Discover Your Strengths (Blog)

[Steve Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

Discover Your Strengths

[Acting Like Godot]

Hi Steve:

Hey I've taken this test too. Because mine was the corporate version (arranged by my employer with Gallup directly), I received a more comprehensive analysis than what you got.

The corporate version ranks your strengths according to all 34 themes, from 1st to 34th. Actually by looking at your bottom 5 "strengths", you also get a good idea of what your natural weaknesses are (although this is actually against the strengths-based philosophy of the whole exercise).

My top five strengths were Intellect, Strategic, Achiever, Focus and Learner.

[Catlover]

Thanks, Steve, for this posting. I have noticed that a lot of personal growth advice focuses on finding your passions and pursuing them. That advice has never really resonated with me. I agree with you--that you need to also find your strengths and explore those. Hopefully, there will be some common ground or overlap that will lead you in a direction where your strengths and passions will be in harmony.

My 5 strengths are Learner, Harmony, Intellection, Restorative, and Focus. Does anyone know where I can find out how I could relate this information to career paths?

[jbsmith]

I agree Catlover, applying these analysis to life is where these tests tend to fail us.

I have taken various strengths tests including Myers Briggs, the one Steve mentions and noticed two things....

1. My top 2 strengths are usually pretty consistent and my lowest is pretty consistent - but there are many others that are less consistent from test to test (the gray area), and these can change month-by-month, year-by-year.

2. What is REALLY missing is an attempt to define the critical strength factors by career, or life category. For example, to be an entrepreneur you need the following strengths....Even though you don't meet them all, you need to recognize them and ensure your management team has them covered off.

So - Catlover, I would say from your description that you have two major strengths as it relates to business...

1. Researching - you like to learn, think, make the right decision and focus on the 'right' things - this could mean an actual career as a researcher OR it could mean applying your strength of research to your position in the company.

2. Organizing, planning and operating. Since there is a strong focus on harmony, restoring and focusing it seems to me that you would do well in a role where you have the opportunity to direct your group or organization toward definite focus and plans, continue to ensure focus and produce good results based on your attention to plans, deadlines and objectives.

Any of this sound right?

Jeff

[Steve Pavlina]

Your strengths won't necessarily limit your choice of field too much. IMO your strengths are more about HOW you do something rather than WHAT you do. They can help you discover the best ways to channel your creative self-expression.

For example, you'll find tremendous variety in the qualities of successful entrepreneurs. Consider Bill Gates and Paul Allen -- or Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. You can find someone to balance your weaknesses if necessary.

Suppose you love music and know you want to work in that field. Your strengths combined with your passion and purpose may help you decide whether you'd be most successful as a composer, member of an orchestra, public performer, DJ, band promoter, etc.

[Catlover]

To JBSmith--I think you've hit a lot of it on the head. I am currently a director of human resources and have been in various kinds of management in the past. I do tend to be strong at researching and organizing/implementing. Some of my big projects this year that got a lot of strong feedback were drafting a business continuity plan (lots of research and planning involved) and conducting an RFP process for new insurance. The strength in Harmony does not surprise me at all--I was the peacemaker between fighting parents as a child. Now I use that strength in human resources. Prior to HR, I was pursuing a career as a professional musician, and I'm returning to it now in my free time. I'm wondering how my strengths help or hinder that choice.

Steve--you said it great here. The strengths are the "how"--perhaps the passion for something is the "why" as well as the "what."

[fjlee]

Why stop at strengths & careers for working folks?

I recall in Junior High-School, we had a similar test to determine what courses would best suit our "interest" in the 4 years of high school. Some chose Sciences, others took "shop" (i.e. carpentry, electronics, auto mechanics, etc), some majored in music.

Is a 13 years old mature enough to set their choices for the next 4 years? At the time, their answer was a "doctor", so I took health sciences up until undergrad.

Jimson Lee
Track and Field Coach
Speed endurance . com. Success in Track & Field and Life. and Raise Your Child . org | Advice on raising children for parents.

[Dbarker]

Acting,
I also got all 34 of my strengths through a Strengths Coach program or our school. Harmony was my 34th and I could never figure out why, since I truly enjoy collaboration and getting input on a variety of issues. While working with one of the Gallup staff, she mentioned that probably due to my Ideation (#1) I enjoyed having disparate views mentioned, thus offering more possibilities for ideas.

I think Steve hit it on the head about the strengths being HOW we do something. I don't remember if it was in Now, Discover Your Strengths or one of the other strengths books published, but there were examples given of entrepreneurs with widely different strengths that were successful because they used their strengths to excel.

BTW, any thoughts on using the strengths below?

Dave
Ideation, Learner, Futuristic, Strategic, Competition

[robertanthony]

Signiture Strenghts.

positive psychology centere - Google Search

[robertanthony]

Values in Action - Free Tool - these tests help increase emotional intelligence.

[robertanthony]

All About Emotional Intelligence for Business, Education, Families, and Personal & Professional Development

[pdfsp]

I took the online test to discover my strengths and it turned out that none of them matches the degree I am currently studying. Did I make a wrong decision? I knew that subject is not easy but what if I will never be good enough at it to make a living? Life is not easy at all...

[michael.shearer]

Maybe you are just harnessing some additional skills that you aren't naturally talented at to make yourself even more valuable (to that which you wish to contribute).

[SusanHerod]

I love the StrengthsFinder approach. I tested out with my top five at Learner, Responsibility, Includer, Self-Assurance,and Input.

Dave, with your top five strengths what CAN'T you do? That's a nice profile.

And pdsfp, what were your strengths and your career path?

[ferretkitty]

Originally Posted by robertanthony

Values in Action - Free Tool - these tests help increase emotional intelligence.

After reading this post, I ran off and tested out this free tool thingy. It seemed to go fairly well, although my problem with tests like this (I don't know if the Gallup test is similar or not) is that they are rather easy to manipulate so you get the result you want. Especially if you've taken one before.

That being said, I tried my hardest to be honest and not think about what implication the question could have so I hope that I got a fairly accurate read on my strengths, at least until I can get that book Steve was talking about and take the online Gallup test.

My results were: 1) Creativity, ingenuity, and originality; 2) Curiosity and interest in the world; 3) Love of learning; 4) Forgiveness and mercy; and 5) Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness.

As Steve indicated of himself, the results weren't really a surprise, although I (humans in general?) do tend to overlook the things I do easily and well as strenghts. But, of course, the question now is what the heck do I do with those strengths, now that I know what they are?

I guess I've just got to keep reading Steve's posts and practicing the ideas he puts forth.

[pdfsp]

Generally I'm in science and technology(electronics etc) but my strengths were like good handling with people, responsible, taking care of others, sympathetic etc, basically nothing to do with thinking, ideas etc... Thats probably why i have to work extremely hard to understand most of the things... ehh

[lifetimelearner]

anyone want to discuss this again?


I recently took the test and found out my top 5 themes are:

Restorative
Intellection
Learner
Input
Harmony

[Matt Willard]

I'd love to take the test, but then I'd have to buy the book and get the code, which really ticks me off. If it's part of the program, INCLUDE IT WITH THE BOOK. D'oy! (smacks forehead)

[lifetimelearner]

Originally Posted by Matt Willard

I'd love to take the test, but then I'd have to buy the book and get the code, which really ticks me off. If it's part of the program, INCLUDE IT WITH THE BOOK. D'oy! (smacks forehead)

yeh I know what you mean