Strengthen Global Connections: University of Leeds International Office

A strengths-focused workshop fostering understanding and teamwork among academics and professional services colleagues.

Bringing Teams Together Through Strengths

The University of Leeds International Office spans multiple regions, with staff based in the UK and five overseas offices across China, India, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Europe. While the teams shared strong values and dynamics, Director Helen Foster saw an opportunity to further strengthen team collaboration. Having previously explored personality profiling through the 16-Personalities exercise, Helen wanted to build on these insights with a more applied approach to working together effectively.

The Strengthify Team Workshop took place during the International Office Team Away Day in December 2024, providing the perfect opportunity for colleagues to come together in person. Through CliftonStrengths® assessments, team members gained a deeper understanding of their individual and collective strengths, creating a shared language to enhance team dynamics.

The workshop offered a dedicated space for reflection and discussion, allowing participants to explore how their strengths contribute to the team and how they can be harnessed to tackle challenges together.

Aligning a Globally Dispersed Team

With staff based both in the UK and internationally, the International Office needed a framework to:

• Foster greater collaboration across different locations.
• Strengthen team identity and cohesion.
• Provide a practical way to apply existing knowledge of team dynamics in their day-to-day work.

Helen Foster recognised that a strengths-based approach could provide the tools and insights needed to enhance team relationships and align their collective efforts toward organisational goals.

One participant shared:
“It was a fast-paced, enjoyable session that really engaged team members to explore their own strengths and those of others.”

A Strengthify Team Workshop

The Strengthify Team Workshop provided a structured and interactive session, allowing team members to reflect on their strengths, better understand their colleagues, and develop strategies to work more effectively together.

Aims of the Workshop:

• Provide an engaging introduction to strengths-based methodologies.
• Use an appreciative enquiry approach to align team strengths with organisational goals.
• Encourage self-awareness and collaboration across UK and international teams.
• Equip managers with practical insights to support and align their teams effectively.

What the Session Covered:
1️⃣ Exploring Individual Strengths – Through CliftonStrengths® assessments, participants identified their unique strengths and how these contribute to their roles.

• “My Signature Theme Report really opened my eyes to my top five dominant strengths.”

2️⃣ Team Dynamics and Collaboration – The session explored how different strengths complement each other and how they could be applied to team success.

• “The Team Grid Reports are really useful to understand how our teams click.”

3️⃣ Applying Strengths to Work Challenges – Discussions provided a platform to explore how strengths-based insights could be used in real work situations.

• “Having the summaries has been useful in understanding how, within our smaller teams, we can better play to individuals’ strengths for a better overall outcome.”

Unlocking New Perspectives and Strengthening Team Identity

The workshop provided actionable insights and a common language for team members to better connect and collaborate.

Key Outcomes from the Workshop:
✅ Improved Self-Awareness and Confidence:

• “The workshop helped me understand what I bring that is unique and how to maximise these strengths in a practical way.”

✅ Enhanced Team Collaboration Across Locations:

• “It was good to hear colleagues really engaging with the findings on the day.”

✅ Increased Engagement in Strengths-Based Practices:

• “Thanks to Tom for his time to deliver the Strengthify Team Discovery Workshop for our team – there was a definite buzz about it, and I believe colleagues enjoyed this very much!”

Feedback Highlights

• Overall Value of the Workshop:

  • 71% of participants rated the workshop as very or extremely valuable.
  • “A fast-paced, enjoyable session that really engaged team members.”

• Understanding Team Strengths:

  • All participants agreed the workshop helped them better understand their colleagues’ strengths and how they combine within the team.
  • “The Team Grid Reports are really useful to understand how our teams click.”

• Practical Application:

  • “It was great to explore how we can better play to individuals’ strengths for a better overall outcome.”

Embedding Strengths for Long-Term Success

Following the workshop, the International Office plans to build on these insights and ensure strengths-based practices become part of their team culture.

Next steps include:

• Incorporating strengths discussions into regular team meetings.
• Using strengths insights to guide professional development and task allocation.
• Sharing the learnings from the Team Grids and Insights across the team.

Helen Foster reflected:
“This workshop has given us a shared language to better understand and appreciate each other’s strengths. We’re excited to continue building on this foundation and ensuring it shapes how we work together.”

Empower Your Team with Strengthify

Discover how Strengthify’s Team Workshops can transform your team’s dynamics, motivation, and performance:

1️⃣ Speak to us: Visit our Get in Touch page →
2️⃣ Join one of our Discovery Workshops: See our Events page →
3️⃣ Find out more about our Management Development Programme: Learn more here →