Recently, I purchased the book, “Strengths Finder 2.0” by Tom Rath. It’s been around since 2002, but was updated in 2007, and has been a #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller. “The Clifton StrengthsFinder measures the presence of talent in 34 categories called themes. These themes were determined by Gallup as those that most consistently predict outstanding performance. The greater the presence of a theme of talent within a person, the more likely that person is to spontaneously exhibit those talents in day-to-day behaviors. Focusing on naturally powerful talents helps people use them as the foundation of strengths and enjoy personal, academic, and career success through consistent, near-perfect performance.”
And it’s more than a book – buying the book (currently $12.99 on Amazon) gives you a unique “access code” so that you can go online and take the Strengths Finder Assessment test and find out about your Top 5 Themes (or talents). The Assessment test takes about 35 minutes, and is well worth the time. Unfortunately, you do have to buy the book (new, not used) in order to get an unused Access Code to take the online test. But if you want to do a similar but free Strengths Finder self-test, go to:
http://www.unsheeple.com/2008/11/free-strengths-finder-testkind-of-self-reporting/
The results show you where your natural strengths and talents are – whether or not you have nurtured them or developed them to the fullest. So, for instance, if you are a naturally creative person, but are stuck in a job doing mundane and repetitive tasks, your creative talents are not being fully utilized and you will be unhappy with your job. Or if you are good with numbers, but are not naturally empathetic to other people, and your job is in customer service, you may also be in the wrong job! The Strengths Finder is often used by organizations and companies to help figure out how to take advantage of their employees’ natural strengths.
The Strenghts Finder Assessment can also help individuals like you and me figure out our strengths and talents so that we can make sure we are doing things to nurture and development them to our advantage. It’s the oppositive of taking a look at your weaknesses and figuring out where you need to improve! Plus, the results are ALL GOOD! It will give you a boost to your self-confidence!
Here are my results:
How well do you think these themes describe me?
Strategic
People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Positivity
People who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
Activator
People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.
Futuristic
People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Woo
People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
To learn more about the Clifton StrengthsFinder and how you can discover your top five themes, visit http://strengths.gallup.com
PTD