Psychology@Work

SE18E7 - Strengths coaching for neurodiverse teams

Mon, 19 May 2025 07:34:02 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton and Holly Tennock, founder of Wilder Work and Strengthscope practitioner, explore the intersection of neurodiversity and coaching. They discuss the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, the significance of radical acceptance, and the need for psychological safety in team dynamics. The conversation highlights practical strategies for facilitating effective teamwork and coaching for neurodivergent individuals.

Follow Holly Tennock and Wilder Work on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollytennock/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/wilder-work/

Follow Dr Paul Brewerton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-brewerton-0719461/

Follow Strengthscope 👇

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/strengthscope/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strengthscope/

Twitter: https://x.com/strengthscope

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Strengthscope/

Building team effectiveness in 2025

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:35:49 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton discusses the findings from Strengthscope's latest research report, Team Effectiveness in the Workplace 2025. The conversation focuses on the strengths and habits of teams, the importance of trust and accountability, and the predictors of overall team effectiveness. Dr. Brewerton provides actionable recommendations for teams to improve their performance and emphasises the need for continuous review of team roles and goals.

00:00 Introduction to Team Effectiveness in the Workplace 2025
02:52 Key Findings on Team Strengths
05:16 Identifying Areas for Improvement
07:15 Predictors of Team Effectiveness
09:42 Conclusion and Future Research

Follow Dr Paul Brewerton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-brewerton-0719461/

Follow Strengthscope 👇

Download Team Effectiveness in the Workplace 2025

What energises leaders the most?

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:04:38 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton discusses the findings from Strengthscope's latest research report, Team Effectiveness in the Workplace 2025. He highlights key leadership strengths, the perception gap between leaders and their followers, and the changes in leadership skills over time, particularly in the context of the pandemic. He also emphasises the importance of recognising and leveraging leaders' strengths to enhance team effectiveness and organisational success.

00:00 Introduction to Team Effectiveness in the Workplace 2025
02:58 Key Leadership Findings from the Research
05:49 Leadership Strengths and Changes Over Time
09:12 Understanding Leadership Skills and Perception Gaps
12:00 Summary and Next Steps for Leaders

Follow Dr Paul Brewerton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-brewerton-0719461/

Follow Strengthscope 👇

Download the report: https://www.strengthscope.com/ebooks/team-effectiveness-in-the-workplace-2025

How strengths build agile, high performing matrixed project teams

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 09:06:00 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton discusses the need for organisations and teams to be more agile in the face of rapid changes brought about by AI and the evolving workforce. He emphasises the importance of cross-functional collaboration and leading through influence rather than hierarchy. The discussion covers Strengthscope's five stages of team development, the significance of clarity in goals and roles, and the role of strengths in enhancing team performance.

00:00 Navigating the Agile Workforce
05:45 The Importance of Team Dynamics and Feedback

Follow Dr Paul Brewerton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-brewerton-0719461/

Follow Strengthscope 👇

Learn more about StrengthscopeTeam™: https://www.strengthscope.com/products/team

Research alert: Embedding strengths development habits with strengths journalling

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 10:03:43 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton and Claire Graham discuss the findings from The Strengthscope Research Team on the 8-week strengths journalling challenge, and the importance of strengths in the workplace. They explore how to make strengths stick over time, the methodology used for the challenge, and the significant positive shifts observed in participants' awareness and application of their strengths.

00:00 Introduction to Strengths and Research Overview
04:01 Claire Graham's Journey and Background
07:04 The Strengths-Based Journalling Challenge
15:20 Findings and Results of the Research
22:58 Participant Experience and Feedback
24:12 Challenges and Learnings from the Study
32:06 Recommendations for Strengthscope® Practitioners

Download a copy of the research findings 👉 https://www.strengthscope.com/ebooks/embedding-strengths-development-habits

Follow Dr Paul Brewerton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-brewerton-0719461/

Follow Strengthscope 👇

Learn more about Strengthscope: www.strengthscope.com

Creating a culture of openness and feedback with the Radical Candor model

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:19:06 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton discusses the complexities of giving and receiving feedback in organisational settings. He highlights the importance of constructive feedback, introduces the Radical Candor model by Kim Scott, and emphasises the need for a strengths-based approach to feedback. He also presents the Strengthscope360™ tool as a means to facilitate effective feedback delivery.

00:00 The Challenge of Giving Feedback
06:21 Understanding Radical Candor
07:48 Implementing Strengths-Based Feedback

Follow Dr Paul Brewerton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-brewerton-0719461/

Follow Strengthscope 👇

Read the blog version of this episode: https://www.strengthscope.com/podcasts/creating-a-culture-of-openness-and-feedback-with-the-radical-candor-model

Strengths on World Mental Health Day – what’s the link and what can you do?

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:08:10 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton discusses the importance of mental health awareness in organisations, emphasising the need for supportive workplace cultures. He highlights the alarming statistics regarding mental health issues among workers and the challenges in discussing these topics openly.

Dr. Brewerton advocates for a strengths-based approach to enhance employee wellbeing and create a more positive work environment, suggesting that organisations can significantly improve mental health outcomes by valuing employees as individuals and fostering open communication.

00:00 Enhancing Mental Health Awareness in Organisations
02:55 The Role of Organisational Culture in Mental Health
05:48 Implementing a Strengths-Based Approach to Wellbeing

Follow Dr Paul Brewerton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-brewerton-0719461/

Follow Strengthscope 👇

Learn more about Strengthscope: https://www.strengthscope.com/

How to use strengths in early careers and onboarding

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:22:51 +0000

Psychology@Work with The Strengths Guy!

How can strengths be used to recruit and onboard early-career employees? The main difference when recruiting early-career professionals is their lack of direct work experience, but this is when strengths come in. Tune into this episode to learn about Dr. Paul Brewerton's 8 steps to have a successful recruitment and onboarding experience.

https://www.strengthscope.com/resources

How strengths can help support teams to address Lencioni’s five dysfunctions

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 02:00:15 +0000

If you're not familiar with Patrick Lencioni’s model, it describes where leadership teams can go wrong. In this episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton breaks down the five dysfunctions and introduces the StrengthscopeTeam model, which offers practical tips to turn dysfunction into high performance. Hope you enjoy!

Strengths, business and neurodiversity with Nik Govier, Founder and CEO at Blurred

Sun, 19 May 2024 02:00:15 +0000

In this podcast episode, Dr Paul Brewerton and Nik Govier (Founder and CEO of Blurred) discuss why BCorp matters, neurodiversity, and how organisations can better help people with different neurodivergences thrive at work.

Hope you enjoy!

Josh Allan Dykstra on the challenge of measuring impact in the HR world

Mon, 06 May 2024 02:00:17 +0000

For all of us in HR, L&D, OD, and all the subsets of the people professions, it’s difficult to measure the impact of our work in a credible, business-friendly, and commercially relevant way. So today, Dr Paul Brewerton invites Josh Allan Dykstra, CEO of #Love Work, to talk about all of this and more to provoke some thinking and discussion around the return on investment measurement in the people professions. Hope you enjoy!

Strengths and entrepreneurism with Rachel Carrell, CEO of Koru Kids

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 02:00:16 +0000

An insightful conversation between Strengthcope Founder, Paul Brewerton, and CEO of Koru Kids, Rachel Carrell, as they dive into the strengths within leadership and entrepreneurship.

Hope you enjoy!

Scott Christie on strengths vs skills: defining the future world of work

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 02:00:16 +0000

Are strengths or skills going to be more important when we think about the future world of work and the future workforce? And quite frankly, right now? What are strengths, and how are they different from skills? Can you have one without the other?

Find out in this episode with Dr Paul Brewerton - Founder & Chair of Strengthscope, and Scott Christie - Head of Training & Integration at Strengthscope.

Research alert – how to get the most from strengths at work… the evidence!

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 02:00:13 +0000

Listen in as Dr Paul Brewerton dives into the 5-step model to maximise the chances of achieving positive outcomes from the application of strengths at work. All research-backed, of course.

Hope you enjoy!

Bringing your people to the centre of change and transformation, with Dr Pete Thomond

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:37:03 +0000

Dive into this jam-packed episode with Dr Paul Brewerton and Dr Peter Thomond as they discuss the dynamic topic of change and transformation and how you can bring your people to the centre of it all. Enjoy!

Assessments in recruitment - from social desirability to the full candidate picture with strengths

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:19:02 +0000

Do you work in recruitment, talent acquisition, or in a broader HR role responsible for recruitment?

Have you ever applied for a job or participated in an assessment centre or development centre, or you may do so in the future?

Are you interested in the strengths approach and how it can create a fairer, less biased, more open and relaxed recruitment process?

If any of the above, then this episode is for you. Hope you enjoy!

Get ready for candidate-led recruitment, the strengths way

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 02:00:10 +0000

Recruitment today is no longer a ‘two-way’ process. It’s more ‘candidate way’ than ever, irrespective of the ebbs and flows of the recruitment market. Recruitment today needs to allow a candidate-centric, candidate-led approach in order to win the war for talent and to keep people engaged and retained for as long as it makes sense for both parties.

In this episode, find out how the strengths approach plays a crucial part in candidate-led recruitment. Hope you enjoy.

Kent Frazier, CEO of ParadoxEdge - a strengths-based approach to becoming more fully human

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 02:00:17 +0000

Tune into this insightful conversation between Paul Brewerton, Founder and Chair of Strengthscope, and Kent Frazier, CEO of ParadoxEdge, on a strengths-based approach to becoming more fully human.

Hope you enjoy!

S16E12 5 strengths must-dos to keep strengths in your daily practice and in the flow of work

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 02:00:13 +0000

Research tells us that people who use their strengths every day see many positive outcomes: less stress, better relationships, greater job satisfaction, higher levels of well-being and improved problem-solving. So how can you be part of that group?

Today I want to share my top 5 tips for making strengths part of your daily practice and bringing them into your day to day work flow. Enjoy!

S16E11 - The 8-point plan that will guarantee your strengths-based organisation lasts

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:13 +0000

How do you implement a strengths-based approach that sticks in the long term? In this episode, you'll uncover eight key principles to help you sustainably achieve an organisation with strengths embedded in its culture.

S16E10 - How you can change a culture in 5 simple steps

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:16 +0000

Where does culture come from, and what influences it? Why is culture so hard to change? We delve into these questions and explore 5 simple steps to change a culture. This is the final part of our culture trilogy. Check Season 12, Episodes 7 and 11 for the first 2 parts.

S16E9 - Why social identity theory matters to us all and what you can do about it

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 09:05:23 +0000

In this episode, we explore how individuals adopt different identities based on their social groups and why they do this. The social identity theory is relevant in various life contexts, particularly work environments. From the impact on teams and organizations to the critical aspect of leadership, you will gain valuable insights into harnessing the power of social identity theory for positive outcomes. Join us as we navigate the complexities of human behaviour and discover how it can shape history and the workplace.

S16E8 - Why would anyone want to be led by you? The question all leaders should still be asking themselves

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:34:37 +0000

In this episode, we delve into the enduring question posed by professors Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones: "Why should anyone be led by you?" We explore the challenges of authentic leadership, reflecting on how this concept has evolved over the years, and discuss the struggle of aligning academic research, business demands, and popular opinion in the realm of leadership.

S16E7 - How can you tell if your organisation is ‘strengths ready’?

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:37:50 +0000

In this podcast, we explore the journey of adopting a strengths-based approach in organizations. From defining the approach to understanding its impact, we delve into what it takes to make the strengths approach work. Discover the keys to success and the common pitfalls to avoid.

S16E6 The loneliness of the leader (and what you can do about it)

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 02:00:27 +0000

Stepping into a leadership position is one of the most challenging career transitions you can make, but, If becoming a leader can lead to a sense of loneliness, and continuing on your leadership journey can get more and more isolating, what are the risks of that, and what are the solutions that have worked for other leaders?

Here is my four-step guide to dealing with leadership loneliness - hope you enjoy!

S16E5 - How the strengths approach can support a neurodiverse culture

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 02:00:16 +0000

Neurodiversity is a super important topic for everyone in the workplace, not least for managers and for people professionals in HR, talent and learning and development teams. Neurodivergences need to be understood at work so that they can be accommodated, so that ND individuals can continue to feel included and valued.

S16E4 - How to use strengths in influencing

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 02:00:10 +0000

In today’s podcast, you'll learn about six clear steps for upping your influence game using your own strengths. Enjoy!

S16E3 Using strengths to support DE&I in today’s lockdown-affected generation

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 02:00:14 +0000

How should your talent acquisition strategy be modified to accommodate the lockdown-affected generation? The strengths approach can help! Find out how in this episode - hope you enjoy.

S16E2 The power of compassion - social support is the most crucial driver of our health

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 02:00:25 +0000

Today’s episode is about the power of compassion and how you can bring more of it into your life, into the lives of the people you care about and into the lives of everyone you come into contact with, in practical ways.

Enjoy!

S16E1 Unlocking early careers - the power of strengths based onboarding

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 02:00:15 +0000

Successful onboarding programmes play a pivotal role in retaining and engaging graduates and apprentices. Embracing a strengths-based approach to onboarding allows employers to bridge the gap between expectations and the realities of the workplace. That's the topic for today's podcast.

Enjoy!

S15E12 How strengths can positively impact your early career

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 02:00:18 +0000

Whether you’re a graduate, an apprentice, or someone else early in your career, or whether you’re someone who works with those in early careers, today’s episode is for you.

I want to share how strengths can really help those coming into the workplace in various ways. Enjoy!

S15E11 Research alert - is Gallup's latest 'global trends' engagement survey helpful or hurtful

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 02:00:17 +0000

In today's podcast episode, Dr. Paul Brewerton provides a personal view of not just Gallup’s annual engagement survey findings but also some pointers on making sense of any research report – what to look out for from a positive point of view and from a contrary perspective, so that you can draw your own conclusions on what’s helpful and what’s not so helpful in research such as Gallup’s.

Enjoy!

S15E10 How managers can get the most from a strengths approach

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 02:00:23 +0000

In today’s podcast, I want to offer some practical tips to managers for getting the best use of the strengths approach. I’m going to answer three questions:

How can you bring your strengths into day-to-day management practice?
How can you start a dialogue about strengths with your direct reports?
What are some concrete actions you take immediately to get strengths talked about, lived and breathed?

Enjoy!

S15E9 Building a feedback culture in 8 steps

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 02:00:14 +0000

Today’s episode is about building a feedback culture by focusing on culture first. So here is my 8-step guide on how to get feedback flowing in your organisation.

