St. Luke’s

Roll up, roll up and see the show!Life can feel like a circus at times, especially when we think

about many of our experiences in teams. Everyone knows that being part of a team can be a source of joy and inspiration,

but also of frustration and challenge.

We all long to be part of well-functioning, successful teamsbut we know that this is not always easy.

Strengths in Teams provides great reminders of the strengths we would like to see in any team.

Each of the 30 cards identifies an important strength and the illustrations, built around a delightfully quirky circus, invite us to

notice and build on the strengths in our organisationsand teams.

With a booklet full of useful suggestions,Strengths in Teams is a simple yet powerful way of bringing

alive ideas from Appreciative Inquiry and other strengths-based approaches. Concept, Development and Text

RUSSELL DEAL

Illustration and DesignANDREW BOWLER

St. Luke’s

First published in 2010 by:

St Luke’s Innovative Resources137 McCrae Street BENDIGO Victoria 3550 AustraliaPh: 03 5442 0500 Fax: 03 5442 0555Email: info@innovativeresources.orgWebsite: www.innovativeresources.orgABN: 99 087 209 729

© St Luke’s Innovative Resources and Andrew Bowler

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978 1 920945 459

Edited by: Karen Masman

PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION

Teams Are Everywhere

THE CARDS

Creative Ways of Using the CardsSpread, Scan AND Select

Serendipity

Strengths DU Jour

Strengths AND Leadership

Shadows

Stickers

Combining this resourceWITH OTHER Strengths-based tools

ABOUT ST LUKE’S AND INNOVATIVE RESOURCES

About the Illustrator

THANKS

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6

8 - 11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

20

21

22

CONTENTS

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St. Luke’s

First published in 2010. Reprinted in 2013 by:

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Strengths_in_Teams_Inside_Pages.pdf 1 12/08/13 10:47 AM

First published in 2010 by:

St Luke’s Innovative Resources137 McCrae Street BENDIGO Victoria 3550 AustraliaPh: 03 5442 0500 Fax: 03 5442 0555Email: info@innovativeresources.orgWebsite: www.innovativeresources.orgABN: 99 087 209 729

© St Luke’s Innovative Resources and Andrew Bowler

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978 1 920945 459

Edited by: Karen Masman

PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION

Teams Are Everywhere

THE CARDS

Creative Ways of Using the CardsSpread, Scan AND Select

Serendipity

Strengths DU Jour

Strengths AND Leadership

Shadows

Stickers

Combining this resourceWITH OTHER Strengths-based tools

ABOUT ST LUKE’S AND INNOVATIVE RESOURCES

About the Illustrator

THANKS

iv

6

8 - 11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

20

21

22

CONTENTS

iii

St. Luke’s

First published in 2010. Reprinted in 2013 by:

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Strengths_in_Teams_Inside_Pages.pdf 1 12/08/13 10:47 AM

The spark that ignited the idea for the original Strengths in Teams cards came from Robert de Castella, Australia’s champion marathon runner, when he was working with young athletes at the Australian Institute of Sport.

In 1998, while commenting generously on the quality of Innovative Resources’ products, Rob remarked that elite sportspeople grapple with the same family and relationship stresses as the general population. He wondered if we might see a need for materials that focused on the value of building strengths in groups and teams as well as in individuals. (Individual strengths had been our early focus with Strength Cards and Strength Cards for Kids.)

So began the search for a way of describing‘collective strengths’.

The original Strengths in Teams cards were attractively illustrated by John Veeken and spent many years being sorted, selected, pinned-up and handed around countless workplace tables and group circles. It was with great appreciation for the work of this original set that the team at Innovative Resources decided it was time to embark on a process of updating both the concepts and the illustrations.

We invited a new-comer to the ranks of illustrators and graphic designers, Andrew Bowler, to take up the challenge of bringing that freshness and vibrancy to the new edition.

The new edition of Strengths in Teams has had a long gestation… as is the case with most of our publications! We know we have a very knowledgeable and discerning customer base. Getting the subtleties right, creating a broad appeal and not inadvertently causing offence invariably involves close ‘interrogation’ of all evolving materials. Replacing a popular, tried and tested product with a new edition tends to exacerbate the challenge.

Welcome to the new edition of the Strengths in Teams cards! We hope your patient wait has not been in vain and that you get as much enjoyment and conversational stimulation out of them as we have.

Take a risk and introduce the cards into any team meeting– a weekly staff meeting, a strategic planning meeting, supervision, mentoring, debriefing or…? Notice the different way the conversations unfurl. Chances are you and your team will emerge with fresh insights, changed perceptions and a laugh or two from the quirky humour.

Life can be a cabaret, but it can also be a circus!

Russell DealMarch 2010

PREFACE

NEW EDITIONTOTH E

iv v

The spark that ignited the idea for the original Strengths in Teams cards came from Robert de Castella, Australia’s champion marathon runner, when he was working with young athletes at the Australian Institute of Sport.

