CliftonStrengths for Team Growth and Collaboration (P22055)

Client/Industry: University
Attendees: Individual Contributors and People Managers
No of attendees: 22

Duration: 2 Half-Day Workshop + Team Coaching Follow-Ups
Mode of delivery: In-Person
Date: July 2025

The Challenge:

NTU’s Centre for Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) had entered a period of rapid growth, driven by rising enrolment and new programme offerings. With this momentum came ambitious performance goals, and the pressure to deliver at speed. At the same time, the team itself was evolving. PACE had recently brought together a mix of individual contributors and people managers, some of whom had never worked closely before. As roles expanded and responsibilities became more interdependent, the leadership team recognised the need to strengthen their internal foundation. Trust, communication, and a sense of shared direction were no longer nice-to-haves—they were essential to sustaining high performance under pressure.

Although the organisation had previously introduced strengths-based learning to other departments through an external vendor, this particular team required something more personalised. The leadership didn’t want a generic workshop or surface-level introduction to talent themes. They wanted a safe and engaging space where this intact team could not only understand their own strengths but also learn how to appreciate and work with each other’s differences. The aim was to move beyond individual insight and into collective transformation. In other words, it is to begin laying the groundwork for a more connected and collaborative team culture.

In particular, the client hoped the experience would help team members navigate growing pains that often come with fast scaling: unclear roles, uneven communication, and missed opportunities for collaboration. They were looking for a workshop that could support both personal reflection and honest team dialogue. More than just learning about strengths, they wanted the session to spark real shifts where team members could start recognising each other’s contributions, leaning into trust, and taking shared ownership of their outcomes.

The facilitator comes across as very credible and competent, with a wealth of experience. What they really felt was super helpful was the exercise on building on our strengths to sell and to get business. Participants are able to claim their strengths and practice it on their daily job.

The Solutions:

PPEARL delivered a 2 half-day CliftonStrengths workshop using the full 34 reports to help participants learn more about themselves and each other. The program was designed to establish a shared language around strengths and enable practical conversations around team dynamics.

Key focus areas included:

• Understanding and appreciating individual Talent Themes

• Building trust by surfacing how each person naturally works and communicates

• Encouraging strengths-based collaboration and conflict navigation

• Helping team members apply their strengths to real work scenarios

The workshop was followed by coaching-based conversations to embed learning and prepare teams for a deeper rollout in 2023.

The Impact:

Participants left the session with a clearer sense of who they were, not just as individuals, but as contributors to a team. They gained insight into how their personal strengths influenced the way they worked, communicated, and made decisions. Just as importantly, they began to see how those strengths complemented or contrasted with the people around them. For many, this was the first time they had looked at their team through the lens of talent rather than task. It gave them language to talk about what they naturally do well, and permission to lean into that more intentionally.

The session also opened the door to deeper conversations. Because the focus was on strengths rather than shortcomings, people felt safer being honest about their tendencies and challenges. Vulnerability came through not as a weakness, but as a willingness to grow. As team members explored areas where their styles aligned—and where they didn’t—they began to understand how to collaborate more effectively. That clarity helped reduce friction, set more realistic expectations, and build a foundation of mutual respect.

Feedback from participants said it gave them practical ways to talk about their strengths in meetings, appraisals, or team discussions. They appreciated that the session didn’t stay in the realm of theory. It gave them tools they could use right away to shift how they communicated, delegated, and supported one another. Several participants mentioned that they felt more confident “claiming” their strengths at work, by no longer downplaying what they naturally bring to the table, but seeing it as something valuable to their team’s success.

34

CliftonStrengths reports
91%

of participants reported stronger appreciation
4.5/5

average satisfaction rating

PPEARL's Promise:

At PPEARL, we don’t stop at naming strengths—we help teams activate them. Through CliftonStrengths, we build self-awareness, elevate collaboration, and equip individuals to contribute meaningfully, every single day.