ISBN:978-1-59562-035-4

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Gallup®,CliftonStrengthsFinder®,GallupPress®,Q12®,andStrengthsFinder®aretrademarksofGallup,Inc.Allothertrademarksarepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners.TheQ12itemsareprotectedbycopyrightofGallup,Inc.,1993-1998.Allrightsreserved.

DonaldO.Clifton,Ph.D.(1924-2003)TheFatherofStrengths-BasedPsychologyandCreatoroftheClifton

StrengthsFinder®

TheCliftonStrengthsFinderistheculminationofmorethan50yearsofDr.DonaldO.Clifton’slifelongwork:leadingmillionsofpeoplearoundtheworldtodiscovertheirstrengths.In2002,Dr.CliftonwashonoredbyanAmerican

PsychologicalAssociationPresidentialCommendationastheFatherofStrengths-BasedPsychology.

CONTENTSIMPORTANTInformationAboutTakingCliftonStrengthsFinder

Introduction:TheStrengthsRevolutionatWorkTheRevolutionTwoMillionInterviews

I.TheAnatomyofaStrengthChapter1.StrongLives

TheInvestor,theDirector,theSkinDoctor,andtheEditorTigerWoods,BillGates,andColePorterThreeRevolutionaryTools

Chapter2.StrengthBuildingIsHeAlwaysThisGood?KnowledgeandSkillsTalent

II.DiscovertheSourceofYourStrengthsChapter3.StrengthsFinder

TheTracesofTalentTheStrengthsFinderProfile

Chapter4.TheThirty-FourThemesofStrengthsFinder

AchieverActivatorAdaptabilityAnalyticalArrangerBeliefCommandCommunicationCompetitionConnectednessConsistencyContextDeliberativeDeveloperDisciplineEmpathy

FuturisticHarmonyIdeationIncluderIndividualizationInputIntellectionLearnerMaximizerPositivityRelatorResponsibilityRestorativeSelf-AssuranceSignificanceStrategic

Focus Woo

III.PutStrengthstoWorkChapter5.TheQuestionsYou’reAsking

AreThereAnyObstaclestoBuildingMyStrengths?WhyShouldIFocusonMySignatureThemes?IsThereAnySignificancetotheOrderofMySignatureThemes?NotAllofthePhrasesintheThemeDescriptionApplytoMe.Why?WhyAmIDifferentfromOtherPeoplewithWhomIShareSomeoftheSameThemes?AreAnyoftheThemes“Opposites”?CanIDevelopNewThemesifIDon’tLiketheOnesIHave?WillIBecomeTooNarrowifIFocusonMySignatureThemes?HowCanIManageAroundMyWeaknesses?CanMyThemesRevealWhetherIAmintheRightCareer?

Chapter6.ManagingStrengths“Fidel,”SamMendes,andPhilJacksonOneByOne

Chapter7.BuildingaStrengths-BasedOrganizationTheFullStoryThePracticalGuide

Appendix:ATechnicalReportonStrengthsFinder

Acknowledgments

IMPORTANTInformationAboutTakingCliftonStrengthsFinder

Yourebookretailerwillprovideyouwithyourunique,one-use-onlyaccesstotaketheCliftonStrengthsFinderassessmentthatisincludedwiththisbook.Totaketheassessment,gotowww.strengthsfinder.com.NavigatetothebottomofthepagewhereyouwillseethecoverimageforNow,DiscoverYourStrengths.

Followtheinstructions,andwhenprompted,enteryouraccesscode.

Introduction:TheStrengthsRevolutionatWork

Guided by the belief that good is the opposite of bad, mankind has forcenturiespursueditsfixationwithfaultandfailing.Doctorshavestudieddiseaseinorder to learnabouthealth.Psychologistshaveinvestigatedsadness inordertolearnaboutjoy.Therapistshavelookedintothecausesofdivorceinordertolearnabouthappymarriage.And in schoolsandworkplacesaround theworld,each one of us has been encouraged to identify, analyze, and correct ourweaknessesinordertobecomestrong.

Thisadviceiswellintendedbutmisguided.Faultsandfailingsdeservestudy,buttheyreveallittleaboutstrengths.Strengthshavetheirownpatterns.

