Relational Approach & Individual Goal Setting
This is our first individual session and we have three objectives- review the VIA Character Strengths survey that participants were asked to complete after the first session, introduce the relational model, and set individual goals for the program.
At Spero, we believe that to succeed at work (and in life) we have to have solid relational skills. In fact, a lot of our material is based on Terry Real’s Relational Life Therapy.
What does being relational mean?
A relational perspective has the health of the individual in mind while keeping an eye on the larger systems that person is involved in. In other words, it requires the individual work that you do in the series to consider how it will impact and play out in your environment- so with your employees, your boss, your clients etc.
This may sound vague but during the series we make acquiring a relational stance real by focusing on practical skill building exercises. Not only do we talk about what needs to be different, we give you hand-on skills to do it.
It is important to remember that self-awareness and emotional regulation are tantamount to being effectively relational.
A relational perspective will help you learn to deal with the parts of you that aren’t able to access the books & skills you have already read about leadership, office relationships, skills, etc… because it asks you to take responsibility for your own emotional reactions, awareness of your physiology, and actions because what you say and do has an impact on those around you and the culture of your agency.
So- you can do something that is good for you personally but may be damaging to those around you. While this may feel good, it is stunted. The relational approach helps you to hold yourself in a place of respect and warm regard while holding other people in a place of respect and warm regard. This results in a healthy system.
What have we seen during this session…
People really enjoy learning about their strengths through the VIA Character Strengths Survey. Most of the time they find that the top 5 strengths accurately describe how they see themselves. We will then use these strengths to help the employees achieve their goals. People generally start to settle into the process and their comfort level increases with the individual meeting.