Use Those Strengths

Front 1

5 min. Welcome, meet 3 new people and share your name, hometown and state, area in SkillsUSA, and something you're really good at. Wait and instruct them to sit down. Who did you meet and what did you learn about them? How did their SkillsUSA area of focus and what they're really good at align? Why might this be?

Back 1

Hopefully our areas of focus in SkillsUSA align with what we enjoy doing and are also good at. Tell my focus and how it aligns with my interests. Today we are going to explore more about ourselves, what we enjoy doing, what we are good at. Also explore some things we don't do well and how combination of those 2 make us the best of who we are.

Front 2

5 min. Let's begin by diving into those things we enjoy and do well. When you hear strength, what definition comes to mind? Take responses, instruct them to write down own definitions. We all have diff. def. of "strength", we also have our own combination of personal strengths.

Back 2

On handout, three words- knowledge, talent, skill. Take a moment to work with partner, share two examples for each of the words. Ex. I have done a lot of reading about ___________. So the example I would write is "reading about ___________". Take 3 minutes to complete task. Get responses.

Front 3

4 min. What's cool is that the examples you gave help us create a common definition of "strength". Join me when you can. Knowledge (point to brain), plus talent (hands over heart), plus skill (move arms like a runner), equal strength.

Back 3

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Front 4

7 min. Let's capture def. on handouts. Knowledge+talent+skill= Strength. Read definitions on flip chart. To develop a true strength, we must have some natural ability-something we are born with.

Back 4

When we add knowledge to interest/ability, and focus on developing and learning skills that tie to that talent, and practice those skills, we develop a true strength. Once you have these def. jot down personal examples of yours that might be developing into a strength.

Front 5

5 min. Now that we understand what a strength is and have identified some of our own, let's take a look at what weaknesses are. Stand up, find partner, create a def. of the term "weakness".

Back 5

Wait a few moments and then ask: What characteristics identify a weakness, what is the difference between weakness in skill ability and weakness in character, how did you and your partner define weakness?

Front 6

2 min. A weakness is really something that we don’t do well, and often, areas where we have weaknesses cause us to be tired, bored or even stressed. For example, I am not very good at (e.g. painting). It makes me frustrated because I do not have the patience to complete the task, nor am I very careful when I (paint around trim).

Back 6

(Painting) is a weakness area for me, and that’s okay because there are other people I know that are really good at (painting)! Think about a time when you’ve been asked to complete a task because someone else couldn’t. It makes us feel good when we’re needed, and we can make others feel good when we communicate that they are needed.

Front 7

5 min. Give out blank paper and writing utensil. Write down personal areas of weakness- focus on ability weaknesses, not personal character flaws. Fold it into a paper airplane. Release your airplane.

Back 7

We can let our weaknesses "fly" and accept our strengths and weaknesses. We can generate more positive energy by focusing on our strengths.

Front 8

5 min. Raise your hand if you've ever been encouraged to be a "well rounded" person. Me too. Check this out. Draw a star on flip chart, label outer points as strengths and inner points as weaknesses.

Back 8

If we focus on bringing our weaknesses up, we can't focus on our strengths. Draw lines from weaknesses going up and from strengths going down. This makes a round object.

Front 9

2 min. If objects have points and crevices, then there are places for other objects to "fill in". But if all objects are round, then there is no place for others to fit. Demonstrate with hands open and in a fist.

Back 9

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Front 10

5 min. Identify an area you have been working on in order to become well-rounded. Understand that those areas can cause us to become stressed and tired because of the energy it takes to focus on them. Complete the commitment statement to not be well-rounded, but to focus on your strengths.

Back 10

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Front 11

5 min. Create a poster on the back of your handout to visually present what you learned. Provide 1 minute at the end to share posters with others. Be the best of yourselves and allow and encourage others to be the best of themselves as well.

Back 11

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