There are other factors, of course. These "Strengths" are "Themes," and "Themes" are clusters of "Talents," which might be described as attributes, inclinations, or affinities. Your "Strengths" derive from (or are developed by--the verbage is fuzzy) the application of Themes and result in near-perfection. As far as I can see, most of mine are innate rather than something that can be developed through practice, but okay. Being geared toward business, and in my setting, toward the development of nonacademic professionals and staff so that they can perform their jobs with more personal satisfaction to the benefit of the university (as cogs in a wheel), what's missing for me is the consideration of what motivates people. Is the exercise of one of your "Themes" motivation in itself? That seems to be the understanding and implication. So while the upshot is to try to maximize your opportunity to do the things that use your strengths, the motivation seems to be "for the good of the department" or "to grow" in some nebulous sort of way. Those don't work for me. Putting myself in the service of others just for the sake of doing so, or to make money or be "part of the team" is not where I blossom--and my strengths sort of attest to that. They don't really lend themselves to utility. Also, making more money by doing what I'm good at doesn't motivate me--so consulting for others, or using my problem solving to help others overcome their obstacles will only make me feel worse, because I'm using what I have for others' benefits. Money is not a benefit in itself, particularly right now.
What strikes me in particular is that my particular strengths are the strength-set of someone higher in the heirarchy, or someone working in those free-flowing, idea-tossing work environments like Pixar and Google--or are the strengths of a self-motivated academic who doesn't have to wait for others in order to execute plans and ideas. I do not work in the former environment, and I do not have the opporunity to be the latter. Everything has to be ratified by someone here, and it takes 6 months or more. Even a Facebook page. By the time the opportunity comes around, I'm bored with the idea--or have realized that I can't tolerate the constraints imposed (like having someone approve every single Facebook post).
What drives me batty is that these "Strengths" or "Themes" are not the same parts of speech, and that some of them are not even real words. If I were conceptualizing something, there would be an element of linguistic consistency!
Take a look. I feel validated in one thing: I am an idea person. No one can take that away. I can see different possible paths and outcomes--which sometimes leads to inaction. I think deeply about things. Thinking fuels my ideas and helps me strategize--so those three are mutually reinforcing. And I want to take action when I have an idea, and bring people along--so when I have to wait, I give up. And when I can't get others involved or exceited, I get frustrated.
Individualization is my favorite, because it takes me into the realm of understanding people rather than ideas and things. It's right in the middle of my 5 strengths (which are drawn from 34 possible labels), and that seems significant somehow. I have always admired people who are able to look at someone, understand their potential, and make things happen so that that person can grow and blossom, performing appropriate work that he or she finds interesting and significant. I have wanted someone to do that for me, but no one ever has. And now I know that I am that person. All of the little things that I notice about people are a strength. And I find that that validates something I believe in--the individuality and uniqueness of people. It was a teaching strength--and since I have matured since I last taught an academic class, it might be more of one now. You learn a lot working with staff. So many faculty never learn to work with people. I could really contribute a lot...
At the bottom of my five is the desire to make things happen--to get things started. And considering my struggle with motivation, this might seem odd. But I don't think so. Motivation carries you through to the end. Sometimes, I'm not interested in the end, because I can clearly see what it will or could be. But mostly, when I have an idea, I want to stop everything and pursue it. If I don't make it to the end, it's probably because there's nothing to tie me to the idea--no professional gain, no sense of being admired, of being heard, or being appreciated or valued, or of being any use to anyone. That can be alienating, and can--and often does--take the wind out of my sails. But it doesn't make me any less excited right at the start. It just makes me move on or give up more quickly.
So yes, this is me, as much as my Myers-Briggs INFP is me, because that places me in the "starry-eyed dreamer" realm as well. And this is why my greatest pleasure is to present ideas and see them take root in others and inspire them to have ideas of their own--my ideas interact with the unique qualities that others possess, and create something new. I need to get back there someday.
Source: http://www.strengthstest.com/theme_summary.php
| Ideation® | People strong in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena. |
| StrategicTM | People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues. |
| Individualization® | People strong in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively. |
| Intellection® | People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions. |
| Activator® | People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient. |
IDEATION
The genius of your Ideation talent begins with your love of ideas and the way you so
quickly learn new ideas, concepts, and principles. But you are not passive. It is as if you
take ideas and then begin spinning them around in your mind. With each new idea you
learn, you tend to think about it over and over—spinning it around with the many other
ideas you already have. The result of this thinking, turning, and spinning around of new
ideas with what you already know does two things. First, you generate new connections
and insights about ideas and their implications. Second, the spinning of your ideas often
results in new ideas. Therefore, the genius of the Ideation talent is the creativity of generating new ideas and insights as a result of contemplating and reviewing the ideas
you have learned.
STRATEGIC
The genius of your Strategic talent involves the way you think and generate alternatives.
When faced with a problem or a dilemma you can quickly generate multiple alternatives
to circumvent obstacles that prevent your progress. Sometimes you think in a backwards
manner by first visualizing the outcome you want to produce and then generating
multiple alternative paths to get to that objective. But your genius of Strategic doesn’t
simply begin and end with generating alternatives. The real genius of this strength is
found in the way that you can quickly sort through the various alternative paths and
determine the one that will work best and most efficiently.
