What do you do incredibly well, without really giving it much thought or effort? Do you know?
Everyone (yes, everyone) has natural talents which present in the ways they think, feel and behave. Those among us who are fortunate enough to name and amplify our strengths, find an undeniable enhancement in our professional and personal quality of life. We have the opportunity to become better managers, team members and partners (at home and at work). Gallup has the science to back it up, and I’d encourage you to visit their website, linked below:
Our data show that people who have the opportunity to use their CliftonStrengths are:
Knowing and harnessing our strengths is a gift, as is working with others who know and harness their own strengths. When members of a team have an understanding of where each person’s power lies, teams can be optimally configured. Achieving this optimization isn’t as easy as it sounds, particularly in our new hybrid/remote world of work. It’s not uncommon these days to work with people that you rarely see in person. It’s slow going and difficult under these circumstances to reach the point where we truly “get” each other and arrive at optimal team configurations. CliftonStrengths gives us a shortcut to this knowledge; a direct line to understanding and the opportunity for dramatically improved communication.
So, where does one start? We’ll begin with the CliftonStrengths Assessment, which reveals - with startling accuracy - your top five strengths out of a possible 34 strengths. Each strength falls into one of four categories: (1) relating, (2) executing, (3) influencing and (4) strategic thinking. There are no good, bad or preferable strengths. They are simply what gives you your unique power. In fact, the chances of someone having the same top 5 strengths as you in the same order is one in 33 million.
We’ll work together to uncover - among other things - how these strengths show up for you, how your strengths interact with each other, how you could be putting them to much better use and how you may be overusing them. This is a really fun exercise, but it’s also incredibly empowering and can be life-altering. Imagine understanding and putting words to your innate strengths as a young adult. Many of us could be spared the pain of ill-fitted career choices, not to mention the joy of enhanced self-awareness. Here’s a sneak preview of the possible strengths within you (these are mine):
Having this self-knowledge is invaluable. Knowing this information about your team members, colleagues, family members and friends are close seconds. Once we better understand each other’s thought processes, motivations and orientation we begin to approach each other in infinitely more productive ways.