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Strength Building

Purpose

To build personal self confidence and self esteem

To help people to know each other deeply

To show that appreciation and being positive is valuable.

Method

The participants are in a small face to face group. In a larger group when time is short, demonstrate the process with one person in front of the group. Then break people into groups of four and five.

Each person has a turn as the focus of the group.

  1. She or he describes an event in which she or he achieved something they felt good about. It does not have to about work. Everyone else listens intently.
  2. Each group member tells the person above two or three strengths she must have used to achieve it. The person adds one or two of his own.
  3. The person states the one strength of all the ones she has heard that she /he likes the best. If people are ready they may own this by going round the group and saying to each person in turn "I am (eg) resourceful!". A facilitator may encourage further growth by encouraging her/him to use a clear and positive tone of voice and posture with no trace of self-deprecation.

After everyone has had a turn, ask people how they feel about themselves and the group and what they have learned.

The effects

People develop in confidence and self esteem as they discover their achievements and skills are valuable. They appreciate the depths in other people and want to know more. The shared and rather intense experience builds group cohesion. People enjoy it too.

Facilitating style

I find it best to be quite light-hearted within a clear structure. I model listening and take part myself if the group is small.

Using these materials 

I am entirely happy for you to use or draw on any these materials in any way you think will be helpful. I am keen to have my work, and the work of the people I have learned from, used.

If you can, do you think you could say where you found them? One way might be to give a link back to the site or to my email address. This will help these positive ideas to spread, and help my business, too. 

Thank you 

Nick Heap

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