In 1998, while commenting generously on the quality of Innovative Resources’ products, Rob remarked that elite sportspeople grapple with the same family and relationship stresses as the general population. He wondered if we might see a need for materials that focused on the value of building strengths in groups and teams as well as in individuals. (Individual strengths had been our early focus with Strength Cards and Strength Cards for Kids.)

So began the search for a way of describing‘collective strengths’.

The original Strengths in Teams cards were attractively illustrated by John Veeken and spent many years being sorted, selected, pinned-up and handed around countless workplace tables and group circles. It was with great appreciation for the work of this original set that the team at Innovative Resources decided it was time to embark on a process of updating both the concepts and the illustrations.

We invited a new-comer to the ranks of illustrators and graphic designers, Andrew Bowler, to take up the challenge of bringing that freshness and vibrancy to the new edition.

The new edition of Strengths in Teams has had a long gestation… as is the case with most of our publications! We know we have a very knowledgeable and discerning customer base. Getting the subtleties right, creating a broad appeal and not inadvertently causing offence invariably involves close ‘interrogation’ of all evolving materials. Replacing a popular, tried and tested product with a new edition tends to exacerbate the challenge.

Welcome to the new edition of the Strengths in Teams cards! We hope your patient wait has not been in vain and that you get as much enjoyment and conversational stimulation out of them as we have.

Take a risk and introduce the cards into any team meeting– a weekly staff meeting, a strategic planning meeting, supervision, mentoring, debriefing or…? Notice the different way the conversations unfurl. Chances are you and your team will emerge with fresh insights, changed perceptions and a laugh or two from the quirky humour.

Life can be a cabaret, but it can also be a circus!

Russell DealMarch 2010

PREFACE

NEW EDITIONTOTH E

iv v

Teams are everywhere. They are all around us and we are part of them from the day we are born.

This means that we are all experts on the nature of teams and teamwork. We have all experienced the satisfaction, the pleasure, and indeed the exhilaration when things go well in our teams. Equally, we all know the frustration and hurt when corrosives get into teams.

Despite being so intimately acquainted with teams, the ability to build effective, well-functioning teams in a sustainable manner remains mysteriously elusive. There are libraries full of books with countless millions of words about teamwork. Some authors and commentators have become very rich by conjuring up yet another best-selling recipe for constructingthe ‘successful’ team.

The complete set of Strengths in Teams cards, however, only contains thirty words. This resource is not another encyclopedia,

manual or a recipe for success. It merely suggests thirty commonly-identified dimensions of a well-functioning team.

These thirty possible strengths work as windows into teamwork; they open up reflection and discussion, helping participants to notice, mobilise and celebrate the strengths in their groups, teams or organisations. Thirty words is by no means an exhaustive list—but no doubt they will prompt other words to describe a team’s strengths. Using the maxim ‘less is more’, this set of thirty cards can initiate rich and fertile team-building conversations.

All teams have strengths. Strengths are the cement that enables a team to stay together. Even when things are going badly in a team it is worth remembering that it is strengths that keep the team functioning, however tenuously.

Whether the team is travelling well, meeting its objectives and the needs of all members, or whether corrosives have set in and cracks are appearing, it is important to remind ourselves of the strengths we already have in our teams, and those we want to develop further.

The circus provides a fertile metaphor for teamwork—one that brings alive the thirty key strengths in a vibrant and humorous way. Andrew Bowler is a brilliant young artist whose sense of colour and fun has made these concepts accessible to young children and to the corporate world alike. Strengths in Teams can talk to members of just about any team and provide some very different windows into team building.

Of course, all teams are transient. All teams go through ups and downs. No sporting team stays on top forever. No businessknows only success. There are always shadows lurking and we know that the members of any successful team will grow and change as individuals, and they will come and go from the team as well.

Success in any team is invariably time-limited. However, building cultures of strengths can prolong success or provide the resilience needed to tackle the challenges that inevitably arise.

Strengths-based approaches such as Appreciative Inquiry (see books and articles by David Cooperrider) and Asset-based Community Development (see Communities of Hope by Wayne McCashen and Building Community by Linda Beilharz, both published by St Luke’s Innovative Resources) have clearly demonstrated the value of emphasising strengths rather than deficits. Once the focus is on weaknesses, threats and deficits, these are the things that will tend to be noticed. Every team has constraints but building on strengths rather than simply trying to overcome deficits can be profoundly energising and liberating.

Strengths in Teams is not a panacea. It won’t instantly set up a formula for success but it may help your team maintain perspective, avoid a preoccupation with problems, and get the team talking, thinking and acting in a range of new and positive ways.

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TEAMS AREEVERYWHERE

Teams are everywhere. They are all around us and we are part of them from the day we are born.

This means that we are all experts on the nature of teams and teamwork. We have all experienced the satisfaction, the pleasure, and indeed the exhilaration when things go well in our teams. Equally, we all know the frustration and hurt when corrosives get into teams.

