Week 3

Pre Class Prep

VIA Survey


Reading

VIA Character Strengths - Niemiec, R.M. & McGrath, R.E. (2019). Part 1: Introduction. The power of character strengths: appreciate and ignite your positive personality. VIA Institute on Character.


  1. How was the theory of character strengths created and what is the difference between virtues and character strengths?

  2. Describe Hannah's story. How did she put her top character strengths to good use and do you find this story credible?

  3. Explain how character strengths can be used to both amplify the positive and reframe the negative? Give a personal example.

  4. Explain what signature strengths are and define their 3 key features – “the 3 Es”. Where do phasic strengths fit in here?

  5. As a group share your top 5 signature strengths. Discuss if you think there may be any cultural or gender biases with the VIA survey? 


Lecture Notes

Starlight Guest Lecture

Starlight’s Mission - Brighten the lives of seriously ill children and young people - Granting wishes to these children


Fostering a flourishing workplace!

Vision - Where everyone experiences a good childhood - Happiness Matters - Ill children need social connection and emotional support, allowing them to be children


The Starlight Express room, where children’s imaginations can run wild, fosters social connections among children in similar positions.


Transform | Entertain | Connect


Every Children’s hospital around Australia to escape and be a child a really important place, and online programs if children can’t get out of bed


Important Values - ‘SHINE’


Employee experience and driving engagement

To drive employee engagement, create exceptional experiences for employees. When positive experiences occur, engagement will increase. A team of highly engaged employees will increase customer satisfaction.


What drives great experiences?

Managers, more than any other factor, influence team engagement, performance, and well-being. Get the right managers on board!


Managers need to be experts at putting people in the right roles based on their strengths → Coaching individuals to drive engagement performance and wellbeing


Gallup Q12 Survey to ask employees - shows components that lead to engaged employees → Similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs → Use survey to see performance of elements


Employee Value Exchange - Meaning, Purpose & Direction → Great people and relationships → Healthy, safe, inclusive & positive culture and environment → Performance & Growth - In return, expectations of people doing their job to the best of their ability and flourishing


Character Strengths Week Lecture

Notes





Tutorial Questions

  1. How was the theory of character strengths created and what is the difference between virtues and character strengths?

  2. Describe Hannah's story. How did she put her top character strengths to good use and do you find this story credible?

  3. Explain how character strengths can be used to both amplify the positive and reframe the negative? Give a personal example.

  4. Explain what signature strengths are and define their 3 key features – “the 3 Es”. Where do phasic strengths fit in here?

  5. As a group share your top 5 signature strengths. Discuss if you think there may be any cultural or gender biases with the VIA survey?