Certified Strengths Trainer - Jim Seybert » Strengths

Reviewing your week

Jim Seybert — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:29:41 +0000

The single best piece of advice I’ve EVER been given came during one of those $99 seminars they have at the local Embassy Suites. The tip cost less than a hundred bucks and has paid off thousands of times over.

Make tomorrow’s TO DO list before you go home at night.

When I take the time to do [...]

Strengths Misconception #805

Jim Seybert — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:21:43 +0000

One common push-back to introducing a Strengths initiative is the belief that doing so will require massive change in an organization’s structure and that job descriptions will be thrown out the window.

Not so -

In fact, implementing a Strengths initiative is far less distracting than many other management concepts because it can be introduced in small bites. [...]

Strengths misconception #156

Jim Seybert — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:15:16 +0000

It’s THE question – “At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best, every day.”

It’s also one of the most frequently misunderstood.

A common mistake is to replace the word every with the word all, as if to say the goal of a Strengths focus is playing to them 24/7.

Hey, I’d love [...]

Vacation Dilemma?

Jim Seybert — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:40:55 +0000

The key to personal satisfaction and higher performance is to intentionally apply your strengths to your work every day. I encourage people to understand the activities that strengthen them, and then look for opportunities to use those strengths in pursuit of what they are PAID to do.

So – if you’ve achieved a solid level of [...]

Hiking Yosemite’s Half Dome

Jim Seybert — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:47:07 +0000

My dream job is driving a shuttle bus in Yosemite.

Quick post with virtually nothing to do with maximizing your strengths other than giving you a glimpse at something that nourishes me just as much as facilitating SimplyStrengths and StrengthsEssentials workshops.

My dream job – seriously – is driving a tour bus in Yosemite National Park and [...]

The fallacy of 110%

Jim Seybert — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:58:03 +0000

“Bob, is great guy. He always gives 110%.”

“We just love to watch Cheryl play. When she’s out there, she gives everything she has.”

Nice sentiments.

Sincere. Heartfelt.

And totally incorrect.

It’s impossible for anyone to give more than they have. And in the area of human endeavor, the individual who gives everything—at work or play—dies. And since few of us have [...]

In praise of managers

Jim Seybert — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:40:05 +0000

Pity the lowly manager.

We have a preponderant preoccupation with leaders, leadership and leading these days.

I did a quick Google search and found 30,200,000 pages mentioning “great leaders” and half that many for “great managers.”

We worship leaders and tolerate managers. Leaders are followed (often blindly) while managers are obeyed. Leaders paint pictures of a desired future, managers [...]

Personal Dis-integration

Jim Seybert — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:16:16 +0000

The latest edition of Counter Intelligence is available.

This month I explore a practice the ancient Greeks knew as “akrasia” – or as we call these days “square peg in a round hole.”

If you don’t receive a free copy via email every month, you can [...]

Changing your angle

Jim Seybert — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:42:52 +0000

One of my favorite questions is:

What have you changed your mind about lately?

Two of my StrengthsFinder themes are Ideation and Future, and I’m at my best when challenging people to think differently. This question, “What have you changed your mind about lately?” can be a powerful tool to help someone get a new perspective.

I [...]

The myth of juggling

Jim Seybert — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:01:27 +0000

I hadn’t thought about Chris Bliss for some time until seeing him listed as a keynote speaker for a conference my wife Rhonda is attending this month. The video of Bliss juggling three tennis balls to a medley of BEATLES’ tunes made the internet rounds a few years ago and millions were blown away by his [...]