S15E8 Research Alert - This is what makes an effective leader

Sun, 28 May 2023 02:00:14 +0000

Our study found that 1. Successful leaders have very different strengths that they draw on to achieve results, 2. That it matters more how you use your strengths and not whether you have specific strengths, 3. That to be rated as an effective leader, you need to show breadth of behaviour across 4 key areas and that 4. The highest predictor of leadership effectiveness as judged by feedback providers is when leaders are focused on creating a highly motivating work culture.

Find out more in this episode.

S15E7 Does 360 degree feedback actually work? How can you get the best from it?

Mon, 22 May 2023 08:25:25 +0000

In today’s episode, I want to explore the evidence for 360-degree feedback and the evidence against.

I want to give you some top tips on how to get the best from 360-degree feedback when you’re the feedback recipient and how to get the best from your feedback process as an organisation.

Enjoy!

S15E6 The power of strengths-based feedback

Sun, 14 May 2023 02:00:09 +0000

Today I want to throw the spotlight on the power of strengths-based feedback – when to do it, how to do it and what happens because of it.

Hope you enjoy!

S15E5 Research alert – strengthening teams to deliver on their goals

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 02:00:17 +0000

There isn’t a huge amount of high-quality peer-reviewed research out there on the benefits of using strengths in a team setting, which is why this new research paper I'm going to share is so exciting and why I’m keen to share it with you.

Hope you enjoy!

S15E4 A pathway to a high performing team - Tuckman x strengths

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 02:00:21 +0000

In today’s podcast, I want to smush together two tried and tested philosophies: the strengths approach and Tuckman’s model of team development, to give you some practical pointers on developing teams towards high performance using team members’ strengths. Enjoy!

S15E3 No not that AI… Appreciative Inquiry as a powerful method for change

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 02:00:12 +0000

In today’s show, I’m going to focus in on why Appreciative Inquiry is such a powerful tool for personal, team, organisational and even societal change.

Enjoy!

S15E2 Taking control of your career with strengths

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 02:00:14 +0000

Today’s podcast is how to use your strengths as foundations to support you when you decide that you need to make a career move. Or when your employer decides for you. I have 5 top tips for you.

Enjoy!

S15E1 Applying the strengths approach to learning through change: 4 top tips

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 02:00:12 +0000

Change can take so many forms. And for most of us, it is registered in the brain as a threat rather than an opportunity.

But, if change is now so commonplace, maybe we can consider reframing it so that we’re less likely to deny or resist it and more likely to look for learning and growth opportunities for ourselves.

Hope you enjoy!

S14E12 How you can insulate your career from new technology by focusing on strengths

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:00:19 +0000

Fast forward to today, and AI is powering the majority of customer service interactions for many businesses. In Strengthscope’s case, this runs at up to 85% for a typical month.

In today’s episode, I would like to give you, fellow non-AI human, 6 tips for staying relevant as AI advances accelerate.

S14E11 Combatting change fatigue with strengths

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 02:00:11 +0000

One of the top priorities for HR leaders in 2023? Organisational change.

If change is everywhere, and we know it is everywhere, how can we keep our people insulated from change fatigue? That’s the topic of today’s episode on combatting change fatigue with strengths.

S14E10 How to give feedback well - 7 top tips

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 02:00:11 +0000

Today I want to give you seven top tips for getting the best from feedback, particularly when giving it, but with a couple of references to receiving feedback too.

S14E9 Are strengths still relevant in 2023? Part 2

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 02:00:14 +0000

The question at Strengthscope that we pose ourselves regularly is, how can we support our clients to create strengths-based cultures? To truly breathe life into the strengths approach? That’s what I want to focus on today: can you create a strengths-based organisation? And if so, from a practical point of view, how?

Enjoy!

S14E8 - Are strengths still relevant in 2023? Part 1

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 02:00:18 +0000

Are strengths still relevant in our volatile, unpredictable world in 2023?

That’s the question I’d like to address in today’s episode and next week in a two-parter, by putting the pros and the cons in this episode. And in my next episode, I want to cover some of the practicalities of introducing and embedding a strengths approach into organisations today.

S14E7 Privilege - what it is and why it matters

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 02:00:14 +0000

Privilege is getting quite a bit of airtime right now. So as a white, straight, cis, non-disabled, middle-class male, I’d like to spend today’s podcast introducing the idea of privilege, talking a little about the journey I’ve been on with it, and to talk about its importance and relevance to work and to life today.

I appreciate that talking about privilege at all can raise questions. Like ‘Who is this guy to be talking about privilege anyway?’, ‘Why should I listen to this? I come from an underprivileged background and I’ve worked hard to get where I am, so this doesn’t apply to me’ or even ‘I’m done with all this woke nonsense, can’t we just move on?’. I appreciate it all that so all I ask is that you spare me 10 minutes to see if you get any value in what I’m going to share.

S14E6 How can you apply positive psychology during change?

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 02:00:25 +0000

In today’s podcast, I want to give you some reflections and practical tips on how you can apply positive psychology during change, in VUCA environments. This is relevant both if you’re a manager or leader, or if you’re not.

Enjoy!

S14E5 Human-centred change – 6 top tips for leaders

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 02:00:13 +0000

What is human-centred change and why do leaders need to know about it?

When it comes to change, there are some principles which apply to all contexts and one philosophy that is most likely to lead to a successful outcome, whatever your leadership situation: aim for ‘human-centred change’.

Enjoy!

S14E4 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) – an introductory guide

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 02:00:07 +0000

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a topic which is getting more and more attention in today’s workplace. And rightly so. In today’s podcast, I would like to take you through a basic introduction to DEI. And by the way, I recognise my perspective and my privilege in doing this: I identify as a middle aged straight white male, meaning that I fall into none of the protected characteristics groups that define DEI’s focus.

Enjoy!

S14E3 How to use your strengths to manage change and transformation

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 02:00:11 +0000

Today’s podcast gives you some guidelines on how to use your strengths, and the strengths of others, when facing changes large and small. And while my podcasts focus on work, actually, these principles can be applied equally well to your home life too.

Using your strengths during change puts your brain on a more positive footing, enabling it to help you make the changes with the minimum of pain and the maximum of energy.

Enjoy!

S14E2 Strengths versus competencies-what happens when you have one without the other

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 07:00:11 +0000

A question I get asked often is, what is the difference between strengths and competencies – are they the same thing, or different ways of looking at the same thing, or are they different things completely?

Today’s podcast is a response to those questions.

S14E1 Top 4 strategies for avoiding the strengths in overdrive trap

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 08:10:52 +0000

Dr. Paul Brewerton is bringing you the 4 top strategies for dealing with strengths in overdrive.

Before you can go to those strategies though, you need to lay the groundwork and that means knowing your overdrive risks and knowing your triggers. So let’s go there first.

S13E12 The art of developing a ‘win-win’ relationship the strengths way

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 02:00:21 +0000

We are all attuned to making judgements about how the hierarchy of whatever we have in our minds at that moment works – fame, wages, social value, height, attractiveness – whatever we’re using as a criterion, humans are really attuned to making judgements about relative position in order to assess how we’re doing.

But there are some limitations to these very human urges when it comes to developing win-win relationships. A win-win relationship is a situation where both parties are able to meet their own needs and the needs of the other person.

Have a listen as we dive in more into this topic.

S13E11 Strengths: the nature vs nurture debate

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 02:00:14 +0000

I’m back after a summer break of no work and no podcasting, I’m feeling refreshed and delighted to be able to reconnect with you and get back to the topic of strengths and how your strengths can support you day to day throughout your entire life.

In today’s podcast, I want to take a request from one of our listeners, also a question I’m often asked when speaking to our strengths practitioner community and give you my thoughts on the nature-nurture debate, with a specific focus on strengths. So the question I’m posing myself is ‘to what extent are our strengths inherited from our parents (that’s nature) and to what extent do we develop them independently of genetics (that’s nurture)?’. So let’s go.

S13E10 Getting out of your comfort zone safely with the art of stretching strengths

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 06:00:08 +0000

When it comes to your development and growth, how can you stretch yourself safely? How can you continue to develop and grow and learn and improve, or move to the next level of performance, without feeling that you might just end up toppling over a cliff into an uncontrolled descent?

Today’s podcast is about stretching safely. It’s about recognising that to get out of your comfort zone, you need to experience discomfort. And it’s about taking your strengths with you as a way of feeling confident about the challenge you’ve taken on.

Listen to this week's podcast, Getting out of your comfort zone safely with the art of stretching strengths.

S13E9 How to work out what you really really want, post-pandemic

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 15:58:35 +0000

People have been fearful about their job security, followed by a stampede for the exit door in the great resignation. Concerns about the rising cost of living is putting pressure on people to be more careful about making a move. It’s pretty confusing and no one knows what’s next.

How can you work out what you really really want post-pandemic? Dr. Paul Brewerton has 5 questions for you to consider. And wow, are they big questions.

Listen to the podcast now.

S13E8 Setting clear expectations with your line manager

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 16:15:38 +0000

This week, Dr. Paul Brewerton goes into a little more depth, with some ideas both for line managers and for their direct reports about setting clear expectations.

What he'll be covering includes:
Asking for feedback from your boss (and actually the other way round too)
Giving feedback – both positive and constructive
Understanding each other’s strengths and values
How to align when we’re coming from different places – the art of compromise

S13E7 How to ask for feedback well-5 top tips

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 02:00:10 +0000

In a recent survey by employee engagement firm, Office Vibe, a significant 65% (that’s two-thirds) of employees said that they wanted more feedback at work.

We can deduce from that stat that the feedback they’re looking for isn’t forthcoming without someone doing something differently. So how about if you want more feedback, you ask for it?

As we’ll explore in today’s episode, that’s more challenging than it sounds for a variety of reasons. Today, I want to give you some tips on asking for feedback well.

S13E6 5 top tips on using your strengths to upgrade your work life

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 06:34:52 +0000

Today’s episode is going to be a check-in on using your strengths well at work if you’re already a strengths fan and user and it’s going to be a useful introduction if you’re relatively new to the world of strengths. Today, I’m going to be giving you my top five tips on using your strengths to make your work life more you-shaped.

S13E5 Team well-being - the essentials guide

Mon, 16 May 2022 02:00:18 +0000

So what is well-being, because it seems to be a phrase on the tip of many people’s tongues these days? Well it depends who you ask but well-being is pretty well-defined by the New Economic Foundation: “…how people feel and how they function, both on a personal and a social level, and how they evaluate their lives as a whole.”

S13E4 How to turn a leadership group into a leadership team

Mon, 02 May 2022 02:00:12 +0000

How often do you hear the term leadership group? Rarely, and when you do, it will be when describing a cohort of leaders on a development programme or some kind of discussion forum or committee. So, if you’re part of, or you know of, a leadership team actually running a function, department or whole organisation that right now is more group than team, then this episode is for you because my focus today is on turning a leadership group into a leadership team.

S13E3 Team onboarding 101 - top tips to help new colleagues get on the good foot

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 02:00:17 +0000

There’s a lot of churn out there right now. Lots of people moving roles, moving organisations and moving teams. And that means a lot of change for individuals and for teams too. So in today’s podcast I want to make a point, and I’ll give you some practical tips too on how to get new team joiners off to the best possible start when they’re joining a new team.

S13E2 Hybrid team working - how to get the most from hybrid teams

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 02:00:10 +0000

How best to navigate hybrid team working in a post-pandemic world? How can you get the most from the teams you work in and who work for you? I have four areas to discuss and for each I’ll take you through the ups and downs as I see them and how you can get the best from all worlds…virtual and in person.

S13E1 Sticky teams - how to build a team that people just won't want to leave

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 02:00:17 +0000

S12E12 Team development essentials – what teams often forget and where you can help…starting with strengths

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 02:00:09 +0000

This episode is about team development essentials, starting from a position of strength but moving into the development of positive team habits, to support a team through change and challenge.

S12E11 Assessing an organisation's culture right now - the definitive guide

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 02:01:56 +0000

Today’s episode is on assessing the culture you have right now, to get a sense of where your organisation is, so that you can get a sense of where you’ll need to prioritise actions in order to get closer to your envisaged future state. So let’s get to it.

S12E10 What is strengths-based learning and development and why does it matter?

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 02:00:09 +0000

The strengths-based approach offers a compliment and an antidote to the deficit approach. And strengths-based learning and development helps us focus on developing and stretching our strengths, rather than spending all of our time on hammering out our weaknesses and shortcomings.

S12E9 Why setting clear expectations is important and how to do it

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 02:00:14 +0000

A recent Towers Watson survey reported that half of managers don't set effective employee expectations or goals.

And if, therefore, 50% of employees haven’t received a clear message on what is expected of them, they will figure out their own expectations, they won’t know how close or far away they are to what their manager had in mind and no one will know when or if the expectation has been achieved.

This episode is all about the art of setting clear expectations and how to do it.

S12E8 What is a strengths-based approach in coaching?

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 02:00:08 +0000

In this episode, I discuss:

Coaching - what it is
Why strengths are so vital in coaching
The STRONG model
Killer strengths-based coaching questions

S12E7 How to map your future culture and how to work out when you need to

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 02:00:09 +0000

Today’s episode relates not necessarily to the assessment of your organisational culture right now, I’ll come back to that in a future piece. No, this blog is about mapping out your future culture and how best to do that.

S12E6 What is psychological safety and how can you get it?

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 02:00:10 +0000

I want to talk about psychological safety – what it is, why it’s important and how you can develop greater psychological safety in your organisation and within your teams.

S12E5 Strengthscope and Insights - are they happy together?

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 02:00:11 +0000

In this week's episode:

What is Insights?
What are the benefits of Insights?
What about any downsides?
Does Strengthscope and Insights work together?
Transitioning the conversation from Insights types to unique strengths
How to choose Strengthscope vs Insights or Strengthscope + Insights

S12E4 How to get the career you want - ikigai x strengths = your killer career

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 02:00:23 +0000

This episode is all about getting the career you want, being prepared to make your move when the market conditions are right, or, quite frankly, when your conditions are right…that is, when you’ve decided that a career or role change is right for you. To help you navigate these decisions, I have some reflections about what not to do if you want to get the career you want, need and deserve. I then want to move on to describing the Japanese concept of ikigai to help you find your career sweet spot, and to finish, a reminder to bring your strengths into action to help you find the confidence to finally make your move.

S12E3 Goal setting for the year ahead - the strengths way

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 02:00:10 +0000

Why is goal setting important?

It’s important because repeated research has shown that setting goals can make a difference to motivation and performance in many areas of life.

