Book: Strengths Finder

"StrengthsFinder" by Gallup Press

Main Themes:

• Strengths-Based Psychology: The core principle is a focus on developing strengths rather than correcting weaknesses. Gallup advocates for a shift in perspective: "We were tired of living in a world that revolved around fixing our weaknesses. Society’s relentless focus on people’s shortcomings had turned into a global obsession. What’s more, we had discovered that people have several times more potential for growth when they invest energy in developing their strengths instead of correcting their deficiencies." The story of Saint Peter and the common laborer illustrates the idea that many people never uncover their true potential because they are not in the right role or focusing on their strengths.
• Identification of Talents: The StrengthsFinder assessment aims to identify an individual's dominant talent themes. These themes are the basis for building strengths.
• Application of Strengths: The focus is not just on identifying strengths, but also on applying them to improve performance and fulfillment in various aspects of life.
• Individualization: The tool recognizes that each person is unique and that understanding individual differences is key to building effective teams and relationships. "Your Individualization theme leads you to be intrigued by the unique qualities of each person... Instead, you focus on the differences between individuals. You instinctively observe each person’s style, each person’s motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships."
• Team Building: StrengthsFinder can be used to build more productive teams by understanding individual strengths and ensuring that individuals are in roles that maximize those strengths.

Key Ideas & Facts:

• The 34 Themes: The Clifton StrengthsFinder identifies 34 talent themes. These include: 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, and Woo.
• Each theme has a distinctive sound: The book uses narratives ("Sounds Like This") to illustrate how each theme manifests in real-life situations. For example, an "Achiever" might say, "I have to rack up points every day to feel successful." An "Activator" constantly asks, "When can we start?"
• Actionable Insights: Each theme description includes "Ideas for Action," providing specific advice on how to leverage that theme for personal and professional growth.
• Working with Others: The tool emphasizes understanding how to collaborate effectively with people who possess different strengths. For example, when working with someone who has the "Activator" strength, it is helpful to tell them "that you know she is someone who can make things happen and that you may be asking her for help at key times. Your expectations will energize her."
• Copyright and Trademarks: The Clifton StrengthsFinder®, Gallup Press®, Q12®, and the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder theme names are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. The Q12 items are Gallup proprietary information and are protected by law.
• StrengthsFinder Assessment: The book contains a unique access code to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment online at www.gallupstrengthscenter.com.
• Importance of Beliefs: People with a strong "Belief" theme have "certain core values that are enduring… Ordinarily your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics — both in yourself and others."
• The Power of Command: The "Command" theme leads individuals to "take charge… Once your opinion is formed, you need to share it with others. Once your goal is set, you feel restless until you have aligned others with you."
• Connection and Fairness: Those with "Connectedness" believe that "we are all connected… we are part of something larger." Individuals with "Consistency" believe that "Everyone needs to be treated the same… Fairness means treating everyone the same."

Quotes of Note:

• Activator: "You know you will be judged not by what you say, not by what you think, but by what you get done. This does not frighten you. It pleases you."
• Analytical: "Prove it. Show me why what you are claiming is true."
• Arranger: "You are a conductor. When faced with a complex situation involving many factors, you enjoy managing all the variables, aligning and realigning them until you are sure you have arranged them in the most productive configuration possible."
• Communication: "You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write."
• Competition: "Competition is rooted in comparison... If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it."
• Context: "You look back because that is where the answers lie. You look back to understand the present."
• Deliberative: "You are careful. You are vigilant. You are a private person. You know that the world is an unpredictable place."
• Developer: "You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see."
• Discipline: "Your world needs to be predictable. It needs to be ordered and planned."
• Empathy: "You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own."
• Focus: "Where am I headed?"
• Futuristic: "Wouldn’t it be great if . . ."
• Harmony: "You look for areas of agreement. In fact, you believe that there is little to be gained from conflict and friction, so you seek to hold them to a minimum."
• Ideation: "You are fascinated by ideas... An idea is a connection."
• Includer: "Stretch the circle wider."
• Input: "You are inquisitive. You collect things... The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity."
• Intellection: "You like to think. You like mental activity."
• Maximizer: "Excellence, not average, is your measure."
• Positivity: "You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation."
• Relator: "The Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know… You are comfortable with intimacy."
• Responsibility: "Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to..."
• Restorative: "You love to solve problems."
• Self-Assurance: "In the deepest part of you, you have faith in your strengths."
• Significance: "You want to be very significant in the eyes of other people… You want to be recognized."
• Strategic: "The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route… What if? Select. Strike."
• Woo: "Woo stands for winning others over… In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet—lots of them."

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