DISCOVERING & PUTTING

OUR STRENGTHS TO WORK

Modified from a Presentation of the Division of Student AffairsNorthern Illinois University

Critical CAPM Study Topic Part 1

and

Mission

Strategy

Goals

Projects

Roles: What, Who, How

Conventional wisdom…says we learn from our mistakes.

The strength movement says that all we learn from mistakes are the characteristics of mistakes.

If we want to learn about our successes, we must study success.

Gallup and the Study of Strengths

The Gallup Organization◦ Founded in 1969◦ Studies focused on “the best of the best”

◦ 500+ Colleges and Universities have implemented Strengths-based education

◦ Strengthsfinder has been used with over 10 million people in 17 languages

◦ Facebook and other companies require team members/employees to have been evaluated and they customize their employee development plans accordingly.

What is a strength?Consistent, excellent

performance in an activity

Strength = Natural Talent + Experience

What makes you unique…?

The combination and the order of the 34 talent themes measured by StrengthsFinder lead to more than 33,700,000 possible unique sets of Signature Themes

Among the first 800,000 people who took Strengthsfinder, less than 20 people had the same top five themes, without considering the order of the themes

Strengths Connect with Four Key Motivational Drives, or Themes

THINKINGRELATINGIMPACTINGSTRIVING

STRENGTHSFINDER THEMESAchieverActivatorAdaptabilityAnalyticalArrangerBeliefCommandCommunicationCompetitionConnectednessContext

DeliberativeDeveloperDisciplineEmpathyFairnessFocusFuturisticHarmonyIdeationInclusivenessIndividualizationInput

IntellectionLearnerMaximizerPositivityRelatorResponsibilityRestorativeSelf-

AssuranceSignificanceStrategicWoo

Relating ThemesCommunication

Empathy

Harmony

Includer

Individualization

Relator

Responsibility

Impacting ThemesCommand

Competition

Developer

Maximizer

Positivity

Woo

Striving ThemesAchieverSelf AssuranceSignificanceActivatorBeliefDisciplineFocusRestorative

Thinking ThemesAnalyticalArrangerConnectednessConsistencyContextDeliberativeFuturistic Ideation Input IntellectionLearnerStrategic

Strengths are tools…Your tool bag is full, but you have to get a

good handle on the tools you have

Trying to work on a project with the wrong tools is frustrating

Find projects that your tools fit

Find people who have tools you don’t have to collaborate with

But What About My Weaknesses?The beauty of the strengths approach is

that by developing your strengths, you have a new approach for managing your weaknesses

Apply your strengths to challenging tasks or areas in need of improvement

Partner with others who have strengths outside of your own natural themes

Those who fulfill their own, unique best purpose…

Spend most of their time in their areas of strength

Focus on developing and applying their strengths as they manage their weaknesses

Know the strengths of people around them

Empower the people around them to use their strengths