In this podcast, discover the 4 steps you'll need which will help you to goal set in the year ahead, or any time of year, the strengths way…

S12E2 The changing psychological contract post-pandemic and why you need to take it seriously

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 02:00:11 +0000

In this weeks episode, discover:

The psychological contract
The employee psychological contract
How has the psychological contract time and again over the past 50 years?
If the pandemic changed things again?
And how how the employee psychological contract changed post-pandemic?

S12E1 Beyond Hogan - the power of strengths

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 02:00:08 +0000

The Hogan suite of psychometrics is very widely used in organisations across the world. The best known tools in the Hogan portfolio are what Hogan call their ‘bright side’ profiler (Hogan Personality Indicator or HPI) and their ‘dark side’ profiler (Hogan Development Survey or HDS).

In this podcast, discover:

What is Hogan & Why it's so popular?
It's pros & cons
Comparison of Hogan & Strengthscope

S11E12 Strengthscope and Myers Briggs - friends or frenemies?

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 02:00:14 +0000

Myers Briggs or the Myers Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI, call it what you will, but the language and concepts of Myers Briggs are still the most widely recognised across the world when it comes to psychometric profiling and people getting a toehold in understanding their personality and preferences.

In this podcast, find out:

What is Myers-Briggs good for? And what are its shortcomings?
How can Strengthscope and Myers-Briggs work together?
Top 3 tips for choosing Myers-Briggs, Strengthscope or a blended approach

S11E11 Where did positive psychology go wrong?

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 02:00:06 +0000

In this episode, I discuss:

Positive psychology and its attraction of criticism
Research findings
Links to ‘happiness’ and ‘toxic positivity’
The risks of Western-centrism
Links to religion, ethics and evangelism
The value of positive psychology?

S11E10 - What is flow and how can you use it to manage stress?

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 02:00:14 +0000

In this podcast, I want to get into flow with you by diving deeper into this idea, how it relates to stress and stress management, how you can use that knowledge to get more from your daily work as well as giving give you my Top 3 tips for getting into a flow state.

S11E9 What is the PERMA model of positive psychology?

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 02:00:10 +0000

Why do we need a model of well-being and why is this one good?

I'll take you through the PERMA model, explain each element, and give you a sense of practically-speaking, how you can use it to up your own well-being.

Seligman describes PERMA as a five factor model, which others have added to over the years but today I’m just going to cover the fab five of:

P – Positive emotions
E – Engagement
R – Relationships
M – Meaning
A – Achievement

S11E8 What is positive psychology and how can it help you?

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 02:00:12 +0000

In this podcast, you'll discover what positive psychology is, some key concepts and how it can help you in your day to day life.

S11E7 Why building a strengths-based organisation is top priority for leaders

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 02:00:14 +0000

How do organisations and the people within them, build their capacity to cope with change, shocks and uncertainty at the same time as dealing with increasing competitive and regulatory pressures that require a higher level of output to even stay in the game?

Evidence is becoming increasingly compelling that building and leading organisations where people are psychologically safe, where they are valued and understood and where their talents and strengths are put to the very best use leads to the most positive organizational outcomes.

S11E6 How to get your career mojo back

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 02:00:09 +0000

Feel like you've lost your mojo?

Maybe you're stuck in a rut at work, meaning your interest in is starting to wane? Or could it be that you're moving to a more senior leadership role or moving into a different business area which will take you outside of their comfort zone?

So how can you keep your mojo if it’s on a high, and how can you get your mojo back if it’s ebbing away. In this podcast, I want to give you my top tips for both.

S11E5 Squiggly career or career ladder - the choice is yours

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 02:00:18 +0000

In this podcast, I want to give you five top tips for navigating your career whether you choose the ladder or the squiggle. They are:

1. Build a language around your strengths

2. Work your network…beyond the obvious

3. Keep learning and make it personal

4. Keep exploring your career possibilities

5. Own your career story

Listen to find out more.

S11E4 Busting career myths to build a strengths-based career

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 02:01:14 +0000

There’s a lot of old ways of thinking about careers still kicking about in what you might have assumed would be a more enlightened time. So this podcast is designed to help debunk some of those career myths and help you build a career that’s more you-shaped, based on your strengths. My five myths are:

Work is meant to be tough, choosing a strengths-based career seems indulgent
All careers and roles will give me the same opportunity to use my strengths anyway, right?
Other people will see my strengths and find the right role for me
I should focus on removing my weaknesses and making myself an all-rounder
My role doesn’t really play to my strengths but there’s not much I can do about it

S11E3 Do you really want to be a manager - finding a career path that fits for you

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 02:00:53 +0000

I want to introduce you to a practical model that does just that. It will help you work out whether you’d prefer to be a manager, an expert, an entrepreneur or a whether you’d prefer to go it alone, or dedicate yourself to a cause, as well as several other things besides. I’ve been helping people make better career choices using this model for over 20 years and I am happy to tell you that it’s good. Very good.

S11E2 How to smash interviews the strengths way

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 02:00:14 +0000

Picture the moment: you’ve seen a great role with a great organisation (or even a great internal project or assignment at work), and you just know that it’s a perfect fit for you and exactly what you want to be doing next in your career. But how do you make sure you get the opportunity to convince others and, more importantly, smash that all-important interview?

This podcast will help you smash your next interview, and all your future interviews, the strengths way, so that you can move to the next stage of your career journey, and the next and the next.

S11E1 Four truths about strategic leadership

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 02:00:08 +0000

“Finding time for strategic leadership means finding ways to be less occupied with management activities.”

― Paul A. Sacco, Strategy Quest: The Executive Guide to Finding Business Opportunities

In this podcast, discover:

That it’s not about what you know, it’s about what you think
Why you need to think w i d e when you’re at the top
How it is possible to do less and still contribute more

S10E12 When strengths go too far - tips to avoid the overdrive trap

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 02:04:27 +0000

In this podcast, discover: why chilling out can bring you better results; what got you to where you are may not get you to where you want to be; and how to be not only authentic but also attuned!

S10E11 How to find your purpose and why you don't have to

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 02:00:19 +0000

“Hold up a mirror and ask yourself what you are capable of doing, and what you really care about. Then take the initiative – don’t wait for someone else to ask you to act.” – Sylvia Earle

In this podcast, discover 4 things to think about if you are a purpose-seeker, (and 3 other things if you’re not!); 10 great questions to keep asking yourself through life; the wheel of life and how to control it!

S10E10 Becoming superhuman to stay ahead

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 01:00:10 +0000

“As more and more artificial intelligence is entering into the world, more and more emotional intelligence must enter into leadership.”

― Amit Ray, Mindfulness Meditation for Corporate Leadership and Management

In this podcast, discover:

What humans can do that machines cannot! (OR What is a bot and what is not?!)
How to become a Marvel hero (or move closer to being one anyway!)
How to develop your unique “you”!

S10E9 Be more you - the strengths way

Sun, 23 May 2021 05:00:15 +0000

When it comes to being authentic, with skill, there are few better approaches than by using the strengths approach. So in this podcast, I would like to focus on how to be more you, the strengths way. I have 5 steps to share with you:

1. know your values and purpose;

2. understand what energises you;

3. build a brand around that;

4. keep stretching, keep learning;

5. avoid overdrive.

I hope you enjoy this step by step guide to being you. Subscribe today and get The Strengths Guy podcast at the start of every working week.

https://www.strengthscope.com/be-more-you-the-strengths-way/

S10E8 How to share your leadership vision in 7 steps

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 04:28:10 +0000

It’s important for leaders to be clear on the purpose of their team, of their department and their organisation and the function of each in the world.

This boils down to having a vision and sharing that vision of something beyond just a job or a project for each person working for you, but instead to help each employee feel part of something bigger which is making a positive difference in your context.

This podcast gives you 7 steps on how to develop and share your leadership vision.

https://www.strengthscope.com/how-to-share-your-leadership-vision-in-7-steps/

S10E7 Building your stakeholder engagement strategy

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 05:00:36 +0000

In my coaching and development work with senior execs, there is one activity that I can guarantee will always form part of our conversations, almost certainly more than once. And that’s stakeholder engagement.

From forming a stakeholder engagement map to a stakeholder engagement plan or strategy, these discussions are almost always central to the success of our work together.

The reason? Everyone needs to know who their key stakeholders are, as well as the needs and expectations of those stakeholders, so that you can work out best how to work together so that you can each get your needs met. At leadership level, the stakes often get higher, and unmanaged or even unknown stakeholders can become a reason for projects to hit turbulence and for careers to get stalled.

https://www.strengthscope.com/building-your-stakeholder-engagement-strategy/

S10E6 How to build your personal leadership brand

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 05:00:17 +0000

Firstly, why build your leadership brand and is it worth doing?

The answer is an emphatic "yes". Like all great brands, having a strong leadership brand produces strong results in terms of improved demand, perceived value, reputation and results..

More specifically, a leadership brand helps

• To differentiate yourself in competitive internal and external marketplaces

• To increase your visibility in your organisation and make others aware of your value

• To ensure people have a clear sense of who you are and how to work with you

• To become more self-confident and self-motivated as you gain self-awareness and clarity about what you have to offer and how that marks you out as positively different.

This podcast looks at how YOU can shape your leadership brand through the leadership pyramid - an activity to help shape your communication of what’s important to you and how you can make a positive impact as a leader.

Today’s podcast is all about building your leadership brand.

S10E5 Diversity of thought for leadership teams

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

From a business point of view, the pandemic has taught us many things. At a business leadership level, once of the most relevant is the importance of divergent thinking, of diverse, innovative perspectives in decision making,

Particularly when under pressure and in uncertain situations. During the pandemic, the dependence of organisations on the decisions of their leaders for survival has been greater than at any time that I can remember. And I’m quite old.

When you combine the pressure-cooker of economic uncertainty and groups of leaders who are too similar in their decision-making approach, you can get short-sighted, panicky decisions that won’t stand an organisation in the best stead.

So in today’s podcast, I want to talk about how to bring diversity of thought to leadership teams so that the decisions made at the top of organisations have been considered from multiple and diverse viewpoints.

Welcome to diversity of thought, the strengths way.

https://www.strengthscope.com/diversity-of-thought-for-leadership-teams/

S10E4 What is strengths based leadership and how can you get it?

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 05:00:19 +0000

Strengths based leadership is getting a lot of interest these days and rightly so. When leaders enable the strengths of their teams, there is a large spike in engagement.

This can also lead to significant increases in productivity when taken into performance management conversations.

So the strengths based approach - managing and leading by focusing on others’ strengths - makes a human difference and a business difference.

This episode looks at the unique qualities of leaders who lead with their strengths and how you, too, can become a more effective leader through strengths based leadership.

https://www.strengthscope.com/what-is-strengths-based-leadership/

S10E3 Self-management and personal productivity

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 05:00:21 +0000

https://www.strengthscope.com/self-management-personal-productivity/

Technology has made it genuinely challenging to deal with the pace and volume of information coming at us day to day. It affects our sleep patterns, our relationships, our stress levels.

With all those potential distractions surrounding you, how can you improve your self-management to keep on top of your personal productivity and stay in control?

Today's podcast looks at some practical tips for self-management in the digital era, including:

- Remember who's in control, you or the technology. Even though the technology is designed to keep you interacting, you still have the power of choice how much to use it.

- Being present in the moment and learning to push away distractions.

- Prioritise true human connection. Although the pandemic is making it harder to connect in person but we can still use technology to connect with friends, family, work colleagues in more meaningful ways.

- Build digital self management habits. Building good "digital detox" habits, such as no tech in the bedroom or at the dinner table, can be a great start at escaping the constant distraction presented to us by technology.

Technology can truly enrich our lives if used the right way and hopefully these tips will help you improve your self management and stay focused in these increasingly digital times.

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S10E2 Building resilience in 5 steps

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 05:00:16 +0000

Read the article here: https://www.strengthscope.com/building-resilience-in-5-steps/

Online resilience course: https://www.strengthscope.com/resilience-course/

‘How can I develop resilience?’ is one of the questions we are most often asked at Strengthscope. Well, we’ve spent years in research and practice to discover the simplest and most effective ways to answer that question.

In this podcast, I’m going to share with you the model that we’ve arrived at and the methodology that we’ve taught through our training courses for quite a few years now.

It’s a 5 step model, but building habits in any one of these areas will make a difference to your overall resilience, so the more habits you add, the more resilient you will become.

The 5 steps to building resilience are:

Taking charge and controlling the situation that is causing stress
Mastering your mindset and making a choice how you perceive uncertain, unwanted or stressful
Optimise your strengths and energy to increase the liklihood of a positive outcome
Building a strong social support to act as a protective factor during stressful times
Embrace the challenge and keep growing and developing

At the end of the podcast, I’ll let you into a little-known secret that we’ve been hiding away on our website for a while that will give you access to much more of our thinking and tools on resilience.

S10E1 How to deal with tough feedback

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 05:00:42 +0000

In Season 1, Episdode 4 I discussed 'How to give great feedback in 3 steps', both positive and negative, emphasising the importance of being respectful, listening well and asking clarifying questions. Although I touched on how to receive feedback, the main focus was on giving it well.

In this podcast, I want to go more in depth on how to handle negative feedback, in terms of its emotional impact, how to respond to it and potentially act on it.

I'll bring in some personal examples from both work and home. Both are just as important as each other and involve emotions and well-being, for both parties.

In this podcast, I talk about:

- Preparing to receive feedback and making the time and space to hear it well;

- Being able to understand what the feedback means for the other person;

- Taking feedback postively, not personally;

- Using the feedback as a learning tool to help you evolve and grow.

Learning how to respond to negative feedback well is a valuable skill and and hopefully these tips will help you be able to get the best out of your every day.

Visit https://www.strengthscope.com/dealing-with-negative-feedback/ for more a full transcript and to sign up for exclusive Strengths Guy content

S9E12 How to own your development in 2021

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 05:01:22 +0000

During times of uncertainty and at the start of the year, people often tend to focus on their personal and professional development.

As we move to the end of January, with the freshness of the New Year starting to wear off, could be time to reflect again on the important things in life and reaffirm the commitment to ourselves to do those things we’ve been promising ourselves we’ll do for years but have never quite been able to get round to it.

In this podcast, we look at five ways to help you take control and own your development for the year ahead:

Check in with your purpose – your personal purpose and your work objectives – to find focus for your development
Be realistic – can you keep it going, is it possible, how can you make sure that you stick at it?
Use your strengths to do it your way – whatever your development goals, how can you energise your development plan so that you can make it strengths-based and you-shaped?
Supercharge a strength – push your comfort zone into stretch in an area that up to now you may have taken for granted because there’s nothing wrong with it, so need to stretch it, right.
Bring a friend – development becomes so much more real and achievable when you have a critical and supportive friend or friends who are there for your journey.

