Thanks for watching. I hope this helps you avoid these common mistakes. For me, the biggest thing I see people miss is that CliftonStrengths impacts ALL aspects of your life. How could your Talents help you (or hurt you) in other areas of you life? I invite you to check out some ways here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HlNgQw1X7fY.html Have a question or topic you're wondering about? Let me know!
Thank you! You just gave me hope that I can be an effective communicator without having Communication in my top 5 or top 10! I left a job because I got tired of being told that I needed to work on my communication. I have Command in my top 5 and I tend to be very direct as I prefer to have emotional clarity. In my new job, they love my communication style! The difference between the 2 organizations is that my current organization's culture is very much rooted in a Growth environment vs. the previous one.
Thank you for your comment. This is exactly why I do these videos - for individuals to understand that they aren’t limited by their results and how to use them in a way that’s right for them. I’m happy to hear you’ve found an environment that appreciates you. Communication has a lot of layers. It’s not just about what’s being said, it’s A LOT about how it’s being understood. It sounds like your former environment wasn’t a good fit and wasn’t in a place to be constructive in working with you. There’s definitely a difference between communication as a skill and Communication as a Talent Theme. I’m so glad you understand you can be an effective communicator while leaning into other talents. Congratulations on your new job, and good luck as you continue to explore using your Talents!
Thanks for such a thoughtful discernment based on your own lived experience. Gallup might gain a lot by adopting your generous approach. What I appreciate the most is that you are revealing the 'operational gap'. That is, that gap where a person's results go from abstract, to directly engaged with - thereby rendering the person using this approach the seat of scientist in their own life and expression of talents and resulting strengths. Jargon can be challenging, and in a lot of systems unnecessarily adds confusion through over nominalization...you know, like listening to C-SPAN. Nonetheless, it asks us to reprogram our vocabulary, and if we are willing to adopt it, and more importantly apply it - new awareness follows like you've shared. I'll go as far as to offer for consideration that CSF is not a personality test. Personality is highly changeable, it's more an expression of our identity - the predominant ideas or feelings we identify with - these can change dramatically in a lifespan. A coach I worked with called the top 5 more of an operating system. And when I add that to your approach, it's to evovle and develop that operating system to become optimal. In our over pathologized and allopathic world, CFS is a rare gem. The map is not the territory, but the better the map and system of reference, the better navigation of that territory.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Jefferson. I appreciate your perspective mixed with your experience with CliftonStrengths. I really appreciate the tool, but I feel that it lacks connection to the individuals it’s trying to help. It’s heavy on the research and analysis, and a bit short on the connection piece. I hope my approach honors their work and is more relatable. I really do believe it’s a powerful and insightful tool and we can all benefit from it.
BTW, I agree that CliftonStrengths isn’t a personality test. Maybe I misspoke. I was simply referring to the fact that there are a lot of assessments out there. Thanks again, Jefferson!
@@ElviraMarieChang I didn't mean to contrast implying you said it was a personality test - just the reference for which it gets balled in with. I took it years ago and wrote it off as 'just another personality test', I think this is an unfortunate failure of Gallup's way of offering it and their contexting, etc. Again, they should be head-hunting you to work in those ridiculously high ticket coach trainings they sell!! 😂 The value you are offering for the alms of youtube likes and comments is obviously a testament to your authenticity and how you've moved from the knowledge of this system, to the applied and now shared wisdom it can yield. 🙏
Wow! You’re just full of kind words, Jefferson. Thank you! 🙏🏼 Yes, my Talents are heavily in the Executing and Relationship Building Domains. What I’m realizing is that maybe I can bridge Gallup’s research and insight and humanize it into the everyday practical for the everyday person - make it accessible on an everyday level.
I have just started (last 12 mos) implementing SF into my coaching with my clients. This HELPED ME a ton be a better coach on this area. I only scratch the surface to be honest. I need to dig deeper for myself and my clients! Thank you!
I love your explanation of the misconceptions. I truly had no idea how to apply the Clifton Strengths results until I took your course. I’ve applied and continue to apply what you taught and I feel much more self aware, not just in my talent themes as strengths, but also as weaknesses.
Awww… thanks Erin! I’m SO glad that you’re still using what we discussed 3 years later! And that’s what I want for everyone who explores their CliftonStrengths Results - for them to understand it’s not a one-time exercise. It’s reusable again and again.
Hi Elvira, I am new here when the algorithum took me to the Gallup CliftonStrengths theme-related clips like yours. I am currently stuck at a point of not knowing where to land on my next job as I consider leaving from my current position. It might took tremendous investment to build hard skills for a new job but I still lack the direction to find the next path and build upon it forward. Just to make it clear for myself, so once we know our talent themes from the assessment, our potential strenghts shuld not be contrained by the result but a box of tools for how we can utilize? But to what extent can the result assist us in assuring our career path? (i.e. to find which fields to stick to and strengthen our skills) Appreciate your tutorial vidoes for making everything clear and simple for the public. =D
Hi Maggie, thanks for the comment, the kind words, and I appreciate the question. You’re right, it’s not a quick, easy answer and a lot of times that’s what some want from their results. I can certainly appreciate what you’re saying. I left my career of 15 years and completely changed directions. Yes, I definitely look at your results as insight on what’s right for specifically for you (including your natural gifts, flavoring your needs and values) and as tools to help you approach challenges/new experiences and opportunities. For example, I tend to be very relationship focused and execution focused. I know that I’ll better thrive in environments where people are genuinely valued, team building and collaboration is supported and encouraged. I also know that I do better with projects that need to be taken from inception to completion rather than monotonous everyday “check-the-box” tasks. That’s just me. Others thrive in different environments or having routine, order, and discipline. As you can see, that can be true in SO MANY arenas and industries. So I really need to be aware of my interests too. Choosing your next step can be daunting. And when there’s SO MUCH pressure to get it right because of the years of potential investment in redirecting your path, it makes it more stressful. It’s hard to answer concisely in a comment. I’d encourage to find ways to exercise your results now (even in your current job). That way you’re getting in the habit of using them, leaning into them, and fueling yourself now rather than waiting til you make a change. Who knows, you may be able to shift/influence your current role. That doesn’t mean you won’t still change, it just incrementally shifts the now while taking pressure off making the next thing be “right”. Besides what’s “right” is continuously changing. What’s right now, may not be right in 5, 10, or 15 years. CliftonStrengths isn’t the answer to everything, but I do believe they’re incredibly insightful and powerful. Having results can mislead many to believe they provide answers. What they really do is identify for you what are the tools that are best/most natural to you. It’ll take learning how to wield those tools to determine the right answers for you. Like I said, comments are hard for in depth answers. Send me an email. I’m happy to have a chat. Good luck, and thank you again for the comment and kind words.
