Strengths Stories
We often learn from other people’s experiences. So this section contains stories about how people, teams and organisations have used their strengths. Some stories are quite ‘personal’. For example, how individuals have set up their own businesses or have overcome adversity. Some stories are more ‘corporate’. For example, how Sony Europe has implemented The Strengths Way across its business.
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Corporate stories
 The Strengths Way Of Working With People
Encouraging the digital generation to build on their strengths
“Staff reward schemes? Forget star treatment. Try breeding a culture of self-managing achievers and then stoking the fire within their bellies,” advises CEO of the UK’s leading search agency.
How did the CEO achieve this?
Sony Europe, Building on Employee’s Strengths
A three-step process to maximize staff contributions to the business. By Roy White, VP of HR Sony Europe published by Strategic HR Review, Melcrum Publishing, July/August 2006.
When Sony Europe began a restructure in 2003, Roy White, VP of HR, realised that focusing on each employee’s key strengths and introducing mentoring projects would be crucial to enhancing performance.How did Roy White focus on key strengths?
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Personal stories
 Revitalising Satra Brunn -A 300 Year Old Health Spa: Kajsa’s Story
Satra Brunn is a magical place. For over 300 years people had been visiting this health spa in its splendid grounds to heal, learn and create. Then, four years ago it faced bankruptcy. Now, thanks to the vision and energy of Kajsa Berglind, it is making a profit, attracting 25,000 visitors a year and turning over £3million.
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 Our Journey With Our Son Jakob: the Himmelstrand’s Story
Every parent wants the best for their children. Every child is special-so every journey with every child is special.In this article Tamara and Jonas Himmelstrand describe the route they took with their first child, Jakob, who had great difficulty communicating with other people. Employing the Son-Rise method, they have seen great improvements in Jakob’s progress.
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The Power of the Pen: Steve’s Story
Don’t ask Steve Morris to put up a shelf. He is, he admits, useless at that sort of thing. Ask him to write about doing it however - or the latest technology that’s getting shelves up better than ever before - and you tap into his talent.
With a singular commitment and, shaping skill and purpose to his advantage, Steve has risen from self-employed scribe to senior partner at Burton Morris - brand development and communication specialists to a host of illustrious clients including Barclay’s, Sainsbury’s and Debenhams.
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Making an Impact: Katie Ledger’s Story
News presenter Katie Ledger left the comfort of the studio to build a portfolio career helping individuals, teams and organisations to get their message across using the power of story. She now works as a conference host and presentation coach for orgaisations including Microsoft, PC World, Sony, Zurich Insurance, Skoda,DTI and The Police Federation. Sheis also writing a book about portfolio working.
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‘HomeSmiths’: Jacqui’s Story
Should growing up mean leaving the passions of childhood behind? Do we have to have to hide the creativity of our youth under layers of qualifications and learning?
No, says Jacqui Smith, who took a bold step and learned to let her natural talents flourish. Now the founder of HomeSmiths, a bespoke furniture and interior design company is living out her dream. Working alongside David, her husband, Jacqui has combined an artistic flair with skills acquired from a professional career to build a rich and rewarding family life.
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Santa’s Helper: Charlie’s Story
What might it take to set you on your journey? A trip to a primary school Christmas fair where his wife, a newly trained teacher, was clearly ‘in the zone’ set Charlie on his.
Inspired by his wife’s obvious fulfilment, Charlie chose to free himself from the shackles of corporate life and go it alone that evening. Three years later and he is enjoying running Charlie Duggan Associates , a niche business providing support to businesses that outsource elements of their recruitment process.
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My Aim to be a Good Parent: Sue’s Story
“The police met with me and my sisters and asked if we were victims of abuse. I stood up, faced the policeman and said “NO, I AM A SURVIVOR OF ABUSE”.’
