Clifton StrengthsFinder

34 Strengths Podcast

dreamcatalyst — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:49:00 +0000

Strengths Partnerships

dreamcatalyst — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:45:00 +0000

Below you will find the suggested partnerships among strengths as listed in Strengthsfinder 2.0
Some strengths have no obvious partnerships.

Achiever= NONE (recommendation: work with other hard-working people)
Activator= Focus, Strategic, Futuristic, Analytical
Adaptability= Focus, Strategic, Belief
Analytical= Activator
Arranger= NONE LISTED
Belief= Futuristic
Command= Woo, Empathy (Circumvent problems)
Communication= NONE LISTED
Competition= NONE LISTED
Connectedness= Communication (helps with real-world examples)
Consistency= Maximizer, Individualization (accomodate differences)
Context= Futuristic, Strategic
Deliberative= Command, Self-Assurance, Activator
Developer= Individualization (Identify talents to develop)
Discipline= NONE LISTED
Empathy= Command, Activator (take action)
Focus= NONE LISTED
Futuristic= Activator (Take action on plans)
Harmony= Command, Activator (confrontation)
Ideation= Analytical (Question and challenge to strengthen ideas)
Includer= Activator, Command (Deliver tough news)
Individualization= NONE LISTED
Input= Focus, Discipline
Intellection= NONE LISTED
Learner= NONE LISTED
Maximizer= Restorative (solve problems)
Positivity= NONE LISTED
Relator= NONE LISTED
Responsiblity= Discipline, Focus (stay on track and help avoid overload)
Restorative= NONE LISTED
Self-Assurance= Strategic, Deliberative, Futuristic
Significance= NONE LISTED
Strategic= Activator (action)
Woo= Relator, Empathy

Strengths Finder 2.0 International Availability-Amazon

dreamcatalyst — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 21:59:00 +0000

So Strengths friends….where in the World can you buy Strengths Finder 2.0? Well listed below are the locations and the prices for Strengths Finder 2.0 in various countries in the world.

Although the book is still the English version, it is helpful to know where you can have it delivered by Amazon. So far these are the only countries I could find for delivery…Still looking for Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia….

GERMANY

FRANCE

Maximizing Your Strengths

dreamcatalyst — Tue, 08 May 2007 01:58:00 +0000

Not all strengths are created equal. If you’re like me, there are times when a particular strength seems more like a liability than an asset. Is it possible that different situations require a different combination of strengths? And that some strengths are best used to balance or facilitate the use of others strengths? I believe so. The key, then, is to learn how to effectively use our strengths for maximum impact in a variety of situations.

As I reflect on this challenge in my own life, I recalled a particular situation in which I learned to do this.

Consider the following “fictional” dialogue:

“Hello, my name is Tim, nice to meet you. Hey, I have an idea that could change your life..want to hear it….great…you see if you just tried to look at things differently….Hey, where are you going? Come back…”

Idea, idea, activate, activate, do it NOW! Yikes…people run for cover, pushy, intense, and the point is lost. Yet by definition, Gallup states that a strength is “the ability to consistently produce a nearly perfect positive outcome in a specific task.”

So the trick is to learn how to use each strength properly at just the right time.

Here’s an alternate scenario: When entering a new group of people, my mind immediately begins brimming with suggestions for improvement, my energy rises, I want everyone in the room to love me and want to hear what I have to say.

BUT WAIT.

I take a minute and think. This could be disaster. Slow down. Spend time getting to know people. (Individualization) Ask polite, but personal questions. I offer them affirming words. (Communication) I modulate my Activator to take action in the area of practical service to the group. By diffusing the energy generated by Activator, I avoid the pitfall of intensity that can come across with an individual. I offer to clean up, wash dishes, help someone carry their things to the car, maybe offer a compliment or two. This generates goodwill. Keeping my Ideation in check for now, only using it to give me creative ideas for how to Woo people.

As I get to know people better, they begin to trust me more, I ease the Activator/Ideation out of the closet. I’m still aware of who I can be more frank with. There are still individuals who I must take more time with. All the while, I’m learning more about their individual style and the approach I will make to Win them over. Using my Individualization, I realize that if I scare them off, I might never get them back.

As it currently stands, I’ve generated enough goodwill among the group that I can be more direct and open with all 5 talent themes…and so can they…. I smile to think that last night I was sitting in a circle as all 7 people shared and discussed their top 5 with each other. Success!

This brief scenario illustrates the need to understand how to apply each of our strengths at the appropriate time and in the appropriate measure in order to have maximum impact.

Building Strong Teams Using the 4 Domains

dreamcatalyst — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:17:00 +0000

Each of the 34 Strengths falls within one of 4 domains.Relating, Impacting, Thinking and Striving.

It can be very insightful to chart each of your strengths and look at your overall profile.
It is also an effective method to employ when building teams. If after analyzing your strengths profile you notice that you have only thinking and striving themes, it would be beneficial to recruit additional team members with impacting and relating themes.

The 4 Strength Domains

Relating Themes (Working with People)

Harmony, Communication, Empathy, Includer, Individualization, Relator, Responsibility

Impacting Themes (Influencing People)

Command, Competition, Developer, Positivity, Maximizer, Woo

Striving Themes (Working Harder)

Achiever, Activator, Belief, Significance, Discipline, Adaptability, Focus, Restorative, Self-Assurance

Thinking Themes (Working Smarter)

Analytical, Arranger, Consistency, Connectedness, Deliberative, Futuristic, Ideation
Input, Intellection, Learner, Context, Strategic

Below are the profiles of two men that I’m Strengths coaching.

