Putting Strengths to Work from Coursera

Welcome to Leading StandOut Teams: Putting Strengths to Work!

This course will explore and deepen your capacity to identify and communicate where your team members do their best work. We will look at how being aware of and drawing attention to strengths -- more than weaknesses -- will work wonders for your team members' performance and engagement. And we’ll discuss how helping your team members work well with each other will go a long way toward making that their story about work a positive one.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

- Collaborate with your team members to communicate where they're doing their best work.

- Relate your team members' performance and engagement to their individual strengths.

- Design ways your team members can work together more effectively based on where they are at their best.

Modules Include:

One: What They Do Best. Explore and deepen your capacity to identify and communicate where your team members do their best work.

Two: Focus on Strengths. Explore how being aware of and drawing attention to strengths -- more than weaknesses -- will work wonders for your team members' performance and engagement.

Three: Working with Others. Learn how to help your team members work well with each other toward making your company story a positive one.

This is a beginner's course, intended for team leaders with an interest in Leading StandOut Teams. It includes lecture videos by StandOut Strengths Coaches, practice quizzes, graded quizzes, peer-reviewed assignments, discussion prompts, and activity guides to facilitate ongoing learning and provide a structure to make sense of learning so that it can be embedded into real change.

To succeed in this course, you should be willing to self-reflect and open to shifting perspectives. Making the effort will result in a positive and fulfilling response. The final project in this course is a required peer review, where you are expected to review, explain in detail, and assess the learning you have obtained.

What's inside

Syllabus

Module 1: What They Do Best

Welcome to Leading StandOut Teams, Course 4: Putting Strengths to Work! Module 1 will explore and deepen your capacity to understand where your team members do their best work. By the end of the week, you will have tools and resources to help you guide your team members to play to their strengths.

Module 2: Focus on Strengths

Welcome back to Leading StandOut Teams, Course 4: Putting Strengths to Work! Module 2 will explore how being aware of and drawing attention to strengths -- more than weaknesses -- will work wonders for your team members' performance and engagement.

Module 3: Working With Others

Welcome back to Leading StandOut Teams, Course 4: Putting Strengths to Work! Module 3 will explore how team members can work with each other based on strengths. Is your team talking about how excited they are to be working with others on a project? Are they happy that you're encouraging them to explore what energizes them? Or are they complaining and venting about their teammates (including you)? What story are they telling? Helping your team members work well with each other will go a long way toward making that story a positive one.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops understanding of team strengths and how to utilize them

Builds skills for identifying and communicating team member strengths

Provides practical guidance on enhancing team performance and engagement

Suitable for team leaders with interest in improving team dynamics

Includes interactive exercises and peer feedback to facilitate learning

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Putting Strengths to Work with these activities:

Learn to Use StrengthsFinder

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The guided tutorials on StrengthsFinder will help you understand how to use this tool effectively in your team-leading role.

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Access the online tutorials provided by Gallup, the creators of StrengthsFinder.
Watch the videos and read the materials to understand the purpose and benefits of StrengthsFinder.
Take the StrengthsFinder assessment to identify your top five strengths.

Review Course Materials

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Reviewing the course materials will refresh your knowledge of the key concepts and prepare you for deeper engagement.

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Go through the lecture videos, readings, and quizzes to refresh your memory.
Take notes or highlight key points for future reference.

Volunteer with a Team-Based Organization

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Volunteering will provide you with an opportunity to practice your team-leading skills in a practical setting.

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Identify a non-profit organization or community group that aligns with your interests.
Reach out to the organization and inquire about volunteer opportunities that involve team-based activities.
Commit to a regular volunteering schedule and actively participate in team projects.

Four other activities

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Active Listening Exercise

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By engaging in this exercise, you'll develop your ability to actively listen, a vital skill for leading high-performing teams.

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Find a partner and take turns being the speaker and listener.
The speaker shares a topic for two minutes, while the listener practices active listening techniques such as maintaining eye contact, nodding, and asking clarifying questions.
After two minutes, switch roles.

Write a Blog Post on Team Leadership

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Writing a blog post will help you synthesize your knowledge of team leadership and share your insights with others.

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Choose a specific aspect of team leadership that you want to write about.
Conduct research to gather information and support your ideas.
Write a well-structured blog post that is informative, engaging, and actionable.

Peer Review and Feedback

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Through peer review, you'll gain valuable feedback on your team-leading approach and identify areas for improvement.

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Partner with a classmate.
Share your thoughts and ideas on team leadership with your partner.
Provide constructive feedback to your partner, focusing on both strengths and areas for growth.

Project: Lead a Team Project

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Leading a team project will give you hands-on experience in applying the concepts learned in this course and developing your leadership abilities.

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Identify a project that aligns with your interests and career goals.
Assemble a team of 3-5 members with diverse strengths and perspectives.
Develop a project plan, outlining the project goals, timelines, and responsibilities.
Lead your team through the project, fostering collaboration, open communication, and accountability.
Present the project outcomes and reflect on your leadership experience.

Career center

Learners who complete Putting Strengths to Work will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Team Leader

Team Leaders are responsible for leading and motivating a team of employees to achieve goals. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and they must be able to create a positive and productive work environment. Putting Strengths to Work will help Team Leaders to identify and communicate where their team members do their best work. They will also learn how to focus on strengths, which will help to improve team members' performance and engagement. Additionally, they will learn how to help team members work well with each other, which will go a long way toward making the team's story a positive one.

