IN THE 1950's, three-time University of
Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) alumnus,
psychologist, and popular instructor
Donald O. Clifton asked a question that
would drive his future research: “What
will happen when we think about what is
right with people rather than fixating on
what is wrong with them?” This query
inspired his work at Nebraska, which
became the origin of the science and
practice of strengths-based leadership.
Clifton, who served first as chair
of Selection Research Inc. and then of
the research firm Gallup, went on to
develop the CliftonStrengths assessment
tool (formerly known as Clifton
StrengthsFinder), which helps individuals
identify their innate talents. In
2015, UNL’s College of Business received
a US$30 million gift from the Clifton
Foundation and Gallup to establish the
Clifton Strengths Institute.
MAXIMIZING TALENT
Our institute supports the College of
Business in two primary ways: It helps
students identify and maximize their
talent, and it guides faculty and staff in
their personal, professional, and leadership
development.
All first-year business students take
the CliftonStrengths assessment when
they first come to campus. They then
enroll in Professional Enhancement I—Investing in Strengths, an eight-week
course where each student is assigned
to a certified student strengths coach.
In fall 2017, the institute trained 80 students
as coaches, who worked one-on-one
with more than 800 freshmen.
Throughout the course, coaches
lead weekly team meetings of up to ten
students and facilitate two one-on-one
sessions for each team member to help
students maximize their potential. In the latest course evaluation, 87 percent
of students indicated that their coaching
sessions helped them understand how
their strengths would help them choose
the right careers, and 92 percent viewed
the time they spent with their coaches
as a positive investment.
CURRICULAR INTEGRATION
In addition to promoting our students’
personal and professional development,
the CliftonStrengths assessment provides
data that the College of Business
uses to inform its pedagogy. Students’
assessment results reveal the top five
collective strengths of each freshmen
class, information that college leaders
and faculty can use to improve classroom
interaction. For instance, the assessment
recently showed that competition
is among the top five strengths for
our freshmen. This suggests that faculty
should teach our students in ways that
appeal to their competitive natures to
motivate them to learn and perform.
The institute’s three staff members
also lead a program called Clifton
Builders, which encourages students to
start and grow something of economic
value. Students are selected based
on the results of the Gallup Builder
Profile 10 (BP10), a 30-minute assessment
that helps individuals determine
their strengths in ten areas common to
successful entrepreneurs. Students take
this assessment during their Investing
in Strengths course, and those who show
the most entrepreneurial potential can
apply for the program.
Once selected for Clifton Builders,
students can choose between three
tracks: business builders, team builders,
and community builders. As a cohort,
they then enroll in Building a Life for
Impact, a course where they receive
advanced training in strengths-based
leadership and employee engagement;
in addition, they consult with business
clients to assess the businesses’ employee
engagement and suggest measurable
strategies for improvement. These students can choose between
enrolling in the 12-credit-hour Clifton Builders
Management Minor or the
24-credit-hour Clifton Builders
Management Major.
EXPANDING IMPACT
The Clifton Strengths
Institute is housed in a
2,165-square-foot, eightroom
space on the first floor
of Howard L. Hawks Hall, the
business school’s new building,
which opened in 2017.
Faculty and students utilize
this space for one-on-one
coaching, classes, workshops,
and social gatherings. The
institute’s staff also conduct
outreach activities, such as
leading workshops across
campus and creating community
partnerships.
In its latest community
effort, the institute has
partnered with Gallup,
Prosper Lincoln, Lincoln
Public Schools, and other
local businesses to start the
Nebraska Builders Initiative.
The initiative delivers an
introductory strengths-based
program to high school students
with high Gallup BP10
scores, as a way to help them
cultivate entrepreneurial
mindsets and prepare them to
build new ventures. In June,
a select group of high school
students went on to complete
a Builders Internship, where
they created their own startups
at the College of Business.
Sheri Irwin-Gish is the executive
director of communications,
marketing, and external
relations for the College of
Business at the University of
Nebraska–Lincoln.