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APS Supervisor Core: �Strengths-Based Development / Supervision

Instructor-Led Training

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We create experiences that transform the heart, mind, and practice.

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About the Academy & APSWI

The Academy is a project of San Diego State’s School of Social Work. Serving over 20,000 health and human services professionals annually, the Academy’s mission is to provide exceptional workforce development and learning experiences for the transformation of individuals, organizations and communities.

APSWI, or Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations, is a training program of the Academy that provides innovative workforce development to APS professionals and their partners.

Academy programs: Apex, A P S W I, C W D S, Lia, Sacks, and Tribal Star.

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ACADEMY PROGRAMS

San Diego State University

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Overview of Technology

Click here to access audio options. To unmute briefly hold down the spacebar.

Click here to access video options and to share or stop sharing your camera.

Click here to access the “rename” feature if necessary to update display name.

Click here to access the chat function.

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Breakout Groups

Joining the breakout group:

  • Click join

Asking for help:

If you click Ask for Help, it will notify the meeting host that you need assistance and they will be asked to join your breakout room.

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Leaving the breakout group:

You can leave the breakout room and return to the main meeting session at any time, or you can leave the meeting entirely from the breakout room.

1. Click Leave Breakout Room. �2. Choose if you want to leave the breakout room or the entire meeting.

3. When the host ends the breakout rooms, you will be notified and given the option to return to the main room immediately, or in 60 seconds.

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Your Trainer for Today:��[NAME]��[TITLE]��[ORGANIZATION]

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Top 5 [STRENGTHS, ROLES, ETC:

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Learning Objectives

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  1. Compare and contrast the benefits and limitations of strengths-based approach.

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  • Identify how your top strengths/talents (as described in your assessment report) have contributed to your role/career.

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  • Discuss how you might approach supervising staff in an APS case study using the strengths-based approach and your top strengths/talents. 

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Group Agreements

  •  Supportive: Encouraging/Strengths-Focused

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  •  Non-Judgmental & Respectful

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  •  Permission to share only what I feel comfortable sharing

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  •  Ask for clarification when needed

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  •  Accountability - your role in implementation

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  •  Acknowledge diversity of attendees

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  •  Self-care

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Group Agreements

"Confidentiality will be maintained: What happens during this training will not be shared outside of this group with the exception that the learning and key takeaways can be shared. Specific details shared by members of these groups during this learning session will not be divulged." 

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What is Strength?

  • Something that you're good/talented at 
  • What you are known for
  • What comes easily to you / innate
  • Energizing, feels good/fun to use
  • Can be developed
  • Can atrophy due to lack of use
  • Drives performance
  • Flow

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Who Represents Strength?

These Photos by Getty Images

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Deficit Model

This photo by Getty Images

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Benefits of Strengths-Based Approach

27 workplace studies of strengths-based interventions:

  • Focused on the use and development of strengths 
  • Published between 2010 and 2019
  • American, Indian, South African, Canadian, German-speaking, Dutch, Israeli populations

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Miglianico, Marine et al. (2020). Strength Use in the Workplace: A Literature Review. Journal of Happiness Studies. 21.

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Benefits of Strengths-Based Approach

  • Well-being 
    • “Satisfaction, pleasure, commitment, and meaning” 

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Benefits of Strengths-Based Approach

  • Work Performance  
    • Decrease burnout and turnover
    • Motivation
    • Managing workload
    • “Productivity, sales, and profit” 
    • Team performance

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Gallup. “2015 Strengths Meta-Analysis Report.” https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/269615/strengths-meta-analysis-2015.aspx

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Benefits of Strengths-Based Approach

“Organizations that invest in strengths-based development achieve as much as a 29% increase in profit.”

https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/269615/strengths-meta-analysis-2015.aspx

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Benefits of Strengths-Based Approach

  • “Vitality, flow, passion and engagement”

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Benefits of Strengths-Based Approach

If your manager primarily…

The chances of active disengagement are…

Ignores you

40%

Focuses on your weaknesses

22%

Focuses on your strengths

1%

Rath, T. (2007). StrengthsFinder 2.0. New York: Gallup Press.

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Poll: Strengths Use Gut Check

  • How often do you leverage your strengths/talents at work?

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Limitations of Strengths-Based �Approach

  • Leaves Weaknesses Unaddressed

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Solutions: 

  • Strengthen a weakness if it's impacting a key part of your job.

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  • Find a complementary partner.

