Embedding a
strengths-based culture to drive engagement
University of Wollongong
The brief
Strengths development • Team building • Leadership coaching
After an extended period of interim leadership, the University of Wollongong’s Advancement, Communications & Marketing Division was a 75-person team that needed help:
unifying, improving staff engagement, and
driving strategic priorities.
The incoming Chief Marketing Officer wanted to build the people management capability of her leaders and use strengths-based development as a framework to help foster a culture of:
collaboration
adaptability, and
results-driven impact.
“Working with Georgie and Inkfield has been transformative for our team. Inkfield’s work has embedded a shared language and way of working that continues to shape our team culture for the better.”
— Erin Fredericks, Associate Director, Brand & Marketing Communications, University of Wollongong
Our work
Working in close partnership with the Chief Marketing Officer and her senior leaders, we designed a cohesive and sustainable strengths development program with the deliberate goals of shaping culture, building leadership capability, and reframing how the division approached growth and performance.
We began with tailored, all-of-division sessions to introduce the strengths framework and help every team member discover and explore their talents (using the CliftonStrengths assessment).
These foundational experiences created a shared language and mindset that we then wove into an ongoing program of strategic, targeted initiatives, including:
new team member strengths inductions to embed the language and approach from day one
people leader development series to help leaders move from ‘boss’ to ‘coach’, embed strengths into everyday management, and intentionally drive performance and engagement
one-on-one leadership coaching focused on leading authentically, understanding and leveraging team dynamics, navigating challenges, and planning career growth
mid-year Division days designed to reconnect, realign, and re-energise the team around strategic priorities
specialist team workshops applying strengths to collaboration, resolving tensions, driving success, and thriving through change.
We also designed the program to drive a cultural shift in how development was viewed.
Previously, many saw professional development as a one-off event. Through our work, development became an ongoing, shared responsibility: something team members could actively shape every day in partnership with their leader.
For leaders, this meant developing the skills and tools to:
create clear and purposeful team charters
embed strengths into performance planning and daily operations
hold meaningful, strengths-based conversations that drive engagement and results, and
apply a repeatable framework to sustain growth, adaptability, and capability over time.
The results
18 months on, the strengths framework is now a consistent part of how the Division operates — used in performance discussions, team planning, and everyday conversations — creating a stronger, more connected, and higher-performing team.
Since beginning the progam, the Division has seen a 25% boost in engagement and 15% boost in productivity (a significant result as the University has been navigating change).
75 team members
4.95/5 average feedback score from participants
25% boost in engagement
What our clients said
“Georgie immediately creates a welcoming and positive environment for people to uncover their strengths and talents. She is engaging, passionate and deliberate in her workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions. Her fast-paced sessions are supported by curated resources full of useful and practical information.
At the end of her workshops, you can sense people have a newfound pride in themselves and a unique understanding of the superpowers in their own team. All my staff have walked away from their time with Georgie feeling empowered and uplifted.”
— Lorna Farrar, Chief Marketing Officer,
University of Wollongong
“Working with Georgie and Inkfield has been transformative for our team. While having access to our individual CliftonStrengths was valuable, the true impact came from Georgie’s ability to bring those strengths to life - showing us how they interact within the team, how to play to each other’s capabilities, and how to lean into them in the right scenarios.
She created an environment where we could see how our individual strengths complement each other and equipped us with practical frameworks that have had a lasting impact on our collaboration, communication, and enhanced the way we recognise and celebrate each other’s contributions.
Managers have seen a clear uplift in capability, both in understanding their own strengths and in unlocking the potential of their teams. Inkfield’s work has embedded a shared language and way of working that continues to shape our team culture for the better.”
— Erin Fredericks, Associate Director, Brand & Marketing Communications, University of Wollongong
“Georgie takes teams from good to great. Learning about Gallup Strengths with Georgie has been an insightful and engaging process. It has given our team a shared language for understanding ourselves and each other. As a manager, I’ve found it particularly valuable in helping me provide constructive feedback and develop work plans that leverage and amplify individual strengths. Georgie has a wonderful ability to challenge your thinking in a way that is both respectful and warm, and I have really benefitted from the tools and strategies that she has shared.”
— Clare Rhodes, Senior Manager, Alumni Relations and Engagement, University of Wollongong
Great pace and ability to digest. Georgia was an excellent presenter who had a mastery of reading the vibe and energy of the room.
— Participant, University of Wollongong
“One of the best development days we’ve been to.”
— Participant, University of Wollongong
“I loved that the workshop was interactive. I really connected with the people on my table and genuinely had a lot of fun.”
— Participant, University of Wollongong
“Georgie is a wonderful presenter - engaging, entertaining and energetic. She shares her own experiences through stories and it’s super relatable.”
— Participant, University of Wollongong
Let’s partner
We're passionate about helping leaders build sustainable strengths-based cultures that foster collaboration, engagement and high performance.