Oh do we talk a lot about “strengths-based” approaches in our field! But as you know, the ‘walk’ often doesn’t match the ‘talk’. How frequently do we offer constructive criticism or improvement feedback rather than supporting others by helping them recognize possibility within themselves? In your work as a leader-facilitator who is rediscovering possibility within your team or community, use these five strategies to get grounded in strengths.

* Find out participant needs, hopes, dreams. At the beginning and ongoing, do polls, quick checks and surveys to find out what learners want and need in terms of content and process.

* Model a strengths-based feedback process. Invite participants to give each other structured feedback that affirms strengths. Give sentence starters on a slide like: “Something I noticed you did particularly well was…” or “I really wanted to see more of…”

* Acknowledge participants’ strengths. Envision all participants and yourself at a round table where all bring strengths and wisdom. Say that your role is to facilitate the learning process. Acknowledge and name the participants’ specific wisdoms like “I know you are already an expert in a, b, and c.” It’s important to visualize all learners as equal in strengths.

* Highlight successes. At the end of the session, facilitate a reflection process where you first identify what you all did well together as a group: “We engaged in a challenging discussion,” “I was so proud of everyone for their vulnerability today.” Invite participants to share a session success.

* Share a gift. At the end of the session or as follow up, share a gift with participants. I’m not talking about something elaborate—This could be a link to a video, a user-friendly tip sheet, or a screenshot of the whole learning community. It could also be a heartfelt offering of gratitude.

And hey, remember—this is a process. It doesn’t all come right away. Practice one and get good at it before you add another. You’ve got this. ❤️