Module 5 Learning Packet

MODULE 5 PACKET

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Materials reproduced in this guide are used for training purposes only. Use apart from or reproduction for use not related to this instruction can be accomplished only with the written permission of: The Oikos Institute for Social Impact 11218 South Bishop Street Chicago, IL 60643

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VISION Our vision is to help congregations harness the power of their assets in order to be a catalyst for communal transformation and economic renewal.

MISSION Through strategic partnerships with seminaries, universities, foundations, government agencies and denominational judicatories, the Oikos Institute creates mutually supportive ecosystems that strengthen the Faith, Intellectual, Social and Human Capital of congregations actively engaged in social impact and transformational work in the under-resourced communities they serve.

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OUR PRIORITIES • Providing relief for distressed communities • Alleviating human suffering • Maximizing human potential • Solving social problems via social reform • Building community via civic engagement

SOCIAL IMPACT is a significant, positive change that addresses a pressing social challenge. Creating social impact is the result of a deliberate set of activities with a goal matching this definition.

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StrengthsFinders Analyzing Our Results StrengthsFinder, also known as the CliftonStrengths assessment, is an online test that measures your natural talents and helps you identify areas for improvement: The assessment measures the intensity of your talents in 34 themes across four domains: executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking. You are presented with paired statements and select the option you identify with best. The assessment is designed to be psychometric, meaning it's an objective measurement of your skills, knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and personality traits. After completing the assessment, you receive a report that ranks your top five strengths and includes definitions of each talent.

Be sure that at least your congregation’s leadership team completes the assessment. Include major volunteers and other culture bearers that you identified in Module 4.

Analyzing StrengthsFinder organization results can provide valuable insights into a team’s collective strengths, dynamics, and potential areas for growth. The CliftonStrengths assessment identifies individuals' unique strengths across 34 themes, and when applied to a team or organization, it helps understand how these strengths interact and contribute to overall performance.

Here are several ways to analyze StrengthsFinder results for your organization: Identify Dominant Strengths in the Team Approach: Look at the distribution of strengths across your team. Identify the most common dominant themes among team members.

Why It’s Important: Understanding which strengths are prevalent within the group allows leaders to build on existing capabilities and recognize areas where the team naturally excels.

Example: If many team members have themes like Activator, Achiever, or Strategic, it may suggest a results-driven and goal-oriented team. If Empathy or Developer are prevalent, it may indicate a team with high emotional intelligence and a focus on personal growth.

Assess Strengths Clusters Approach: The 34 StrengthsFinder themes can be grouped into four domains: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking. Analyze the distribution of these domains across the team.

Why It’s Important: This analysis helps understand the overall balance in the team’s capabilities. For example, a team with a high concentration of Strategic Thinking strengths (like Strategic, Ideation, or Learner) might be great at planning and innovation but might need more strengths in Executing (like Focus or Discipline) to implement those ideas effectively.

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Example: A team with strong Relationship Building strengths (e.g., Harmony, Includer, Relator) might excel in team cohesion but need help with decisiveness or taking action on ideas.

Evaluate Role Alignment Approach: Compare the StrengthsFinder results with the roles and responsibilities of team members. Are individuals’ natural strengths aligned with their roles?

Why It’s Important: When people’s strengths align with their roles, they tend to be more engaged, effective, and satisfied. Misalignment can lead to frustration and underperformance.

Example: If a team member with strong Strategic and Analytical strengths works in a customerfacing role that requires a lot of Influencing (e.g., Communication or Woo), they might struggle.

Realigning them to a role focused on planning, problem-solving, or behind-the-scenes work could leverage their strengths more effectively.

Explore Potential Gaps Approach: Look for areas where the team may lack certain strengths or domains. For example, if there is an absence of Influencing strengths in a leadership team, the team might need help motivating others, making persuasive arguments, or gaining buy-in for initiatives.

Why It’s Important: Recognizing these gaps allows you to develop those skills within the team or bring in external resources that complement the existing strengths.

Example: A leadership team with many Executing strengths (e.g., Achiever, Discipline, Focus) might be highly productive but need more creativity or vision that comes from Strategic Thinking strengths. This could limit innovation or long-term planning.

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Identify Strengths Synergy Approach: Examine how strengths interact in teams. Certain strengths work well together and can create powerful synergies.

Why It’s Important: Identifying complementary strengths can help maximize team performance.

When strengths like Input (gathering information) and Ideation (generating ideas) are paired with Activator (taking action), they can produce innovative solutions with fast execution.

Example: A combination of Harmony (valuing peace), Adaptability (staying flexible), and Positivity (maintaining an optimistic outlook) can create a strong, cohesive team dynamic even during difficult transitions or challenges.

Analyze the Leadership Team’s Strengths Approach: Examine the collective strengths of the leadership team. Are there enough diverse strengths to cover all aspects of leadership, such as vision, strategy, execution, and people management?

Why It’s Important: Effective leadership requires a balance of strengths across Strategic Thinking, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Executing. Gaps in leadership strengths can hinder team success.

Example: If the leadership team has a lot of Strategic Thinking strengths but needs Executing strengths, the team might develop great ideas but need help implementing them.

Monitor Team Engagement and Performance Approach: Track how different strengths influence team engagement and performance over time.

Are teams with a more balanced distribution of strengths performing better? Are employees with strengths aligned to their roles more engaged?

Why It’s Important: Engaged employees are more likely to leverage their natural strengths, leading to higher productivity, job satisfaction, and retention. Track performance metrics and engagement levels to identify the most effective strength combinations.

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Example: A team with diverse strengths may exhibit better engagement and productivity than a team with too many people with similar strengths (leading to repetition or gaps in execution).

Provide Tailored Development Opportunities Approach: Use the results to create personalized development plans for team members. Focus on helping individuals strengthen their talents and address potential blind spots by developing complementary skills.

Why It’s Important: Development efforts should build on a person’s natural strengths to increase their effectiveness and satisfaction. Tailored development opportunities will help employees grow in areas aligned with their strengths and contribute to overall team success.

Example: A team member with a strong Relator strength might be encouraged to deepen their relationship-building skills by taking on more leadership or mentoring roles. A person with strong Analytical and Input strengths might benefit from development in Strategic Thinking to help them better translate their ideas into action.

Facilitate Strengths-Based Collaboration Approach: Encourage teams to identify and leverage each other’s strengths in collaborative projects. Create opportunities for people to partner based on complementary strengths.

Why It’s Important: Encouraging strengths-based collaboration leads to more efficient teamwork, better problem-solving, and increased creativity. Teams can work together more effectively when they understand and appreciate each other’s unique contributions.

Example: Pair someone strong in Strategic and Ideation with someone with strengths in Executing and Discipline to ensure that creative ideas are translated into actionable plans.

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Use Strengths to Drive Organizational Culture Approach: Ensure that the organization’s culture reflects and supports the strengths of its people.

Create an environment where people are encouraged to develop and use their strengths.

Why It’s Important: When a culture values strengths, employees feel more confident, engaged, and motivated. A strengths-based culture fosters collaboration, innovation, and higher performance.

Example: If the organization values Relationship Building (e.g., Empathy, Connectedness) and Influencing (e.g., Woo, Communication), this can lead to a culture of trust, open communication, and influence inside and outside the team.

By analyzing StrengthsFinder results through these various lenses, congregations can identify areas of strength, uncover gaps, and create strategies for leveraging the full potential of their teams. Whether focusing on alignment, synergy, leadership, or development, this analysis enables organizations to build more cohesive, high-performing teams contributing to individual and collective success.

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