Gallery Presentation International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

So many introductions are shallow and boring, in large part because people do not know what to say, how much to say, or how to say it. A powerful way to circumvent shallow introductions and allow people to get to know one another deeply in a short amount of time is using the power of storytelling and positive personal narratives.

During our time together you will:

• identify your signature strengths and core values,
• tap into your strengths and gain a deeper understanding of when you are at your best, and
• write a brief introduction of yourself and try it out with other participants.

Using positive introductions with your team or group helps members to immediately find specific reasons to respect and value the people they are with when you go beyond the usual vanilla approach of name, title, and job description. They feel heard and understood while showcasing the interests, talents, and personal motivations of everyone involved.

This intervention is a modification of the Strengths and Values based Introductions tool designed by Orin Davis (www.qllab.org) which was a modification of an exercise described by Martin Seligman (2004) and Nansook Park and Chris Peterson (2009).

It was presented to all virtual cohorts of the Professional, Applied Continuing Education programs at the university of Winnipeg, which included students from over 16 countries and was well received by students.