Hope you enjoy it and these tips help you get the best out of yourself in the year ahead,

Visit https://www.strengthscope.com/how-to-own-your-development-in-2021/ for more a full transcript and to sign up for exclusive Strengths Guy content

S9E11 What is growth mindset and how to develop one

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 05:00:16 +0000

Today’s podcast is on growth mindset. Such a powerful concept. Central to positive psychology.

Evidence links growth mindset to a variety of positive outcomes: higher goal achievement, motivation, lower stress, anxiety, depression, better work relationships and higher performance levels.

There is so much science to back it up. Carol Dweck at Stanford University is the person to go if you want the science and the evidence on the power of growth mindset.

And while Dweck’s research is focused mainly on promoting the development of growth mindset in schoolchildren, it is also possible to develop a growth mindset later in life, even if you come from a starting place of fixed mindset, as many of us do…including me.

In the podcast, I compare having a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and give 5 great tips for how you can develop a growth mindset, whatever stage of life you are at.

If you enjoy the podcast, and want to get more from your every day, head over to https://www.strengthscope.com/blog and sign up to get our emails for simple and practical tips on everything strengths and life.

Read more about developing a growth mindset:

https://www.strengthscope.com/how-to-develop-a-growth-mindset/

S9E10 Projecting forward for the year - taking control to boss 2021

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 09:02:01 +0000

Start off 2021 on the good foot!

In the first podcast of 2021, I look at several areas that will help you shape the next 12 months in a positive way:

How did you cope with the life changes brought on by 2020, and what did you learn about yourself through that? How can you use what you learned to take control of 2021 and make it as fulfilling, as energising and as 'you-shaped' as possible?
How will you use your strengths to drive value in the year ahead? Which strengths will define your year and specifically how will you use them, while avoiding the biggest risks tripping you up?
What's the best way to manage your energy? How can you find your joy and build resilience to do this?

2021 is just starting, let's get set up to make it a year which is stronger than ever.

S9E9 The benefits of gratitude – giving thanks to 2020

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 05:00:59 +0000

2020 has been challenging and damaging in so many ways. For many people, it has been completely life-changing. We have all experienced a sense of loss this year, but for some of us that has been loss of health, of loved ones, of livelihoods and of futures.

There’s not much positive to be had in any of that. At least not on the face of it. And yet, somehow, even while the world has in large part been hibernating and grieving, there have been good things happening.

Today’s podcast is all about gratitude. Finding gratitude, sometimes starting that process through gritted teeth, but nonetheless feeling gratitude for what we have been able to do, what we have been able to learn, what we have been able to enjoy this year.

What are some of the psychological and emotional benefits of gratitude and of being grateful on a regular basis?

How can you get those benefits?

What things can you do, in terms of gratitude, that will make the greatest difference to your mental, emotional and physical well-being?

https://www.strengthscope.com/the-benefits-of-gratitude-giving-thanks/

S9E8 Working from home well

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 05:00:47 +0000

During this global pandemic, most people have needed to adapt significantly to new ways of working and new ways of living that we haven’t had much choice over.

Working from home, for millions of people, is just one of those adaptations. So now, many months on from the start of the pandemic, what have we learned about working from home well?

About giving ourselves the best chance of bringing our best selves to our homeworking lives?

This episode gives you my top tips for getting the best from homeworking as we head into (well, at least for now), more of the same.

https://www.strengthscope.com/working-from-home-well/

S9E7 How to build trust in virtual teams

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 05:00:11 +0000

Building trust is more difficult virtually than it is when you’re in the same place as other people. You miss out on all the ‘in between’ bits – the micro gestures, the informal chats, the side conversations after meetings.

S9E6 How to do team check-ins

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 05:00:16 +0000

Team health is at a premium these days. As in wellbeing as well as performance for individuals in a team and for the team overall.

This year has been unprecedented in its demands on teams to flex and bend into all sorts of shapes they’re not used to. People leaving, joining, objectives changing, changing again, and for many teams, all in the context of zero physical in-person contact.

Checking-in on team health virtually is definitely trickier than in person but it remains more important than ever, given today’s uncertain climate, so that everyone in the team can really truly see each other and listen to and hear each other.

So, if you’re in a team, if you’re a team leader or if you’re working with a team, then this podcast is for you. The topic is disarmingly simple - how to do team check-ins well.

https://www.strengthscope.com/how-to-do-team-check-ins/

S9E5 Top tips for dealing with a dysfunctional team

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 00:00:20 +0000

The term ‘dysfunctional team’ sends a shudder through many of us, bringing up visions of a team that is infighting, politicking, game-playing, back-stabbing, bullying and emotionally outbursting.

So today’s podcast focuses on what to do when you are asked to support a dysfunctional team or if you feel you might be part of a dysfunctional team.

https://www.strengthscope.com/top-tips-for-dealing-with-a-dysfunctional-team/

S9E4 Building effective virtual teams the strengths way

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 05:00:05 +0000

Team development is squarely and firmly back on the agenda in most organisations. Now more than ever, teams are working virtually, so organisations need a route map for building successful virtual teams.

It would be easy to say that building virtual teams is just the same as building teams that are co-located, and to some extent that’s true, but there are definite differences.

In this podcast, I discuss five key areas to consider when building effective virtual teams. - how to build virtual teams using the strengths approach and how to make them work successfully.

https://www.strengthscope.com/building-effective-virtual-teams-the-strengths-way/

S9E3 Nine ways to improve virtual team communication

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 05:00:11 +0000

As our new world of working continues to reveal itself, virtual teamworking is fast becoming a standard in many organisations.

With more teams working fully virtually and others at least working partly on a virtual basis, there is a growing need for virtual teams not used to working in this way to get some tips on how to get the best from themselves and their members in the new normal. In today’s blog, I want to give you some tips on how to improve communication in a team, specifically in a virtual context, right now.

Virtual team communication challenges, magnified in the new world of work, are what I want to focus in on now. So here are my 9 top tips on how to improve virtual team communication, harvested just for you from our collective new world of work team experiences at Strengthscope.

S9E2 Improving your career wellbeing part 2

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 05:00:19 +0000

Last time, part 1 introduced the topic of career wellbeing and took you through the first 3 of the 7 elements:

Your career progression
your relationships at work
your relationship with the organisation

(If you missed it, you can catch up here: https://www.strengthscope.com/improve-your-career-wellbeing-part-1/)

Part 2 of our ‘improve your career wellbeing’ series looks at the final 4 elements that will help put your career on the soundest footing. They are:

maximising your work performance
finding your sense of purpose
using the 70:20:10 model to develop your strengths and
developing the right work-life blend

So, firstly, ask yourself this: do you actually like what you do each day?

S9E1 Improving your career wellbeing part 1

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 01:01:00 +0000

What is career wellbeing? Various researchers have tried to break it down into various elements including: career transitions you might make, your relationships at work, your relationship with the organisation, your work performance, your sense of purpose, learning and development and finally, your work-life blend.

So in today’s podcast, I want to give you some pointers on managing some of these elements of your career so that you can strengthen your career wellbeing and keep it strong.

https://www.strengthscope.com/improve-your-career-wellbeing-part-1/

Why would anyone want to be led by you - The question all leaders should still be asking themselves

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 00:00:10 +0000

S13E8 Setting Clear Expectations

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 04:00:22 +0000

I mentioned in last week’s episode on asking for feedback about the particular case of asking for feedback from your line manager, given that this can sometimes be challenging but your relationship with your line manager is probably one of the most important you have at work.

This week, I want to go into this in a little more depth, with some ideas both for line managers and for their direct reports about setting clear expectations.

S8E12 Supercharge your wellbeing

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 05:00:16 +0000

Now is a really good time to focus on your well-being and one of the central pillars of you feeling well is to connect with other humans.

We are social animals and the last few months have been particularly challenging for us as to how to practically connect socially with other people. Much of our interaction has been through screens or other technology, we’ve been told to be careful about physical proximity (like hugs and kisses and touch) with the rules on social distancing; even when we’re in the presence of others, we may be wearing a face-covering, potentially reducing our ability to connect well.

But in spite of all of this, we all have an innate evolutionary human drive to connect, so it’s important for our well-being and for the well-being of others, that we make the effort to do it, because the payback is huge.

S8E11 Managing a team through change

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 05:00:15 +0000

https://www.strengthscope.com/managing-a-team-through-change/ Many teams are experiencing significant change as a result of the events of 2020 but change within teams presents a perennial challenge. Team membership is always fluid, goals and objectives need to be revisited, projects and focuses come and go.

This podcast focuses on what you can practically do to lead a team through change by ensuring they remain strong, fit and able to deal effectively with the challenges of change as they come up.

The current context for teams is more turbulent than ever. The threat or reality of redundancies, restructure and shifting priorities are more present now than they have been for a number of years.

This makes it even more important to look after your team’s health, whether you are a team member, line manager, business leader or a professional who supports teams in their development and performance.

Here are some practical tips to help check in on the health of your team. In doing this, I’ll be letting you know about some of the secret sauce we use at Strengthscope when we’re supporting teams on their journey towards sustainable high performance.

S8E10 - Returning to work - the strengths way

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 05:00:17 +0000

More offices and workplaces are now starting to open and more people are returning to work, and there’s an unusual atmosphere of normality combined with concerns about the unknown.

To ease those concerns and increase the feeling of normality, my headline advice is to go for familiarity and control, that will help ease any stress and tension you might be feeling, and that includes remembering your own strengths that can help you and risk areas which could hinder you.

This week, then, I want to talk about returning to work…the strengths way.

https://www.strengthscope.com/returning-to-work-the-strengths-way/

S8E9 How strengths can boost your well-being at work

Sun, 06 Sep 2020 05:00:11 +0000

Well-being at work is a hotter topic than ever and rightly so. We’re regularly being told that employees’ mental health is worsening and that stress-related absence is on the increase.

According to the UK’s official HR-representing body (the CIPD) between 2018-19, work-related stress increased in 40% of organisations and reporting of mental health conditions increased by 60%. Now this may be in part to do with the reduction of stigma associated with mental health and stress which is a good thing but nonetheless, the figures are stark. And events of 2020 will have an additional significant impact, once the data is in.

Today I want to talk to you about how strengths can help boost your well-being at work with some practical tips on doing that

In summery:

1. Find your own personal strengths that define you at your best and decide how you can use them more – this can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and increase engagement.

2. Find your purpose, the difference you want to make in the world, and figure out how you can use your strengths to get you there.

3. Discover your overdrive risks, when they’re most likely to turn up and then have a plan to stop them stressing you, so you stay more in control of you.

4. Borrow others’ strengths when you need help and offer them yours when they do.

https://www.strengthscope.com/how-strengths-can-boost-your-wellbeing-at-work/

S8E8 Sidestepping into a new role

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 05:00:18 +0000

Something we’re hearing from more and more organisations is how they’re looking to help their employees explore new opportunities in areas of the business that are continuing to do well even when faced with the challenges we’re seeing today.

Sometimes, this kind of role sidestep might mean a need to upskill and it may well also give people an opportunity to pursue areas of strength that they haven’t yet had much access to.

I have five steps for you: know your strengths; work on your resilience; find your strength opportunities; take your strengths with you; and beware your overdrive risks.

https://www.strengthscope.com/sidestepping-into-a-new-role/

S8E7 Adjusting to the new normal

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 05:00:13 +0000

The new normal is a funny phrase because it makes you think that at some point, change is going to stop and normal is going to be forever and then we can all chill a bit and get a bit of certainty back.

Let’s hope that’s true but for now, one thing we know for sure is that there’s a lotT of change around and more change ahead. We don’t know what it will bring but we know it will mean that things won’t be the same as today.

That's alongside all the background questions about how we live our lives that keep rattling around without a definite answer:

Will I ever not to have to wear a mask again?

Will I have my job in 6 months?

Will my job be the same in 6 months?

Will I be going back to the office?

Will Zoom be a forever way of communicating?

Will handshakes ever be ok again?

Are shops going to come back or will I shop online forever? And so on and so on.

Today I want to talk to you about how to constantly adjust to new normal after new normal after new normal without freaking out and without checking out.

https://www.strengthscope.com/adjusting-to-the-new-normal/

S8E6 How to aim for progress not perfection

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 05:00:19 +0000

Are you a perfectionist? Perfectionism has significant negative health impacts. Learn how to keep it under control so that it remains in service to you rather than you becoming a slave to perfection.

https://www.strengthscope.com/how-to-aim-for-progress-not-perfection/

In a 2019 study of around 41,000 young people, researchers found that over the last 25 years, people across the US, Canada and the UK have become more perfectionistic in terms of: others having higher expectations of us, us having higher expectations of others, as well as us having higher expectations of ourselves. The rise of social media has been used to partly explain this effect and importantly, there are significant negative health outcomes associated with each form of perfectionism.

My name’s Dr Paul Brewerton, the strengths guy, Doctor of Psychology and Founder of Strengthscope. My podcasts land with you at the start of each week to get you off to the strongest possible start. I podcast about work, life and strengths and how you can get the most from each.

So what is perfectionism? Well I said in my intro that compared to a few decades ago, we now perceive that others have higher expectations of us, that we have higher expectations of others, and we have higher expectations of ourselves – that’s actually three types of perfectionism…socially-prescribed perfectionism, other-oriented perfectionism and self-oriented perfectionism – yikes!

S8E5 Getting the best from your strengths in a crisis

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 05:00:10 +0000

https://www.strengthscope.com/getting-the-best-from-your-strengths-in-a-crisis/

Once upon a time, the strengths approach wasn’t so well-known as it is today and one of the pushbacks to the approach I used to hear fairly often was about strengths being a great idea for the good times, but actually how helpful are your strengths in bad times, when you’re under pressure, in a crisis if you like?

So today’s podcast relates directly to that challenge and the question – ‘how can you get the best from your strengths in a crisis?’

My name’s Dr Paul Brewerton, the strengths guy, Doctor of Psychology and Founder of Strengthscope. I podcast on Mondays to set you up for a strong week ahead, talking all things life, work and strengths and how you can get the best from each.

Strengths in a crisis? Invaluable! Whether that crisis is small-scale and short-lived or whether it’s bigger and more chronic and long-lasting, your strengths are there for you to draw on every day, for you to remember to bring them out when things are going smoothly, and (even especially) during the choppy times too. Remember that your strengths are those things that energise you and that you are great at, or have the potential to become great at…so they should serve you well whatever the weather, right? Well, the challenges in using your strengths in a crisis are twofold.