Hi Elvira, This book has been so important in my life. And I just bought it for my employees on my small business. I was wondering if you have any advice about using the Strength Finder in a workgroup environment? I am not sure about how to tackle it as a team.
Hi Eliu, thank you for your comment. I’m glad to hear that StrengthsFinder has made such an impact for you, so much so that you want to share it and incorporate it into your business. As for your employees, that’s a broad question. Without knowing anything about you, them, or how you plan to use it, I’d say to infuse it as part of your day-to-day. Don’t just mention it once, share a book, and never revisit it again. People need repetition so it gets incorporated into who they are, what they think, and what they do. Will they all have their own results? Will there be training and/or discussion on what it is and how to use it? Will they be able to see how their results tie to their responsibilities? Will their goals be tied to their Strengths? How will you tie their Talents and Strengths into occasional conversations? I know that seems like a lot of questions, but I like to get an idea of the context/picture of a situation before making suggestions. This inspires me to make a video on this topic sooner than later. Eliu, if you want, send me an email. We can get into more there or we can have a chat if easier. I love that you’re introducing SF in your business and I want to encourage you to do it in a way that will be successful for you.
Well welcome to StrengthsFinder, Eric! 😊 Gallup (where StrengthsFinder comes from) has Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches worldwide. (I’m one of them.) There’s a directory if you want to find one. However, would you want to go straight to working with a coach or spend time learning about the concepts of StrengthsFinder first? That way your time with a coach is more focused on your questions and personal topics rather than learning concepts? Everyone is different and everyone’s learning style is different. Only you know what’s best for you. For me, I like to learn about concepts first so I can focus my time with others on resulting questions. To give others a foundational knowledge base, I created an online course that I recommend for those who want to go deep in learning the concepts and go far with this work. Feel free to email me if you have more questions or want to discuss. Commenting is tough for Q&A on lengthier responses. Again, welcome to StrengthsFinder (now renamed to CliftonStrengths)!
This is very common. Some folks have a work persona and they’re someone else outside of work. That’s why sometimes people are in the wrong fit. They’re being who they think they need to be as opposed to who they naturally are. If people shift depending on the environment, there could be something in their results (or experiences) that explain why (for example: having the Adaptability Talent Theme, like I do). As far as accurate, it can only go by how you answer. What’s your immediate response vs. overthinking it? That’s truer and more natural to who you are. Ultimately, the assessment is identifying your naturally recurring patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. By leaning into what’s natural to you means you’re using less energy. You’re not going against your own natural grain and working against yourself. There are no right or wrong answers. There are no results better than any others. It’s simply a tool to help you identify what’s most natural to you. Up to you to decide whether the results describe you. And if they don’t, that’s be something to explore. Thank you for commenting!
Can you tell me why this would be called a strength finder when it is not really finding your strengths? Doesn’t that seem more misleading than the readers misunderstanding the purpose?
Thanks for your comment. I can’t respond for Gallup. That’s a 25 year old marketing question for when StrengthsFinder was first introduced. They did rename the assessment in 2015 from StrengthsFinder to CliftonStrengths. But I wouldn’t let the name deter anyone from using the tool. The tool’s power is not in its marketing or messaging. Its power is in its decades-long research and the insight the results give you. The assessment identifies a person’s Talents. Exploring their Talents is what leads them to finding their Strengths. I believe that’s where the ‘StrengthsFinder’ comes in. But anyone who really dives into CliftonStrengths can tell you that finding your Strengths is barely scratching the surface of what exploring your Talent Themes can reveal about you.
CliftonStrengths was originally called StrengthsFinder when it was introduced in 1999. From my understanding, the idea behind the name was that you start with your Talents to identify your Strengths. (Talents x Investment = Strengths) This video explains Talents vs. Strengths concepts: CliftonStrengths / Gallup StrengthsFinder Strengths vs. Talent Themes ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qFXWhvfFq4A.html I’m sure marketing research/input was involved in naming the Assessment.
I appreciate the explanation, but it makes it seem like this is only valuable to people who are not introspective in any way at all. I guess if your employer has your and others results that could be valuable to a company. Otherwise, this seems like this just makes you pay to hear something you already know.
Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure what you mean. Lots of the points are about how users misunderstand how to use the results, but these topics are general. The value is in the specifics the results reveal to each person individually and then how they use those insights and discoveries. I haven’t encountered a person who hasn’t gained value from using this tool, but not everything works for everyone.
snapshot: People believe their CliftonStrengths result are their strengths People assume that their CliftonStrengths results are what they do well People ASSUME what each term means - interpretation People think that CliftonStrengths is just for work or school People think that reading the result is just enough People think that the result can determine what they can do and can’t do