Despite being so intimately acquainted with teams, the ability to build effective, well-functioning teams in a sustainable manner remains mysteriously elusive. There are libraries full of books with countless millions of words about teamwork. Some authors and commentators have become very rich by conjuring up yet another best-selling recipe for constructingthe ‘successful’ team.

The complete set of Strengths in Teams cards, however, only contains thirty words. This resource is not another encyclopedia,

manual or a recipe for success. It merely suggests thirty commonly-identified dimensions of a well-functioning team.

These thirty possible strengths work as windows into teamwork; they open up reflection and discussion, helping participants to notice, mobilise and celebrate the strengths in their groups, teams or organisations. Thirty words is by no means an exhaustive list—but no doubt they will prompt other words to describe a team’s strengths. Using the maxim ‘less is more’, this set of thirty cards can initiate rich and fertile team-building conversations.

All teams have strengths. Strengths are the cement that enables a team to stay together. Even when things are going badly in a team it is worth remembering that it is strengths that keep the team functioning, however tenuously.

Whether the team is travelling well, meeting its objectives and the needs of all members, or whether corrosives have set in and cracks are appearing, it is important to remind ourselves of the strengths we already have in our teams, and those we want to develop further.

The circus provides a fertile metaphor for teamwork—one that brings alive the thirty key strengths in a vibrant and humorous way. Andrew Bowler is a brilliant young artist whose sense of colour and fun has made these concepts accessible to young children and to the corporate world alike. Strengths in Teams can talk to members of just about any team and provide some very different windows into team building.

Of course, all teams are transient. All teams go through ups and downs. No sporting team stays on top forever. No businessknows only success. There are always shadows lurking and we know that the members of any successful team will grow and change as individuals, and they will come and go from the team as well.

Success in any team is invariably time-limited. However, building cultures of strengths can prolong success or provide the resilience needed to tackle the challenges that inevitably arise.

Strengths-based approaches such as Appreciative Inquiry (see books and articles by David Cooperrider) and Asset-based Community Development (see Communities of Hope by Wayne McCashen and Building Community by Linda Beilharz, both published by St Luke’s Innovative Resources) have clearly demonstrated the value of emphasising strengths rather than deficits. Once the focus is on weaknesses, threats and deficits, these are the things that will tend to be noticed. Every team has constraints but building on strengths rather than simply trying to overcome deficits can be profoundly energising and liberating.

Strengths in Teams is not a panacea. It won’t instantly set up a formula for success but it may help your team maintain perspective, avoid a preoccupation with problems, and get the team talking, thinking and acting in a range of new and positive ways.

6 7

TEAMS AREEVERYWHERE

THE CARDS

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Sorry this page is only available in the hardcopy version of this booklet

THE CARDS

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Sorry this page is only available in the hardcopy version of this booklet

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Sorry this page is only available in the hardcopy version of this booklet

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Sorry this page is only available in the hardcopy version of this booklet

1 SPREAD, SCAN AND SELECTPerhaps the most common way of using any of Innovative Resources’ conversation-building card sets such as Strengths in Teams is what we call ‘The Three Ss’: Spread, Scan and Select.

One important question that any facilitator should ask themselves before using any conversation-building tool is: ‘Do I need to use all the cards?’ For some groups and in some situations a smaller selection of cards may be sufficient or even preferable. Consider whether all the cards are appropriate for this group, with this exercise, at this time, and in this situation.

Strengths in Teams cards can be spread on a table or onthe floor and an individual or small group invited to ‘get to know the cards’ and then make a selection according to relevant questions.

Some card sets require more ‘getting to know’ time than others. Just how long should be allocated depends on the facilitator, the group, their familiarity with the cards and thetime available. While the concepts on the cards may be readily comprehended, the ‘story’ in the illustrations suggests the need for some time to examine the card.

Inviting participants to move around the cards if they are spread on a table or on the floor adds another important means of ‘getting to know’ the cards. The physicality of this shouldn’t be under-estimated; movement can be a strong adjunct for building group cohesion and learning.

The selection of cards depends on the creativity and purpose of the facilitator. Some possible questions to set up the selection and conversations include:

• What do you believe are the most significant strengths in your team?

• If your team was to win an award for strengths, which ones would you nominate?

• What team strengths do you personally enjoyand get the most satisfaction from?

• What particular strengths have got your team throughtimes of struggle and conflict?

• Can you identify a team member who is ‘the holder of wisdom’ for the strength featured in each card?

• Which strengths do you contribute to the team?

• Which strengths do you believe your team needs to work on or develop?

• Which strengths do you need to practise?

• Which strengths do you believe you or your team will need most in the coming days, weeks or months?

• Which strengths do you believe outsiders or observers of your team would identify as the team’s greatest strengths?