See salaries and explore the career path for Team Leader

Business Analyst

Business Analysts share a desire to help others work better by improving their processes. They are able to communicate clearly and effectively with a variety of people, including team members, clients, and stakeholders within a company. Putting Strengths to Work will help Business Analysts to become more effective at identifying and communicating where their team members do their best work. They will also learn how to focus on strengths, which will help to improve team members' performance and engagement. Additionally, they will learn how to help team members work well with each other, which will go a long way toward making the team's story a positive one.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Managers help organizations manage their workforce by developing and implementing policies and procedures. They also work to maintain a positive work environment and resolve employee issues. Putting Strengths to Work will help Human Resources Managers to understand where their team members do their best work and how to focus on strengths to improve performance and engagement. They will also learn how to help team members work well with each other and create an overall positive work environment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Resources Manager

Coach

Coaches help individuals and teams achieve their goals by providing support and guidance. They help people to identify and overcome challenges and develop their skills and talents. Putting Strengths to Work will help Coaches to understand where their clients do their best work and how to focus on strengths to improve performance and engagement. They will also learn how to help clients work well with others and create a positive and supportive environment.

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Facilitator

Facilitators help groups of people to achieve their goals by providing support and guidance. They help people to identify and overcome challenges and develop their skills and talents. Putting Strengths to Work will help Facilitators to understand where their group members do their best work and how to focus on strengths to improve outcomes. They will also learn how to help group members work well with each other and create a positive and supportive environment.

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Organization Development Manager

Organization Development Managers help organizations improve their performance and effectiveness. They work with leaders to identify and address challenges and develop and implement solutions. Putting Strengths to Work will help Organization Development Managers to identify and communicate where their team members do their best work. They will also learn how to focus on strengths, which will help to improve team members' performance and engagement. Additionally, they will learn how to help team members work well with each other, which will go a long way toward making the team's story a positive one.

See salaries and explore the career path for Organization Development Manager

Trainer

Trainers are responsible for delivering training programs to help employees develop skills and knowledge. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and they must be able to create a positive and engaging learning environment. Putting Strengths to Work will help Trainers to understand where their learners do their best work and how to focus on strengths to improve learning outcomes. They will also learn how to help learners work well with each other and create an overall positive learning environment.

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Instructor

Instructors are responsible for delivering instruction to students in a classroom or other learning environment. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and they must be able to create a positive and engaging learning environment. Putting Strengths to Work will help Instructors to understand where their students do their best work and how to focus on strengths to improve learning outcomes. They will also learn how to help students work well with each other and create an overall positive learning environment.

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Project Manager

Project Managers plan and execute projects to achieve specific goals. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and they must be able to work well with a variety of people. Putting Strengths to Work will help Project Managers to identify and communicate where their team members do their best work. They will also learn how to focus on strengths, which will help to improve team members' performance and engagement. Additionally, they will learn how to help team members work well with each other, which will go a long way toward making the project a success.

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Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officers are responsible for leading and managing an entire organization. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and they must be able to create a positive and productive work environment. Putting Strengths to Work will help Chief Executive Officers to identify and communicate where their team members do their best work. They will also learn how to focus on strengths, which will help to improve team members' performance and engagement. Additionally, they will learn how to help team members work well with each other, which will go a long way toward making the organization a success.

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Director

Directors are responsible for leading and managing a team of employees or a department within an organization. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and they must be able to create a positive and productive work environment. Putting Strengths to Work will help Directors to identify and communicate where their team members do their best work. They will also learn how to focus on strengths, which will help to improve team members' performance and engagement. Additionally, they will learn how to help team members work well with each other, which will go a long way toward making the team's story a positive one.

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Manager

Managers are responsible for leading and motivating a team of employees to achieve goals. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and they must be able to create a positive and productive work environment. Putting Strengths to Work will help Managers to understand where their team members do their best work and how to focus on strengths to improve performance and engagement. They will also learn how to help team members work well with each other and create an overall positive work environment.

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Vice President

Vice Presidents are responsible for leading and managing a team of employees or a department within an organization. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and they must be able to create a positive and productive work environment. Putting Strengths to Work will help Vice Presidents to identify and communicate where their team members do their best work. They will also learn how to focus on strengths, which will help to improve team members' performance and engagement. Additionally, they will learn how to help team members work well with each other, which will go a long way toward making the team's story a positive one.

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Consultant

Consultants help organizations improve their performance and effectiveness. They work with clients to identify and address challenges and develop and implement solutions. Putting Strengths to Work will help Consultants to understand where their clients' teams do their best work and how to focus on strengths to improve performance and engagement. They will also learn how to help clients' teams work well with each other and create an overall positive work environment.

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Learning and Development Manager

Learning and Development Managers design and deliver training programs to help employees develop skills and knowledge. They also work with organizations to create a culture of learning and development. Putting Strengths to Work will help Learning and Development Managers to understand where their team members do their best work and how to focus on strengths to improve performance and engagement. They will also learn how to help team members work well with each other and create an overall positive learning environment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Learning and Development Manager