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Strengths-Driven Success: Why WSCPA is Investing in Gallup CliftonStrengths Training

November 04, 2024

by Monette Anderson, CAE

In March, I boarded a plane to Chicago to embark on an exciting new journey. I was joining a diverse group of professionals for a one-week intensive training on Gallup CliftonStrengths. I wasn’t quite prepared for the sheer volume of materials I received—enough to make me wish I’d checked an extra bag for the trip home—but the experience was nothing short of amazing. Over the week, I engaged in deep conversations with 20 other professionals from vastly different backgrounds, all united by a common goal: harnessing the power of strengths.

In a room teeming with HR leaders, life coaches, and college career counselors. I stood out as the lone representative of a CPA membership association—a rare species, I suppose. It’s not every day you find yourself talking shop with someone who works in Vistage Executive Coaching or Bloomberg HR, but it was clear that strengths-based development had something valuable to offer each of us, no matter how different our day jobs might be. Investing in strengths is more than just a strategy—it’s a powerful way to unlock potential, no matter where you start.

The Data-Driven Decision Behind Our Investment

When you think of Gallup, you might initially think of research polling. However, it may surprise you to learn that 30% of Gallup’s total revenue comes from organizational psychology and employee engagement. Fortunately, if anyone has the data to support their approaches, it’s Gallup—and we, like you, our CPA members, value data-backed strategies. Here are a few compelling statistics that Gallup highlights for its CliftonStrengths model:

  • Increased Employee Engagement: Gallup research shows that employees who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged in their jobs. Engagement is strongly linked to higher productivity, better customer service, and lower turnover(1).
  • Higher Productivity: Teams that focus on strengths daily experience a 12.5% increase in productivity(2). For small- to medium-sized businesses, this could mean an additional $62,500 to $250,000 in productivity gains.
  • Lower Turnover: Gallup’s studies indicate that strengths-based development can reduce employee turnover by as much as 72% in high-turnover organizations. The costs of replacing an employee can be around 1.5 to 2 times their annual salary(3).
  • Strengthened Leadership Impact: Through their strengths and personal engagement, managers influence 70% of the factors that determine team engagement. Leaders who prioritize strengths create more motivated, high-achieving teams(4).


 

How We’re Implementing Strengths-Based Training

WSCPA is committed to equipping our members with the tools they need to thrive in today’s challenging environment. To that end, we’ve trained three members of our executive team in strengths-based training, so they can bring this powerful approach to your organizations and our broader community. This combination of leadership experience and a focus on strengths positions us to help your organization tackle key challenges, such as short staffing, high turnover, and a shrinking talent pipeline.

We are utilizing this training in a few key areas.

In-House Strengths-Based Training:

Ready to bring strengths-based development directly to your leadership team or staff? Our executive leaders are here to help with tailored training that understands your business and goes beyond what other Strengths Coaches can offer.

We’re currently offering free leadership training to WSCPA Peak Firms (with the only out-of-pocket expense being the cost of the CliftonStrengths assessments, starting at just $10 per test). This package is valued at $2,000!

If your firm isn't a Peak Firm, we also offer competitive rates starting at $2,000, plus the cost of assessments.

What’s covered in a strengths training session?

  • Building a Strengths-Based Culture: Practical ways to integrate strengths into daily operations and team culture.
  • Strengths Development Plan: Personalized strategies to grow strengths and address blind spots.
  • Strengths for Leadership: Empower employees and nurture leadership using strengths-based development.
  • Team Strengths Map: Visual tools to identify team strengths, patterns, and gaps.
  • Strengths & Blind Spots: Understand how strengths show up at work and the risks of overuse.
  • Strengths-Based Communication: Improve communication by leveraging colleagues' strengths.
  • Collaboration Techniques: Enhance teamwork and productivity by aligning strengths with tasks.
  • Strengths & Role Alignment: Match responsibilities to strengths for better performance and satisfaction.

What Sets Us Apart?

With WSCPA facilitating your training, your team will not only gain valuable insights into their strengths but also have the added benefit of earning CPE credits—an offering not typically available with other Strengths Coaches. Our approach is tailored to fit the unique needs of your profession, providing strategies that directly address the challenges accounting professionals face.

The Benefits We’re Seeing

The feedback from our in-house training sessions has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, 100% of respondents indicated they are very likely or somewhat likely to apply what they’ve learned in their day-to-day work. We’ve seen stronger team collaboration, more engaged leadership, and enhanced communication within firms who’ve embraced this approach. One such example comes from Baker Tilly-Seattle, where CliftonStrengths training has made a profound impact. Kelly Nelson, Managing Partner, shared, "I firmly believe it’s essential to identify each team member’s unique genius and natural strengths to enhance the efficiency of both strategy development and execution. When we lead with strengths, we’re not simply assigning tasks—we are celebrating what makes each individual exceptional. This enables people to shine, ensuring that their talents are both recognized and nurtured."

By aligning strengths across teams, Baker Tilly-Seattle has been able to build collaborative teams that achieve extraordinary results. "Participating in a facilitated session with WSCPA gave us the opportunity to better understand our individual strengths and motivations while also helping us identify team members whose abilities complement our own," Nelson concluded.

Monette Anderson, CAE and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, is the WSCPA Vice President of Membership & Education. You can contact Monette by email.

This article appears in the fall 2024 issue of the Washington CPA magazine. Read more here.

Learn More

  • Bring in-house training on Gallup CliftonStrengths to your firm. Visit wscpa.org/training
  • Attend the Emerging Leaders Workshop, Nov 20 in Bellevue. Registration includes CliftonStrengths for Leaders assessment/report and guidance on how to leverage your unique strengths. Register today!
  1. Gallup, Inc. (2020), CliftonStrengths Resource Guide for Managers, Gallup Press.
  2. Gallup, Inc. (2020), CliftonStrengths Resource Guide for Managers.
  3. Gallup, Inc. (2020), Strengths-Based Development: Leadership’s Role, Gallup Press.
  4. Gallup, Inc. (2020), Strengths-Based Leadership, Gallup Press.

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