2 SERENDIPITYWe call serendipity the fourth ‘S’. Sometimes it is interesting to introduce random-choice into the conversation and have group members select or be dealt a card. Without suggesting any supernatural forces are at work, a question such as ‘Why of all possible cards did the universe deal me this card?’ evokes some fascinating reflections. Often participants will discover a connection or a synchronicity that can providea springboard into fresh insights and conversations.

• Can you talk about the card you chose at random (or were dealt)? Does it have any particular relevance or significance for you or your team?

• Would you say that this is a key strength of yours? Are you good at it or is it something you would like to practise more? How do you think you could practise that strength?

• What would you have to do to be considered an ‘expert’ on that strength?

• What might happen if you even just pretended that you were good at that strength? What differences do you think the other team members would notice?

A development of serendipity or random choice is to invite group members to blindly choose 2 or 3 cards and to talk about the relationship between the cards.

• How do the cards you have chosen ‘speak to each other’?

• How do they relate or connect in your life or the life of your team?

• Are they complementary or do they conflict at times?

CREATIVE WAYS OF

USING THE CARDS

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1 SPREAD, SCAN AND SELECTPerhaps the most common way of using any of Innovative Resources’ conversation-building card sets such as Strengths in Teams is what we call ‘The Three Ss’: Spread, Scan and Select.

One important question that any facilitator should ask themselves before using any conversation-building tool is: ‘Do I need to use all the cards?’ For some groups and in some situations a smaller selection of cards may be sufficient or even preferable. Consider whether all the cards are appropriate for this group, with this exercise, at this time, and in this situation.

Strengths in Teams cards can be spread on a table or onthe floor and an individual or small group invited to ‘get to know the cards’ and then make a selection according to relevant questions.

Some card sets require more ‘getting to know’ time than others. Just how long should be allocated depends on the facilitator, the group, their familiarity with the cards and thetime available. While the concepts on the cards may be readily comprehended, the ‘story’ in the illustrations suggests the need for some time to examine the card.

Inviting participants to move around the cards if they are spread on a table or on the floor adds another important means of ‘getting to know’ the cards. The physicality of this shouldn’t be under-estimated; movement can be a strong adjunct for building group cohesion and learning.

The selection of cards depends on the creativity and purpose of the facilitator. Some possible questions to set up the selection and conversations include:

• What do you believe are the most significant strengths in your team?

• If your team was to win an award for strengths, which ones would you nominate?

• What team strengths do you personally enjoyand get the most satisfaction from?

• What particular strengths have got your team throughtimes of struggle and conflict?

• Can you identify a team member who is ‘the holder of wisdom’ for the strength featured in each card?

• Which strengths do you contribute to the team?

• Which strengths do you believe your team needs to work on or develop?

• Which strengths do you need to practise?

• Which strengths do you believe you or your team will need most in the coming days, weeks or months?

• Which strengths do you believe outsiders or observers of your team would identify as the team’s greatest strengths?

2 SERENDIPITYWe call serendipity the fourth ‘S’. Sometimes it is interesting to introduce random-choice into the conversation and have group members select or be dealt a card. Without suggesting any supernatural forces are at work, a question such as ‘Why of all possible cards did the universe deal me this card?’ evokes some fascinating reflections. Often participants will discover a connection or a synchronicity that can providea springboard into fresh insights and conversations.

• Can you talk about the card you chose at random (or were dealt)? Does it have any particular relevance or significance for you or your team?

• Would you say that this is a key strength of yours? Are you good at it or is it something you would like to practise more? How do you think you could practise that strength?

• What would you have to do to be considered an ‘expert’ on that strength?

• What might happen if you even just pretended that you were good at that strength? What differences do you think the other team members would notice?

A development of serendipity or random choice is to invite group members to blindly choose 2 or 3 cards and to talk about the relationship between the cards.

• How do the cards you have chosen ‘speak to each other’?

• How do they relate or connect in your life or the life of your team?

• Are they complementary or do they conflict at times?

CREATIVE WAYS OF

USING THE CARDS

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4 STRENGTHS AND LEADERSHIPAs well as using Strengths in Teams to explore the nature of teamwork, these cards can also provide a window into leadership. Teamwork and leadership, particularly when working from a philosophy of shared leadership, are complementary and at times, difficult to separate.

‘The best leaders of all, the people know not they exist,they turn to each other and say, we did it ourselves.’ Zen maxim

Simply spread out the cards and invite participants to scan them using questions with a focus on leadership:

• Which three (or more) cards sum up your key strengths as a leader?

• If leadership skills are spread throughout your team, using the cards, which team member do you associate with each strength?

• If all the cards represent vital elements of good teamwork it would be ideal for each to have a ‘champion’ on your team. Who in your team or organisation is the ‘possessor of wisdom’ for each of the strengths in the set?

• What particular leadership skills does your team need at present? Is it a time of change, consolidation, turmoil, stability, growth or turbulence and what leadership skills does this phase demand?

Many years ago at St Luke’s, we discovered an application of Strengths in Teams in interviewing job applicants, particularly when the position has management or supervisory obligations.

