Strengths Use and Self-concordance. in difficult situations. A pilot study. by Sophie Francis

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1 Strengths Use and Self-concordance in Difficult Situations A pilot study by Sophie Francis Key study Strengths and OVP People who know and use their strengths are more in touch with their feelings, values and needs, and follow directions that are right for them (Govindji & Linley 2007). Strengths use Adaptive strengths development Situational strengths Realise2 Strengths can be measured in terms of performance, use (frequency or infrequency) and energy (Linley 2008). Research gap Strengths and OVP in difficult situations This study. Introduction Self-concordance Organismic valuing process (OVP) Self actualisation Difficult situations Organismic valuing theory of growth through adversity Posttraumatic growth When adversity challenges self and world view, people tend to positively accomodate new information into a unified self (Joseph & Linley 2005). The concepts of strengths and self-concordance have been correlated theoretically and empirically within positive psychology and coaching psychology literature. Linley and Harrington (2006) argue strengths use is consistent with Roger s (1963) actualising tendency. Longitudinal studies of self-concordance established that people tend to adjust and move toward intrinsically motivated and beneficial goals over time (eg Sheldon & Elliot 1999). The organismic valuing process is also linked to theories of growth through adversity (Joseph & Linley 2005). Strengths, self-concordance and growth (PWB) were subsequently empirically correlated by Govindji & Linley (2007). This research aimed to further confirm the link between strengths use and self-concordance and explore how strengths use and self-concordance play out when overcoming difficult situations.

2 Method Quantitative online survey To confirm previous findings and identify new and preliminary data in contexts of adversity faced by executives, coaches and others. Materials Strengths Use Scale and Organismic Valuing Scale (Govindji & Linley 2007). Situational strengths questionnaire designed for this study (see Appendix): Findings 1 Brief reflection: Think of and briefly write down a situation in the past 6 months when you overcame a difficulty. Six questions about how you acted and felt in this situation. Rated subjective level of adversity by how much the situation challenged the way I viewed myself and the world. What is the link between strengths use and self-concordance? Confirmatory data Analysed by Spearman s rank correlation of nonparametric data. Two-tailed T-test. Chronbach s alpha found high internal scale consistency. Strengths and OVP Strengths use and self-concordance were significantly and strongly associated in this study. Further evidence that the more people use their strengths, the more they feel in touch with their feelings, needs, values and life direction. This study Govindji & Linley (2007).68*** N=281 Working population Mean age 42; 40% executive, senior manager or business owner; 32% in coaching, consulting or training; invited members of EIW client database..60*** N=214 Uni students Mean age 23.

3 2 How do people use their strengths when overcoming a difficult situation? How self-concordant do they feel afterwards? Exploratory data Situational strengths questionnaire items compared across subjective adversity levels. Difficult situations The study found evidence of strengths adaption and the organismic valuing process when overcoming difficult situations, particularly those people perceive challenge self- and world-view. Tentatively suggests people increasingly diversify and draw on lesser used strengths in the most challenging situations. Strengths use & OVP (likert, mean) Synergy of strengths use when overcoming higher adversity. Used frequent strengths Used infrequent strengths Adapted strengths use Energised by strengths use Increased OVP Situational adversity (likert rank, mean) - + Client tried to reject product my company produced for them. Negotiating with wife about time at work. Significant difficulty recruiting to a project. Faced with moral conflict. Turmoil due to new mgmt, organisation restructure. Relocation from senior work position to lesser one. Facilitate work activity with workplace resistance. Example situations

4 3 How do people who use their strengths extensively compare to those who use them less, when overcoming difficult situations? Adhoc analysis Correlation analysis of situational strengths items of high v low strengths users (1 STD deviation above and below mean scale scores.). High v low Some indication very high strengths users (more than low) felt more clear about their life direction after a difficult situation required them to adapt and use infrequent strengths. Conclusion Limitations Cross-sectional, retrospective, subjective. Strengths use and OVP in difficult situations assessed with single items. Did not use validated posttraumatic growth measure as study brief, non-clinical. Question wording slightly skewed? Participants self-selected for interest in strengths; motivation to please organisation? Interpreting results Findings should be interpreted in the context of a non-representative sample that displayed high strengths use and self-concordance. Implications Lends weight to contextual, adaptive and evolutionary view of strengths, particularly the potential to grow our strengths in difficult situations, not just achieve growth by using our strengths. Study highlights limits of identify and use more approaches. To help people overcoming adversity, coaches might guide people to build on what they already do well, spot emerging strengths and reinforce adaptibility, so they can accommodate these capacities into a renewed sense of self. Different strategies may be needed to help people who already use their strengths a lot (eg experienced executives) continue to grow. More research is needed, with robust measures.

