Beyond the Usual Team Meeting: A Strengths-Based Experience with Toolstation

Most teams hold regular meetings – perhaps to set objectives, align on strategy, or engage in a bit of team building. But how often do those meetings truly shift behaviour, build confidence, and spark lasting change?

Recently, I had the privilege of facilitating a session for Toolstation’s Regional Managers from across the country. They wanted their team meeting to be different – not just another agenda-heavy gathering, but a strengths-focused experience that would leave a lasting impact. That’s where Personal Strengths Coaching came in.

Designing a Day with Purpose

In partnership with Toolstation’s HR Business Partners, we crafted a session with a dual focus: first, a morning of personal development to deepen self-awareness around individual strengths; then, an afternoon exploring how those unique strengths come together to create powerful team dynamics.

This wasn’t about theory. It was about real, actionable insight – grounded in the positive psychology approach that sits at the heart of our work.

What Made It Different?

Halfway through the day, I received some honest and affirming feedback. Some of the managers had experienced similar sessions before – but what stood out about this session was the emphasis on the power of their strengths, not the risks.

Yes, we talked about “overdrive” – when strengths are displayed to the extreme and tip from being a positive to having a negative impact. It’s important to have an awareness of what these look like for you as an individual. But more importantly, we focused on how to optimise those strengths which bring the best out in individuals, their teams, and the organisation as a whole.

Another standout comment? This session felt refreshingly applicable to their day-to-day roles. It wasn’t a theoretical, paper exercise touched on for the day and not re-visited. They left with clear ideas on how to apply what they’d learned – especially in spotting and cultivating strengths in their own store managers.

A Culture That Cares

Toolstation’s culture really shone through.

When the Divisional Directors opened the day by asking each person to describe how they were feeling in one word, it set a tone of openness and care. By the end of the day, when we repeated the same question, the energy had shifted – and so had the words. Check out the words in the picture above!

What Was the Impact?

The formal feedback spoke volumes:

• Increased confidence
• An appreciation for the impact of their own strengths
• Excitement about how their collective strengths could be harnessed as a team

Perhaps most powerful of all was the moment the team gathered around their team’s Strengths Grid – a visual representation of everyone’s strengths – and began discussing where they could leverage those strengths together. You could feel the energy in the room!

Each individual also took away their own personal development insights, adding value well beyond the team context.

are you looking for more than just another team day?

If you’re looking for more than just another team day – something that leads to real behaviour change, energises your people, and boosts both confidence and effectiveness – let’s talk.

Book a complimentary call and let’s explore what a strengths-based workshop could look like for your team.

Let’s book a call and explore the possibilities together.