This
month we are featuring Laurie
Adamson who is currently
employed as a Women’s Program Manager at Olympic
College in Bremerton, WA. Laurie attended the 5-Day
DS Instructor Training in December 2003 in Seattle.
Laurie, now that you have completed
the 5 day DS workshop, what are the different ways
you plan to use DS?
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This
month we are offering the full 18.5 hour Dependable Strengths
Articulation Process workshop to a group of students who
recently completed the Displaced Homemaker Program at Olympic
College. Nine students have registered for the workshop,
and we plan to offer it again in the Spring. Ginny Sackett,
who also completed the 5 day DS workshop in December in Seattle,
is working with me on this project.
I have also been asked to present information about DS to
the Student Development Services team at the college.
I will be leading classes at
my church on Spiritual Gifts and we will implement some
of Jean Haldane’s concepts
from her book "GIFTS:
Dependable Strengths for Your Future."
Who would your customers be and what
would the value(s) of DS be for your customers?
My customers are Olympic College
staff and students, displaced homemakers from Kitsap County,
and people who have
recently become members of my church. As diverse as this
audience is, they all share the need to better understand
their dependable strengths, which will open doors to a more
satisfying and meaningful life.
During the 5-day DS workshop, when did you feel most intellectually
and emotionally challenged?
I found the entire week
to be intellectually and emotionally challenging! The most
intellectually challenging part for me was making the connection
between my Good Experiences and my Dependable
Strengths. The Reality Test revealed the truth! Because you
live with yourself, you make assumptions that you are “just
good at certain things". But to call those certain
things my own strengths seemed
to be difficult at first. The skills demonstrated in my Good
Experiences are valuable,
and they are what make me unique.
The emotional challenge was recognizing
the power that Dependable Strengths Articulation had on
other people. Our group was
open, eager to learn, and engaged in the work. We formed
an intimate community of support and discovery, which was
emotionally rich.
Which aspects of DS resonated with you the most and why?
Two aspects especially
resonated with me: The fact that Dependable Strengths is
such a universal concept, and
that we should focus on and develop our strengths, rather
than on our weaknesses.
Universality: This point resonated with me through many
of the discussions. I am familiar with the employment situation
in post-Apartheid South Africa; the information about using
DS there was fascinating. The example of using DS in retirement
communities further convinced me of the universality of this
process.
Focusing on Strengths: I loved
hearing about the “average” level
of functioning, and that we can improve our average by improving
either strengths or weaknesses. By trying to improve our
weaknesses, we are not contributing to our full potential.
Both strengths and weaknesses can be improved by up to 20%,
but one assumes growth and fulfillment while the other creates
stress and frustration.
Is there anything else that you would
like to share about what DS means to you and may mean to
a potential customer?
The DS workshop was extremely energizing. It clarified
a lot of things for me and equipped me to guide others in
the process of self-awareness. The focus on one’s positive
attributes has always been my approach, and going through
the DS experience supported and enhanced this outlook. I
feel motivated to look for opportunities to facilitate DS
workshops, to explore new goals for myself, to value my current
position at Olympic College, and to increase my commitment
to my leadership roles at church. I am grateful that I am
able to use my Dependable Strengths and express them in ways
that are beneficial to others.
(For information on attending a 5-Day
DS Workshop, click
here)
On a parting note, … Laurie did indeed facilitate
her first DS workshop at Olympic College in January this
year. To read more about this, click
here.
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