StrengthsFinder
A year ago I bought and completed the StrengthsFinder 2.0 test.
It told me that my Top 5 themes were:- Responsibility
- Input
- Learner
- Harmony
- Adaptability
Responsibility
The standard theme description for this is:
People who are especially talented 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.
and my personalized strengths insights is:
Chances are good that you sometimes work hard to do things properly and ethically. Maybe you blame yourself when you fall short of your high standards. Perhaps being a solo performer frees you to work at a task until you decide it perfectly meets the specifications or aligns with your moral principles. By nature, you may wish to have a broader range of control and accountability on the job
or in your personal life. Because of your strengths, you sometimes volunteer to do things rather than wait to be asked to assume more duties. Driven by your talents, you may strive to be a dependable person. Maybe you please people by being reliable. You might enjoy assuming accountability for certain tasks, projects, assignments, or commitments. Perhaps you accept these additional duties without making a fuss. Instinctively, you are held in high regard because of your dependability and
consistent values. You are someone upon whom others often rely. Why? You do exactly what you said you would do.
Input
The standard theme description for this is:
People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
and my personalized strengths insights is:
Chances are good that you give yourself credit for reducing elaborate procedures, ideas, regulations, or systems to their fundamental parts. This explains why people ask you to tell them how things function and why other things malfunction. It’s very likely that you revel in the sensation of having
done something at a high level of excellence, such as public speaking, writing, designing, sailing, gardening, investing, selling, hunting, or yoga. Your hunger for more knowledge about a skill or a subject is customarily satisfied through reading. Undoubtedly, you integrate what you already understand with the fresh insights you glean from books, journals, correspondence, or the Internet. Instinctively, you usually give good advice. Often people's questions dictate your choice of reading
materials. Whether you are studying something for the first time or revisiting a topic to refresh your memory, you enjoy reading. Making discoveries that can help others brings you much joy. By nature, you yearn to dedicate sufficient time and energy to all the important parts of your life, such as
personal growth, professional responsibilities, family obligations, friends, health, and mental stimulation. Reading about topics that interest you or fiction that spellbinds -- that is, fascinates -- you is apt to be a factor in your quality-of-life equation. Driven by your talents, you are willing to spend some time sharing your ideas with certain individuals, especially those you perceive as especially
intelligent. Maybe you want them to tell you their latest thinking. To some extent, conversations that involve questions and answers stimulate your mind. Perhaps you decide your time was wisely spent when you have a few new ideas, theories, or concepts to somehow file away or remember for future use.
Learner
The standard theme description for this is:
People who are especially talented 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.
and my personalized strengths insights is:
Chances are good that you may ignore distractions to concentrate on your assignments. Sometimes you keep reading, researching, experimenting, or writing until you know all you need to know about a particular subject. You might not rest until you have mastered certain concepts, committed important information to memory, or completed specific course requirements. Because of your strengths, you may prefer to be an individual performer, especially when you can direct your mental or physical
energies to tasks that intrigue you. Driven by your talents, you may be an individual performer who signs up for tough classes. Perhaps your desire to excel is amplified when the only path to a good grade is a steep one. By nature, you sometimes engage in academic pursuits for extended periods of time. You may be less inclined than some people to join a study group to absorb new information or
reinforce what you already know. Instinctively, you might offer assistance to people when the predicament in which they find themselves fascinates you. Maybe you come to the aid of others when they ask you to study an intriguing problem, unanswered question, or unfamiliar subject. Occasionally you are delighted to report back to them your discoveries and conclusions.
Harmony
The standard theme description for this is:
People who are especially talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
and my personalized strengths insights is:
It’s very likely that you turn to specialists when you are searching for the best ideas. You are comfortable admitting they understand more than you do about special topics. You refuse to pretend you know everything in every situation. You avoid describing yourself as humble. You prefer to be regarded as realistic and practical. By nature, you now and then create an environment where people
can speak and be heard without interruption. Your ability to help certain individuals feel valued and respected may explain why some of them describe you as congenial, helpful, friendly, or nice. Because of your strengths, you sometimes welcome opportunities to acquire additional knowledge or new skills. From a practical perspective, ongoing education might allow you to take advantage of
experiences or engage in activities for the first time. You may want others to be informed about these training sessions. Perhaps it strikes you as unjust or elitist -- that is, snobbish -- not to make this news available to everyone. Instinctively, you may get people to like you by finding something everyone can agree on. Perhaps this is one way you reduce conflict between yourself and others. Driven by your
talents, you enjoy helping certain individuals discover what they may have in common. When people realize they are more alike than different, they may start collaborating on projects, solving problems, or sharing resources. From time to time, you are the one who makes several people aware of the way things really are. Straightforward and objective, perhaps you lay out some facts so those involved
might agree to move forward together in one direction.
Adaptability
The standard theme description for this is:
People who are especially talented 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.
and my personalized strengths insights is:
By nature, you picture yourself handling situations and issues that could arise in the coming months, years, or decades. You mentally rehearse what you plan to do in various worst-case and best-case scenarios. Your forethought prepares you to deal with whatever happens. You are a flexible person. You are not easily flustered by unexpected events, problems, or opportunities. Chances are good that
you are impelled to coordinate the many details of your life. You consciously avoid chaotic situations. Often you mentally rehearse how you will maneuver around expected and unexpected situations. First, you outline steps for reaching goals. Second, you make whatever adjustments are needed as conditions change. You rarely lose sight of what you want to accomplish in the coming months, years, or decades. Because of your strengths, you surround yourself with lovely things. These have the
power to soothe, calm, energize, and inspire you. The arts or nature itself enhances your sense of well-being. You probably pay attention to your environment because you choose to live each moment to its fullest. It’s very likely that you realize that each day offers its own surprises. You trust you can handle whatever occurs. Even when you do not know exactly what to do, you probably know someone who does. You have an uncanny ability to easily and cooperatively proceed in the direction in which other people and processes are moving. Driven by your talents, you live in a state of hope-filled expectancy. You eagerly await what will come next. You probably feel your life is a lot more interesting when you are not forced to follow set routines, rigid rules, and/or predictable plans.
As part of my NVQ work I've been asked to find this, and any other similar tests I've done to work towards module A2 - Manage your own resources and professional development. The outcomes for my StrengthFinder came with some Ideas for Action, which I must confess, I haven't even looked at between then and now and I certainly didn't produce a "Strengths-Based Action Plan". Something else for the "to do in 2010" list I suspect!