Good news! The cost issue has been resolved. We’ve discovered another resource that provides all the benefits of the more traditional tools, but without the prohibitive cost.
Learning how a person instinctively communicates with others; how one tends to view the world; and how a person is naturally motivated to achieve, provides a leader with critical insight that can be used to help maximize results.
In addition, by sharing key data, team members can learn to better appreciate their unique strengths and abilities, as well as their differences. In fact, when an entire team goes through a personality assessment and shares their findings, the process can be highly beneficial in bringing the entire team together – building trust and overall team morale.
Be sure to access a copy of our new StrengthsFinder Matrix tool. The Excel file is available at no charge! (See sample graphic below)
Once you've read the article at the above link, come back and read about my own StrengthsFinder assessment results.
Share Your Tips, Best Practices and Stories!
StrengthsFinder Example - Results & Key Learnings
"You have to have confidence in your ability,
and then be tough enough to follow through."
- Rosalynn Carter
Back in 2011 I was introduced to the StrengthsFinder process and was very impressed with the ease of use and accuracy of the report I received. Since then, I have used the StrengthsFinder tool with several groups of employees. Each time the participants raved about the quality of the insights the report provides.
As is mentioned is our full StrengthsFinder review, there are 34 Strength categories that are explained in detail in the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book. My five Strengths, in no particular order of importance, were identified as:
- Achiever
- Arranger
- Focus
- Learner
- Relator
I won't go into great detail about all of the above Strengths, but I will share some insight I gained about two strengths after reading the respective chapters in the book.
First, under the Achiever category, I learned that I have a constant need for achievement. I start each day feeling as if I'm starting at zero. This is true! I am always updating my "To Do" list, and I love the feeling I get every time I check something off my list. I say often, "I'd much rather be busy than bored."
Working hard and getting things done actually energizes me. When I'm focused on a project, time passes by very quickly. This can be both positive and negative depending on the situation.
If you happen to be an Achiever you should understand that this is just how you are uniquely wired. An area of caution for an Achiever is that it might be easy to wrongfully assume that all people should work at the same pace, or enjoy staying busy, just as much as you do. We must be careful not to make these kinds of assumptions, as it could be perceived negatively by others who are wired differently.
In fact, others who do not share this strength, may think an Achiever is afflicted with some sort of neurotic behavior. That assumption wouldn't be fair either. Being very active is simply a part of who I am. Being constantly busy works for me. However, we all must remember that each of us has our own unique set of strengths.
I also scored high in the Learner category - and it's true, I love learning new things. In fact, this is probably a big reason why this website exists.
Learners tend to be very open to change, we expect it, and when it comes we embrace it.
Over time, I realized that I had learned a great deal about business and management concepts and best practices; created valuable leadership tools, and I enjoy teaching others. What better way to share and communicate with like-minded people than to create an informative website, right?
One of the Learner action ideas states: "Seek roles that require some form of technical competence. You will enjoy the process of acquiring and maintaining this expertise." This comment certainly resonates with me given my love for creating valuable tools and continually developing this website over the past decade.
As with every Strength, however, there can be potential pitfalls. One thing that Learners need to be mindful of is that while we are very open to learning new things, and we embrace change quite easily, others may not share this trait.
Learners need to be careful to allow people to process change at a slower pace. Otherwise, some members of your team might view you as overbearing, pushy or even intimidating.
You can help others to accept change more quickly by investing additional time to better educate them on the reasons behind the change and the benefits that the change will provide.
These are two very brief examples of how StrengthsFinder can assist you in becoming a more self-aware leader. I encourage you to read StrengthsFinder 2.0 and take the free online assessment using the access code provided in the back of the book.
Enjoy!
One more thing... remember that we provide additional assessment tools at the following links. If you haven't read about these, you are encouraged to check them out. :-)
» Leadership Assessment Tool
» 360 Degree Leadership Assessment Tool
» Management Development Assessment Tool
"Whatever you are by nature, keep to it; never desert your line of talent. Be what nature intended you for and you will succeed."
- Sydney Smith