S8E4 Building out your support network

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 05:00:15 +0000

Your social network can have a significant effect on your health – studies have shown that those with stronger social networks enjoy multiple physiological, psychological and long-term health benefits than those who lack social support.

This is particularly important at times of pressure and stress, when a sense of isolation can lead to higher experienced stress levels. And what about at work?

Today, I want to talk about the importance of cultivating a strong support network at work – what kind of people it might be most helpful to have around you and how to go about doing this.

Social networks have been shown to be as closely linked to your chances of dying as smoking, booze, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol. Without a strong social network, raised stress hormones can lead to damage to our immune and cardiovascular systems, as well as reduced motivation to engage in healthy behaviours.

Recovery from illness is prolonged when you don’t have a good support network too.

Why might this be? Some research relates positive health outcomes to reduced chances of inflammation (as we know, the basis of all diseases) when we have people around us who we value; we also know that positive neurotransmitters and hormones like oxytocin kick in when we feel connected, and these hormones can reduce stress levels, which in turn improves immune system function, and that can reduce the chances of you getting ill.

If you’re less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviours with a stronger social network, it all stands to reason that you’re less likely to get ill or die.

https://www.strengthscope.com/building-out-your-support-network/

S8E3 It's all fake news – learning to unbias what you see and hear

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 05:00:11 +0000

Why is it that the ‘news’ is pretty much always negative? We live in a world wired towards negativity bias (I podcast on this in Season 1, episode 2).

As humans, we react quickly to potential threats, that is we’re programmed to hear about those things first; in addition, we kind of like to hear about other people’s misfortune so that we feel better about our own situation (so called schadenfreude). And the media has evolved to give us more of what we want…negative stories about bad things happening because study after study has shown that that’s what we want to consume.

Today’s podcast is what to do about that when it all gets too much – how to rebalance all this negativity to get a sense of what’s really going in the world as a whole.

See the trouble is that as humans, negativity bias switches us towards being open to the negative. We place greater emphasis on negative stimuli.

Then another human bias (a psychological shortcut if you like, we humans have loads of these), availability bias means that we’re more likely to remember the negative news that we’ve seen because it’s more current in our memories.

To top it all off, yet another psychological shortcut, confirmation bias means we’ll probably go and look for supportive evidence of anything that’s available to us, which as we’ve learned, is likely to be negative. So we end up in a sea of negative, believing that everything is negative.

Read the full transcript:

https://www.strengthscope.com/its-all-fake-news/

S8E2 Building resilience – 4 things you and your team need to do

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 06:02:02 +0000

“A resilient individual is not someone who avoids stress but someone who learns how to tame and master it”. And my favourite definition is one that I heard at an event once – that “Resilience isn’t just the ability to bounce back, but to bounce forward”.

So if you want to get the best from yourself and your team during challenging times, what are the four things that you need to do to build resilience?

https://www.strengthscope.com/building-resilience-4-things-you-and-your-team-need-to-do/

S8E1 The future of leadership in the new normal

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 05:00:09 +0000

‘New normal’ seems to be the phrase of the moment (at least it was last month). But in truth, nothing ever really gets a chance to ‘normalise’ these days, so pretty soon, ‘new normal’ will be ‘old world’ and the next wave of new will be on us.

https://www.strengthscope.com/the-future-of-leadership-in-the-new-normal/

So how can leaders - how can anyone at any level for that matter - effectively navigate new after new after new? Today, I want to talk about the future of effective leadership, which to be honest is the now of effective leadership too. So have a listen to my 6 principles for the future of leadership and ask yourself how you’re measuring up.

When I talk about each of my six guiding principles for effective leadership both for now and for future, they’re going to sound simple. But to get the most from these, you’re going to need to be brutally honest about where you’re at right now, and then sufficiently disciplined to get to where you want to be.

My Big Six are: purpose, strengths, humility, clarity, enabling and evolution. Each of these principles is based on sound research on human psychology and behaviour, as well as leadership research and practice.

S7E12 Are you getting the most from the diverse strengths of your employees?

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 05:00:12 +0000

Diversity is one of the hottest topics in organisational life and for good reason: it relates to fair treatment of all groups, and all people.

Visit: https://www.strengthscope.com/getting-the-most-from-the-diverse-strengths-of-your-employees/

Taking a positive approach to diversity in organisations can also bring big commercial benefits, as I touched on in my podcast from not so long ago on ‘diversity and inclusion: how strengths can help’, at Season 7, episode 9.

Today’s podcast considers in even more depth the business benefits of diversity and poses the question ‘are you getting the most from the diverse strengths of your employees?’

When organisations plan diversity and inclusion programmes, mostly these focus on observable differences like gender, ethnicity, disability and age differences. This is important to address biases and unfairness and ensure that a workforce is representative of its customers. But it’s also important for organisations to build a culture where differences in thinking and where differences in ways of working are valued and leveraged. A powerful, positive way of building a more diverse workforce is to focus on people’s unique strengths, or the underlying qualities they have that energise them and which they’re great at, or have the potential to become great at.

Uncovering and then utilising people’s unique strengths is still not the default in most organisations. Once someone’s hired, many organisations still focus on people’s weaknesses and what they do wrong rather than helping them find opportunities to play to and develop their unique character strengths.

So I have five top tips which should encourage a more balanced approach and help you supercharge diversity and inclusion in your organisation by bringing in a strengths approach in support.

S7E11 Diversity and inclusion: how strengths can help

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 05:00:08 +0000

Today’s podcast relates to diversity and inclusion, the strengths way – how you can help your people identify what makes them truly unique and then support them in bringing that uniqueness to work each day.

Diversity and Inclusion strategies are seen as a technical necessity in organisations focused on fulfilling their legal requirements and stakeholder expectations.

https://www.strengthscope.com/diversity-and-inclusion-how-strengths-can-help/

But this misses one of the greatest opportunities in people management today: discovering and encouraging the unique contribution that can be made by each and every employee that works for you.

Why should we be concerned about bringing more diversity into the workplace. A Boston Consulting Group study found that companies with more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenues as a result of being more innovative. An American Sociological Association study found that for every 1% rise in the rate of gender diversity and ethnic diversity in a workforce, there is a 3% and 9% rise in sales revenues, respectively.

According to most of the research on the topic of diversity, including the Boston Consulting Group work, this improvement in business performance due to increased diversity is largely attributed to an increased capacity for creativity and innovation, in itself resulting from the inclusion of a wider range of perspectives and sets of experiences, which is more possible in a more diverse workforce.

Thus, if you encourage greater diversity, you’re going to create more innovation, more capacity for creative thought and as a result, better decision making, from top to bottom.

Which sounds amazing in theory....

S7E10 Managing anxiety through your strengths

Sun, 07 Jun 2020 05:00:12 +0000

In a recent study cited by the Mental Health Foundation, there were just over 8 million cases of anxiety reported per year in the UK and the global figures country-by-country are similar.

https://www.strengthscope.com/managing-anxiety-through-your-strengths/

During extraordinary times, particularly during times of crisis, economic or otherwise, people’s anxiety levels can increase significantly, as can other mental health outcomes, such as a depression and stress. And those 8 million were just the reported cases, which will represent only a fraction of the total number.

Anxiety affects an awful lot of people from time to time and for some people, for much of the time. In today’s podcast, I’m going to focus on different methods for managing anxiety if you are experiencing it, including taking a strengths-focused approach.

How should we define anxiety and what does it look like? Most mental health professionals will tell you that anxiety-related disorders come in various forms, including generalised anxiety, panic, social anxiety, phobias and post-traumatic stress. In their diagnosed forms, each of these can be called disorders, but for many people, elements of one or more of these disorders can be experienced at different times, without it actually ever being diagnosed.

What then can you do to get on the front foot if you find yourself experiencing anxiety? I have 6 top tips: 1. use your strengths, 2. breathing/meditation/mindfulness, 3. exercise/sleep, 4. challenging your thoughts, 5. talking to someone, and 6. accepting what you can’t control.

#anxiety #anxietyhelp #managinganxiety #strengths

#anxiety #depression #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #selfcare #love #stress #selflove #therapy #mentalhealthmatters #health #anxietyrelief #wellness #mindfulness #recovery #motivation #life#psychology #meditation #growthmindset #lifecoach #selfdoubt

S7E9 Find your joy

Sun, 31 May 2020 05:29:23 +0000

Something we tend to forget as adults as we take on more responsibility, more life baggage, more ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’, is how to reconnect with the child that is still there in all of us. A particular child as well, our ‘free child’, the child who did things for the sheer joy, the enjoyment, the fun, the feeling.

https://www.strengthscope.com/find-your-joy/

As we grow, it’s easy to lose that connection with the younger freer us and all too soon, the opportunities, and responsibilities, that we so craved as children moving into adulthood, can feel more like a burden at times and can keep us distant from the inner free spirit that was the child us.

Today’s podcast is about finding your joy as an adult – what makes you feel good just for you and getting back to that. This podcast is best listened to as a follow on to ‘How to change the habits of a lifetime’, which is at Season 6, episode 8

S7E8 Empowering your team with strengths

Sun, 24 May 2020 05:00:32 +0000

Wherever your team are located right now – remotely or physically, some together, some apart, research shows us that when people play to their strengths, they are more likely to perform well.

https://www.strengthscope.com/empowering-your-team-with-strengths/

The business case therefore for bringing strengths into everyday management performance conversations with employees include:

Higher levels of well-being, motivation and self-confidence at the individual level
More effective teamworking, problem-solving and improved relationships at the team level
Focusing on strengths during performance management conversations has a significant impact on employee performance, improving performance by over 36% on average.

Today’s podcast focuses on how to empower your team using strengths in your one-to-one conversations as a manager.

It's a quick introduction and reminder to empowering and enabling your team with strengths.

When these discussions become part of day to day conversations with your direct reports, you will see their confidence grow, a greater sense of ownership and engagement with tasks and ultimately an increase in performance – as I mentioned, this can go up by 36% on average when used in performance management conversations.

#strengths #humanresourcesmanagement #managers #management #projectmanagement #talentmanagement #managementteam #skillsmanagement #teammanagement #leadershipmatters #humanresource

S7E7 The power of discomfort – managing your emotions well

Sun, 17 May 2020 22:00:19 +0000

During the course of each day, you’re likely to experience some emotions that are uncomfortable, difficult, distracting or we might even label them as negative or unwanted. These emotions can be brought on by a whole range of triggers – work, relationships, memories, pressure, stress, the weather, our general mindset and so on – humans are complex creatures.

The power of discomfort – managing your emotions well

These uncomfortable emotions can be distracting and can sometimes lead us to a place of what feels like ‘stuckness’ because we don’t notice or can’t pinpoint what we’re feeling so we just find ourselves getting irritable and tetchy. That then causes a negative response in others which creates a self-fulfilling prophecy ("see, I was right to be feeling a bit rubbish today, looks like everyone’s feeling pretty low"), leading to even more stuckness.

Today’s podcast focuses in on uncomfortable emotions and helping you to manage them by noticing them, describing them and then choosing whether, and when, to act on them.

S7E6 Why you should be directing your learning towards your strengths

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 06:30:14 +0000

Daily strength users enjoy higher levels of well-being, lower stress levels, higher levels of motivation, are more effective at problem-solving, have improved relationships at work, higher self-confidence, see greater career success and enjoy higher levels of job satisfaction.

For the research findings which back up all of that, check the references at the end of this blog. What we also know is that if you seek to learn and develop in areas of strength, where energy and motivation already exist, you’re also more likely to see quick and strong results.

Today’s podcast is about directing your learning towards areas of strength – why and how.

S7E5 Managing your mindset in tough times – the path of possibility

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 21:59:10 +0000

There’s negativity all around us and sometimes that can make things feel stuck, like we can’t move forward. It’s relatively easy to get caught up in those negative feelings so our focus can become even more negative and we see even more of the negative when actually nothing much has really changed.

Get this on the Strenghtscope blog

Today’s podcast is all about becoming aware of your mindset and making conscious choices about shifting it when you’re ready to do so. That is, learning how to move from the path of limitation to the path of possibility.

The path of possibility is there for you, and strengths can give you a gateway to get there.

S7E4 Managing stress and change

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 22:59:15 +0000

Stress affects us more than we might think. The American Institute of Stress recently reported that over 80% of workers feel stressed at work at some time, so understanding what stress is is important.

Stress occurs when the demands of a situation exceed your perceived ability to deal with them. The more that we perceive we can control, the less stressed we feel.

Today’s podcast is about managing stress and change and controlling the controllables, so that you can stay on top of stress and stay at your best.

S7E3 What to do when you don't have the strength

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 21:20:12 +0000

We’ve all been there – when you feel you’re in a situation where you just don’t have the strength to get the best outcome. You might be facing change without having a Flexibility strength. Or you might need to work with others but you don’t have Collaboration as a strength.

Or you may be needing to think about the future, without the benefit of a Strategic mindedness strength.

What can you do in these situations? You might second guess yourself, you might feel anxious that you don’t have what it takes, you might even find yourself engaging in negative self-talk, beating yourself up for not having the right stuff.

So what can you do when you find yourself in a place where you feel like a fish out of water, lacking confidence, uncertain and in uncharted territory?

Today’s podcast is about what to do when you just don’t feel that you have the strength. Here are 3 tips (options) that will help you face these situations.

S7E2 Getting the best from virtual teamworking

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 00:01:18 +0000

So I’ve been working with wholly or partially dispersed or virtual teams for around 15 years, across a number of industries and today, I’d like to talk about what I’ve learned from working with these teams to help them ensure that they get the very best from themselves and from others in the team when working at distance.

This podcast is best consumed in combination with my others on Making homeworking work for you (Season 6, Episode 12) and Getting the most from remote management (Season 7, Episode 1), so check those out too. Whether you’re a team leader, or a team member, in a virtual team, or even in a co-located team to be honest, this podcast is for you.

Transcript here: Getting the best from virtual teamworking

Now, the challenges with virtual teamworking are several and can include time zone differences, communication challenges, people not feeling connected or involved, fewer non-verbal cues than in co-located environments. Here’s what the science says about virtual teamworking…

Teams with a strong group identity tend to feel closer and more united
Team members who share personal information, like stuff they enjoy or information about family life, develop deeper connections and greater trust
This is important: trust among team members starts lower in virtual teams than in face-to-face teams, but over time, it can build to the same levels
Formalising a virtual team’s goals, roles and communication methods at the start of the team’s journey improves effectiveness
Shared leadership rather than hierarchical leadership is associated with improved team performance, probably because it’s impossible for one person to direct an entire project, so team leadership works best with team members leading in their areas of expertise.

