Strengthify's Senior Finance Leaders (BUFDG) Discovery Workshop Series

"Excellent workshop that was thought-provoking and valuable to me as a senior leader."

Mark Williams, Head of Financial Performance, University of Wolverhampton

We’re celebrating the successful completion of an exciting series of our Discovery Workshops in conjunction with the British Universities Finance Directors Group (BUFDG). These workshops support their work in the HE sector and, in particular, their Future Finance Leaders programme. Over three days, we welcomed 30 Senior Finance Leaders from around the UK. 

What are Strengthify Discovery Workshops?

Our workshops are designed to let the attendees experience a strengths-based approach, understand their own strengths and appreciate the strengths of others. They were particularly valuable because attendees could share link-minded experiences specific to their area of expertise and engage with peers from other organisations facing similar challenges.  

"It was such an insightful day, delivered in a considered and fun way that kept us engaged from start to finish." Richard Fern, Deputy Director of Finance, University of Essex

Would attendees recommend them?

100% of attendees found the workshop extremely or very valuable, and all attendees agreed they would recommend the course to a friend or colleague. 

What are the key takeaways?

Attendees shared several key takeaways from the workshop that benefited them: 

• “The Strengthify approach opened my eyes to talents that I have that I wasn't focusing on and gave me suggestions and tools for how I can consciously make the most of them to have a bigger impact on my organisation.” 
  Martin Mulube, Head of Finance, University of Edinburgh
• “The structured approach of the workshop made the content manageable and the interactive elements helped in understanding and applying the concepts discussed. It was evident that a lot of thought and expertise had been put into the design and delivery of the session.” 
  Jamie Warner, Head of Financial Operations, Goldsmiths, University of London
• “An enjoyable & holistic approach to gaining insight on human success in the workplace” 
  John Baker, Head of Financial Performance (Research & Enterprise), London South Bank University

What was most valuable?

Attendees also shared what they found most valuable:

• “It was thoroughly enjoyable, the balance between practical self-reflection and theory was perfect.”
• “The networking and personal self-reflection results”
• The assessment “gives meaning to the theory discussed, it's entirely relatable and removes that 'wooly' feeling you often get with these theoretical/behavioural concepts.”
• “The Strengthify assessment and subsequent interpretation of it provided a lot of food for thought. It was good having the session with people from different Universities.” 

What is the next step?

Many of the attendees are moving onto our 2-day Management Development Programme (MDP). This programme not only complements previous leadership training attendees may have experienced but also helps them apply a strengths-based approach within their management practices. Those who attend the MDP will be able to apply their learnings with their own teams and either send their teams along to further Discovery Workshops or work with us to host their own team sessions. 

Look out for more Discovery workshops and partnerships with BUFDG and other Higher Education associations as we continue to develop these relationships. We are also presenting and exhibiting at the associations’ key events throughout the year.

Can I attend a future Discovery Workshop?

Yes, our Discovery Workshops are open to all managers and leaders from the Higher Education sector. Look out for all future workshop dates or other events by visiting our Events page or signing up for our newsletter.