Before traveling to Malaysia with the Clifton Strengths Institute over spring break, senior Dywan Williams Jr. wasn’t sure what to expect from his time in a new country.
He knew that he and a small group of peers in the institute would be doing strengths coaching at four colleges across the country over the course of their weeklong journey, but he wasn’t sure how the unique College of Business program would translate across continents and cultures.
“When you're strengths coaching, you have to meet students where they are,” Williams said, citing his ample experience as a strengths coach around Nebraska’s campus, helping Huskers hone their talents.
“It was really interesting coaching in Malaysia because I learned that, culturally, it’s not as typical to focus on things you’re good at or talk about your personal strengths — there’s a lot more emphasis on the strengths of the group than the individual.”
Students at these Malaysian colleges already had some experience with the Clifton Strengths Program and had taken their strengths tests in advance, giving Husker business students a common ground to work from.
“I thought it would be a lot harder going in — I just wasn't sure if students would be interested in strengths or how I’d be able to connect,” Williams said. “It turned out, everyone really enjoyed talking about their strengths.”
As he and his fellow Huskers spent their week facilitating strengths coaching sessions in business classrooms, they found any cultural barriers quickly dissolved as they worked through their program.
“A lot of students came up and told me that it was really nice to talk about something that they're individually good at because they hadn't focused on it much up to that point in their lives,” Williams said. “It was cool to see how just talking about what you’re good at can feel really positive and be impactful.”
As far the impacts for Williams are concerned, he said the trip taught him an important lesson as he prepares to graduate in May and move on to a full-time role at a “big four” accounting firm.
“This experience taught me to stay curious,” Williams said, "and not have a preconceived notion of something or someone before you’re in front of them. Staying curious, I think, is key.”