People can choose their attitude. They can’t always choose what happens to them - but they can choose their attitude towards these events. A person can choose to be positive or negative, a creator or a complainer, a volunteer or a victim. They can choose to take responsibility or avoid responsibility. Here’s the story of Sue Carter who chose to succeed rather than sulk, finding the strength to create a new positive legacy for future generations of her family.
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‘Ecology Begins At Home’: Archie Duncanson’s Story
Ecologist Archie Duncanson set his heart on being a writer when he was a little boy. Disappointed by his teenage attempts at fiction, he gave up. Then, driven by his passion for the environment, he finally committed pen to paper and wrote his first book at the age of 40. It is now a recognised standard reference book, available on the ecology shelves of most good book shops.
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Choosing to Follow My Dream: Fiona’s Story
Ever since she can remember, Fiona has loved animals. Enchanted by the TV series All Creatures Great And Small, she set her 8 year-old heart on being a vet. Today, having overcome many obstacles to achieve her dream, Fiona is a partner in a very special vet’s practice.
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Super teams: Stories
In this section we invite super teams to tell their own stories. If you have a super teams story to tell, please contact Mike directly at mike@thestrengthsway.com.
 Making it Special for Customers
a super teams story by Alison Fulford
Alison Fulford is addicted to shopping. So when she was asked to take her experience from the technology sector to set up a new service centre for one of the UK’s leading retailers, she could not believe her luck. She set about talking to all the stake holders. She crafted a vivid and specific picture of what that service centre would look and feel like. She recruited a team of people to make it happen. Within 18 months the service centre was up, running and receiving much applaud.
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Far from Plain Sailing
a super teams story by Simon Walker
Simon Walker is many things - arctic explorer, mariner, sports marketing MD and co-founder of talentsmoothie, an innovative HR consultancy specialising in helping organisations recruit and retain the best of the * millennial talent pool. Above all, he is a leader.
As an inspirational skipper on a 10-month round-the-world yacht race, he learnt a lot about how to transform a diverse and disparate group of individuals into a motivated, professional crew that not only looks after the ropes but also looks out for each other.
‘At the end of the race we had all grown,’ he says. ‘People have used the self-knowledge to give them a confidence and perspective which is hard to match.’
To read Simon’s account of is success in Fast Company, download this document.
* talentsmoothie defines the millennial generation as people born after 1980 .
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Sharing knowledge: Stories
In this section we invite mentors, coaches and other knowledge sharers to tell their own stories. If you have a knowledge story to share, please contact Mike directly at mike@strengthsacademy.com
My Gratitude to a Great Teacher: Kelly Marks’ Story
Horse whisperer Kelly Marks pays respect to her mentor, Monty Roberts.
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 Aquavision: Bringing People Together to Achieve Positive Results: Jimmie Hepburn’s Story
Since appearing on Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s programme “River Cottage: Gone Fishing”, Jimmie Hepburn and his wife Penny are becoming celebrities in their home county of Devon. Their innovative organic carp farm is receiving orders from across the country and visits from journalists from The Guardian and elsewhere.
The carp farm is not their first ecological innovation though. Indeed, back in 1997, Jimmie, the managing director of the sustainable aquaculture specialists Aquavision, drew participants together from over 60 organisations to arrive at the UK’s first organic aquaculture standard…
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Decide Your Destiny: Bengt Elmén’s Story
Focus on what you what you can do, and not what you can’t - it’s a memorable and important maxim. And if you wonder what makes it so important, consider Bengt Elmén’s perspective.
The cerebral palsy that has been with him since birth has shaped his life - for good, not bad. Rather than be limited by what it took away he embraces the way it defines and refines his sense of self. Bengt’s love of learning, of people and facing up to a challenge have seen him lead a multi-million dollar organisation. Now he is a global mentor and motivator to people who, like him, put achievement into action.
Here’s Bengt’s story.
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Messages from Mentors: David Pilbeam’s Story
We all have mentors at various times in our career. David Pilbeam has been fortunate to have worked for, been influenced by, and loved, a few. His professional and private life would look very different without them, he believes. Here are the most useful five messages these mentors have shared with him.
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