Transforming Team Dynamics: How South Gloucestershire and Stroud College Boosted Collaboration with Strengthify

A strengths-based workshop fostering connection, collaboration, and leadership insights.

Bringing Teams Together with a Strengths-Based Approach

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College’s Finance Team prioritised building a more connected and collaborative team. Under the guidance of Rich Aitken, Director of Operational Finance, they sought a practical approach to understanding individual strengths, enhancing teamwork, and fostering productive working relationships.

Rich’s decision to bring in a Strengthify Team Workshop stemmed from his belief in the power of strengths-based methodologies. By incorporating CliftonStrengths® assessments, the session enabled team members to gain self-awareness, understand each other’s talents, and align their efforts with departmental goals.

As Rich shared:
“Adopting a strengths-based approach through a Strengthify Team Workshop transformed our working relationships, helping us understand and play to each other's strengths. As a head of department, it shifted how I lead—boosting morale, enhancing productivity, and avoiding the trap of overemphasising weaknesses. By aligning tasks with team members' natural talents, we created a more motivated and cohesive team.”

Strengthening Team Connections and Understanding

The Finance Team faced challenges typical of a large, diverse group, including:

• Siloed roles that hindered cohesion and collaboration.
• Limited understanding of each team member’s working style and motivations.
• A need for practical strategies to align strengths with departmental objectives.

One participant noted:
“We needed a way to build stronger connections within the team while understanding how we could work better together by focusing on our strengths.”

A Strengthify Team Workshop

The Strengthify Team Workshop provided an interactive and engaging environment for participants to explore their strengths and apply them to team dynamics. Using CliftonStrengths® assessments, the session combined self-reflection and collaborative activities to improve understanding and connectedness.

Aims of the Workshop:

• Enhance self-awareness and confidence in individual strengths.
• Foster a sense of connection and collaboration across the team.
• Equip managers with insights to lead more effectively.

What the Session Covered:

1. Exploring Individual Strengths:
   Participants reviewed their strengths report, gaining clarity on their talents and how these influence their approach to work.

   • “Understanding my strengths gave me a better sense of how I contribute to the team’s success.”

2. Aligning Strengths with Team Goals:
   Activities helped the team identify how their combined strengths could improve collaboration and productivity.

   • “It was so useful getting to understand the strengths of others in the team and discuss how they like to work, what motivates them, and what ‘deflates’ them.”

3. Leadership Insights:
   The session equipped Rich with actionable insights to align tasks and responsibilities with team members’ strengths.

   • “The CliftonStrengths results gave us a shared language to discuss how we can work better together.”

Fostering Collaboration and Motivation

The workshop provided the Finance Team with tools and strategies to work together more effectively and highlighted the value of strengths-based practices.

Key Outcomes from the Workshop:
✅ Improved Collaboration:

• “The workshop helped us break down silos and connect as a team.”
• “We now have a shared understanding of how our strengths align and complement each other.”

✅ Enhanced Leadership Insights:

• “As a manager, I gained invaluable insights into how to lead by focusing on my team’s strengths.”

✅ Increased Team Motivation:

• “The session helped us focus on what we do best, boosting morale and creating a stronger sense of purpose.”

Feedback Highlights

Value of the Workshop:

• 90% of participants rated the workshop as extremely or very valuable.
• “It was a fantastic way to connect with the team and better understand how we work together.”

Understanding Team Strengths:

• 100% of participants agreed the workshop helped them better understand how strengths could positively impact team outcomes.
• “The CliftonStrengths results were incredibly insightful for both individual and team development.”

Impact on Leadership and Team Dynamics:

• “The session gave us tools to work more effectively together while helping our manager tailor tasks to our strengths.”

Embedding Strengths-Based Practices

The Finance Team at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College plans to build on the success of their Strengthify Team Workshop by:

• Incorporating strengths-based discussions into regular team meetings and reviews.
• Using their strengths insights for professional development and task alignment.
• Exploring opportunities to expand strengths-based practices to other departments.

Rich reflected:
“This workshop was a turning point for our team, providing the tools and insights needed to build stronger working relationships and a more cohesive environment.”

Start Your Team’s Strengths Journey Today

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

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