Give interviewees a subset of the cards with a question such as:

• We assume you have all these strengths but what keyleadership strengths would we see you demonstrating afterthree months in the position, if you were successful?

This activity, if introduced respectfully and with permission for the applicant to decline the invitation, invariably leads to interesting discussion and some novel insights for all concerned.

‘Leadership is not a position. It’s a combination of something you are (character) and something you do (competence).’ Ken Melrose

3 STRENGTHS DU JOURAnother everyday strategy for using the cards might be called ‘Strength of the Day’ (or week or month). Used all the time in classrooms, sporting teams and even some businesses, this consists of simply displaying one of the cards on a wall, blackboard or notice board for a given time and using that card as a reminder of the significance of that strength to the team.

This motivational use of Strengths in Teams cards might also be called ‘subtle therapy’ or even ‘sneaky therapy’ (to keep the ‘S’ theme alive!). The card serves as a visual reminder of important elements of team life that can be talked about and examined from numerous vantage points.

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4 STRENGTHS AND LEADERSHIPAs well as using Strengths in Teams to explore the nature of teamwork, these cards can also provide a window into leadership. Teamwork and leadership, particularly when working from a philosophy of shared leadership, are complementary and at times, difficult to separate.

‘The best leaders of all, the people know not they exist,they turn to each other and say, we did it ourselves.’ Zen maxim

Simply spread out the cards and invite participants to scan them using questions with a focus on leadership:

• Which three (or more) cards sum up your key strengths as a leader?

• If leadership skills are spread throughout your team, using the cards, which team member do you associate with each strength?

• If all the cards represent vital elements of good teamwork it would be ideal for each to have a ‘champion’ on your team. Who in your team or organisation is the ‘possessor of wisdom’ for each of the strengths in the set?

• What particular leadership skills does your team need at present? Is it a time of change, consolidation, turmoil, stability, growth or turbulence and what leadership skills does this phase demand?

Many years ago at St Luke’s, we discovered an application of Strengths in Teams in interviewing job applicants, particularly when the position has management or supervisory obligations.

Give interviewees a subset of the cards with a question such as:

• We assume you have all these strengths but what keyleadership strengths would we see you demonstrating afterthree months in the position, if you were successful?

This activity, if introduced respectfully and with permission for the applicant to decline the invitation, invariably leads to interesting discussion and some novel insights for all concerned.

‘Leadership is not a position. It’s a combination of something you are (character) and something you do (competence).’ Ken Melrose

3 STRENGTHS DU JOURAnother everyday strategy for using the cards might be called ‘Strength of the Day’ (or week or month). Used all the time in classrooms, sporting teams and even some businesses, this consists of simply displaying one of the cards on a wall, blackboard or notice board for a given time and using that card as a reminder of the significance of that strength to the team.

This motivational use of Strengths in Teams cards might also be called ‘subtle therapy’ or even ‘sneaky therapy’ (to keep the ‘S’ theme alive!). The card serves as a visual reminder of important elements of team life that can be talked about and examined from numerous vantage points.

14 15

5 SHADOWSAlthough Appreciative Inquiry and other strengths-based approaches emphasise the importance of keeping the focus squarely on strengths, abilities and solutions, they do not ignore problems. The emphasis, though, is on overcoming—not dwelling on, or even managing, problems.

This means pain and trauma have to be heard and acknowledged. To be strengths-based is not to be saccharine or ‘Pollyannaish’. Sometimes there is a fine line between strengths and deficits, and sometimes what is a strength for one person can be experienced as oppressive or disrespectful by another.

To explore this fine line using Strengths in Teams cards it can be useful to initiate ‘Shadows’ (yes, another ‘S’) questions such as:

• Do any members of the team or those outside the team struggle with any of these strengths?

• Do we sometimes overdo some strengths? If so, which ones?

• Do any strengths predominate to the detriment of other strengths?

• Is our array of strengths too narrow?

• Do we ever use any strengths inappropriately or insensitively?

• Is it possible to be too self-congratulatory about our strengths?

• Do any of our strengths inhibit or become a barrier to others outside the group?

• Can strengths ‘colonise’ (devalue, disempower or disadvantage) others?

6 STICKERSThe last ‘S’ (yes, I promise) is stickers. As stickers the Strengths in Teams cards can be given away readily and inexpensively, or they can be used to create multiple copies of mini card sets by adhering them to cardboard and laminating them.

As give-aways the stickers are a great means of ‘gifting’—of giving others a tangible reminder of their particular strengths—and building self-esteem. We can all benefit from regular reminders of our individual strengths, the strengths we contribute to our teams and the strengths we gleanfrom our teams.

16 17

5 SHADOWSAlthough Appreciative Inquiry and other strengths-based approaches emphasise the importance of keeping the focus squarely on strengths, abilities and solutions, they do not ignore problems. The emphasis, though, is on overcoming—not dwelling on, or even managing, problems.

