I will never forget the look of confusion—almost hurt—when a client of mine read the StrengthsFinder report description of his Harmony theme. Is it possible, he asked, if this could be wrong?
At the time, he was in the middle of a huge split in his organization. It was non-profit in nature and passion ran deeply on all sides. Not only was conflict ripe, he described, but he found himself right in the middle of it, willing to address and confront. How could someone at the root of a huge conflict, lead with Harmony talent? He was bewildered.
As we unpacked the complex layers over time, his Harmony Strength was indeed at the root of the conflict. His desire to protect peace (in combination with his other Strengths) gave him boldness to stand up to those who were rocking the boat. And ultimately, the maturity of the Strength gave him perseverance to see it through to resolution. Years later, he is not a part of the organization, and can still be affected by the dissension.
That IS StrengthsFinder Harmony.
I have had multiple clients who have been vastly confused by their StrengthsFinder results. They have read the paragraph descriptions of each of their StrengthsFinder Top 5 Strengths. (Here, I’ll attach mine so you’ll know which report I’m talking about). And they are either perplexed or find disagreement with 1-2 of their newfound “Strengths.” Two primary culprits time and again??
Harmony and Input.
Folks who have just read the description of their Harmony Talent often say…”well maybe but my husband wouldn’t really think so!” Or…”I’m not sure that I really ‘modify my own objectives’ for the sake of peace.”
People with Input who have just read their report for the first time, often look up a bit perplexed. “Uh, I don’t collect stamps or butterflies….”
Maybe you have had a similar experience. Maybe it is because you don’t like your Strengths, or you have been told that those qualities are not Strength-like at all. Or maybe it’s just because every word of the standard description doesn’t fit you to a T.
While I admittedly don’t LOVE the standard descriptions of Harmony or Input, I also know that each Talent Theme (or “Strength” as we’re prone to call them) is made up of a cluster of Talent, and you may or may not resonate with every single word in the report.
And certainly you won’t memorize the entire paragraph as the new definition of you.
Instead, you gain the most power and insight when you begin to put your StrengthsFinder Top 5 Strengths in your own words.
In the 9 Steps to life-change through your Strengths, Step 2 is just that—Put Your Strengths in Your Own Words.
These Strengths are your own, and the more you can put them in your own words, the more you can describe them to others and can you truly own them as valuable tools to wield in your work and life.
In a quick 7-14 minute activity (or more if you’re in for it!), you’ll have all the words you need to really make them your own (and you’ll check off Step 2 of 9 if that motivates you!):
- Print your Signature Themes Report from GallupStrengthsCenter.com (you have lifetime access there, and if you can’t recall your login info, they have great tech folks who can help you out).
- Read through the description of each Talent Theme (Strength).
- As you read, highlight the lines or phrases that really resonate with you or say “this is me!” (Sometimes that is the entire paragraph and sometimes it’s just a few words).
- THEN, important step here, transfer those words or phrases to a separate spot, such as a note in your phone or a piece of paper grabbed off the printer.
Once you’ve done this, you now have a list of your Top 5 Strengths with key words and descriptions in your own words. You’re starting to see what they really mean for YOU!
And you’ve taken one more step in making your StrengthsFinder Top 5 into a life-changing story for you.
{Check out the FREE 3 page fillable OR printable Checklist to follow along with this step and the 8 others as you intentionally use your Strengths for life-change}
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Wherever you are on your “Strengths Journey” I want to help you! So connect with Isogo over on Facebook, Twitter {both @IsogoStrong},or on LinkedIn…would love to be a positive part of your life-changing story through YOUR own unique, and powerful Strengths.
Stay tuned for next week as we dive into STEP 3. Or check out the summary of Steps 1-9 in this kick-off blog post.
And if you’re ready for expert insights about your StrengthsFinder Top 5 that go beyond your standard report, I’ll send you my maven insights and a real story on each of your Top 5 Strengths. Would love to send them your way as you make your Strengths “work” for you.
Until next time! Be strong!
