In this engaging conversation, the hosts explore the nuances of CliftonStrengths and its application in workplace conflict. They discuss the importance of personal stories in coaching, the role of curiosity, and the significance of preparing for conflict through strategies like conflict charters. Tara Gronhovd shares her experiences with the Shift Leadership Event and emphasizes the need for clarity and understanding in team dynamics. The discussion highlights the potential misuse of strengths assessments and the importance of using them effectively to foster growth and collaboration.

Takeaways

• CliftonStrengths can be a powerful tool for conflict resolution.
• Personal stories enhance the coaching experience.
• Conflict is a natural part of relationships and should be embraced.
• Curiosity is key to understanding team dynamics.
• Feedback should focus on intent and impact.
• Conflict charters can help teams navigate disagreements.
• Strengths assessments should not be used as hiring tools.
• Practicing conflict in low-stake situations builds skills.
• Misuse of strengths can lead to negative outcomes.
• Firework moments in coaching come from operating in one's strengths.

Sound Bites

• "It's always a beautiful Friday morning."
• "It's a communication tool, not manipulation."
• "We can use our failures as learning moments."

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

Ever worked somewhere that felt like a leaderboard instead of a team? If you’ve ever felt tension around competitiveness at work—or wondered how some teams manage to make it energizing instead of exhausting—this episode is for you.

In today’s conversation, Sarah and Bill welcome Jessica Novich, COO of Full Tilt Logistics, a fast-growing family-run company where three of the five leadership team members have high Competition in their CliftonStrengths—and she doesn’t. Jessica brings a refreshing take on how family, fun, and feedback can turn competition into connection, and how strengths-based coaching helped transform potential tension into team trust. Whether you work with family, lead a competitive team, or just want to build a healthier culture, you’ll walk away with insights, laughter, and ideas to apply right away.

🔥 7 Main Takeaways:

1. Competition isn’t inherently toxic—but it must be coached and contextualized to help a culture thrive.
2. Jessica’s harmony and positivity balance out high competition in her leadership team, showing how complementary strengths matter.
3. Working with family adds complexity—but can also deepen trust and communication if the roles and vision are clear.
4. Fun rituals like cornhole tournaments and “Monarch of Brokerage” awards turn competitiveness into camaraderie.
5. Coaching and strengths awareness help surface misalignment before it turns into resentment or silos.
6. Every strength can be a firework or a dumpster fire—self-awareness is the difference.
7. Culture trickles down from the top; how leaders use their strengths directly influences how people show up at work.

💥 Sound Bites:

1. “Competition doesn’t ruin cultures—unmanaged competition does.”
2. “You can walk out of a job, but you can’t walk out of family.”
3. “My first reaction to your org chart was fear… and also fascination.”
4. “We work hard, play hard, and sometimes fight hard—but always come back to trust.”
5. “I’m not strategic, and that’s okay—because someone else on the team is.”
6. “If you can leverage competition to build community, not a leaderboard, you’re doing it right.”
7. “We’ve created a workplace where it’s okay to be blunt—and that honesty keeps resentment low.”
8. “I show up to meetings like, ‘Good morning!’ even when the tension’s high—and that changes the tone.”
9. “My positivity and harmony are like bubble wrap around the sharp edges of competition.”
10. “I oversee HR and I have Harmony… which means write-ups are my personal nightmare.”
11. “We crowned someone ‘Most Likely to Clap When the Plane Lands’—because culture should have a sense of humor.”
12. “Our culture works because we put people in the right seats and actually understand what they need.”
13. “Sometimes, the competition shows up as subtle ranking… and sometimes it’s a full-on cornhole trophy.”
14. “My husband has Harmony and Competition in his top five—and honestly, that’s a mystery I’m still trying to solve.”
15. “Strengths don’t ruin culture—misalignment and miscommunication do.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

In this bold and hilarious episode, Sarah and Bill are joined by guest Rachel Kagay—a coach, speaker, and unapologetic Woo—to ask the question so many have wondered: Can Woo be annoying? Together, they dig into the reputation, realities, and power of the CliftonStrengths theme Woo (Winning Others Over). Rachel brings humor, heart, and hard-won wisdom as she shares what it’s like to lead with Woo in a world that doesn’t always embrace high energy, visibility, or emotional expression. From awkward introductions to deep connections, they explore how Woo can be misunderstood—and how, when used with intention, it becomes a tool for trust-building, momentum, and genuine human connection.

Main Takeaways

1. Woo isn’t just about being outgoing—it’s about connection, momentum, and emotional awareness.
2. People with Woo can unintentionally come off as overwhelming or performative in the wrong setting.
3. Mature Woo learns to read the room and doesn’t need to be the center of it.
4. Woo builds trust quickly, which can be a massive asset in coaching, leadership, and sales.
5. The dark side of Woo is using energy to mask insecurity or avoid depth.
6. Woo and Relator often get compared, but both are powerful in their own way.
7. With self-awareness, Woo becomes less about being liked—and more about making people feel seen

Sound Bites

1. “Can Woo be annoying? Uh… yeah. Especially when it’s immature or unconscious.”
2. “I can’t help it—I want everyone in the room to like me. But I’m working on that.”
3. “Woo walks in with ‘party starter’ energy… and sometimes that’s not what the room needs.”
4. “You don’t outgrow Woo—but you can outgrow needing to be loved by everyone.”
5. “I had to learn that silence doesn’t mean I failed to connect—it just means people connect differently.”
6. “Woo isn’t about talking—it’s about reading people.”
7. “When used well, Woo makes people feel welcome, important, and remembered.”
8. “If you’ve got Woo and no self-awareness, you might just be draining the room.”
9. “Woo wants to win people over… but mature Woo asks, ‘Why? For what purpose?’”
10. “Relator and Woo aren’t opposites—they’re just different timelines of connection.”
11. “I used to chase being liked. Now I focus on making people feel seen.”
12. “The tension isn’t Woo vs. depth—it’s Woo without intention vs. Woo with purpose.”
13. “Woo helps you open the door… but you still have to walk through it with something real.”
14. “The best compliment to Woo is someone who grounds you and helps you aim it.”
15. “Woo isn’t shallow—it just likes to start at the surface before diving deeper.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/