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  • Use a strength to compensate for a weakness or help approach differently.​

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Limitations of Strengths-Based �Approach

Overusing strengths or using inappropriately

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Solution: Self-awareness is key.

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Limitations of Strengths-Based �Approach

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https://hbr.org/2016/01/strengths-based-coaching-can-actually-weaken-you

Focuses on the individual

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Solutions - Ask yourself: 

  1. What outcomes are desired?

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  • Who can best help achieve those outcomes?

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  • What developmental support does my direct report need

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Limitations of Strengths-Based �Approach

Neglects Structural Obstacles

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Solutions:

  • Help remove structural obstacles
  • Provide resources

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Strengths Assessments

Clifton Strengths

    • The oldest and most popular

VIA Character Strengths

    • 2nd oldest, uses virtue categories, universal across cultures/nations

Strengths Profile

    • 3rd oldest, measures energizing/non-energizing and frequency of use as well

Stand Out Strengths

    • newest, merges individual strengths to create role types (free of charge)

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Strengths Assessments

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  • Measure intensity of strengths use
  • Strengths can be developed
  • Upgraded versions of some assessment reports available ($)
  • Terminology of and approach to weaknesses differ
  • Not for hiring

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Your Prework

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Complete Part 1 and Part 2 (questions #1 and #2 only) of "Your Top Strengths" Worksheet.

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Part 1. 

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Your Prework

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Part 2. Reflection Questions

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  • At work, what are your top responsibilities?
  • What are you known for at work?

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Solo Work: Matching

Fill out the Question #3 (in Part 2) by matching top strengths to your important responsibilities:

How have your Signature Strengths/Strengths Roles helped you be successful in what you listed for Questions #1 and #2?

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Top Responsibilities

Signature Strengths/StandOut Roles

Helping to resolve employee issues and disputes

Individualization, which helps me custom-design solutions that will satisfy all involved.

Consistency, which helps me create clear and fair rules that everyone can follow.

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Solo Work: Action Planning

Complete Part 3 (Action Planning) of "Your Top Strengths" Worksheet.

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Small Group Discussion Questions

  1. What were your first impressions of your results report? Anything that surprised you?

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  • How have your top strengths (as indicated by your report) helped/hindered you in your current role as supervisor and past roles?

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  • Is there anything that you should start doing or stop doing related to your strengths?

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Large Group Discussion

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Briefly, please share with us: 

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Any takeaways, discoveries, surprises?

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Strengths-Based Supervision

“The practice of frequent and positive interactions whereby [the] supervisor identifies talent, creates opportunities to develop that talent, and encourages employees to align their talents and tasks toward a specific goal.” 

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Academy for Professional Excellence. Feb. 10, 2017. “Implementing Strengths-Based Supervision.” Presentation.

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Strengths-Based Supervision Examples

  1. Asking the question, “Why do you think I would promote you?”

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  • Putting people in project groups based on their strengths
    • (e.g., a mix of achievers who could put things into action, strategic thinkers, those who have influencing strengths/talents).  

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Strengths-Based Supervision

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 “Essentially a ‘way of being’ with supervisees where attention is given to power ‘with’ rather than power ‘over,’ and the environment is such that both supervisor and supervisee contribute their expertise to the relationship.’”

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Davys and Beddoe. (2010). Best Practice in Professional Supervision: A Guide for the Helping Professions.

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Poll – Strengths-Based Supervision

  • How often do you help your direct reports develop their strengths?

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Solo Activity – Self Assessment

  1. Complete Parts 1 & 2 of "Strength-Based Supervision of Staff Self-Assessment" individually.  

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  • If there's time, complete Part 3 (Action Planning).

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Tool: Strengths-Based Questions

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Small Group Work: APS Scenario

Instructions:

  1. Trying on a particular Strength lens/hat: How might you apply one or more of your strengths (as identified by the assessment) to this scenario?

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  • How might you apply one or more of strengths-based supervision best practices to this scenario? �
  •   Collaborate on a plan to approach this scenario.

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Feel free to use any of the coaching questions, and draw on your own experiences/solutions you've used. 

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Small Group Work: APS Scenario

An APS caseworker struggled with the fact that there was less control over their schedule/caseload and needed to be extremely flexible, unlike in their previous position with In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), where one had more control. 

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As the supervisor, what would you do in this case?

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Large Group Debrief

Please share your plan with us!

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What Are You Committed to?

Please share one of your goals in the chat box.

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Thank You!

We envision a world where �the quality of life for individuals, organizations, and communities �is transformed into a healthier place.