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Dave Marcum

NewSchool Thinking

Marcus Birtwhistle recently joined the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative to develop and advance mobile learning within the Department of Defense. He will be partnering with academia, the defense and commercial mobile technology industry, and all military services to research and evolve mobile learning systems and technology in support of the NextGen Learning Environment. He provides a Certified Knowledge Manager perspective and is focused on building an ecosystem of effective mobile resources that implement user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) principles that learners have come to expect through use of mobile devices in their daily lives. He is a contract employee with Katmai Government Services.

Marcus Birtwhistle

How do I become successful? How do I advance my career? How do I become the best possible me in the workplace? We have all asked these questions, and have tormented ourselves with trying to find the right answers. While there is no right answer, there is a place to start—figuring out who you are. Now, Discover Your Strengths, written by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, allows you to take an assessment to discover and benefit from your strengths.Many people go through their daily work accomplishing task after task, with an inkling of what they are good at or what they enjoy. However, do we take those insights and mold our career around them? Maybe, maybe not. Now, Discover Your Strengths focuses on the idea that people should capitalize on their strengths and manage around their weaknesses. This means we should take what we are good at and flourish versus spending time trying to better our faults.As a society, we are used to the notion that we need to be good at everything, but in reality, that isn’t possible. No matter how hard we try, there will always be things that we are not good at. So, why do we waste our time on things that are not our strengths? The book is not suggesting that you should never try something you don’t believe you will succeed at, instead it encourages you to get to know what you are good at and truly use it to your advantage.Now, Discover Your Strengths comes with a unique code for you to take Gallup’s Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment online. From the assessment you’ll discover your top five of the 34 strengths that they have developed. These strengths range from achiever to communicator to learner and so forth. Once you are aware of your top five, you can use the book to figure out what your strengths mean and how to put them to work.The book describes each strength, as well as the individuals that usually possess them. For many, reading this information is like looking into a mirror because it provides words to describe the actions and mindset that come naturally for them. For example, one of my strengths was learner, which in the book is described as, “The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning.” For me, nothing could be more true: I try to gather information constantly and learn as much as I can about everything around me. Knowing your strengths and learning how to implement them can be a personal catalyst for change at work.Now, Discover Your Strengths also dives into how to manage people regarding the 34 themes. It explains how to manage people with various strengths and suggests steps a manager can take to help that person succeed.It is vital to know who you are to advance within your career. It is even more important to ensure that you are spending your time working on items that coincide with your strengths. Now, Discover Your Strengths will help you realize your potential and drive realistic results within your career.ATD young professionals are encouraged to get involved and submit content to ATD blogs. Find more information about how you can share your content.

Discover Your Strengths

Learn the secret to becoming indispensable by shaping your career around your natural strengths. Hear from HarperCollins author, Ingrid Stabb, on using the Enneagram StrengthsFactors model, how to communicate your type advantage in the workplace, and how to use your strengths to give yourself an edge.
In this webcast you will learn how to:

Make changes to your current or next role to maximize your natural abilities
Negotiate with your boss so that you can more regularly play to your strengths
Seek the work environment and compensation/benefits that will allow you to excel

According to Marcus Buckingham and research conducted by Gallup, teams in which individuals have the chance to do what they do best every day are 38% more productive, 44% more likely to earn high customer satisfaction scores, and 50% more likely to have high employee retention rates. Take this research a step further to connect how you as an individual can become indispensible to an organization to meet these goals.
This webcast will help you determine your ideal career strategy and then forge the career path that best suits you, making it the ideal kick-off for your next job search, career change, or to find more satisfaction in your current role.

How To Make Yourself Indispensable with Strengths-Based Career Choices

Rachel Karu’s personal journey as a recovering perfectionist inspired her to create Stepping Into More—a professional and personal development company, dedicated to supporting clients with their quest to unleash their purpose and passion in order to lead a fulfilling and empowered life. Karu has coached hundreds of successful leaders who supposedly have it all and yet feel empty and burned out. Previously, Karu served as human resources manager at EMI Music Distribution and the manager of organization development and training at Easton Sports. She earned an M.S. in counseling for business, industry, and government and a B.S. in business, with a specialization in human resources.  Karu achieved her coaching credential through the International Coaching Federation and is a Certified Strengths Coach with the Marcus Buckingham Company. She is president elect for the International Coach Federation, Los Angeles and leads the Westside Breakfast Special Interest Group for ATD.

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