Last school year we began exploring our strengths by using
the Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment produced by the folks at
Gallup. This survey identifies 5 of your
top strengths from a group of 34. The
deeper I get into this work, the more uncanny I find it to be in describing the
core of who I am. While in a district
level professional learning session last month, one of our district
administrators described those individuals who have the “Achiever” strength as
having to live with the “whisper of discontent.” That sent me down a reflective path about how
my own strengths whisper to me as quiet voices of action. What I am realizing is that ignoring those
voices is just as dangerous as ignoring the voices of the individuals we seek
to serve. What follows are my strengths
in rank order, the Gallup generated descriptor, and my thoughts around them.
Strategic – People who
are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to
proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot relevant patterns
and issues. My strategic inner voice
constantly speaks to me about tweaking processes in an effort to increase
productivity. It hisses in my ear a
distaste for the status quo. It moans
when the phrase, “We’ve always done it this way” is uttered. It reminds me to look down the road to plan
ahead.
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.
“Pollyanna” whispers her perpetual optimism to me even in
challenging situations. I have worked to
project this voice to those around me who I feel are worth celebrating, in the
moment I hear it. My New Year’s
resolution has been to speak the positive to others, even if the timing seems
awkward. This is a commitment I intend
to keep for the long-term.
Arranger – People who
are especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but 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. This
inner voice warns me away from hiring others who are just like me. It celebrates and recognizes that diversity
of thought and ideas creates synergy when building teams. This whisper speaks the virtues of connecting
people for collaborative work.
Ideation – People who
are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between
seemingly disparate phenomena. This voice frequently whispers the phrase,
“What if…?” It can drive me down a path to question why things are done the way
they are. This voice is pleased when
pondering. In my journey to open my new
campus, this voice has become increasingly vocal!
Relator – People who
are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with
others. They find deep satisfaction in
working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
This small voice always speaks of a simple story. It articulates complex ideas in plainspoken
language that others connect to and find practical. It rejoices when I am working with my close
associates on work that truly matters.
What steps can you take to amplify the quiet, whispering
voices that speak to you from your areas of strength?
1)
Purposely
discover you own strengths – Aristotle is credited with the quote, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Can you currently articulate your own
strengths and apply them to your professional and personal life? I don’t know of a better resource for this
discovery than taking the StrengthsFinder assessment. Tom Rath’s book entitled StrengthsFinder
2.0 not only contains an access code for the assessment, it serves as a
perfect resource to begin understanding how to use your strengths. (Click here to find out more about the book) Specifically you will find that each strength
theme has a number of “ideas for action” that will help you get started.
2)
Stifle
that voice that drives you to be “well-rounded” in all areas – Few things
disengage people more than working in their areas of deficit. What engages us are the things that we
perceive ourselves as doing well. If you
show me a struggling reader who can make others laugh, I can almost bet you he
will be a class clown in language arts class!
Granted, there are some skills that we all must master such as
reading. In other areas, it is a much
better investment in your time and energy to sharpen yourself in your areas of
strength. These are the areas where our
passions lie.
3)
Discover
the strengths of those around you and leverage them for success – Purposefully
using the StrengthsFinder with those who you interact with is where the real
power is in this work. I gave copies of StrengthsFinder
2.0 to my wife and grown kids. We
then shared our strengths to deepen our connection and understanding of one
another. The entire staff at my new
campus will be taking the assessment and we will be using this common
vocabulary and understand to build our community. My PTA Executive Board will be discovering
each other’s strengths. Even my students
will take the age-appropriate StrengthsExplorer assessment to become more
self-aware. For this work, StrengthsFinder
2.0 has an area under each them that guides you how to work with others in
THEIR area of strength. The end goal is
to create a strengths-based culture that drives our engagement and celebrates
our diversity.
4)
Quiet the
voice of busy – So often when I am not hearing my small strengths-based
voices it is because of time pressures.
This loud, bullying voice sounds like the sassy quote from Sweet Brown,
“Ain’t nobody got time for that!”(Click here for a smile) Rarely are issues as
time-pressured as we make them out to be.
Do you find time each day to reflect?
Do you have a reflective partner that you regularly connect with?
We all have the voice of self-talk that we hear every
day. What do your small voices say to
you? If you are purposeful in
discovering your strengths, you will have the discernment to know which voices
to amplify and act upon.
