Skip to main content

A Look at Communication

By
People exceptionally talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
CliftonStrengths

This week, our guest blogger is Beth Roberts. Beth is the Regional Manager as well as the Regional Coordinator for the central region of our organization. Beth’s top 5 Strengths are Empathy, Woo, Developer, Includer, and Communication. Here is what Communication looks like for Beth:



                Award-winning film composer John Powell states “people may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”  I love this updated language of “actions speak louder than words.”  Communication is one of my top five strengths and one that I use everywhere I am.

            Communication is simple how I convey my own thoughts, ideas, and beliefs to the world.  I can communicate with my best friend over a three-hour phone call or embrace my son in pure love with no words at all.  Email, social media, texting, talking, reflecting… no matter what I am doing from day to day, I am conveying a message.  One I hope always has purpose.

            As a child, I was frequently known as the girl who talked too much; who couldn’t turn the cheerleader off.  In high school I learned to hate these qualities and only shared them with those closest to me.  Entering my college years, my strength of Communication got a second chance.  I could surround myself with positive and purposeful people that raised me up instead of silencing.  I walked across the graduation stage a young woman who traveled the world meeting new people and gained more leadership experience than I could have ever imagined.

            Today, I get to interact with my TeamMates mentee using my strength of Communication to listen.  She often points out that she knows when I’m listening because I’m sitting on my hands (a sign that I’m a true “hands talker”).  I’ve taught her that it is okay to voice her thoughts and passions.  In turn, she’s reminded me of a valuable lesson in listening to understand and learn.

            When combined with my other top five strengths- Empathy, Developer, WOO, and Includer- my Communication can be a powerful tool.  I’m often described as a social butterfly (WOO, Includer, Communication), a motivator (Developer & Communication), and a listening ear whenever, wherever (Empathy & Communication).  Although, when I reflect on my strength of Communication, I know that I’m just me; someone I’ve loved getting to know for the last 30ish years.
-Beth


If you are interested in guest blogging about one of your Top 5 StrengthsFinder themes this school year, please email Tess at tstarman@teammates.org
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Strengths Activity: DBT House

By
The featured activity this week has become a recent favorite of the TeamMates Strengths Team. I learned of it by attending the Green Hills AEA Conference this past summer. The breakout presenter, Louise El Yafoori, taught on mitigating culturally sensitive trauma. This activity comes from the practice of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. While it can be used in very targeted ways for working with certain groups of kids, we found it a powerful reflective exercise that we all could benefit from. We facilitated this activity at our annual strengths day at the Gallup campus this year and the results of this learning and self reflection were highly impactful. Consider doing this activity with your mentee as a way to deepen the conversation around strengths and talent by incorporating discussions of values, role models, support systems, and more. Activity Instructions:  On a blank piece of paper, sketch out a house. Your house should include: a foundation, walls, windows, a door, roof, ch
1 comment
Read more

Achiever: Fulfillment from Accomplishment

By
People exceptionally talented in the Achiever theme work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive. Clifton StrengthsFinder We are excited to hear from Stephanie Pravecek about Achiever this week. Steph is the Events Coordinator for TeamMates and leads with Achiever, Responsibility, Discipline, Consistency, and Relator. People with high Achiever are hard workers, list makers, and doers. It is very difficult for Achievers to take a break when there is a task at hand that needs to be completed.  Once one task is complete it is on to the next and then the next. Achievers set out each day to accomplish at least one task but, there is much more fulfillment when multiple things are crossed off the “to-do” list for the day. This does include weekends and vacations, as REST or RELAX are not words you often hear in the vocabulary of an Achiever. As a guest blogger this week, I am going to put more of a personal ton
54 comments
Read more

Strengths Activity-Strengths Collage

By
Conversations are a great way to recognize, own, and develop our strengths. But sometimes, I find my mentee and I have the best dialogues when we are doing something kinetic. This week's featured strengths activity is hands on!  In the picture above, you see a great example of this week's activity, a strengths collage! Our own words and descriptions of our strengths are powerful, just like strengths conversations, but sometimes, when we look to other's words, we can help expand our understanding of our talent. In addition, sometimes our words just don't "cut it", and pictures or images might evoke a more accurate feeling regarding your talents. Through this activity, you and your mentee will look to magazines, newspapers, and advertisements in order expand your strengths language as well as practice strengths spotting.  What you will need:  A piece of card stock or journal page Various magazines, newspapers, or advertisements.  Glue Scissors 
1 comment
Read more