Strength refers to the superior and productive aspect of your intellect or nervous system compared to other aspects. Throughout your life, the thoughts, behavior, and emotions in your brain are influenced by your actions or reactions. The requests that are processed more efficiently and quickly are considered as your strengths. Presently, there is an increasing trend supporting strengths-based approaches in both professional and personal life with the goal of improving leadership abilities and cultivating more efficient work teams. The Strengths Finder is a tool used to assess and measure your authentic talents.
To build and enhance your true strengths and excel in your performance, it is crucial to acknowledge your strongest skills and dedicate time to practicing and refining them. The assessment delivers a detailed and applicable report that identifies your top five talent themes, referred to as “strengths,” out of a total of 34 specific themes. Additionally, the report provides explanations and connections for these themes, offers suggestions on how to make the most of them, and presents an action plan for establishing and attaining your objectives.
In his book “Strengths Finder 2.0,” author Tom Rath stresses the significance of acknowledging and valuing both one’s own strengths and those of others in a work environment. Rath incorporates interviews with accomplished individuals who have effectively utilized their strengths to their advantage, adding a dynamic aspect to the report that enables readers to relate and potentially envision themselves in similar situations. Rath asserts that while individuals may not be capable of becoming anything they desire, they possess the potential to embrace and enhance their existing qualities.
This statement highlights the importance of focusing on our areas of expertise and skill due to our exceptional personality. Tom Rath also emphasizes the crucial role of self-awareness in personal growth as a leader, worker, team member, or individual. The Strengths Finder tool is a highly effective resource for significantly boosting productivity. This is because knowing one’s strengths enhances confidence and self-assurance, leading to increased output and success.
People are more likely to succeed and feel happier in their work when they use their best strengths efficiently. According to Tom Rath’s “Strengths Finder 2.0” online assessment, my top five strengths are: Strategic, Focus, Futuristic, Significance, and Learner. I view the Strength Finder Assessment as a valuable opportunity to discover and cultivate my personal strengths, motivating me to focus on developing my talents instead of fixing my weaknesses. This approach to skill-building allows me to stay focused on my strengths.
According to the report, the description of my first strength theme, Strategic, is that I am capable of creating alternative ways to proceed. When faced with a situation, I have the ability to quickly identify relevant patterns and issues (Rath). I can relate to this description because in projects, I always strive to come up with numerous ways to tackle and solve the problem. My approach is often distinct from others’, which enables the group to view the issue from a different perspective and encourages them to think creatively.
I typically have confidence in my knowledge, talents, and abilities when it comes to identifying and resolving issues. Before settling on a solution, I carefully consider various options. Asking myself questions is a useful strategy as it encourages me to diligently explore alternative courses of action. Another strength I possess is Focus, as mentioned in the report: “Individuals with a strong Focus theme are able to set a direction, remain committed, and make necessary adjustments to stay on track. They prioritize tasks and then take action” (Rath). This description accurately reflects my personality, as I am driven by focus and always prioritize my responsibilities.
In simpler terms, I prioritize required tasks over optional ones in order to stay focused on my future goals and strive for a better tomorrow. This focus strength naturally leads to my third strength theme, which is being futuristic. According to Tom Rath, being futuristic means being inspired by the future and what it could hold. Futuristic individuals inspire others with their visions of the future. Rath suggests that those with a futuristic mindset should engage in personal conversations with thinkers to further expand their future plans.
I believe that Futuristic has played a significant role in shaping my identity and will continue to do so in the future. One way in which it has supported me is by enabling me to establish precise objectives and persevere until they are accomplished. I possess a remarkable ability to envision a fulfilled goal at any given time and I persist until I am completely content with the outcome. As my mind is constantly fixated on the next obstacle, the process of envisioning and attaining future goals is an ongoing endeavor.
Sometimes, I find it hard to be completely content with the present. However, I have been making an effort to change this mindset and my talent for Focus has helped me become more self-aware. Now, instead of criticizing minor imperfections and feeling dissatisfied, I focus on celebrating my achievements. The description of my next talent, Significance, is that I strive to be recognized and seen as important by others. This perfectly captures how I experience the Significance strength in my life.
A great example of my strengths is demonstrated in how I handle group projects. Typically, I delegate larger portions of the project to team members, which allows me to stand out within the group and be acknowledged for a job well done. Additionally, volunteering to take on tasks that others may shy away from earns appreciation and respect from the group. Lastly, my Learning theme is a significant strength. According to Tom Rath in his book “Strengths Finder 2.0,” individuals with the Learner theme possess a strong desire for continuous improvement and a passion for learning.
Rath suggests that certain individuals prioritize the learning process over the end result, a viewpoint I support due to my 18 years of commitment to education. After graduating from high school, I opted for a change in major and pursued a bachelor’s degree in social studies. During my educational venture, I had the chance to travel to the United States and acquire an Associate Degree from a community college. Once finished with my Associate in Art program, I transferred to East Carolina University with a specialization in marketing.
One of my plans is to continue my education and enroll at one of the Master degrees at East Carolina University. This educational adventure showcases my love for learning and demonstrates my strong ability to concentrate on tasks. I am driven by my learning abilities and often find myself completely focused on my goals, disregarding any distractions. Sometimes, I spend hours reading, testing, researching, or writing until I have gathered all the necessary knowledge on a specific topic. My dedication to learning is the reason why I never rest until I have fully understood certain theories, memorized essential information, or completed specific requirements. All of this highlights the importance of the learning strength in my life.
In conclusion, I believe that the Strength Assessment tool is highly beneficial for everyone’s career growth. Upon completing the test and reviewing the report, I have gained valuable insight into my personal talents and discovered various ways to benefit from them. My favorite aspect of the report is the interviews with individuals who share the same strengths.
The way they explain how they use their talents and transform them into strengths is the perfect demonstration of utilizing personal strengths effectively. However, while the individual reports aim to delve deep, there is a potential for categorizing individuals as one-dimensional. For instance, when examining my strengths mentioned earlier, I was somewhat unsatisfied to discover that although my talents align with my personality, they appear similar to those of many others.
Although the assessment does not provide a customized report, it remains highly valuable as it reveals your top 5 strengths to consider when selecting a career path. Personally, I view my Strategic, Focus, Futuristic, and Significance abilities as closely related and essential to my marketing aspirations. Therefore, I will continue to develop these skills to enhance my competitiveness in the job market.
