Identifying your talent and understanding your potential

For nearly 30 years, Central Michigan University has been home to the premier center for student leadership development in the Midwest, the Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute.

Now, thanks to funding from the Go Grants initiative, students, faculty and staff participate in new leadership development opportunities that help people identify their top talents and greatest potential.

Vernique N Jackson, associate director at the Leadership Institute, is spearheading the effort to bring the CliftonStrengths assessment to everyone at CMU.

“This is such a great tool that doesn’t just help students,” Jackson said. “If you use it the right way, it can really transform an entire culture and community.”

CliftonStrengths isn’t a personality test like the Myers-Briggs test. Instead, it focuses on uncovering people’s top talents, helping them to understand their strengths and how they can leverage them to work more effectively.

Jackson was certified through Gallup’s CliftonStrengths in a previous role with the state of Michigan and used the Go Grant funding to train additional coaches at CMU. The university now has seven certified CliftonStrengths Coaches, including Jackson, Mai-Ling Francis, Brandon Skiles, Audrey Elworth, Emma Massey, Molly Schuneman and Jamie Brown.

Individuals, teams and departments interested in requesting a session can do so by filling out the brief Coaching Kickstart Form.

There’s no coaching or facilitation fee for individuals, teams and departments interested in participating in the two-hour interactive team workshop. Once participants complete the Coaching kickstart, they can purchase discounted assessments from CliftonStrengths coaches that break down their top five strengths ($19.99 per participant) or top 34 strengths ($49.99 per participant).

“This truly touches on all four of the university’s strategic goals,” said Jackson, who hopes to expand the number of certified coaches in the future to include staff including student staff in other areas like academic advising, College of Business and other areas across the university.

“The more intentional we are about sharing who we are and working with our strengths, the more likely we are to meet our goals, bring in more students, and retain our employees.”

Go Grants in Action is a year-long series that shares the stories of how CMU students, faculty and staff are making a positive impact on the people and communities we serve through the Go Grants initiative.