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Activate frequently receives questions regarding whether or not Strengths-Based development efforts would be appropriate (and impactful!) for a specific industry, business model, or organization. The short answer is: YES! Activate has seen Strengths-based development efforts applied to all facets and stages of life – at work, at home, at church, and in organizations of all shapes and sizes. The language of Strengths can be implemented to make your team and organization stronger, regardless of t...

If Strengths Finder can be applied to adults in every industry and field of work, is it possible to apply the principles and benefits of Strengths to students in College? In High school? In younger grades? Yes. Yes. And a resounding Yes. In fact, using Strengths Finder in students not only helps kids discover more about who they are, but also answers several questions educators have about preparing the students of today for tomorrow. In fact, Activate recommends integrating StrengthsFinder beyon...

Every person has Strengths or talents that should be put to use in all aspects of life. There are numerous ways to develop these Strengths, especially when working on teams. One way to classify Strengths and to build both employees and teams, is to understand the four domains that act as an umbrella for the 34 Strengths. According to Gallup, “These domains describe how people and teams use their talents to work with information, make things happen, influence others, and build relationships.” A...

The benefits of managerial practices are touted throughout business and industry. In fact, the development of management and leadership has become a billion dollar movement in and of itself. But one area that is under-served, in so many ways, the education system, is ripe to receive these benefits as well. One educator in California, Jody Johnston, is ready to use proven practices to the advantage of her staff and students.

Every organization is looking for ways to improve and to rise above the competition. A vast amount of research has shown that, across industries and job types, employees have many workplace needs in common. But something is being lost between the knowing and the doing. Between the mountains of compelling data and the integration of these proven practices into our organizations.

Activate Human Capital Group is passionate about developing natural talents and aptitudes into Strengths and helping people put those abilities to work in all aspects of life. There are numerous ways to develop these Strengths, especially when working on teams.

Engagement can be thought of as a barometer. A measurement predicted by two key factors: 1. Alignment between individual talents and the demands of the role. 2. How well the basic needs of the workplace are being met. Both of factors are highly dependent on the manager/supervisor. Each supervisor is responsible for creating the alignment mentioned in in the first factor and delivering on the needs mentioned in the second factor such as continually setting clear expectations and offering the empl...

Is engagement a personality trait? Are “positive” people always engaged and cynical people always disengaged? Can we just fire our grumpy employees and get on with hiring for traits like a positive mental attitude? Fortunately for our HR teams, there’s no need to clean house. Engagement is NOT a personality trait. It’s an ever-changing measure of the relationship between the employee and the organization and an extremely reliable reflection of the effectiveness of each supervisor.

Doing more with less is the norm in most organizations. We’re asking a lot of our employees, our managers, and our leaders. Unfortunately, most of the emphasis has been on working harder, not smarter. Burnout is the typical result of this well-intentioned approach to keeping our organizations running on high-stress, extra-effort mode. The alternative is leveraging our human capital in a more intentional, informed way that honors the unique talents of the individuals we employ. It’s not new… w...

Employee Engagement Workshops can be ideal for: Industry conferences and learning events, Leadership groups such as Vistage, EO, and YPO, Company-specific events for managers, leaders, and high potentials. If you’re looking for thought-provoking content, engaging activities, and useful tools for participants to take back to their works teams, then let’s talk!