Toexcelinyourchosenfieldandtofindlastingsatisfactionindoingso,youwillneedtounderstandyouruniquepatterns.Youwillneedtobecomeanexpertat finding and describing and applying and practicing and refining yourstrengths.Soasyoureadthisbook,shiftyourfocus.Suspendwhateverinterestyou may have in weakness and instead explore the intricate detail of yourstrengths. Take the StrengthsFinder Profile. Learn its language. Discover thesourceofyourstrengths.

Ifbytheendofthebookyouhavedevelopedyourexpertiseinwhatisrightaboutyouandyouremployees,thisbookwillhaveserveditspurpose.

TheRevolution‘‘Whatarethetwoassumptionsonwhichgreatorganizationsmust

bebuilt?”

Wewrotethisbooktostartarevolution,thestrengthsrevolution.Attheheartof this revolution is a simple decree: The great organization must not onlyaccommodatethefactthateachemployeeisdifferent,itmustcapitalizeonthesedifferences.Itmustwatchforcluestoeachemployee’snaturaltalentsandthenposition and develop each employee so that his or her talents are transformedintobonafidestrengths.Bychangingthewayitselects,measures,develops,andchannelsthecareersofitspeople,thisrevolutionaryorganizationmustbuilditsentireenterprisearoundthestrengthsofeachperson.

And as it does, this revolutionary organization will be positioned todramatically outperform its peers. In our latest meta-analysis The GallupOrganization asked this question of 198,000 employees working in 7,939businessunitswithin36companies:Atworkdoyouhavetheopportunitytodowhat you do best every day? We then compared the responses to theperformance of the business units and discovered the following: Whenemployees answered “strongly agree” to this question, they were 50 percentmorelikelytoworkinbusinessunitswithloweremployeeturnover,38percentmore likely to work in more productive business units, and 44 percent morelikely towork in business unitswith higher customer satisfaction scores.Andover time those business units that increased the number of employees whostronglyagreedsawcomparableincreasesinproductivity,customerloyalty,andemployeeretention.Whicheverwayyoucaretoslicethedata,theorganizationwhoseemployeesfeel that theirstrengthsareusedeveryday ismorepowerfulandmorerobust.

Thisisverygoodnewsfortheorganizationthatwantstobeonthevanguard

ofthestrengthsrevolution.Why?Becausemostorganizationsremainstartlinglyinefficient at capitalizing on the strengths of their people. In Gallup’s totaldatabasewehaveaskedthe“opportunitytodowhatIdobest”questionofmorethan 1.7 million employees in 101 companies from 63 countries. Whatpercentagedoyouthinkstronglyagreesthattheyhaveanopportunitytodowhattheydobest everyday?What percentage truly feels that their strengths are inplay?

Twentypercent.Globally,only20percentofemployeesworkinginthelargeorganizationswesurveyedfeel that theirstrengthsare inplayeveryday.Mostbizarreofall,thelongeranemployeestayswithanorganizationandthehigherheclimbsthetraditionalcareerladder,thelesslikelyheistostronglyagreethatheisplayingtohisstrengths.

Alarming though it is to learn thatmost organizations operate at 20 percentcapacity, this discovery actually represents a tremendous opportunity for greatorganizations. To spur high-margin growth and thereby increase their value,great organizations need only focus inward to find the wealth of unrealizedcapacity that resides in every single employee. Imagine the increase inproductivityandprofitabilityiftheydoubledthisnumberandsohad40percentoftheiremployeesstronglyagreeingthattheyhadachancetousetheirstrengthseveryday.Orhowabouttriplingthenumber?Sixtypercentofemployeessaying“stronglyagree”isn’ttooaggressiveagoalforthegreatestorganizations.

Howcantheyachievethis?Well,tobeginwiththeyneedtounderstandwhyeightoutoftenemployeesfeelsomewhatmiscastintheirrole.Whatcanexplainthiswidespread inability topositionpeople— inparticular seniorpeoplewhohave had the chance to search around for interesting roles— to play to theirstrengths?