So with all that, and so so much more, in mind, I bring you my tips for getting the best from virtual team working.

S7E1 Getting the most from remote management

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 21:00:13 +0000

More and more people are managing some or all of their team remotely these days – partly because technology allows and in some cases, because circumstances dictate.

Whatever the reason for you managing others remotely, or even you being managed remotely, I’d like to share some tips with you on today’s podcast as to how to get the very best from yourself and your team if you’re in that place.

Transcript - Getting the most from remote management

First up, there’s nothing virtual or remote about virtual or remote management, at least not in the literal sense. Like I mean it shouldn’t feel either virtual or remote to your team – instead the aim is to make it feel close and real. Management at a distance needs an even greater awareness of human psychology and your team’s needs than co-located management. And that’s particularly the case in challenging or stressful times when there’s uncertainty about, so my tips relate firstly to good practice management, whether you’re co-located or working separately from your team, and secondly to those things that you need to be particularly aware of when managing from a distance. So here’s my tips for good practice remote management. There’s a few here, so let’s get going

S6E12: Making Homeworking work for you

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 15:25:00 +0000

Working from home is on the increase thanks mainly to improvements in communication and work technology, and for some people it’s more of a necessity because of their location or home circumstances.

Personally, I work from home 2 days a week so that I can do the school run twice a week and I’ve had periods of my working life where I’ve been full time working from home and also part-time homeworking, so I kind of know the territory both with kids in my life and without kids.

Today’s podcast is about how you can make homeworking work for you, whatever your individual work preferences and style may be.

S6E11: The energy lifeline - plotting your year ahead

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 18:50:48 +0000

The energy lifeline - plotting your year ahead

As we come to financial year end for many organisations, it may well be worth taking a moment to stop and reflect on how the last year at work has been for and how you can get more out of the year ahead.

To do that, I want to introduce you today to the energy lifeline – a handy tool that can be used in all sorts of ways…looking at your whole career, your relationships, your family and home life, all sorts really, with the same basic approach.

Today though, we’ll be using the energy lifeline to reflect on the year just gone at work so that you can identify when you were at your most energised and least energised, what the underlying reasons might have been for this and how you make that work for you in planning for the year ahead.

So you can plan your year to get the best from yourself and your life without the year running away with itself and you being merely a passenger.

S6E10 The greatest leadership risk of all

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 18:02:53 +0000

So what is the greatest leadership risk of all? It’s not the stuff that leaders do badly or don’t do at all, despite what you might think.

It’s not having a lack of skills in certain areas, although of course that can be a problem all of its own.

No, the greatest leadership risk of them all is the dreaded strength in overdrive.

Today I want to talk about this leadership risk in more detail – how to recognise strengths in overdrive and what to do about it once that overdrive behaviour has been spotted.

S6E9: Energise your employee experience or die

Sun, 16 Feb 2020 23:59:00 +0000

Energise your employee experience

Employers are starting to wake up to the fact that it’s them who need to start flexing to the needs and expectations of their employees rather than the other way around.

And in my view, these changes are accelerating, won’t be reversed and any employer that doesn’t shift its thinking will fail to attract and keep good people, ultimately leading to untimely death.

In todays podcast I am going look through a strengths lens – well there’s no greater relevance for strengths than in the context of the employee experience.

S6E8: How to change the habits of a lifetime

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 12:26:34 +0000

How to change the habits of a lifetime

Changing habits comes up a lot on people’s to do lists – when we want to keep our NY resolutions, lose weight, get fit, stop smoking, eat healthily and so on and so on. With the stuff I talk about on these podcasts, it’s usually the case that we’re wanting to change habituated behaviour by adopting new thinking or new behavioural patterns and using our brain’s innate ability to create more efficient neural networks.

But some of our habituated patterns of thinking and behaviour go soooo far back to our early lives that they may well underpin many of our behaviours in later life, wait for it, without us even knowing!

I’m going to be talking today about one way of looking at these drivers of our behaviour, in the context of a psychotherapeutic system called Transactional Analysis.

Why? Because I want to talk about whether what our parents gave us as ways of thinking and behaving from the very beginning of our lives are still working for us now.

And if not, what we can do about it.

S6E7: Creating super strengths and not strength monsters

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 00:27:04 +0000

Today's podcast is about how adding strengths together can actually lead to a multiplication of strengths (I know right, mad maths), which can make those strengths either super-strong, or which may lead to them getting totally out of control.

How to create super-strengths and not strength monsters

S6E6: Want to live longer - you need Ikigai

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 00:06:43 +0000

My podcasts focus on the intersect between life and work and strengths and Oh My Actual God (other deities are available), today’s podcast really does cover all three.

Like literally, in the form of a diagram - Ikigai.

Live Longer With Ikigai

S6E5: How to make your leadership 360 degree feedback process actually work

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Today’s podcast is all about the intersection between work and strengths and how to do this best, particularly when it comes to leadership development.

Make your leadership 360 degree feedback program work

S6E4: 4 key tips for engaging employees

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 00:32:25 +0000

Employee engagement is a workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to their organisation’s goals and values, motivated to contribute to organisational success, and are able at the same time to enhance their own sense of wellbeing.

Engaging employees is seen as a bit of a ‘holy grail’ when it comes to managing people and looking after their well-being.

So how exactly do people professionals – from departments like Human Resources, Learning and Development and Organisation Development - create the conditions to engage employees in their work?

That’s the topic of today’s podcast. To keep it simple, I’m going to focus on four key elements for engaging employees in the workplace.

S6E3: 5 Top tips for goal-setting in the year ahead

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 00:33:43 +0000

So as we head in to the new year, there’s a good chance that you’ll be thinking about your goals for the year ahead.

So the question I’m posing this week, and giving you some tips for, is how best to structure your goal-setting for the start of the year (or quite frankly for any time) to give you the best possible chance of success. And, as usual, my tips are backed by science.

S6E2: Being present at Christmas

Sun, 08 Dec 2019 23:22:55 +0000

Being present at Chrismas

I know you know that Christmas can be stressful. Forget that, Christmas is stressful. In fact, hold on, has someone actually designed-in stress to Christmas as a way of making more money from us?

Or is that a conspiracy theory too far?

Ok, so assuming no one's actually deliberately manipulating our stress levels against our will at Christmas, we’re probably more in control of the Christmassy goings-on than we think.

Present-buying, late-night shopping, organising family events, friend get-togethers, work socials, Christmas dinner organising, cooking, hosting, present-giving, family tensions, overindulging.

All these things can be seen as standard stresses that we associate with Christmas but they’re also kind of restricted to just Christmas itself – like nothing else is quite like it for creating that nervous anxiety.

So in today’s podcast, I want to talk about staying present at Christmas and keeping focused on the important things, so you don’t get washed away in a sea of unsatisfying busyness only to wake up on Boxing Day needing a serious holiday and wondering what the last few weeks have all been for.

S6E1: Decision making - getting the best from your head AND your heart

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 06:00:23 +0000

There’s a lot of contrary advice out there on whether we’re better at making decisions with our ‘hearts’ (keying into our intuition, values and feelings) or with our ‘heads’ (referencing logic, facts and evidence), so I wanted to spend today’s podcast considering how you can get the best from both worlds, rather than ignoring, suppressing or overplaying one or the other.

How to make decisions

S5E12: How to own your development...the strengths way

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 00:00:03 +0000

In today’s podcast, I want to talk about a popular topic – how to own your own development, in a work context. In some organisations, there will be a formal process for putting together your personal development plan. In others, there will be less of a formal process and more of an informal ‘development by request’ process, where you’ll need to put together your reasoning behind requesting a particular piece of development. So how do you take control of your development? The strengths way?

S5E11: Maximising the strengths of others - the art of great leadership

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 06:00:14 +0000

When you watch people who lead and manage others well – people that you come into contact with at work, or that you hear about from others, they’ll all be very different people – different values, stories, experiences, attitudes – everyone’s unique, right? But in terms of some of the behaviours of the very best leaders and managers – there is some commonality. And one of the things that the best leaders and managers have in common is that they are able to identify areas of natural strength for people, hold them accountable in these areas and encourage them to stretch those areas out of their comfort zones so that their people can take their performance and contribution to the next level. Which would make those leaders strengths maximisers.

In today’s podcast, I want to talk about maximising the strengths of others as one of the central practices of great leadership and management – how to do it, and what to watch out for too.

S10E5 Diversity of thought for leadership teams

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 05:00:11 +0000

S5E10: Strengths-based coaching

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 06:00:02 +0000

What is strengths-based coaching and how does it differ from more traditional approaches? In today’s podcast, I’m going to give you some tips and some killer questions that will help you supercharge any coaching-type conversation that you may have – whether it’s with a colleague, a direct report or an actual coachee.

S5E9: How to set expectations at work

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 05:00:12 +0000

Today’s podcast has a clear work focus and is how to set expectations. Well I say it’s a clear work focus…actually, who’s to say that following some of these approaches wouldn’t be helpful outside of work too. But mainly I’m going to be talking about work as the focus.

Transcript: How to set expectations at work

S5E8: How to improve employee engagement at work

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 05:45:04 +0000

To be successful with any task or activity, you need to be engaged with it, particularly at work. Increasing employee engagement at work has been shown to directly relate to organisational success – profitability, productivity, customer loyalty and reduced levels of absenteeism and turnover.

In today’s podcast, I am going to talk about what are some of the proven benefits of increased employee engagement are.

S5E7: Setting yourself up for a great winter

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 13:36:30 +0000

This week I talk about the challenges, both physically and mentally, that the change of the season brings.

Listen in to hear my tips on setting yourself up for a great winter and beat those winter blues.

S5E6: What are management and leadership strengths and how can you get them

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 08:41:24 +0000

What are management and leadership strengths and how can you get them?

One of the questions I am often asked in my work with leaders is ‘do I have the right strengths to be a leader?’.

In this podcast I talk about how it matters far less which strengths you have, but what matters more is how you use them. Listen in to hear my tips on getting know your strengths and using them effectively in any role.

S5E5: Upgrade your performance management process - setting expectations the strengths way

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 14:40:05 +0000

Performance management processes – you know, what many people still call appraisals – are having a bit of facelift, an overhaul, a loving boot in many organisations that we’re working with at Strengthscope. Why? Because traditional appraisals don’t work so well, or even at all, with today’s employees.

In this podcast, I want to talk about how the performance management process is getting an upgrade the strength way and what that means in practice.

S5E4: Can strengths change?

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 05:00:35 +0000

In our work around strengths – helping people to find, share and develop their strengths – we’re often asked the question…do strengths change over time?

On this podcast, I want to describe a couple of occasions where strengths do shift over time, both to become more prominent, or to play a lesser role.

S5E3: Habit stacking - what and how

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 05:00:04 +0000

One of the most frequently mentioned challenges I hear from people wanting to improve their work performance, or developing their strengths is making behaviour changes stick.

It’s tricky. Behaviour change hurts, needs discipline, and there are no short cuts.

However, there are cute ways that you can use what’s already in your brain to help changes stick.

One idea that seems to be getting a bit of love and noise around it at the moment is habit stacking – possibly because it sounds cool and efficient and quick.

So, in today’s podcast, I want to talk about habit-stacking, what it is, and if you want to give it a go, how to do it.

S5E2: Taming the energy monster

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 05:00:14 +0000

Have you come across the term ‘strength in overdrive’?

Well it’s a phrase that we use a lot at Strengthscope® - what it means is when you’re using something that is usually a positive quality for you, one that gives you energy and that you are good at using or at least have that potential.

But in certain circumstances, that strength can go just that little bit too far, so it tips into ‘overdrive’ territory, leading to unexpected consequences either for you or the people around you.

On this podcast, I want to give you some tips on how to spot a strength in overdrive and how to tame that energy so that you can use it positively and productively.

S5E1: Supercharging your development with strengths reflection

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 05:00:09 +0000

So last week, I recorded a podcast on the power of your reflection.

It’s not 100% necessary that you listen to that podcast before this one, but it will add to it for sure – for easy reference, it’s at Season 4, episode 12.

On this podcast, I want to talk about how you can take your reflection to the next level by factoring your strengths into the equation. Supercharging your development with strengths reflection

S4E12: The power of your reflection

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 06:39:15 +0000

No no no, this isn’t a podcast on how to take the best possible mirror selfies, that’s not what I mean by the power of your reflection, not on this podcast anyway; no, this is a podcast on the science behind reflecting on your experiences so that you can learn better and achieve lasting changes in your behaviour, and in your attitudes too.

S4E11: Taking your early career from strength to strength

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 05:00:19 +0000

In our work with students, graduates and apprentices, we have seen the central role the strengths approach can take in accelerating people’s early careers by building confidence, certainty in career direction and flexibility in managing careers.

In this podcast I’d like to give you a bit more on each of these points to make sure you can build the best career for you and enjoy every day of it too.

S4E10: De - Cluttering - science and solutions

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 05:00:16 +0000

Apart from the TV personalities who have made a career out of helping/bullying people to clear their homes and lives up so that we can all watch and say to ourselves ‘thank God I’m not as bad as that’, how many people do you know who are actually incredible at keeping their homes and workplaces and lives de-cluttered?

Not many right?

You may know one or two but one or two only and that’s because it’s not easy.

In this podcast i’m going to explain the science behind clutter, why it happens, and why de-cluttering doesn’t happen often, and then give you some ideas on how to make it more of a habit so that you can keep clutter in check more of the time.

De-Cluttering - science and solutions

S4E9: What meditation did for me

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 05:00:25 +0000

In several of my podcasts, where I’m offering tips for getting more from life or work, I mention meditation as an option to try. Beating the winter blues, coping with interruptions, ways to stay positive and how to do the holiday transition – meditation gets a namecheck in all of them.

So I want to focus this podcast on my own story with meditation – how I’ve found it’s helped me in ways I definitely didn’t expect and also what it’s not. And I’m going to give you some thoughts on how to try it if you want to.

S4E8: How to be curious without being weird

Mon, 20 May 2019 05:00:29 +0000

Well, you are here, which means that you’re curious about being curious, let’s get curious now...

Why be curious, is it worth it? particularly if being curious risks perceived weirdness. Today’s podcast relates to the whole of life, including work, and also relates to strengths and to spotting these in others.

S4E7: Dealing with strengths awe, strengths envy and strengths denial

Tue, 28 May 2019 05:00:17 +0000

In this podcast, I’d like to talk about some common challenges for people who become familiar with the strengths approach and who start to use it in their organisations, with their clients or in their lives.

These are things that we all face in one way or another, they’re all completely normal, they all have value and there are practical steps you can take to make the most of each one.