James- Futuristic, Strategic, Includer, Belief, Communication
Thinking, Thinking, Relating, Striving, Relating
Thinking 2, Relating 2, Striving 1 Impacting 0

James is strong in Thinking/Relating themes, but he has no Impacting themes.

Allan- Woo, Positivity, Adaptability, Belief, Includer
Impacting, Impacting, Striving, Striving, Relating
Impacting 2, Striving 2, Relating 1, Thinking 0

Allan is strong in Impacting/Striving themes, but he has no thinking themes. Allan and James are collaborating on film and television projects. Is this a good match? They seem to be an excellent match as far as balancing each other out. They enjoy working together. Allan just mentioned today how he and James seemed to make a good pair. Of course there are many other ingredients involved in making a great team, but knowing your strengths domain profile is a good start.

Do you know how your strengths interplay with others in your life?

I would love to help anyone interested in knowing more about the implications and applications of their strength domain profile. Just write me a note. Tim

My New Top 5

dreamcatalyst — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:15:00 +0000

MY NEW TOP 5

Individualization
People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different

Ideation
People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
can work together productively.

Activator
People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.

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.

Communication
People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

How is my second test different than the first?
(Adaptability was in my last test, so it’s probably #6. Communication made the top 5. Individualization went from #5 to #1. The others are basically the same.)

StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths..

Summary Notes
Driven by your talents, you come to the assistance of individuals and groups that must invent new ways of doing everyday chores and tackling never-before-tried projects. Your mind is brumming with ideas. You are eager to share with whoever will listen. You energize others so that they feel enthusiastic about a position that you have taken, a conclusion you have reached, or an innovative idea you have proposed. Driven by your talents you demostrate a natural fondness for human beings. You probably express yourself with ease and grace.

The New Strengths Finder 2.0 Assessment

dreamcatalyst — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:42:00 +0000

Gallup has upgraded their original StrengthsFinder online assessment. I ordered 5 copies
due to be sent out at the end of January, but now I see that the release date has been pushed
to the end of February. I can’t wait to see what they’ve done.

Book Description
To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book has spent more than five years on bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder has helped millions discover their top five talents. In StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment and much more. Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself — and the world around you — forever.

Available exclusively through the access code included in StrengthsFinder 2.0:

• A new and upgraded edition of the StrengthsFinder assessment
• A personalized Strengths Discovery and Action-Planning Guide for applying your strengths in the next week, month, and year
• A customized version of your top-five themes report
• 50 Ideas for Action (10 strategies for building on each of your top five themes)
• The user-friendly StrengthsFinder 2.0 companion website, with a strengths community area, a library of downloadable discussion guides, activities, a strengths screensaver, and a program for creating display cards of your top five themes

The Four StrengthsFinder domains

dreamcatalyst — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:57:00 +0000

The 4 Strength Domains

RELATING THEMES (Working with People)

Harmony-People strong in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather they seek areas of agreement.

Communication-People strong in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

Empathy-People strong in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of others people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.

Includer-People strong in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.

Individualization-People strong in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.

Relator-People strong in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Responsibility-People strong in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

IMPACTING THEMES (Influencing People)

Command-People strong in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.

Competition-People strong in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.

Developer-People strong in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.

Positivity-People strong 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.

Maximizer-People strong in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Woo-People strong in the Woo theme love the challenge of meetings new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

STRIVING THEMES (Working Harder)

Achiever-People strong in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Activator-People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.

Belief-People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

Significance-People strong in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.

Discipline-People strong in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.

Adaptability-People strong in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

Focus-People strong in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.

Restorative-People strong in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.

Self-Assurance-People strong in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.

THINKING THEMES (Working Smarter)

Analytical-People strong in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.

Arranger-People strong in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.

Consistency-People strong in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.

Connectedness-People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

Deliberative-People strong in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.

Futuristic-People strong in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.

Ideation-People strong in the Ideations theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Input-People strong in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

Intellection-People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

Learner-People strong in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

Context-People strong in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.

Strategic-People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Strengths Finder Resources

dreamcatalyst — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:53:00 +0000

The following resources were taken from “Strengths Quest” a book by Clifton, Anderson.

In order to download audio files on each page to your computer, right click “Save As”.

The following links contain helpful information for
affirming, developing, and applying your strength in careers.

Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Belief
Command
Communication
Competition
Connectedness
Consistency
Context
Deliberative
Developer
Discipline
Empathy
Focus
Futuristic
Harmony
Ideation
Includer
Individualization
Input
Intellection
Learner
Maximizer
Positivity
Relator
Responsibility
Restorative
Self-Assurance
Significance
Strategic
Woo

dreamcatalyst — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 04:11:00 +0000

Hey Tim, I want to take the Strengths Finder test. HOW DO I DO IT??? Well, I’m glad you asked.

Here’s the scoop.
The Clifton Strengths Finder test is owned by the Gallup Organization. They use the test in conjunction with the books they produce. So in order to take the online test, you must purchase one of the Gallup books.

THE CHEAPEST WAY TO TAKE THE TEST

StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths

This is Gallup’s newest release containing the Strengths Finder code. It doesn’t add much to the topic in terms of in depth analysis, but it is 10 dollars cheaper and more compact.

IF YOU HAVE THE TIME AND INTEREST TO READ THE ORIGINAL BOOK.

Now, Discover Your Strengths

This is the book that describes in detail all 34 themes and gives ideas on how to develop your strengths and manage people with these Signature Themes.

For a faith-based look at strengths:

Living Your Strengths: Discover Your God-Given Talents and Inspire Your Community

Hope this helps. Tim