This means pain and trauma have to be heard and acknowledged. To be strengths-based is not to be saccharine or ‘Pollyannaish’. Sometimes there is a fine line between strengths and deficits, and sometimes what is a strength for one person can be experienced as oppressive or disrespectful by another.

To explore this fine line using Strengths in Teams cards it can be useful to initiate ‘Shadows’ (yes, another ‘S’) questions such as:

• Do any members of the team or those outside the team struggle with any of these strengths?

• Do we sometimes overdo some strengths? If so, which ones?

• Do any strengths predominate to the detriment of other strengths?

• Is our array of strengths too narrow?

• Do we ever use any strengths inappropriately or insensitively?

• Is it possible to be too self-congratulatory about our strengths?

• Do any of our strengths inhibit or become a barrier to others outside the group?

• Can strengths ‘colonise’ (devalue, disempower or disadvantage) others?

6 STICKERSThe last ‘S’ (yes, I promise) is stickers. As stickers the Strengths in Teams cards can be given away readily and inexpensively, or they can be used to create multiple copies of mini card sets by adhering them to cardboard and laminating them.

As give-aways the stickers are a great means of ‘gifting’—of giving others a tangible reminder of their particular strengths—and building self-esteem. We can all benefit from regular reminders of our individual strengths, the strengths we contribute to our teams and the strengths we gleanfrom our teams.

16 17

7 COMBINING this resourceWITH OTHER STRENGTHS-BASED TOOLSStrengths in Teams is an engaging conversation-building tool that has applications and relevance to just about any team. It can be adapted readily to a wide variety of contexts, from invitations to engagement, to evaluation, to strategic planning…and to simply lighting up an otherwise dull staff meeting!

However, it can also complement a number of other conversation-building tools published by St Luke’s Innovative Resources. Some of these tools are designed for organisations and more formally structured teams, some for children, and some for almost any age or situation, but they all reflect the strengths-based philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry and other strengths-based approaches.

All these card sets provide different windows into team-building. Depending on the needs of your teams they can be used in sequence or interchangeably to build richer and deeper conversations about the nature of our teams, groups and organisations.

Change By DesignThis is a set of 60 double-sided cards that pose fascinating questions about the nature of teamwork and leadership, particularly in times of change. It is in times of change that the need for shared leadership is heightened.

Rather than seeing leadership as a set of qualities or skills belonging only to people in senior management positions,

Change By Design assumes that everyone has leadership skills. These skills may differ or be expressed differently, but nonetheless they are all relevant in the midst of change.

What Works?The Strengths of an OrganisationThis card set suggests 30 possible areas or ‘dimensions’ that any team or organisation might consider when assessing or building its strengths. Based on the strengths-based philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry, What Works? provides a set of prompts to notice key strengths in the culture of just about any organisation.

Each dimension has 4 related statements that can serve as ‘indicators’ for noticing and measuring that strength in action:

• Are these indicators relevant to your organisation?

• Which do you do well; which require more work?

• How well do you think your team or organisation puts these strengths into action?

Cars ‘R’ UsFor a delightfully left-field approach to thinking about our teams you might enjoy using the Cars ‘R’ Us cards. This kit incorporates some of the key ideas of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy as developed by William Glasser. It can be used by individuals to examine the choices they make and the thinking and actions necessary to ensure we reach our goals.

‘Lead Management’ is that part of Glasser’s theory relevant to teams and organisations. The 52 ‘Fleet Cards’ in this set can be applied to our teams and the same useful questions asked to test whether we are still on track:

• Which Fleet Card represents how your team or organisation is travelling at present?

• Which card sums up your picture of your organisation when you joined?

• Which card would be the car you would want your

team or organisation to resemble in the future?

Name the FrameEvery team and organisation has blind spots. No team ever gets its decisions and decision-making processes right every time. Name the Frame consists of 32 cards with a total of 130 questions that challenge teams and organisations to scrutinise their thinking, their policies and their decision-making from a number of different ‘frames’ or standpoints:

• Are we being inclusive?

• Are we hearing all the voices affected by this decision or issue—including the quiet ones?

• Are we trapped in stereotypes or unchallenged assumptions?

The aim of Name the Frame is to provide a way for anyteam to check whether its decisions and processesare just and fair.

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7 COMBINING this resourceWITH OTHER STRENGTHS-BASED TOOLSStrengths in Teams is an engaging conversation-building tool that has applications and relevance to just about any team. It can be adapted readily to a wide variety of contexts, from invitations to engagement, to evaluation, to strategic planning…and to simply lighting up an otherwise dull staff meeting!

However, it can also complement a number of other conversation-building tools published by St Luke’s Innovative Resources. Some of these tools are designed for organisations and more formally structured teams, some for children, and some for almost any age or situation, but they all reflect the strengths-based philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry and other strengths-based approaches.