S4E6: Strengths fear and what to do about it

Sun, 12 May 2019 23:28:20 +0000

In this podcast, I’m really excited to talk to about an important topic and it affects all of us – I want to talk about strengths fear and what to do about it.

S4E5: How to find your values and why it matters

Tue, 07 May 2019 05:00:19 +0000

In this podcast, I cover why knowing your values is important, how to find your values and how to use that knowledge.

S4E4: How to do the holiday transition well

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 05:00:19 +0000

Back from a mid season break. On this podcast I’m going to talk about how to prepare well for transitioning to holidays from work and from holidays to work, so that you get the very best from yourself and for yourself. Check it out.

S4E3: Self protection - staying safe when you're under attack

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 15:17:43 +0000

This week's podcast focuses on how you can protect yourself and get the best from the situation when you feel attacked by criticism, negative feedback or a particularly aggressive or full-on person at work. Check it out.

S4E2: Self sabotage and what you can do about it

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 20:00:09 +0000

Whether it’s relationships, personal goals (like weight loss or exercise) or projects at work, self sabotage seems to be something that many of us are drawn to. Today’s podcast explores self sabotage – what it is, why it happens and most importantly, what you can do about it. Check it out...

S4E1 How to deal with imposter syndrome

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 19:00:21 +0000

Feeling that you’re not as competent or worthy or valuable as other people and that you might get ‘found out’ at any minute? This podcast explores what imposter syndrome is, why it happens and how to deal with it.

S3E12: Being your authentic self at work

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 18:34:06 +0000

There are a lot of reasons why people find it hard to turn up as their authentic, natural selves at work and in this week's podcast I'm going to explore this and offer some thoughts on why it’s important to be your authentic self at work and how to do it too. Check it out - Being your authentic self at work

S3E11: Who needs a mentor anyway

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 19:00:03 +0000

Mentoring seems to be on the rise in the self-help circles. There’s an increasing number of businesses also introducing mentoring schemes most often for managers and leaders. And some particularly forward-looking organisations are introducing more inclusive mentoring schemes such as reverse mentoring. So what is mentoring and how does it differ from other personal development approaches? How do you pick a mentor? And, who needs a mentor anyway? Check it out...

S3E10: Getting gravitas - how to build credibility

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 19:00:06 +0000

Gravitas is a word that is rarely well-defined, and which is therefore very hard to measure objectively, and it seems to be used as an umbrella term for ‘not having enough of an impact, or enough credibility, which is limiting career-wise’. And up it comes again and again and again with leaders and managers. What I want to do in today’s podcast is to try and define gravitas, and how it can best be developed, so that you can be more impactful and more credible to whoever it is you’re working with. Check it out...

S3E9: Find your hidden strengths

Sun, 17 Feb 2019 08:30:35 +0000

This week's podcast is all about hidden strengths - those things you didn’t even realise you were good at, or could be good at but that you do naturally - and how to out them and why it's important you do. Check it out...

S3E8: Reduce your stress by doing nothing

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 21:22:07 +0000

We live in a time where everything is quantified, measured, assessed in terms of likes, followers, shares, retweets, relative value of this activity over that, size of cake baked, complexity of dish cooked, number of steps taken, distance run, side hustles started, exoticism of holiday destinations booked. Exhausting, right? Happy with that? No? Ok, then check this week's podcast out and discover how to reduce stress by doing nothing.

S3E7: Work-life balance or work-life blend?

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 16:55:49 +0000

So we’re all striving for a better work-life balance right? Or is balance even the right word? Today’s podcast gives you some tips to keep in mind when managing those two aspects of your world. Check it out.

S3E6: How to stay positive

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 14:00:25 +0000

Welcome to my Top 4 tips for staying positive. These are finding things to be grateful for, recording and recalling one positive thing that happens every day, meditating and lastly, being kind. Why? Because science tells us these things work! Check it out - How to stay positive

S3E5: How to delegate well

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 17:14:58 +0000

Feeling overstretched, even burned out because you have too much to do? Or maybe you feel that your time management needs work? It might be time to look at how well (or not so well,) you're delegating. Here are my five steps to delegate well. Check it out - How to delegate effectively

S3E4: How to build trust

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 16:26:50 +0000

With the kind of work we do at Strengthscope, we are deeply conscious of the importance of trust. So how do you do that, how do you become the ‘trusted adviser’, how do you become trusted – as an individual or as an organisation? Check it out - How to build trust

S3E3: Making New Year plans all year plans

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 10:36:50 +0000

None of this new year new me talk which usually gets forgotten about mid-Jan, here's how to get you going in 2019, for the whole of 2019:

Be clear on what matters most to you Make your goals SMARTER Build new habits now Go easy on yourself

Check it out.

S3E2: Comparison is the thief of happiness

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 19:27:36 +0000

This week's podcast is a direct challenge to our very human behaviour of comparing with others in order to make judgements about ourselves. So I want to see how we can get the best from this natural behaviour and maybe build some new habits in the process. Let's go!

Comparison is the thief of happiness

S3E1: The myth of the strong leader

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 15:45:27 +0000

The strong leader approach doesn’t work, and it’s dangerous. This podcast is all about how leaders can build a brand around who they really are, rather than who they feel they should be, and in that way create an environment where people feel more positive, more committed and more excited to come to work every day. Let's go!

The myth of a strong leader

S2E12: How to develop emotional intelligence

Sun, 25 Nov 2018 10:39:11 +0000

This weeks podcast is all about how to develop emotional intelligence and why it's important. I’m just going to take you through the basics and give you some tips to go away with and start developing emotional intelligence for yourself.

S2E11: Exercise

Sun, 11 Nov 2018 14:57:31 +0000

Exercise: it's a MASSIVE topic. This podcast covers exercise in particular with reference to work and well-being, where there’s more and more focus being placed. Today, it's all about the Why, What and How.

S2E10: Dealing with change

Sun, 04 Nov 2018 18:33:30 +0000

Changes you might be facing could be small (like the expenses claim process at work or the fact that they’ve changed the recycling rules), or big (your job role is changing, someone has left work or someone in your life is really ill). The points in this podcast relate to ANY change, small or big and the important things to remember to look after yourself and deal positively with the situation.

S2E9: Beating those winter blues

Sun, 28 Oct 2018 16:49:10 +0000

As you make your way to work with more of the morning being in the dark and you leave work as the sun is setting, how can you set yourself up for a really strong winter BEFORE it’s properly arrived? Here are my tips.

Beat the winter blues

S2E8 How to be confident

Sat, 20 Oct 2018 07:14:20 +0000

Do you find that your confidence sometimes isn't where you'd like it? Do you look around you and see people who are better/cleverer/faster/funnier and wonder where that leaves you? Check out thestrengthsguy's podcast for some quick, science-based tips on building confidence you never knew you had - at work, at home, in life.

S2E7: Getting a proper sleep

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 17:10:12 +0000

Do you want to know how to get a better night's sleep? Listen to thestrengthsguy for 8 minutes for dozens of tips on the science of sleeping well and how you can up your sleep game. What is melatonin? Does bedroom hygiene really help? Should you be beditating? For answers to all these questions and more, download and enjoy.

S2E6: How to cope with interruptions

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 17:49:01 +0000

These days, more than ever, it seems that we are surrounded by distractions and this can lead to procrastination, feelings of guilt, frustration, visible irritation and stress. So how can you create the space that you need to do your best, focused work without interruption? Here's how...

Cope with Interruptions

S2E5: Stopping procrastination for good

Sun, 30 Sep 2018 18:11:51 +0000

Procrastination: it affects work, life, everything, and what's more, we're all susceptible to it, because we are all susceptible to feelings of anxiety over performing or carrying out something new, or which carries a slight risk, no matter how small that risk may actually be in reality. So, what can we do to stay focused and avoid procrastination? Check it out here...

S2E4: Take control of your career

Sun, 23 Sep 2018 11:56:31 +0000

Feeling a bit out of control with your career at the moment? In a bit of chaos perhaps? Don't worry, it's happening everywhere and we've got four tips on how to get back in the driving seat: work out your true north, take control, choose life and face your fears. Check it out.

Learn how to take control of your career

S2E3: Building stronger teams

Sun, 16 Sep 2018 20:04:43 +0000

Need to build a stronger team? We've got 5 tips in this week's podcast: know your purpose, find your strengths, use them well, manage the risks and build team rituals.

S2E2: Strengthen your relationships to get more done

Sun, 09 Sep 2018 19:08:26 +0000

How to partner with people with different strengths to you, and why it's amazing to do it. Four tips for building stronger relationships, and three watch-outs. Let's go!

S2E1: Building new habits

Sun, 02 Sep 2018 20:02:01 +0000

Your brain is wired to help you build new habits, and you can build new habits in as little as 30 days, but, it can be tough. Here's 3 super simple ways to do it successfully.

S1E12: How to do brand you: part 2

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 18:17:58 +0000

Part 2 of 'how to do brand you'. Last week was all about how to build your brand pyramid. This week? It's all about how to communicate your brand.

S1E11: How to do you as a brand

Sun, 19 Aug 2018 20:38:23 +0000

How to do you as a brand and how doing this can help you do more of what you love.

S1E10: Going slow

Sun, 12 Aug 2018 18:28:51 +0000

Go slow, take your time, appreciate whatever it is that you’re doing. There are some great reasons to make a habit out of going slow. Four of the best are: give yourself a chance; connect properly; build resilience; and appreciate. In today's podcast episode, we'll go over those four habits so you can finally learn how to go slow. All in under 8 minutes.

S1E9: Know your strengths

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 08:59:01 +0000

Everyone is talking about strengths. But how do you find your strengths, so that you can get more from work and life, every day? Here are 5 motivational tips to help you get to know your strengths, all in a handy 8 minute package.

S1E8: Nailing presenting

Sun, 29 Jul 2018 07:19:50 +0000

"A topic that's all important, can't escape it, it's gonna get you: nailing presenting ... So just be you - tell your story, your way - and make no excuses for that." Want to hear how to nail presenting in 10 minutes?

S1E7: Life laundry

Sun, 22 Jul 2018 10:24:22 +0000

"How you can stay clear, focused and positive, rather than over-busy overwhelmed and conflicted." : life laundry in 3 ways.

S1E6: Life lessons from the World Cup

Sun, 15 Jul 2018 19:32:23 +0000

"...so I'm just going with what I've observed on and off the pitch. No more, no less. And how that seems to have been just a little different at this World Cup, than those before..." : 4 life lessons from the World Cup.

S1E5: Doing more of what you love

Sun, 08 Jul 2018 17:25:31 +0000

"It feels pretty sad, that someone can get trapped in a cul-de-sac of a skill they've developed as a response to a situation just because they gave a damn. But for many people this is reality. So how to avoid this being you. How can you get to do more of what you love, and less of what you don't every day..." : Doing more of what you love

S1E4: Great feedback In 3 steps

Sun, 01 Jul 2018 18:15:38 +0000

"Feedback is a gift." : how to give and receive great feedback in 3 steps.

S1E3: Digital detox

Sun, 24 Jun 2018 16:06:53 +0000

"...increasingly people are feeling that the tech is running them, and that they're not in control of the tech. So, what are you going to do if you want to stay more in control of your digital life?" : mini, maxi & full reset tips on how to digital detox.

S1E2: The Negativity Bias

Sun, 24 Jun 2018 16:02:59 +0000

"It's everywhere. It's a human predisposition to look for the negative in everything we see..." : The Negativity Bias and what you can do about it.

S1E1: Great meetings in 5 steps

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

"Be exclusive and inclusive. Weird, ok. What does that mean?" : Making meetings great in 5 easy steps.

How to have great meetings

P36 The Future of Work with Ollie Pickup – what role for humans?

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:37:13 +0000

The Future of Work: What role for humans? An episode with Ollie Pickup.

Listen as Ollie Pickup and Paul Brewerton dive into the future of work, touching on topics such as AI in recruitment. Hope you enjoy.

Ollie is a London-based technology and business journalist. He has been labelled a "future-of-work influencer" and writes and talks about all of the subjects covered by the future of work – including employee experience, cybersecurity, workforce trends and artificial intelligence.

P35 Strengths in team coaching with Andy Chandler

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 02:00:22 +0000

This podcast with Paul Brewerton and Andy Chandler (MD of Barefoot Coaching) explores using strengths in the context of coaching, and particularly, team coaching.

Enjoy!

P34 Effective leadership in times of change - the value of strengths with Nyawera Kibuka

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 13:15:44 +0000

In today's episode, Paul and Nyawera talk about leadership in times of change. A conversation about what leaders need to do more of, less of, to learn, to focus on during change… for the good of their people and for the good of their organisations. And the role of strengths in this.

Enjoy!

P33 Strengthening my squiggly career with Shetel Khimashia

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 02:00:12 +0000

Today, Dr Paul Brewerton talks to Shetel Khimashia as they share some tips on managing and strengthening your own career. While also diving into Shetel's own impressive professional experience as she explains how and why she has been through many different roles in the past 3 years, for various reasons. Tune in!

P32 Strengths in education with Paul Mehra

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 02:00:16 +0000

So today’s podcast is on a topic that I know will be of major interest to a lot of our audience, as it regularly comes up in conversation – strengths in education.

Why do we need the strengths philosophy in education?

How can we introduce more strengths thinking and practice into schools, colleges, universities, all places of education?

And what needs to change to enable this?

P31 Leadership lessons from 2022 to set you up for 2023, with Rebecca Christianson

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 02:00:21 +0000

I’m excited that today, we’ll have an opportunity to chat to Bec about her reflections on 2022 and what the year has taught leaders and HR (People and Culture) professionals, as well as looking ahead into 2023 with some tips for facing into next year with a clear plan for people priorities.

Enjoy!

P30 Are leaders ready for the 4th industrial revolution with Dr Naeema Pasha

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 02:00:14 +0000

Today, we’re fast-forwarding 3 years, through the pandemic, out the other side, and now into one of the most turbulent and unpredictable periods I can remember in the world and in the world of work.

What we’re going to be asking today is whether leaders are ready for the 4th industrial revolution? Wait what? 4th? When were the other 3? Oh yeah, the first one was looms smashing the machine and everything, but what about the other 2 then? And what’s this 4th one?

You’ll be delighted to know that all these questions and more will be answered today.

P29 Neurodiversity and strengths – what’s the link and why does it matter? A podversation with Toni Marshall

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 02:00:09 +0000

On today’s podversation, we’re going to be covering the topic of neurodiversity.

Toni’s going to take us on a journey into exploring why neurodiversity is so central to our work at Strengthscope and more widely in the world of learning and development. We will then focus on the link between neurodiversity and strengths-based development specifically with some suggestions for future work.

