Professional Development

On-Campus Seminars

For more information on the cost of seminars or to schedule someone from our team to present a seminar on your campus, please contact Karin Klinger.

Developing Your Strengths Seminars

Half Day (three hours)

This half-day seminar introduces the basics of the strengths philosophy and how it can be applied to both professional and student development. The 34 strengths identified through the Gallup Organization’s Clifton StrengthsFinder (CSF) instrument will be reviewed.

Full Day (six hours)

The full-day seminar will include the topics covered in the half-day seminar and introduce a strengths development approach. The approach moves the participants through a self-reflective process to understand how their strengths can both positively and negatively affect their motivation, productivity, and relationships.

Building a Strengths-Oriented Team

Module One: The Basics of Strengths-Oriented Teams

The three-hour seminar provides a conceptual framework for the development of a team that identifies, develops, and utilizes the strengths of the team’s members. An overview of the 34 strengths identified through the Gallup Organization’s Clifton StrengthsFinder (CSF) instrument will be reviewed and participants will have an opportunity to explore how those strengths affect their functioning in a team.

Module Two: Developing High-Performing Teams through a Strengths Approach to Team Development

This three-hour seminar delves into the characteristics of high-performing teams including: trust, productivity, and creativity. Team members will have an opportunity to explore how their individual strengths can both enhance and detract from the high performance of their group.

For more information on the cost of seminars or to schedule someone from our team to present a seminar on your campus, please contact Karin Klinger.

Executive Strengths Coaching

Individuals at the executive levels of institutions have a critical impact on the climate and culture of their divisions and institutions. This impact is driven by their personal perspectives and values. An opportunity to explore and reflect on the effect their strengths have on the effectiveness of their areas of responsibility is rare. Additionally, leaders often make their greatest mistakes out of the shadow side of their strengths as opposed to their weaknesses. The Commons Group offers strengths-oriented coaching beginning with a thorough explanation of the complex nature of their strengths as identified by The Gallup Organization’s Clifton StrengthsFinder.

For more information on executive Strengths coaching or to schedule a coaching appointment, please contact Karin Klinger.

Retreats in a Box (Coming Soon)

(For information on our other Retreat in a Box products, please visit the Student Development page.)

Building a Strengths-Oriented Student Life Team Retreat in a Box

Managing a team of professionals is a complex and nuanced process. Using a Strengths-oriented approach to your management will help ensure your staff members’ sense of competency and purpose within your department or division. Whether you are working with a staff of 50 or 5, our Building a Strengths-Oriented Team Retreat in a Box will provide you with the resources and information you need to create a work environment that is both encouraging and effective, efficient and enriching. This retreat will equip your staff with the concept and language of Strengths, but will also provide opportunities to take Strengths deeper in order to reach your team’s collective and individual potential. Retreat includes:

• StrengthsFinder online assessment codes (optional - if your team has already completed the assessment, there’s no need for them to retake it!)
• Icebreaker activities (all materials needed for activities included)
• Strengths-oriented discussion guide (facilitator’s guide included)
• Team-building activities (all materials needed for activities included)
• Two post-retreat follow-up meetings/activities
• Tips for continuing the Strengths discussion