R. Covey

The Hedgehog Concept is an operating model that reflects understanding of three intersecting circles: what you can be the best in the world at, what you are deeply passionate about, and what best drives your economic or resource engine.
~Jim Collins, From Good to Great

It's essential for today's employers to recognize and cultivate their employees' talents and gifts if they want to retain them and remain viable in the marketplace.

~Tony Robbins, Life Coach

"Marty Rodriguez Century 21 Real Estate is built around one concept: everybody only does what he or she does best. Each employee makes the most of a single focused attribute.
In my office, each person specializes in one aspect of the transaction. The mantra is, Do what you do best. I list, sell, and negotiate. My buyer's agents only sell. Our head escrow coordinator closes more escrows in one year than most people close in an entire career."

Marty Rodriguez, #1 Century 21 Realtor

"I love what I do and can't imagine anything that I would enjoy more. The last vacation I took was about 20 years ago. I was miserable."

Dolly Lenz, #1 Realtor in U.S.

I've learned to draw and read a little bit, but I'm really still a very one-sided person and I don't know a great deal. I have limited intelligence and I use it in a particular direction.
~Richard Feynman, Nuclear Scientist, Nobel Prize Winner

Most people reach adulthood with no idea what their strengths might be; yet, they are painfully aware of their failings.
~Marcus Buckinham, Author, The Truth About You

Success is achieved by the development of strengths, not by the elimination of weaknesses. Name any successful person. Does this person have weaknesses? You bet!
~Marilyn Vos Savant, Guiness Book Highest IQ Scorer (228)

You can't coach height.
~Basketball Saying

God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.
~The Apostle Paul, From Romans 12

Your ability unveils your destiny.

~Max Lucado, Author, Cure for the Common Life

...I was never a businessman... I mean I can add and subtract but I hate to read sheets of numbers. I like to write stories.
~Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, Creator of Super Heroes

If you have twelve crayons in your box, use your creativity and resourcefulness to make the best picture you can with these. Don't spend time worrying that someone else has forty-eight or sixty-four crayons. As you are, you are basically adequate to life.
~Laurence G. Boldt, Author, Zen and the Art of Making a Living

Picasso is weak on Einstein's theory of relativity, and Einstein is weak on impressionist painting. I can assure you they did not become successful people in their fields by trying to counter-balance their weakness.
~Bernard Haldane, Pioneer in Career Planning

If Benjamin Franklin would have tried to be a general and George Washington would have tried to be an inventor, we'd probably still be living in an English Colony with electricity.
~Tim Timmons, Author and Speaker

If there is nothing very special about your work, no matter how hard you apply yourself, you won't get noticed, and that increasingly means you won't get paid much either.

~Michael Goldhaber, From Wired Magazine

Talent, I love that word! So different from employees.

So different from personnel. So different from human resources. Talent! Just uttering the word per se makes you puff up and feel good about yourself!

...I love it because of the...images ...that it immediately brings to mind. Yo-Yo Ma playing the cello.Pavarotti at full volume. Gene Hackman or Nicole Kidman in complete command of a scene. Derek Jeter turning a double play. Michelle Kwan doing a triple axel.

Michael Jordan "parting the waters"...and making that famous last shot that won the Chicago Bulls their

sixth championship during his reign with the team.

~Tom Peters

Everyone has some natural talent oraptitude in one or more areas. If you can identify those areas you not only will be happier and perform more successfully

in that role, but you will become betterpaid for that. Our free market system pays for performance at some point. When you have a natural aptitude coupled with desire experience, the result is productivity plus.

~Dave Ramsey

I'm a lousy guitar player and an even lousier piano player. Had I not got Edge close by who was an extraordinarily gifted complex musician, I would be hopeless. Had I not got Larry and Adam, these melodies would not be grounded. But it's still very difficult for me to have to rely. Your weakness, the blessing of your weakness is it forces you into friendships.

~Bono, U2 Lead Singer

FIND YOUR EDGE AT WORK!