5 References Biswas-Diener, R., Kashdan, T. & Minhas, G. (2011). A dynamic approach to psychological strength development and intervention. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(2): Boals, A., Steward, J. & Schuettler, D. (2010). Advancing our understanding of posttraumatic growth by considering event centrality. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 15(6): Govindji, R. & Linley, A. (2007). Strengths use, self-concordance and well-being: Implications for strengths coaching and coaching psychologists. International Coaching Psychology Review, 2: Joseph, S. & Linley, A. (2005). Positive adjustment to threatening events: An organismic valuing theory of growth through adversity. Review of General Psychology, 9(3): Linley, P.A. & Harrington, S. (2006). Strengths coaching: A potential guided approach to coaching psychology. International Coaching Psychology Review, 1(1): Linley, P.A. (2008). Average to A+: Realising strengths in yourself and others. Coventry: CAPP Press. Rogers, C.R. (1963). The actualizing tendency in relation to motives and to consciousness. In M.R. Jones (Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation, Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Sheldon, K.M., Arndt, J. & Houser-Marko, L. (2003). In search of the organismic valuing process: The human tendency to move toward beneficial goal choices. Journal of Personality, 71: Wood, A.M., Linley, P.A., Maltby, J., Kashdan, T.B. & Hurling, R. (2011). Using personal and psychological strengths leads to increases in well-being over time: A longitudinal study and the development of the strengths use questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(1):15 9. Poster presented at the Fourth Australian Positive Psychology and Wellbeing Conference, February Acknowledgements This research was undertaken as part of a Masters of Business Coaching at Sydney Business School, University of Wollongong. Thanks to Dr Grace McCarthy who supervised the project; Dr Gordon Spence (expert advice); Dr Flavia Fayet-Moore (statistical advice); Roxanne Mitchell (survey admin), and all the volunteers who took part.

6 Sophie Francis Sophie Francis is a coach, learning and development consultant and writer with a background in positive psychology and wellbeing. A certified practitioner in Realise2, Sophie helps people discover and develop their strengths. Marketing manager for the Langley Group, Sophie writes about emotional intelligence, positive psychology and neuroscience. As a learning professional, she has managed initiatives for top tier global clients to improve coaching culture and skills, leadership, performance management and team dynamics, from senior executive to graduate level. Sophie draws on her experience working on two internationally best-selling books, both blueprints for optimistic living, integrated health and social connectedness. Sophie has a Master of Business Coaching (with Distinction) from University of Wollongong and is a steering committee member of the University of Wollongong Business Coaching Alumni. Contact Sophie: sophie@langleygroup.com.au sophiefrancis.com worldwide part of the langley group emotionalintelligenceworldwide.com

7 Appendix Strengths use scale (Govindji and Linley 2007) The following questions* ask you about your strengths, ie the things that you are able to do well or do best. 1. I am regularly able to do what I do best 2. I always play to my strengths 3. I always try to use my strengths 4. I achieve what I want by using my strengths 5. I use my strengths everyday 6. I use my strengths to get what I want out of life 7. My work gives me lots of opportunities to use my strengths 8. My life presents me with lots of different ways to use my strengths 9. Using my strengths comes naturally to me 10. I find it easy to use my strengths in the things I do 11. I am able to use my strengths in lots of different situations 12. Most of my time is spent doing the things that I am good at doing 13. Using my strengths is something I am familiar with 14. I am able to use my strengths in lots of different ways Organismic valuing scale (Govindji and Linley 2007) The following questions* ask you about how you feel in your daily life. 1. I know the things that are right for me 2. I get what I need from life 3. The decisions I take are the right ones for me 4. I feel that I am in touch with myself 5. I feel integrated with myself 6. I do the things that are right for me 7. The decisions I make are based on what is right for me 8. I am able to listen to myself Situational strengths questionnaire (This study) Think of and briefly write down a situation in the past 6 months when you overcame a difficulty. Think of and briefly write down a situation in the past 6 months when you overcame a difficulty. The following questions* ask you about how you acted and felt in this situation. Open text. 1. The following The situation questions required ask you me about to use how strengths you acted I use frequently and felt in this situation (above) The situation required me me to to use use strengths I use I use infrequently The situation required me to to adapt use strengths the way I I use my infrequently strengths I The felt situation energised required when I used me to my adapt strengths the way in this I use situation my strengths The I felt situation energised challenged when I used the way my strengths I viewed myself in this and situation the world 5. The situation challenged the way I viewed myself and the world 6. Since this experience I feel more like I am following a direction that is right for me 6. Since this experience I feel more like I am following a direction that is right for me * All questions are responded to using a likert 1 ( strongly disagree ) to 7 ( strongly agree ) scale.