Student Union 262C

Engaging in service is a common approach to community well-being, and identifying service and community engagement opportunities that utilize your Strengths can help make the experiences more meaningful and impactful for both the individual serving and the greater community. Learn how to utilize ServeUTK to identify service opportunities, track your experiences, and recruit others (students, faculty, staff) to join a project. Also, learn how to support students as they seek out service opportunities that align with their interests and strengths to improve their overall well-being.

Student Union 362C

A Clifton Strengths approach to supervision places a staff member’s strengths at the heart of management and evaluation. During this session, participants will gain a foundational understanding of the connection between Clifton Strengths and workplace engagement, learn how to help staff (professional and student) move beyond a basic awareness of strengths to “Aim” or apply their strengths in their work, and formulate practical examples of how to help their teams achieve engagement, retention, and success.

Student Union 270

Some coaches confuse a great conversation with great coaching. Coaching that is great can be discerned by one outcome: changed behavior. In this session, Stephen will explain how to craft a coaching session so that it always ends with a coachee’s intention. Moreover, Stephen will talk about what differentiates a good action from a bad one. Finally, Stephen will talk about practical ways that coaches can hold scholars and others accountable.

Student Union 362C

The University of Tennessee (UT) is leveraging CliftonStrengths to promote student success. UT wants students to lean on their strengths to boost their confidence and well-being (Nelson, 2022). Therefore, the different departments at the Division of Student Life were tasked with supporting the implementation and use of CliftonStrengths. So, how do Student Life units know if they are leveraging students’ strengths effectively? Well, through the process of assessment, they can provide credible evidence of how they are utilizing the strengths model to aid students’ success (Banta and Palomba, 2015). In this session, we will introduce participants to the assessment cycle; we will teach attendees how to assess the process of implementing CliftonStrengths, so they can effectively leverage their use.

Student Union 362 A and B

In this session, participants will practice applying their CliftonStrengths to identify the qualities of a workplace environment most conducive to their success and comfort. By discussing CliftonStrengths’ approach to addressing areas of “weakness” (whereby CliftonStrengths advise nurturing our strengths over tending to our weaknesses), this session will center a rejection of deficit mindsets. Instead, we will use an asset-based framework to examine how to best care for ourselves as campus professionals. Drawing from my professional background in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, we will also discuss tangible and accessible self-care practices that can assist us in navigating stress and overwhelm in our professional roles. There will be an emphasis on distress-tolerance skills that can be used in our interactions with students and privately in our own offices or workspaces.

Student Union 262C

Every department within Student Life hosts events around campus and in the Student Union. This session will discuss how to plan events while utilizing your strengths and the strengths of those you’re collaborating with. While every event is unique, the planning process can be seamless when playing to every team member’s strengths and learning from weaknesses. From soliciting sponsorships and donations from vendors to understanding event flow and run of show, learn how to delegate and manage the event planning process for a stress-free experience.

Student Union 270

In this session, Stephen will ask attendees which of the 34 themes on which they’d like to focus on during the session. He’ll also talk about the lights and the shadows of the 34 themes. In addition, Stephen will focus on how CliftonStrengths work in combinations (theme dynamics). This is intended to be the most question-and-answer session of all of Stephen’s talks.

Student Union 362 A and B

Participants of this presentation will conduct a short-wellness assessment. By examining the results of this assessment, we can identify our wellness needs and our areas of strength. Participants will learn how to utilize their strengths to create a well-lived life. Participants will be empowered to pursue greater levels of well-being through the leveraging of their strengths.

Student Union 362C

Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet with CliftonStrengths, your ABCs (Anthony, Bonnie, & Ciara) and here to take you to the next level! This session is designed to help participants better understand how strengths are influenced by personal identities, societal norms, and cultural expectations. During this session, attendees will participate in facilitated small group discussions and reflective activities that explore strengths through a socio-cultural lens.

Student Union 262C

Discover how the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration utilizes PERMA and CliftonStrengths with staff and students in a variety of settings. Participate in learning activities that can be utilized with your teams.

Student Union 362C

Understanding our colleagues is the first step towards creating a space of inclusive excellence. This session will navigate what it means to take a strengths approach to create a work environment rooted in collaboration through understanding and leveraging our differences. Participants will be presented with effective collaboration skills that support a positive team dynamic and engage in activities that can be taken back to their teams to implement during staff meetings or department retreats.

This session connects two prompt topics, strength-based practices in the workplace and strengths and team building. Inclusive excellence is an important career-readiness competency, which is central to the success of higher education to support students and anecdotally, an approach that contributes to creating an inclusive culture.

Student Union 362 A and B

This session is great for all levels of the organization. It is designed to help individuals go from being stuck to making a tiny next step toward solving their problems. We will collaboratively explore what may cause us to feel stuck, what happens when we apply non-strength-based strategies, and recognize how our strengths can help guide getting unstuck.

Student Union 262C

Explore how to put your knowledge of CliftonStrengths to work through a collaborative conversation with colleagues.