All these card sets provide different windows into team-building. Depending on the needs of your teams they can be used in sequence or interchangeably to build richer and deeper conversations about the nature of our teams, groups and organisations.

Change By DesignThis is a set of 60 double-sided cards that pose fascinating questions about the nature of teamwork and leadership, particularly in times of change. It is in times of change that the need for shared leadership is heightened.

Rather than seeing leadership as a set of qualities or skills belonging only to people in senior management positions,

Change By Design assumes that everyone has leadership skills. These skills may differ or be expressed differently, but nonetheless they are all relevant in the midst of change.

What Works?The Strengths of an OrganisationThis card set suggests 30 possible areas or ‘dimensions’ that any team or organisation might consider when assessing or building its strengths. Based on the strengths-based philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry, What Works? provides a set of prompts to notice key strengths in the culture of just about any organisation.

Each dimension has 4 related statements that can serve as ‘indicators’ for noticing and measuring that strength in action:

• Are these indicators relevant to your organisation?

• Which do you do well; which require more work?

• How well do you think your team or organisation puts these strengths into action?

Cars ‘R’ UsFor a delightfully left-field approach to thinking about our teams you might enjoy using the Cars ‘R’ Us cards. This kit incorporates some of the key ideas of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy as developed by William Glasser. It can be used by individuals to examine the choices they make and the thinking and actions necessary to ensure we reach our goals.

‘Lead Management’ is that part of Glasser’s theory relevant to teams and organisations. The 52 ‘Fleet Cards’ in this set can be applied to our teams and the same useful questions asked to test whether we are still on track:

• Which Fleet Card represents how your team or organisation is travelling at present?

• Which card sums up your picture of your organisation when you joined?

• Which card would be the car you would want your

team or organisation to resemble in the future?

Name the FrameEvery team and organisation has blind spots. No team ever gets its decisions and decision-making processes right every time. Name the Frame consists of 32 cards with a total of 130 questions that challenge teams and organisations to scrutinise their thinking, their policies and their decision-making from a number of different ‘frames’ or standpoints:

• Are we being inclusive?

• Are we hearing all the voices affected by this decision or issue—including the quiet ones?

• Are we trapped in stereotypes or unchallenged assumptions?

The aim of Name the Frame is to provide a way for anyteam to check whether its decisions and processesare just and fair.

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St Luke’s Innovative Resources is the publishing arm of St Luke’s. We produce original, strengths-based, conversation-building materials that are used throughout Australia, New Zealand and many other countries. These materials are designed to assist people in many different roles and situations to talk about ‘what’s important’.

We often use humour, colour, illustration and design to bring conversations alive, especially for those in society who haven’t had a voice or who have been silenced.

Innovative Resources is a not-for-profit enterprise that does not rely on either government or philanthropic support. Any surplus that is generated from the sale of our materials is returned toSt Luke’s to enhance its direct service and advocacy initiatives.

As well as publishing, we operate a bookshop which is located in Bendigo, Australia and on-line. We aim to provide a source of high quality, practical resources for people who work with others across a wide range of professions and roles.

In addition, we provide highly interactive, ‘seriously optimistic’ workshops demonstrating the value of creative arts and tactile materials in building transformational conversations. These highly interactive workshops offer participants an opportunityto experiment with many different ideas for using our card sets and a variety of other materials.

For more information or to place orders, please go to: www.innovativeresources.org

Andrew Bowler is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and animator based in Melbourne, Australia.

His formal education is in graphic design, having completed a Diploma of Graphic Art at Holmesglen TAFE. From an early age Andrew really enjoyed drawing, creating his own original characters and watching cartoons.

Between freelancing with major Australian companies and studying a Bachelor of Interactive Entertainment with a Major in Animation, he still manages to watch‘a few’ cartoons.

This is the first project Andrew has worked on with the team at Innovative Resources.

St Luke’s Anglicare was established by the Anglican Dioceseof Bendigo in 1979. We are part of the Anglicare Australia network of community services and we provide a wide rangeof child, youth and family services, disability services, mental health support services and financial and consumer services throughout North-Central Victoria and Southern New South Wales.

All St Luke’s services are based on the strengths-based philosophy that is summed up in the book The Strengths Approach by Wayne McCashen and published in 2005by St Luke’s Innovative Resources, Bendigo, Australia.

St Luke’s has an entrenched commitment to social justice and to confronting those structures and processes that discriminate and disadvantage people.

St Luke’s motto is ‘Respect, Hope and Fairness’.

To learn more about the work of St Luke’s, please visit the website: www.stlukes.org.au

RESOURCESILLUSTRATOR

ABOUT T H E

INNOVATIVEABOUT ST LUKE’S AND

20 21

St Luke’s Innovative Resources is the publishing arm of St Luke’s. We produce original, strengths-based, conversation-building materials that are used throughout Australia, New Zealand and many other countries. These materials are designed to assist people in many different roles and situations to talk about ‘what’s important’.

