The reasons why we use the Gallup CliftonStrengths Assessment as a key foundational tool for our Team Building Workshops

It was a summer day in 2018 when my friend, Louann (now co-founder), first reviewed my Gallup CliftonStrengths report, identifying my Top five Strengths. 

I couldn’t believe how well the assessment results sounded, just like me. My Top Five Strengths were Communication, Woo, Futuristic, Maximizer and Positivity. What first struck me was that my whole career had been in marketing communications and seeing that my number one Strength was Communications explained so much!  I have had many jobs in advertising; I teach marketing communications, and I have always been fascinated with how advertising campaigns communicate the unique selling benefits of a product or service. 

My second Strength was Woo, which stands for winning others over. Again, I easily recognized how I use this Strength in my role as a post-secondary College instructor at a higher education institution. Upon reflection, I could see that I am energized when I can encourage students to attend events, network, and connect with industry. I am a cheerleader of many initiatives – another trait of those with the Woo Strength.  I could see how I use my third Strength, Futuristic,  in my marketing career also. I love to seek out marketing forecasts, research and predictions about upcoming trends and fashions – always peeking into the future.

My fourth identified strength was my Maximizer Strength, which is defined as wishing to take things from good to great. I could see this trait was another readily used trait in my role as a College instructor. I recognized it showed up in helping my students see how they can build on their strengths to take themselves to the next level in preparation for graduation.

Lastly, upon reflection, I realized that my fifth Strength, Positivity, comes into play when I attend improv theatre classes and joke with my students when in front of the class.  I am always trying to keep things light-hearted and fun!

So after this deep dive of my report with Louann and seeing the value in naming the ways that I naturally act and behave, I said to Louann, 

“My students need this assessment!

My colleagues need this assessment!

And my Manager needs this assessment, too!”

My students and colleagues could benefit from identifying their Strengths in preparation to graduate. The reason why I felt my Manager would benefit from taking the assessment was because I understood that Managers who are self-aware, know their own Strengths, are better able manage their teams. If a manager is self-aware, they can then share with their team members how they approach things. They can describe how they naturally think, act and behave. If my own Manager were to take the assessment, and understood the Gallup CliftonStrengths vocabulary, then I could then share my Top 5 Strengths report with them, highlighting the ways that I naturally think, act and behave. This could only lead to improvements in how we worked together.

It was at this moment, at my kitchen table, that we realized that we could start a company using the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment as a foundational tool.  

We could offer coaching to individuals wishing to understand themselves better and facilitate workshops for Managers and Teams looking to know and appreciate their team members’ Strengths and perspectives they bring. Louann would bring her coaching experience, and I would bring my teaching experience.  

It was a perfect match – like peanut butter and chocolate!

We named our company PeerSpectives Consulting, reflecting how the perspectives of our peers on our team matter.

Since that day, we have offered the assessment to 1,000s of people. For some of our clients we use the report as a basis for career coaching sessions. 

For other clients who are in leadership positions, we use the information in the report to support their understanding of how their Strengths play a role in how they lead others. 

Often, our clients, who are leaders, wish for us to have their whole team complete the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment. Once the team members have completed the assessment, we at PeerSpectives facilitate a team-building workshop either in person or via Zoom. The workshop helps participants to understand their own Strengths and to appreciate the Strengths of their team members. This is the basis of our Introduction to Strengths workshops. The goals of the workshop are to improve communication, reduce conflict and improve employee engagement. We also offer longer 3-12 month programs delving deeper into Strengths and introducing new content around conflict resolution techniques and the benefits of building habits of giving regular authentic appreciation to each other.

Over the years, we have worked with corporate teams, marketing teams, teams of project managers in the following sectors: tourism, home and commercial restoration, telecommunications, marketing agencies, real-estate development, real-estate sales, and many more. 

We have expertise in working with leaders and teams in Higher Education at Colleges and Universities across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax and we work with Higher Education Associations such as Colleges and Institutes of Canada (CICAN) and Ontario Colleges.  

We are pleased to work with organizations that are aligned with our mission which is working on delivering on United Nations Sustainability Goal 8: Promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.  

We have a special interest in supporting subgoal of UNSDG Goal 8 #8.6: Reducing the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. This is reflected in our work with Young Women in Business, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Leaders of Tomorrow Program, 49 Women in Science, Big Sisters and commitment to individual coaching of high school and post-secondary students to launch meaningful careers. 

We are deeply respectful of the past tragedies inflicted on our Indigenous peoples and are humbled to continue to learn more and to listen.  We have reviewed the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action and resonate with supporting #7 “to eliminate education and employment gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.” Specifically this is reflected in our work with the our Career Fit workshops with the BC Metis Nation. 

In summary, our experience facilitating so many workshops means that individuals can trust us to deliver an interactive workshop where participants will leave feeling engaged, motivated, and empowered to be their best selves.