Enjoy!

P28 Managing your emotions with Steph Tranter

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 02:00:07 +0000

Hi, my name's Dr Paul Brewerton, The Strengths Guy, Doctor of Organisational Psychology and founder and Chair of Strengthscope. Today, I’m excited to welcome back to the show Steph Tranter.

Now a couple of years back, Steph very kindly talked about her experience of using strengths in her consulting work and that conversation is Podversation 19 – Making strengths work for your business. It remains one of our most downloaded podversations, so do please check it out.

But today, I want to get more into what Steph focuses on as part of her consultancy work – helping people manage their emotions more effectively. Welcome back Steph!

Another thing to say is that this is the first podversation that we’re recording on video so as ever Steph, you’re trailblazing – this means that listeners will also be able to watch our convo, as well as listen to it on all the major podcast platforms.

P27 Maximise your Adaptability Quotient using strengths with Scott Christie

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 06:00:10 +0000

Dr. Paul Brewerton, The Strengths Guy, discusses the emerging idea of Adaptability Quotient with Scott Christie, Head of Training and Integration from Strengthscope. They will talk about what AQ is and how it can be developed. Plus, how you can develop AQ using strengths. There will also be some bonus material.

Listen to Maximise your Adaptability Quotient using strengths with Scott Christie.

P26 A powerful story of inclusion with Bisila Noha

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 07:19:24 +0000

A powerful story of inclusion – how the LGBTQ+ Community Centre in London came to life and its path to permanence.

As we’re recording this, it is June 2022 so Pride month. We are also very close to the 50th anniversary of Pride in London, which takes place in about 10 days’ time. So the timing for our conversation is perfect.

Listen to the podversation with Bisila Noha, the Business Development Manager at the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre.

P25 Why you need a global perspective on DEI with Alison Pacifico-France

Mon, 09 May 2022 02:00:15 +0000

Today’s podcast is a next chapter in a conversation that started about 8 months ago on the topic of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. That conversation was the most downloaded of all the conversations I’ve had to date with some amazing guests and it was called ‘the future of DEI in organisations…courageous inclusion’ with today’s guest, Alison Pacifico-France. Welcome once again Alison.

P24 Menopause means everyone – an essential guide to menopause at work and menopause coaching with Amantha King

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 02:00:15 +0000

Today’s podcast relates to a topic that is not talked about enough, not understood well enough and, as a result, is not provided for by organisations well enough at this point. But that’s all about to change. I am delighted to welcome to the podcast today someone who is at the forefront of thought leadership and practice in the area of menopause – menopause at work and menopause coaching – Amantha King.

P23 How to support parents at work - what organisations need to know with Charlotte Speak

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 02:00:14 +0000

Today we’re going to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of supporting parents in the workplace. The hidden challenges that parents face and how organisations can do better to manage, motivate, retain and return parents well to organisational life. Char’s also going to be describing how she’s integrated being a pro/entrepreneur, being a human as well as being a parent and how that all works for her. As I say, this podcast is for everybody so without any more words of introduction, let’s get to it.

P22 - Unleashing the power of positive psychology at Fleishman Hillard with Sian Walters

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 02:00:12 +0000

In today’s podversation, I discuss with Sian Walters what challenges she’s facing as a people professional at Fleishman Hillard right now, and how the business is responding. Then get more into the meat of how Sian and the people team have set about deploying the strengths approach at Fleishman, how that’s helped in generally and how it’s helping right now, plus discussing more about the challenges in landing a positive psychology-based approach in a fast-paced business like Fleishman. Wrapping around that of course and as always, I’m going to ask some questions of Sian about her own journey, learnings and reflections on her career.

P21 - Mental health illness in the black community with Anthony Davis

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 02:00:16 +0000

P20 - Conscious Leadership with You Collective

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 02:00:08 +0000

It’s an overly connected and busy world, and we place our efforts on reacting rather than pausing. How much time are we really giving to problem solving and decision making? So we feel disconnected and distanced from leaders who aren’t aware of their impact on others.

What does conscious leadership look like? Someone who is committed to personal growth and mastery, to building their self-awareness, in service of supporting and developing other people’s potential.

P19 Making strengths work for your business with Steph Tranter

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 02:00:14 +0000

In this podversation, Dr Paul Brewerton (aka The Strengths Guy) sits down with Steph Tranter.

Steph knows all about taking the strengths approach into various different types of organisations and making it work and that’s something we wanted to share with the wider Strengthscope community.

In this episode, we'll cover:

How you position strengths
How you sell it
Where it works and where it doesn’t
Some of your success stories
How you assess the impact you’ve
Your strengths wisdom and strengths experience as an independent practitioner out on the table so that more people can benefit.

P18: The future of DEI in organisations...courageous inclusion with Alison France

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 02:04:44 +0000

P17: Learn to be an ally – why pride is a protest with Katy Holden

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 02:00:17 +0000

As we sit here today, Pride month in the UK is in full swing and many brands have switched up their logos to reflect that, in support of the LGBTQ+ community. But there is a risk that we lose the message in there that Pride is a protest.

So today’s podcast is about Pride, where it came from and why it is still for a whole bunch of reasons very much a protest. It’s also about the link to strengths. And most importantly it’s about giving you some practical tips on how to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community – as an individual human and as organisations.

P16: Why education needs strengths right now - with Aman Zaidi

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 01:01:31 +0000

P15: Millennial leaders - the essential guide

Sun, 30 May 2021 05:00:17 +0000

Today I will be talking to Rebecca Christianson about the experience of being a Millennial senior leader and Executive – both the opportunities and the challenges.

This podversation is focused on those Millennial leaders themselves, but will be interesting for P&C professionals and other interested senior leaders wanting to better understand their peers.

Some key takeaways you will discover:

Why you need to listen to millennials!
Why many millennials leave more traditional organisations
Who said “when they go low, you go high”
Why self-care is fundamental to millennial leaders

Rebecca’s contact details as follows if you’re keen to follow her or find out more…

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-christianson/

https://www.thrivingpeopleconsulting.com/

rebecca@thrivingpeopleconsulting.com

P14: Strengths in the community with Christian Bless

Sun, 16 May 2021 05:00:41 +0000

Today’s podcast brings us a truly tremendous human, doing a whole range of positive work in the community both in the UK and in DRC in Central Africa, Christian Bless.

We discuss Chris's story: setting up Solola Bien, a TV show in DRC, the community group Boys 2 Men in London and most recently, Greaterself – a consultancy that aims to help African businesses bring transformation in workplaces through the recognition of strengths and self-awareness.

We also look at what more can be done, and by whom, as regards community work. What’s needed and how can people help, what can they do?

This is a genuinely inspiring podversation, giving us a personal journey around Chris's various community and business ventures. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

For more information on Chris’s community projects, please check out the following links:

https://www.sololabien.co/

https://www.youtube.com/c/SololaBien

https://www.instagram.com/sololabien_realtalk/

https://www.instagram.com/king_blessc/

P13: Gender equality, feminism and strengths with Abbigail Leeson

Mon, 03 May 2021 05:00:29 +0000

I’m delighted to be having a conversation today with our Strengthscope intern, Abbigail Leeson. In her time with us, Abbigail has been focusing on building the Strengthscope practitioner community and has provided a lot of creative and research input to help us with that. Abbi is studying for her Psychology degree at Cardiff University and has been spending her placement year with us, in a slightly unusual set of circumstances because she’s actually met very very few of us in person thanks to the pandemic.

https://www.strengthscope.com/gender-equality-feminism-and-strengths/

P12: Authentic leadership and the role of strengths with Dr Rebecca Newton

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 12:07:05 +0000

In this podversation, I talk with Dr. Rebecca Newton, organisational psychologist and executive coach and author of Authentic Gravitas - Who Stands Out and Why.

We discuss

her career journey and how she got to where she is now
how she uses the strengths approach
her recent activities in the world of gravitas, its importance in leadership development and how to get it
the biggest challenges faced by people trying to develop gravitas
authenticity and its role in self awareness well being
How she dealt with strengths in overdrive
female empowerment, and
her recent collaborations with Brene Brown at LSE

You can find out more about Rebecca on her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rebecca-newton-b3b29220/

Her website, Coach Adviser: https://coachadviser.com/

Her book is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3x7FodO

P11: Using strengths to drive inclusion and equity with Derek Appau

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 05:00:21 +0000

This week, Dr Paul Brewerton (aka The Strengths Guy) sits down with Derek Appau; founder of Limitless Personal Excellence, a certified coach, personal effectiveness trainer and facilitator.

They’ll be talking about the strengths approach and the use of psychometrics in the context of creating more inclusive, equitable, fair and diverse workplaces. Derek has some interesting experiences and views he'll share on the role of strengths and psychometrics to level the playing field for people from an ethnic minority background.

https://www.strengthscope.com/using-strengths-to-drive-inclusion-and-equity-a-podversation-with-derek-appau/

P10: Empowering women with Roohi & Nida Mohiyuddin

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 05:00:15 +0000

In this podversation, Paul Brewerton, the strengths guy, talks with sisters Roohi and Nida Mohiyuddin, two inspiring women who have just launched Nu(pw)R, a new business designed to empower women through a unique three stage process.

Roohi and Nida tell their story – what led them to set out on their journey and what difference they hope to achieve in the world.

They tell us about their programme – The Confident Empowered Woman – and provide some tips and advice on how women can

shut down their inner critic,
break down their barriers to success, and
turn their strengths into superpowers.

This is a very exciting podversation, what Roohi and Nida are doing is timely, powerful and hugely helpful for women seeking to build their confidence and become empowered. And it’s not only for women - everyone can take a lot away from this podversation.

https://www.strengthscope.com/empowering-women/

P9: Managing millennials with Rebecca Christianson

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 05:00:15 +0000

This week, Dr Paul Brewerton (aka The Strengths Guy) welcomes Rebecca Christianson.

Rebecca’s been building her own people consultancy for some time. She’s an Executive coach and an expert on innovative People & Culture practices as she worked as an internal P&C senior leader and Executive for over 15 years. She coaches senior leaders to focus on mind-set shifts to thrive, using a strengths based and neuropsychology approach.

Rebecca is super passionate about harnessing the power of Millennial leadership capability which is the focus of this weeks podcast.

https://www.strengthscope.com/managing-millennials/

P8: Learn to influence the strengths way: strengths-based selling with Larissa Batt

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 05:00:09 +0000

In this podversation, I chat with Larissa Batt about how to use the strengths approach in a sales context.

For the last few years, Larissa has been in various senior sales role at Strengthscope and in her current role, she leads on all corporate sales, so she knows lots and lots about strengths in a sales context.

This podcast will be of interest to anyone who ever needs to persuade or ‘sell’ anything to anyone ever. Which is of course everyone. And it will be of particular interest to people for whom selling in a commercial setting makes up a significant part of their role.

We chat about:

the importance of using the strengths approach in sales
the danger of overusing a particular strength
whether certain strengths are needed to be successful in sales
and 3 top tips for introducing the strengths approach into your own sales work or sales teams

https://www.strengthscope.com/learn-to-influence-the-strengths-way-strengths-based-selling/

P7: How to transition roles the strengths way with David Lincoln

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 05:00:12 +0000

This week’s podcast is a big one. It’s a podversation with the new Managing Director of Strengthscope, David Lincoln.

This week we’re talking about how you can transition into a new role using strengths principles by:

1. Knowing where you’ve come from and what got you here

2. Being clear on your outcomes

3. Bringing your strengths with you

4. Managing your greatest risks

5. Getting support for the transition

P6: Womankind podversation with Alicia Luther Jones

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 22:55:03 +0000

Transcription: Womankind podversation with Alicia Luther-Jones

Today we have an exciting podversation with Alicia Luther-Jones, Philanthropy Manager at Womankind, one of Strengthscope’s charity partners.

We talk about Womankind’s vision and purpose, because more people need to know about the amazing work these guys do.

P5: Using strengths to build your career with Louise Blanchett

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 01:28:06 +0000

This week I am delighted to be joined for a podversation by Louise Blanchett, a wonderful lady with approximately 200% more energy than me. I know right? And Louise is going to tell her story of strengths through her career so far – how she’s used the approach in her corporate career, for her own personal development and outside of work too.

P4: They're here! Generation Z with Dr Naeema Pasha

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 06:00:13 +0000

It is my complete and utter delight to be joined by a truly warm and wonderful human being, a living legend, a future visionary, thought leader and key influencer of today – yes, I welcome Dr Naeema Pasha, Director of Henley Careers at Henley Business School to the mic.

In this podversation, we talk about Generation Z – who are they, what they want with us, from us, and for us and the world, and how we might need to organise our organisations in a different way in order to create the best possible workplace future. And we’re going to place a particular focus on careers, because Naeema, as Director of Henley Careers, you direct careers.

P3: The inside story on employee engagement...the Strengthscope way with Migle Sataite

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 00:00:02 +0000

I’m excited today to be bringing you a podversation which follows my podcast on how to improve employee engagement. I thought it might be helpful to share our experience of employee engagement at Strengthscope…good, bad and indifferent.

We want to share what we do at different stages of the employee experience – what’s worked and what’s work in progress (although it’s all work in progress really, never really ends etc etc). I’m super excited to introduce you to our People and Community Lead at Strengthscope, Migle Sataite.

P2: WSP Podversation with Jane Grant

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 05:45:05 +0000

In this podversation, I am joined by Jane Grant – UK Head of Learning and Development at WSP. We’re going to be talking about WSP’s practical application of the strengths approach (and our strengths assessment tool Strengthscope) in different parts of the WSP business.

WSP is a Canadian business providing management and consultancy services to the built and natural environment with over 50,000 staff (of which there are 8,000 in the UK), making it one of the largest professional services firms in the world, with 500 offices across 40 countries.

P1: Channel 4 Podversation with Shetel Khimashia

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 05:00:17 +0000

I am really excited to be joined today by Shetel Khimashia, Talent and Development Manager at Channel 4. Today’s podcast is about work and is also about strengths and how the two can work together to create real value for people.

The Strengths Guy podcast trailer

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 00:00:14 +0000

https://www.strengthscope.com/blog/

A series of real talk weekly podcasts covering topics to inspire, educate and well, maybe even transform. Occupational psychologist Dr Paul Brewerton takes you inside some of the stuff that can help you get the most from work and from life, every day. Get ready.

Pilot: How to smash Mondays

Wed, 30 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

"...setting yourself up for a really great Monday, well, a great every day to be honest." : 8 simple ways to beat that Monday dread.

How to smash Mondays