Strengths Cards online
52 character strengths cards for online coaching and facilitation.
Help clients discover, appreciate, and develop their unique strengths.
Why work with strengths in coaching?
When we believe that all of us hold different strengths, we focus on what each of us can achieve. A strengths-based approach emphasizes that we are capable and can further build on what makes us uniquely strong. Positive psychology has shown that focusing on strengths not only improves performance but also enhances well-being.
Self-Discovery
Help clients recognize their inherent strengths. The combination of our strengths is unique like our fingerprint - understanding them creates clarity and confidence.
Performance & Well-being
Research shows that using your strengths leads to better performance, more flow experiences, and greater well-being. Building on what works beats fixing deficiencies.
Team Appreciation
In teams, strengths cards reveal what each person brings to the table. Appreciating each other's strengths builds trust, collaboration, and a positive team culture.
How to work with strengths cards in coaching
Our culture often makes us focus more on weaknesses than strengths. The goal is usually to remedy deficiencies (becoming 'well-rounded') rather than to build on what already works well. Strengths-based coaching flips this script - helping clients become 'pointy' rather than 'well-rounded'.
Identify strengths
Spread the strengths cards in front of your client and invite them to pick the ones that resonate. Working with cards is often easier than just thinking of strengths by oneself. Notice which cards spark immediate recognition - these are likely signature strengths.
Opening question:
"Browse through these 52 strengths and pick 5-7 that you feel truly describe you. Trust your gut feeling."
Explore the strength dimensions
Alex Linley's triad helps make strengths particularly applicable in coaching: Performance (Am I successful at this?), Use (How much do I use this in daily life?), and Energy (Does this recharge or drain me?). Have your client rate each selected strength along these three dimensions.
Deepening question:
"For each strength you selected - does using it give you energy, or does it drain you? How often do you actually use it?"
Dial up your strengths
The real coaching magic happens when your client identifies strengths they'd love to use more. Together, explore concrete activities and situations where they can dial up these strengths. What would it look like to bring an unrealized strength into their daily work? What small experiments could they try this week?
Activation question:
"Which of these strengths would you most like to dial up? What activities or situations would allow you to do that?"
How to use strengths cards online with clients
Our interactive strengths card tool makes strengths-based coaching seamless in online sessions. Here's the step-by-step process.
Choose a session template
metaFox.online offers session templates with strengths-based content. Choose from templates that introduce strengths exploration, frame them in a coaching journey, or focus on team appreciation scenarios.
Open the strengths cards tool
In your coaching session, open the shared whiteboard and click the tools menu. Select 'Strengths Cards' - all 52 character strengths cards are instantly available, organized by the three categories: Individual, Relationship, and Practical strengths.
Client browses and selects strengths
Your client browses through all 52 strengths cards at their own pace. They can filter by category or view all cards. As they find strengths that resonate, they click to select them. Selected cards are highlighted for easy tracking.
Facilitate strengths exploration
Selected strengths cards appear on your shared whiteboard. Guide your client to cluster their strengths by category - individual, relationship, and practical. Use the spatial arrangement to create a visual strengths profile. Explore which strengths are realized and which are unrealized.
Connect strengths to action
The transformation happens when strengths awareness meets daily life. Use annotation tools to explore where each strength shows up in your client's work and relationships - and where untapped potential lies. Create concrete action steps for developing unrealized strengths.
Watch how strengths cards work
See how easy it is to bring strengths-based coaching into your online sessions. This video walks through the basic flow of working with word-based coaching cards.
The 3 Categories of Strengths
The 'Stronger You' strengths cards are inspired by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman's work on character strengths and virtues from positive psychology. The 52 strengths are organized into three life areas, each color-coded for easy identification during coaching sessions.
Character strengths from positive psychology
Character strengths are traits that make up a significant part of your character. Unlike talents (e.g., musical ability) or competencies (e.g., project management), character strengths are universal, morally valued, and can be developed. Alex Linley expanded this concept by adding three practical dimensions: Performance (Am I good at this?), Use (How often do I apply this?), and Energy (Does this energize or drain me?). This makes strengths particularly actionable in coaching conversations.
Linley's Strength Dimensions
Performance
Am I successful at this?
Use
How much do I use this in daily life?
Energy
Does this recharge or drain me?
All 52 strengths across 3 categories
INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS
16 cardsBeing with yourself
Our individual strengths shape our inner state and our view of life. We use them even when we are just by ourselves.
RELATIONSHIP STRENGTHS
18 cardsRelating to others
We use our relationship strengths in our interaction with other people and to build interpersonal connections.
PRACTICAL STRENGTHS
18 cardsInteracting with the world
We use our practical strengths when approaching a problem or completing our work.
Built on positive psychology
The strengths cards build on Peterson and Seligman's 'Character Strengths and Virtues' - one of the foundational works of positive psychology. Combined with Alex Linley's practical dimensions of performance, use, and energy, these cards provide a research-grounded yet highly practical tool for any coaching or facilitation context.
Your questions answered
Ready to use strengths cards online with your clients?
Try strengths cards on metaFox.online. Three sessions with all tools completely free - no credit card required.
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