Thesimplestexplanationisthatmostorganizations’basicassumptionsaboutpeoplearewrong.WeknowthisbecauseforthelastthirtyyearsGalluphasbeen

conductingresearch into thebestwaytomaximizeaperson’spotential.At theheartofthisresearchareourinterviewswitheightythousandmanagers—mostexcellent,someaverage—inhundredsoforganizationsaroundtheworld.Herethefocuswastodiscoverwhattheworld’sbestmanagers(whetherinBangaloreorBangor)hadincommon.Wedescribedourdiscoveriesindetail inthebookFirst, Break All the Rules, but the most significant finding was this: Mostorganizationsarebuiltontwoflawedassumptionsaboutpeople:

1. Eachpersoncanlearntobecompetentinalmostanything.

2. Eachperson’sgreatestroomforgrowthisinhisorherareasofgreatestweakness.

Presented so baldly, these two assumptions seem too simplistic to becommonlyheld,solet’splaythemoutandseewheretheylead.Ifyouwanttotestwhether or not your organization is based on these assumptions, look forthesecharacteristics:

Yourorganizationspendsmoremoneyontrainingpeopleoncetheyarehiredthanonselectingthemproperlyinthefirstplace.

Yourorganizationfocusestheperformanceofitsemployeesbylegislatingworkstyle.Thismeansaheavyemphasisonworkrules,policies,procedures,and“behavioralcompetencies.”

Yourorganizationspendsmostofitstrainingtimeandmoneyontryingtoplugthegapsinemployees’skillsorcompetencies.Itcallsthesegaps“areasofopportunity.”Yourindividualdevelopmentplan,ifyouhaveone,isbuiltaroundyour“areasofopportunity,”yourweaknesses.

Yourorganizationpromotespeoplebasedontheskillsorexperiencestheyhaveacquired.Afterall,ifeveryonecanlearntobecompetentinalmostanything,thosewhohavelearnedthemostmustbethemostvaluable.

Thus,bydesign,yourorganizationgivesthemostprestige,themostrespect,andthehighestsalariestothemostexperiencedwell-roundedpeople.

Findinganorganizationthatdoesn’thavethesecharacteristicsismoredifficultthan findingone that does.Mostorganizations take their employees’ strengthsforgrantedand focusonminimizing theirweaknesses.Theybecomeexpert inthoseareaswheretheiremployeesstruggle,delicatelyrenamethese“skillgaps”or“areasofopportunity,”andthenpackthemofftotrainingclassessothattheweaknesses can be fixed. This approach is occasionally necessary: If anemployeealwaysalienatesthosearoundhim,somesensitivitytrainingcanhelp;likewise,aremedialcommunicationclasscanbenefitanemployeewhohappenstobesmartbutinarticulate.Butthisisn’tdevelopment,itisdamagecontrol.Andbyitselfdamagecontrol isapoorstrategyforelevatingeither theemployeeortheorganizationtoworld-classperformance.

As long as an organization operates under these assumptions, it will nevercapitalizeonthestrengthsofeachemployee.

Tobreakoutofthisweaknessspiralandtolaunchthestrengthsrevolutioninyourownorganization,youmustchangeyourassumptionsaboutpeople.Startwiththerightassumptions,andeverythingelsethatfollowsfromthem—howyouselect,measure, train,anddevelopyourpeople—willberight.Thesearethetwoassumptionsthatguidetheworld’sbestmanagers:

1. Eachperson’stalentsareenduringandunique.

2. Eachperson’sgreatestroomforgrowthisintheareasofhisorhergreateststrength.

Thesetwoassumptionsarethefoundationforeverythingtheydowithandfortheirpeople.Thesetwoassumptionsexplainwhygreatmanagersarecarefultolookfortalentineveryrole,whytheyfocuspeople’sperformancesonoutcomes

ratherthanforcingthemintoastylisticmold,whytheydisobeytheGoldenRuleandtreateachemployeedifferently,andwhytheyspendthemosttimewiththeirbest people. In short, these two assumptions explain why the world’s bestmanagersbreakalltherulesofconventionalmanagementwisdom.

Now,followingthegreatmanagers’lead,itistimetochangetherules.Thesetworevolutionaryassumptionsmustserveasthecentraltenetsforanewwayofworking.Theyarethetenetsforaneworganization,astrongerorganization,anorganizationdesignedtorevealandstretchthestrengthsofeachemployee.

Most organizations have a process for ensuring the efficient use of theirpractical resources. Six Sigma or ISO 9000 processes are commonplace.Likewise,mostorganizationshaveincreasinglyefficientprocessesforexploitingtheir financial resources.Therecent fascinationwithmetricssuchaseconomicvalue added and return on capital bear testament to this. Few organizations,however, have developed a systematic process for the efficient use of theirhuman resources. (They may experiment with individual development plans,360-degreesurveys,andcompetencies,buttheseexperimentsaremostlyfocusedonfixingeachemployee’sweaknessesratherthanbuildinghisstrengths.)

