SDI Workshops

Most of us know that relationships at work can make or break a successful team and have a direct effect on business outcomes.  One of the tools I use to support relationship development is the Strengths Deployment Inventory® (SDI®).

The SDI® is a proven and memorable tool for improving team effectiveness and reducing the cost and impact of disagreements amongst individuals.  It helps individuals and teams understand the motivators at play beneath behaviours that we might we see on the surface.

Many organisations have found the SDI® to be particularly useful in: 

• Developing self-awareness of individuals in terms of what motivates them and how they relate to others.
• Helping two work colleagues understand how they can work better together by understanding their motivators and strengths and how they deal with difficult situations.
• Helping teams understand one another more and play to the strengths of individuals.
• Creating a common language within a whole organisation to improve communications and project outcomes.

 The SDI® is based on the concept of Relationship Awareness® (originally developed by psychologist Elias Porter) and is a straightforward model which helps people understand and easily articulate the motivators behind their behaviour.

When people discover their unique motivators and how these affect their behaviour and their view of others, it can make a big difference in their ability to communicate and handle differences of opinion when they arise.  When using the tool, the ‘aha’ moment’ usually comes when individuals are plotted alongside their colleagues on the Interpersonal Interaction Triangle® (shown left) which helps them understand how their own motivators differ to those around them and the impact this can have at work.

How is the SDI® delivered?

The SDI® model is best introduced to individuals and teams face-to-face by an accredited facilitator.  This typically takes place via a group session usually lasting around five hours.   For individuals we can also provide a three hour session to support self awareness.  For pairs, we can provide three hour sessions attended by both parties simultaneously which focus on getting the best from their working relationship.  The tool can be introduced to organisations by Chaseville as a stand-alone service or as part of a broader project commission.  Many clients chose to incorporate the tool into a team day or personal development programme.

What’s the process?

• A pre-meet with the client sponsor to understand their desired business outcomes to tailor the workshop to suit their needs.
• An explanation of the tool to introduce it to individuals (individually or within a workshop)
• The completion of a personal questionnaire (online or face to face) resulting in plotting indiviuals/groups into the Interpersonal Interaction Triangle®
• Discussion and practical exercises around the results and what they mean.
• Discussion around how the results will support the desired outcome set by the client.

I always work closely with clients to ensure our workshops are positioned in the context of the business issues facing them at the time.

Typical comments from delegates who have attended an SDI® session have included:

“I wish I’d done this sooner in my career.  It’s just enlightening.”

“Now I can explain more clearly why certain things really irritate me and colleagues understand how to stop me feeling that way.”

“Knowing that we had a lot of ‘hubs’ in our team made it really clear why we found it hard to make decisions and we have changed how we work together as a result.”

“Understanding my underlying motivators and how they differ to others has really changed how I manage.” 

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