INDIVIDUALIZATION
The genius of your Individualization talent is that you see each and every person and a
one of a kind, distinct individual. But more than that, you see the particular factors,
qualities, characteristics, thoughts, and perception that make each person distinct. You
see each person as a mosaic of highly individual factors each of which contribute to a
person’s distinctiveness. This includes both personal qualities and past events that have
formed the person. You are curious about their individual characteristics and you find
yourself thinking and asking questions about what makes each person so distinct. This
results in people feeling special and prized by your attention. But all of this simply lays a
foundation for the genius of your Individualization. Your genius is that armed with all of
this thinking and question asking, you attempt to interact with each person based on their
individual qualities. This leads to meaningful and very helpful relationships.
INTELLECTION
The genius of your Intellection talents stems from the quality of your thinking. You think
about ideas, concepts, and principles in great depth. It is as if you hold discussions in
your mind about ideas, concepts, observations, and new learnings. This results in deep
learning, deep understanding, and deep appreciation for the best knowledge. Out of this
deep processing, you often come to new insights and understandings. But the greatest
aspect of the genius of your intellection is the wisdom that you gain from your in-depth
thinking and internal discussions. You can think by yourself for hours, but never doubt
what results: wisdom, clarity, and a firm foundation for action planning and decision
making.
ACTIVATOR
The genius of your Activator talent begins with the concept of action. You want action
and you can make things happen. Most of all, the genius of your Activator talent gives
you the ability to see how to make things happen. Whereas others have ideas that only
swim around in their minds, you can quickly see how to turn ideas into actions, programs,
and services. This points to the greatest aspect of the genius of your Activator talent. You
are creative and very innovative. Finally, you have a tremendous amount of motivation,
energy, and personal power when it comes to taking an idea and then putting it into
action. You are particularly motivated to be innovative in turning your ideas into action,
programs, and services. You are a dynamo in turning ideas into actions that generate
revolutionary changes.
Source: https://www.apu.edu/strengthsacademy/pdfs/genius_beauty_found_within.pdf
Source: https://www.apu.edu/strengthsacademy/pdfs/genius_beauty_found_within.pdf
Applying Ideation Strengths in Careers
These observations and suggestions will help you consider careers that could best suit Ideation strengths. As you think them over, select those that apply to you best.
- Build on your creativity to find a career that encourages you to think freely and express your ideas.
- Find work in which others like your ideas and in which you are expected to keep learning.
- You will be able to find new and better ways of doing things within the organization.
- Select an organization where the leaders encourage and solicit your divergent thinking, stimulating them to consider some new approaches.
Applying Strategic Strengths in Careers
These observations and suggestions will help you consider careers that could best suit Strategic strengths. As you think them over, select those that apply to you best.
- Consider psychology, as it requires understanding situations and being able to discover or provide effective problem solving.
- A career in law may excite you, as it requires the use of logic to build cases and find creative and effective ways to present them.
- Choose careers that will allow you to be a leader and voice your ideas.
- List the various paths possible in your future so you can give careful thought to each one.
- Consider consulting. The question is, who do you want to consult with, and what do you want them to consult you about?
Applying Individualization Strengths in Careers
These observations and suggestions will help you consider careers that could best suit Individualization strengths. As you think them over, selectthose that apply to you best.
- A career in education would directly use your talents because you would value and treat each student as an individual.
- As a supervisor or manager, you would help individuals determine what they could do what they do best on a regular basis. Your evaluations would be based on who the person is and on what he or she had accomplished.
- Counseling could be a fulfilling role for you. Your ability to see people as distinct individuals will empower them and help them grow.
- Writing a novel would allow you to fully develop the uniqueness of each character.
Applying Intellection Strengths in Careers
These observations and suggestions will help you consider careers that could best suit Intellection strengths. As you think them over, select those that apply to you best.
- Choose work that will challenge you intellectually.
- Choose a work environment that matches your most productive thinking environment. If you think best when it’s quiet, choose a quiet work environment. If working with others stimulates your thinking, choose to work in a team environment.
- Select work where you can share ideas and pose questions.
- Look at careers in which you can interact with colleagues and have philosophical debates.
Applying Activator Strengths in Careers
These observations and suggestions will help you consider careers that could best suit Activator strengths. As you think them over, select those that apply to you best.
- Define what kind of leader you are. A thought leader? A giver of orders? A leader who gives the go-ahead signal? Large group leader?
- Small group leader? A leader with a mission? A profit leader? An athlete leader?
- Identify informal leadership roles within professions, companies, or departments into which you can step. Persuade coworkers that they can increase productivity, solve problems, launch programs, overcome obstacles, and bounce back from defeat.
- Find work that allows you to make your own decisions, and then act upon them.
- Consider becoming your own boss. Make of list of possible businesses you could start, grow, and sell once they show a profit. Understand that you will probably lose interest once an enterprise is so fine-tuned that it runs on its own. Recall how maintaining an operation has led to boredom in the past.
- Choose a career in which “actions speak louder than words” even though your words can propel people into action. Thoroughly research professions, organizations, and companies to identify the ones that are truly results-oriented.
- Understand that some supervisors and managers may feel threatened by your insistence on making decisions and acting without delay.
The Clifton StrengthsFinder and the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder theme names are protected by copyright of Gallup Inc., 2000. All rights reserved.