In this book we want to show you how to design a systematic strength-building process. Specifically, Chapter 7, “Building a Strengths-BasedOrganization,” canhelp.Herewedescribewhat theoptimumselection systemlookslike,whichthreeoutcomesallemployeesshouldhaveontheirscorecard,howtoreallocatethosemisguidedtrainingbudgets,and,last,howtochangethewayyouchanneleachemployee’scareer.

Ifyouareamanagerandwanttoknowhowbesttocapitalizeonthestrengthsof your individual direct reports, then Chapter 6, “Managing Strengths,” willhelp. Here we identify virtually every ability or style youmight find in yourpeopleandexplainwhatyoucandotomaximizethestrengthsofeachemployee.

However,wedon’t start there.We startwith you.What are your strengths?

Howcanyoucapitalizeon them?Whatareyourmostpowerfulcombinations?Wheredotheytakeyou?Whatone,two,orthreethingscanyoudobetterthantenthousandotherpeople?Thesearethekindsofquestionswewilldealwithinthefirstfivechapters.Afterall,youcan’tleadastrengthsrevolutionifyoudon’tknowhowtofind,name,anddevelopyourown.

TwoMillionInterviews“WhomdidGallupinterviewtolearnabouthumanstrengths?”

Imaginewhatyoumightlearnifyoucouldinterviewtwomillionpeopleabouttheirstrengths.Imagineinterviewingtheworld’sbestteachersandaskingthemhow they keep children so interested in what might otherwise be dry subjectmatter.Imagineaskingthemhowtheybuildsuchtrustingrelationshipswithsomany different children. Imagine asking them how they balance fun anddisciplineintheclassroom.Imagineaskingthemaboutallthethingstheydothatmakethemsoverygoodatwhattheydo.

Andthenimaginewhatyoucouldlearnifyoudidthesamewiththeworld’sbest doctors and salespeople and lawyers (yes, they can be found) andprofessional basketball players and stockbrokers and accountants and hotelhousekeepers and leaders and soldiers and nurses and pastors and systemsengineersandchiefexecutives.Imagineallthosequestionsand,moreimportant,allthosevividanswers.

OverthelastthirtyyearsTheGallupOrganizationhasconductedasystematicstudyofexcellencewhereverwecouldfindit.Thiswasn’tsomemammothpoll.Eachofthoseinterviews(alittleovertwomillionatthelastcount,ofwhichtheeighty thousandmanagers fromFirst, Break All the Ruleswere a small part)consistedofopen-endedquestionsliketheonesmentionedabove.Wewantedtohear these excellentperformersdescribe in their ownwords exactlywhat theyweredoing.

In all these different professions we found a tremendous diversity ofknowledge,skill,andtalent.Butasyoumightsuspect,wesoonbegantodetectpatterns.We kept looking and listening, and graduallywe extracted from thiswealth of testimony thirty-four patterns, or “themes,” aswehave called them.These thirty-fourare themost prevalent themesof human talent.Our research

tellsusthatthesethirty-four,intheirmanycombinations,candothebestjobofexplainingthebroadestpossiblerangeofexcellentperformance.

These thirty-four do not capture every single human idiosyncrasy —individuals are too infinitely varied for that kind of claim. So think of thesethirty-four as akin to the eighty-eight keys on a piano. The eighty-eight keyscannot play every single note that can possibly be played, but in their manycombinations they can capture everything from classic Mozart to classicMadonna.Thesameapplies to these thirty-four themes.Usedwith insightandunderstandingtheycanhelpcapturetheuniquethemesplayingineachperson’slife.

Tobemosthelpfulweofferyouaway tomeasureyourselfon these thirty-four themes.We ask you to pause after reading Chapter 3 and take a profilecalledStrengthsFinderthatisavailableontheInternet.Itwillimmediatelyrevealyour five dominant themes of talent, your SignatureThemes. These SignatureThemesareyourmostpowerfulsourcesofstrength.Ifyouwanttolearnaboutthethemesofyouremployeesorfamilyorfriends,youcanreadChapter4andlearn about each of the thirty-four. But initially our main focus is you. ByidentifyingandrefiningtheseSignatureThemesyouwillbeinthebestpossiblepositiontoplayoutyourownstrengthstothefullest.