We often use humour, colour, illustration and design to bring conversations alive, especially for those in society who haven’t had a voice or who have been silenced.

Innovative Resources is a not-for-profit enterprise that does not rely on either government or philanthropic support. Any surplus that is generated from the sale of our materials is returned toSt Luke’s to enhance its direct service and advocacy initiatives.

As well as publishing, we operate a bookshop which is located in Bendigo, Australia and on-line. We aim to provide a source of high quality, practical resources for people who work with others across a wide range of professions and roles.

In addition, we provide highly interactive, ‘seriously optimistic’ workshops demonstrating the value of creative arts and tactile materials in building transformational conversations. These highly interactive workshops offer participants an opportunityto experiment with many different ideas for using our card sets and a variety of other materials.

For more information or to place orders, please go to: www.innovativeresources.org

Andrew Bowler is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and animator based in Melbourne, Australia.

His formal education is in graphic design, having completed a Diploma of Graphic Art at Holmesglen TAFE. From an early age Andrew really enjoyed drawing, creating his own original characters and watching cartoons.

Between freelancing with major Australian companies and studying a Bachelor of Interactive Entertainment with a Major in Animation, he still manages to watch‘a few’ cartoons.

This is the first project Andrew has worked on with the team at Innovative Resources.

St Luke’s Anglicare was established by the Anglican Dioceseof Bendigo in 1979. We are part of the Anglicare Australia network of community services and we provide a wide rangeof child, youth and family services, disability services, mental health support services and financial and consumer services throughout North-Central Victoria and Southern New South Wales.

All St Luke’s services are based on the strengths-based philosophy that is summed up in the book The Strengths Approach by Wayne McCashen and published in 2005by St Luke’s Innovative Resources, Bendigo, Australia.

St Luke’s has an entrenched commitment to social justice and to confronting those structures and processes that discriminate and disadvantage people.

St Luke’s motto is ‘Respect, Hope and Fairness’.

To learn more about the work of St Luke’s, please visit the website: www.stlukes.org.au

RESOURCESILLUSTRATOR

ABOUT T H E

INNOVATIVEABOUT ST LUKE’S AND

20 21

Any publication by St Luke’s Innovative Resources depends on a whole team to bring it to life. Strengths in Teams was assisted along the way by John Holton and Jennie Melberg with input by all members of the team at Innovative Resources, from sales and accounting to production and warehousing.

Special thanks are due to our consultant editor, Karen Masman, who, as ever, contributed her conceptual and style skills as well as her meticulous care.

Strengths in Teams was one of Andrew’s major commercial undertakings following his graduation from his graphic arts course. He provided a fresh eye to the task of interpreting our ideas, a whole new approach to a colour palate and patience that belies his years as we ruminated on the appropriate content (just don’t ask about the elephants!).

Andrew deserves credit for his perseverance and also for the good humour that emanates from the cards. His illustrations are witty but telling—and they dance the dance that we always attempt in our publications: blending soulfulness with playfulness.

Finally, thanks to the many skilled professionals who support the production and sale of our resources including our local printers and box manufacturers, and our resellers and many well-wishers from all over the globe.

...THANKS !

22 23

Any publication by St Luke’s Innovative Resources depends on a whole team to bring it to life. Strengths in Teams was assisted along the way by John Holton and Jennie Melberg with input by all members of the team at Innovative Resources, from sales and accounting to production and warehousing.

Special thanks are due to our consultant editor, Karen Masman, who, as ever, contributed her conceptual and style skills as well as her meticulous care.

Strengths in Teams was one of Andrew’s major commercial undertakings following his graduation from his graphic arts course. He provided a fresh eye to the task of interpreting our ideas, a whole new approach to a colour palate and patience that belies his years as we ruminated on the appropriate content (just don’t ask about the elephants!).

Andrew deserves credit for his perseverance and also for the good humour that emanates from the cards. His illustrations are witty but telling—and they dance the dance that we always attempt in our publications: blending soulfulness with playfulness.

Finally, thanks to the many skilled professionals who support the production and sale of our resources including our local printers and box manufacturers, and our resellers and many well-wishers from all over the globe.

...THANKS !

22 23

St. Luke’s

Roll up, roll up and see the show!Life can feel like a circus at times, especially when we think

about many of our experiences in teams. Everyone knows that being part of a team can be a source of joy and inspiration,

but also of frustration and challenge.

We all long to be part of well-functioning, successful teamsbut we know that this is not always easy.

Strengths in Teams provides great reminders of the strengths we would like to see in any team.

Each of the 30 cards identifies an important strength and the illustrations, built around a delightfully quirky circus, invite us to

notice and build on the strengths in our organisationsand teams.

With a booklet full of useful suggestions,Strengths in Teams is a simple yet powerful way of bringing

alive ideas from Appreciative Inquiry and other strengths-based approaches. Concept, Development and Text

RUSSELL DEAL

Illustration and DesignANDREW BOWLER

St. Luke’s