Core Strengths Facilitator Guide
Facilitator Guide 50-Minute Interactive Workshop
Core Strengths Lab
Target Audience Adult Learners & Teams
Session Timeline (50 Min Total) Fast-Paced & Experiential
00–05 min
1. Framing
05–18 min
2. The 6 Domains
18–32 min
3. Spotting Lab
32–44 min
4. 3-Sphere Grid
44–50 min
5. Micro-Commit
Energy vs. Skill
Strengths are not merely tasks you do well; they are virtues that leave you energized, authentic, and engaged.
Strength Blindness
Because our greatest strengths come naturally, adults frequently undervalue them as "obvious" or "nothing special."
Psychological Safety
Frame peer observations as appreciative inquiries, rejecting deficit-focused critique in favor of generative inquiry.
1
Welcome & Grounding: The Energy Paradox
00–05 min (5m)
Verbatim Hook / Facilitator Script
"Think of a task you are technically brilliant at, but which leaves you utterly exhausted after 30 minutes. Now think of an activity where time vanished and you finished more energized than when you started. Today is not about fixing flaws; it is about naming the engine of that vitality."
Facilitation Moves & Setup
- Instruct participants to open the Core Strengths Handout to Section 1.
- Direct focus away from conventional performance reviews (competence) toward internal resonance (authenticity).
- Establish the ground rule: "No humble-brag shame—owning your signature wiring is an act of service to collaborators."
2
Decoding the 6 Domains & Signature Triage
05–18 min (13m)
Wisdom & Courage Cognitive & emotional strengths: Creativity, curiosity, bravery, perseverance, zest.
Humanity & Justice Interpersonal & civic virtues: Kindness, social intelligence, fairness, teamwork.
Temperance & Transcendence Protective & spiritual virtues: Prudence, forgiveness, gratitude, hope, humor.
The Golden Mean: Avoid Overuse Trap
Highlight Aristotle’s insight: any virtue pushed to an extreme becomes a liability. (e.g., Curiosity overused becomes distractibility; Honesty overused becomes brutal insensitivity).
Handout Action (7 min solo work)
Learners review Section 1 & complete the Energy & Authenticity Matrix (Section 2) selecting their top 4–5 Signature Strengths using the 3 litmus tests.
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Core Strengths Lab • Session Execution
Segments 3–5 & Coaching Toolkit
3
Strength Spotting Lab: "At Your Best" Stories
18–32 min (14m)
Grouping & Pacing
Split into pairs (dyads) or triads. Each person has exactly 4 minutes: 2 min storytelling, 2 min partner mirroring & strength naming.
The Story Prompt
"Describe a moment at work or life where you faced friction, felt completely locked-in, and achieved a breakthrough."
Partner Mirroring
The listener names specific strengths heard: "I didn't just hear problem-solving, I saw deep Perseverance and Social Intelligence."
Facilitator Roaming Cue: Listen for participants downplaying achievements ("Anyone would have done that"). Intervene with: "Notice how naturally that felt to you—that effortless reflex is the exact footprint of a signature strength."
4
Translating to Work, Relationships, & Growth
32–44 min (12m)
Sphere 1: Work & Leadership
Prompt: "Where in your current role are you facing friction because you're forcing a non-signature strength instead of partnering or pivoting?"
Sphere 2: Relationships
Prompt: "How does your primary strength clash with someone whose wiring is opposite? Where might your strength be crowding out others?"
Sphere 3: Inner Growth
Prompt: "When burnout looms, which strength restores you? Which strength have you neglected out of fear or routine?"
Allow 7 minutes of silent journaling on the handout’s 3-Sphere Grid, followed by 5 minutes of rapid whole-room pop-ins.
5
Synthesis & The 48-Hour Micro-Commitment
44–50 min (6m)
Facilitator Closing Inquiry:
"A strength that stays conceptual changes nothing. In Section 5 of your handout, name one 5-minute action you will take within 48 hours to deploy a signature strength in a novel way."
Whip-Around Lightning Close:
Invite 4–6 volunteers to speak exactly 6 words: [My Strength] deployed through [My Action]. (e.g., "Perspective deployed through weekly mentoring coffee.")
Facilitator Pivot Toolkit: Managing Adult Learner Dynamics
The Deficit Fixer
Symptom: "I’d rather focus on what I'm bad at; that's where I need to grow."
Pivot: "Fixing deficits prevents failure; activating strengths drives excellence and resilience."
The Skeptic / Cynic
Symptom: "Isn't this just warm-and-fuzzy corporate astrology?"
Pivot: "VIA is empirical positive psychology. The data shows strength usage correlates with 3x higher work engagement."
The Modest Shyguy
Symptom: "I don't have special strengths; I just do my job."
Pivot: "Let your partner speak first in the story lab. Sometimes others see our brilliance before we can."
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