As you study these five themes and considerways to applywhat you havelearned,keepthisthoughtinmind:Therealtragedyoflifeisnotthateachofusdoesn’t have enough strengths, it’s that we fail to use the ones we have.BenjaminFranklincalledwastedstrengths“sundials in theshade.”Asyoucansee, the impetus of this book is that toomanyorganizations, toomany teams,andtoomanyindividualsunknowinglyhidetheir“sundialsintheshade.”

Wewant thisbookandyourexperienceswhile reading it tocasta lightandtherebyputyourstrengthstowork.

CHAPTER1StrongLives

THEINVESTOR,THEDIRECTOR,THESKINDOCTOR,ANDTHEEDITOR

TIGERWOODS,BILLGATES,ANDCOLEPORTER

THREEREVOLUTIONARYTOOLS

TheInvestor,theDirector,theSkinDoctor,andtheEditor

“Whatdoesastronglifelooklike?”

What does a strong life look like? What does it look like when a personsucceeds in building his life around his strengths? Let’s examine a couple ofexamplesofpeoplewhohavedoneso.

*

“Iamreallynodifferentfromanyofyou.”

Warren Buffett, with his usual down-home style and slightly disheveledappearance, is talking to a roomful of students at theUniversity ofNebraska.Sinceheisoneoftherichestmenintheworldandsincemostofthestudentscanbarelycovertheirphonebill,theystarttochuckle.

“Imayhavemoremoneythanyoudo,butmoneydoesn’tmakethedifference.Sure,Icanbuythemostluxurioushandmadesuit,butIputitonanditjustlookscheap. Iwould rather have a cheeseburger fromDairyQueen than a hundred-dollarmeal.”The students seemunconvinced, and soBuffett concedesononepoint.“Ifthereisanydifferencebetweenyouandme,itmaysimplybethatIgetupeverydayandhaveachancetodowhatIlovetodo,everyday.Ifyouwanttolearnanythingfromme,thisisthebestadviceIcangiveyou.”

Onthesurfacethissoundslikethekindofglibthrowawaylineyoutellpeopleafteryouhavealreadybankedyourfirstbillion.ButBuffettissincere.Heloveswhathedoesandgenuinelybelieves thathis reputationas theworld’sgreatestinvestor is due to his ability to carve out a role that plays to his particularstrengths.

Surprisingly, his strengths are not those that you might expect to see in a

successful investor. Today’s global marketplace is fast-paced, extraordinarilycomplicated, and amoral. Therefore, you would think that the creature bestadapted for this world would be blessed with urgency, a conceptual mind toidentifypatternsinthecomplexmarket,andaninnateskepticismabouteveryoneelse’smotives.

Buffett cannot claim any of these strengths. By all accounts he is a patientman.Hismindismorepracticalthanconceptual.Heisinclinedtobetrustingofotherpeople’smotives,notskeptical.Sohowdidhethrive?

Likemany peoplewho are both successful and fulfilled, he found away tocultivate the strengths he did possess and put them towork. For example, heturnedhisnaturalpatience intohisnow-famous“twenty-yearperspective” thatleads him to invest only in those companies whose trajectory he can forecastwith some level of confidence for the next twenty years. His practical mindmadehimsuspiciousofinvesting“theories”andbroadmarkettrends.AshesaidinoneBerkshireHathawayannualreport,“Theonlyroleofstockforecastersisto make fortune-tellers look good.” So he resolved to invest only in thosecompanieswhoseproductsandserviceshecouldintuitivelyunderstand,suchasDairyQueen,TheCoca-ColaCompany,andTheWashingtonPostCompany.

Finally,heputhis trustingnature togoodusebycarefullyvetting theseniormanagersofthecompaniesinwhichheinvestedandbysteppingbackandaway,rarelyinterferingintheirday-to-dayoperationsofthebusiness.

WarrenBuffetthasusedthispatient,practical,andtrustingapproachsinceheformed his first investment partnership with $100 in 1956. He has honed it,perfected it, and stuck to it even when the temptations to adopt a differentstrategy were tantalizingly sweet. (Remember, he didn’t invest in eitherMicrosoft or the Internet because he didn’t feel he could paint an accuratepicture of where high-tech was going to be in twenty years.) His distinctapproachisthecauseofhisprofessionalsuccessand,tohearhimtellit,alsothe

cause of his personal happiness. He is a world-class investor because hedeliberatelyplaystohisstrengths;heloveswhathedoesbecausehedeliberatelyplaystohisstrengths.

