Strengths Finder Talent Themes Achiever Futuristic Activator Harmony

Strengths. Finder Talent Themes • Achiever • Futuristic • Activator • Harmony • Adaptability • Includer • Analytical • Ideation • Arranger • Individualization • Belief • Input • Command • Intellection • Communication • Learner • Competition • Maximizer • Connectedness • Positivity • Consistency • Relator • Context • Responsibility • Deliberative • Restorative • Developer • Self-Assurance • Discipline • Significance • Empathy • Strategic • Focus • Woo

Identifying Your Talents… On the list of 34 Talent Themes… Put a star by your Top 5 and put a question mark by 5 others that you think might be in your Top 10.

Grouping by highest Talent Theme • Find any others in the room with your same highest Talent Theme. • IF there is more than one of you, talk with each other about what is is like to have lived your life from that strength. • If you are the only one with your top Talent Theme, find others who are also the only one with their talent theme and answer the same question.

A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails. Donna Roberts Take a moment to answer the questions on the next slide. Partner up with someone near you and discuss your answers.

Examining/Sharing Your Strengths • Which of your Signature Themes describe you best? • Which of your Signature Themes do you use most frequently? • Were you surprised by anything in the report? If so, what? • Which of your Signature Themes do you anticipate using most in your work?

Examining/Sharing Your Strengths • What is the one strength that is most evident when you are working with a passion (or in Flow)? • What behaviors are in line with that strength? • How can you better use that strength in your daily work?

Exercise in Strengths List one thing you did yesterday in – Your career – Your personal relationships – Your hobbies. . . that is in line with one of your strengths

Difficulties in Affirming Strengths 1. I take my talents for granted 2. My talents sometimes threaten others 3. Mismatch between my dominant talents and the expectations of the roles I am in 4. Fear of becoming proud and arrogant 5. I don't see how my talents will help me achieve my goals

Managing Weaknesses… • Types of Weaknesses: –Deficiencies – Something you don’t have much of or don’t do well –Over-Reliance - Too much of a “good thing” when you over-rely on one particular strength Buckingham and Clifton, 2001

Managing Weaknesses… • Tips to Manage Weaknesses: –Deficiencies… • Make Small Improvements • Create Supports • Talent > Weakness • Find Others with Complimentary Talents –Over-Reliance… • Practice Flexibility Buckingham and Clifton, 2001

Theme Dynamics: Working at the Intersection of 2 Strengths X • Being the best where X intersects Y You X Y

Using Talents as a Graduate Student – Which of your talents do you think will be most crucial to success as a graduate student? – Pick one of your talents that you feel you’re not using to its full potential – what can you do to better use it in your studies? – Are there talents you have that might not get used in your work unless you make a conscious effort to use them?

Imagination is more important than knowledge. --Albert Einstein