What is the Benefit?

I just finished up a great project with a nonprofit. One of their questions in the debrief session didn’t have to do with the work I did at all. It was about how to better integrate into their culture all of the investment and work they've done with Strengths Finder®.

I was told they began the process nearly 10 years ago and everyone on staff knew their results. They have new staff take the Strengths Finder® upon being hired. But somehow, even though collaboration is one of their core values and how they do their work, the Strengths Finder® work still remained individual and siloed.

This Is Not Uncommon

Even with Navigating Challenging Dialogue®, without follow-up and consistent practice, the benefits can remain individual instead of benefiting the collective. And this is a great loss because while the benefits for individuals are very impactful, it is when the collective culture of the organization is positively impacted that significant change happens.

My Advice

To shift the impact from individual behavior changes to collective culture change, both within the organization and externally with clients and stakeholders, people must reflect and share. It is the equivalent of making an art project rather than buying a finished piece of art. While you can appreciate the work, time, and skill that goes into a piece of art, it’s when your hands are getting messy, molding clay or mixing paint colors, that you are more invested in the end result.

The Process

As part of your team or all-office meetings, ask these simple questions:

1. What do you think is the benefit to the organization if we practice the principles of NCD together?

2. What do you think is the benefit to our clients if we practice the principles of NCD as we do our work?

3. And lastly, how will practicing NCD principles as a collective impact the achievement of our mission?

Have the group break into teams of two or three.

Give each group a piece of flip chart paper and markers.

Ask them to discuss each question for 5 minutes (set a timer and announce when it is time to move on to the next question).

Make sure each person in the group has time to think and share their thoughts.

Have each group identify a scribe to record the answers on the flip chart. Have them create a separate space for each question.

At the end of 15 minutes, bring the groups back together to share their thoughts and ideas. Capture the collective answers on a clean sheet of paper (or a white board). While they are sharing, combine like answers by putting a check mark next to repeats or similar answers so the list doesn’t become overwhelming or unwieldy.

The Final Product

The desired outcome is not necessarily to have a beautiful and neatly captured final list, but instead for everyone in the organization to have had the experience and practice of discussing what matters and why.

You can produce a printable poster for people to keep. Or a document that gets shared. But the key is to use the language and refer back to the work again and again. In meetings, when problem solving, and when guiding staff through tough situations.

The Lesson

My experience is that when people who work together have dedicated time to dialogue and share their ideas and thoughts around how they communicate with each other and with clients, they have more buy-in and ownership. When they articulate their own ideas and thoughts on the benefits of an initiative, the learning continues to grow and become embedded in "how we do our work”.

Why do professional development if it doesn’t have a lasting and collective impact?

You can apply this to any professional development or initiative that your organization is taking on. Stop spending valuable resources on one-and-done workshops and start focusing on impactful, sustainable, long-term growth.

To learn more about working with me, reach out at support@bethwonson.com.