Inthissense—andperhapsinthissensealone—WarrenBuffettisright.Heisn’t any different from the rest of us. Like the rest of us he responds to theworldaroundhimindistinctways.Thewayhehandlesrisk,thewayheconnectswith other people, the way he makes his decisions, the way he derivessatisfaction—notoneoftheseisrandom.TheyallformpartofauniquepatternthatissostablehisfamilyandclosestfriendsareabletorecallitsearlytracingsintheschoolyardinOmaha,Nebraska,halfacenturyago.

WhatmakesBuffettspecialiswhathedidwiththispattern.First,hebecameawareofit.Manyofusdon’tseemabletotakeeventhisstep.Second,andmostsignificant,hechosenot tofocusonreinforcingitsweaker threads.Instead,hedidtheexactopposite:Heidentifieditsstrongestthreads,woveineducationandexperience,andbuiltthemintothedominatingstrengthsweseetoday.

Warren Buffett is relevant here, not because of his personal fortune butbecausehehasfiguredoutsomethingthatcanserveasapracticalguideforallofus.Look inside yourself, try to identify your strongest threads, reinforce themwithpracticeandlearning,andtheneitherfindor,ashedid,carveoutarolethatdrawsonthesestrengthseveryday.Whenyoudo,youwillbemoreproductive,morefulfilled,andmoresuccessful.

Ofcourse,Buffettisn’ttheonlypersontohaverealizedthepowerofbuildinghis life around his strengths. Whenever you interview people who are trulysuccessfulattheirchosenprofession—fromteachingtotelemarketing,actingtoaccounting—youdiscoverthatthesecrettotheirsuccessliesintheirabilitytodiscover theirstrengthsandtoorganize their lifeso that thesestrengthscanbeapplied.

PamD. is thedirectorof health andhuman services for anurban county so

largethatitsbudgetisbiggerthantwentyAmericanstates.Hercurrentchallengeis todesignand implementan integratedplan forallof thecounty’sprogramsforseniors.Unfortunately,sinceneitherthecountynorthecountryhaseverbeenfacedwiththeprospectofsomanyseniorsrequiringsomanyservices,shehasnoblueprinttofollow.TosucceedinthisroleyoumightthinkthatPamwouldneedstrengths suchasagift for thinking strategicallyor, at thevery least, fordetailedanalysisandplanning.Butalthoughsheunderstandstheimportanceofboth,neithercomesclosetothetopofherstrengths’list.

Infact, twoof thestrongest threadsinherpatternareaneedtoinjectdramaandpassion intoheremployeesandan impatience foraction.LikeBuffett shehas chosen not to take these threads for granted and work on fixing herweaknesses.Instead,shehascarvedherrolesothatshecancapitalizeonthesestrong threads most of the time. Her modus operandi is, first, to identifyachievable goals where action can be taken today, and act; second, to seekopportunities to paint a picture for her thousands of employees of theoverarching purpose of their work; and third, to give the formal strategicplanningprocess toanoutsideconsultant.Whilesheandher teamarepushingforward, the consultant can sweep up behind and plug her actions into the“strategicplan.”

Sofarthingsareworkingbeautifully.Shehasadvancedonallfronts.Shehassucceededinwinningimportantservicecontractsawayfromtheprivatesector.Andsheishavingablast.

SherieS. tookasimilarlypragmaticapproachtobuildingherlifearoundherstrengths.Sherieisnowasuccessfuldoctor,butyearsagoduringmedicalschoolshemadearatherdisturbingdiscovery:Shedidn’tlikebeingaroundsickpeople.Sinceadoctorwhodoesn’tlikesickpeopleseemsasincongruousasaninvestorwho doesn’t like risk, she began to question her chosen career. Rather thanbemoaningherpoorchoice,however,shetookstockofherpatternsofthinkingand feeling, and gradually came to three realizations: She did indeed enjoy

helpingpeople,justnotverysickpeople;shewasdrivenbyaconstantneedforachievement that was best satisfied when she could see tangible and regularproofofprogress;thesetwodistinctpatternscouldprovesurprisinglypowerfulifshemadeherspecialtydermatology.

Now,asadermatologist,sheplaystoherstrengthseveryday.Herpatientsarerarelygravelyill,theirillnessesaretangible,andtheirprogresstowardrecoveryisevidentontheirskinforalltosee.

PaulaL.didn’thavetoshiftherfocusinordertoplaytoherstrengths.Instead,likeBuffett,shehadtoremaintruetowhatshealreadyknewaboutherstrengths,despitemanyalluring temptations tochangeher tack.Paula isexecutiveeditorforoneofthemostsuccessfulwomen’smagazinesintheworld.Asaresultofthe exposure this position offers her, she has garneredmanyoffers to becomeeditorinchiefatothermagazines.Naturally,sheisflatteredbytheseoffers,butshechoosestostayintheexecutiveeditorrole.

Why?Becausesheisawarethatoneofherstrongestthemesisherconceptual,creative mind. Over the years she has refined this theme into an exceptionalstrength that enables her to excel as an editor, working with the writers andsubeditors, crafting the actual material that gives the magazine its distinctidentity.Astheeditor inchiefofamagazineshewouldbeaskedtodolessofthis.HertimewouldincreasinglybetakenupwithPRevents,andthroughherchoice of clothes, friends, and hobbies, shewould be expected to embody themagazine. She knows that shewould hate this kind of public scrutiny, so shestaysonherstrengths’path.

Allthesepeoplearespecial inthesamesensethatWarrenBuffett isspecial.They identified in themselves some recurring patterns of behavior and thenfigured out a way to develop these patterns into genuine and productivestrengths.

TigerWoods,BillGates,andColePorter

“Whatisastrength?”

For the sake of clarity let’s be more precise about what we mean by a“strength.”Thedefinitionofastrengththatwewillusethroughoutthisbookisquite specific: consistent near perfect performance in an activity. By thisdefinitionPam’saccuratedecision-makingandabilitytorallypeoplearoundherorganization’s commonpurpose are strengths.Sherie’s loveof diagnosing andtreating skin diseases is a strength. Paula’s ability to generate and then refinearticleideasthatfithermagazine’sidentityisastrength.

To use more celebrated examples, the golfer Tiger Woods’s extraordinarylong-game—hislengthwithhiswoodsandhisirons—isastrength.Asishisputting.His ability to chip out of a bunker— inconsistentwhen compared toothertopprofessionals(Tigeris61stonthePGAtourin“sandsaves”)—isnot.

In a business context Bill Gates’s genius at taking innovations andtransforming them into user-friendly applications is a strength, whereas hisability tomaintainandbuildanenterprise in the faceof legalandcommercialassault—ascomparedtohispartner’s,SteveBallmer—isnot.

In an artistic setting, Cole Porter’s ability to carve the perfect lyric was astrength.Hisattemptsatwritingbelievablecharactersandplotswerenot.

By defining strength in this way, consistent near perfect performance in anactivity,werevealthreeofthemostimportantprinciplesoflivingastronglife.

First, for an activity to be a strengthyoumust be able to do it consistently.Andthisimpliesthatitisapredictablepartofyourperformance.YoumayhaveoccasionallyhitashotthatwouldhavemadeTigerWoodsproud,butwearenotgoingtocallthisactivityastrengthunlessyoucandemonstrateittimeandtime

again. And youmust also derive some intrinsic satisfaction from the activity.Sherie is certainly smart enough to be any kind of doctor, but practicingdermatology constitutes her strength because it is the specialty that energizesher. By contrast, Bill Gates is quite capable of implementing Microsoft’sstrategy, but because, as he has reported, performing this role drains him ofenergy,thisabilityisnotastrength.Theacidtestofastrength?Theabilityisastrength only if you can fathom yourself doing it repeatedly, happily, andsuccessfully.

Second,youdonothavetohavestrengthineveryaspectofyourroleinorderto excel. Pam is not the perfect candidate for her role.Neither is Sherie. Thepeoplewedescribedabovearenotexactlysuitedfortheirroles.Noneofthemisblessedwith the“perfecthand.”Theyare simplydoing thebest theycanwiththecardstheyweredealt.Thatexcellentperformersmustbewell-roundedisoneof themostpervasivemythswehope todispel in thisbook.Whenwestudiedthem,excellentperformerswererarelywell-rounded.Onthecontrary,theyweresharp.

Third,youwillexcelonlybymaximizingyourstrengths,neverbyfixingyourweaknesses. This is not the same as saying “ignore your weaknesses.” Thepeople we described did not ignore their weaknesses. Instead, they didsomething much more effective. They found ways to manage around theirweaknesses, therebyfreeingthemuptohonetheirstrengths toasharperpoint.Each of them did this a little differently. Pam liberated herself by hiring anoutsideconsultant towrite thestrategicplan.BillGatesdidsomethingsimilar.Heselectedapartner,SteveBallmer,torunthecompany,allowinghimtoreturnto software development and rediscover his strengths’ path. Sherie, thedermatologist, simply stopped doing the kind of medicine that drained her.Paula,themagazineeditor,turneddownjoboffers.

TigerWoodswas inaslightly tougherspot.Hecouldn’tescape thefact thathisbunkerplayneededtoimprove,andso,likemanyofusmust,hewasforced

tododamagecontrol.Heworkedonhisweaknessjustenoughsothatitdidnotunderminehisstrengths.Butoncehisbunkerplayreachedacceptablelevels,heandhiscoach,ButchHarmon,turnedtheirattentiontotheirmostimportantandcreativework:therefiningandperfectingofTiger’smostdominantstrength,hisswing.

Ofallofthem,ColePorterpursuedthemostaggressiveand,somemightsay,riskiest strategy for managing around his weaknesses. He bet that if he keptpolishinghisstrengthsasasongwriter,verysoontheaudiencesimplywouldn’tcare that his plots were weak and his characters stereotypical. His strengthswouldblindpeopletohisweaknesses.Today,manywouldsaythathisstrategypaid off. When you can write words and melodies as scintillating andsophisticatedashis,itisalmostirrelevantwhoissingingthemorwhy.

Each of these people found success and fulfillment in their work in verydifferentfieldsbecausetheyintentionallyplayedtotheirstrengths.Wewanttohelpyoudothesame—tocapitalizeonyourstrengths,whatevertheymaybe,andmanagearoundyourweaknesses,whatevertheymaybe.

ThreeRevolutionaryTools

“Whatdoyouneedtobuildyourlifearoundyourstrengths?”

This advice, “capitalize on your strengths and manage around yourweaknesses,”iseasytograsp.Butasyouprobablyknowfromexperience,itishard to apply. After all, building a strong life will always be a challengingassignmentinvolvingamyriadofdifferentvariables:yourself-awareness,yourmaturity,youropportunities, thepeoplewithwhomyousurroundyourself, thepeoplefromwhomyoucan’tseemtoescape.Tobeclearattheoutset,weneedtotellyouwhatthisbookcanandcannotprovideasyoubuildanew,strengths-basedimageofyourself.

Wecannotshowyouthecompletedimage;evenifwedid,thepicturewouldbeinstantlyinaccuratesinceeachofusisnevercompleted.Norcanwetellyouhowtolearn.Asyouaredoubtlessaware,itwillalwaysbeyourresponsibilitytotake the action, ponder the repercussion, and slide the learning into place.Nooneelsecandothatforyou.

However, what we can offer you are the three revolutionary tools youwillneedtobuildastronglife:

1.Thefirstrevolutionarytoolisunderstandinghowtodistinguishyournaturaltalentsfromthingsyoucanlearn.Wehavedefinedastrengthasconsistentnearperfectperformanceinanactivity.Allright,buthowdoyougetthere?Canyoureachnearperfectperformanceinanyactivityyouchoosejustaslongasyoupracticeandpractice,ordoesnearperfectperformancerequirecertainnaturaltalents?

Ifyoustruggletobuildanetworkofpeoplewhoarepreparedtogooutoftheir way to help you, can you become an excellent networker with

practice? If you find it difficult to anticipate, can you learn to deviseperfectly crafted strategies? If you often find yourself unable to confrontpeopledirectly,canyouwithdisciplineandpracticebecomeextraordinarilypersuasive?

The question isn’twhether or not you can improve at these activities.Ofcourseyoucan.Humanbeingsareadaptablecreatures,andifitisimportantenoughforus,wecangetalittlebetteratvirtuallyanything.Thequestioniswhether you can reach consistent near perfect performance in theseactivities through practice alone. The answer to this question is “No,practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect.” To develop a strength in anyactivityrequirescertainnaturaltalents.

Thisraisessomeslipperyquestions.Whatisthedifferencebetweenatalentandastrength?Whichaspectsofastrengthinnetworkingorstrategizingorpersuading can be learned, and which aspects are innate? What role doskills, knowledge, experience, and self-awareness play in building astrength?Ifyoudon’tknowhowtocometogripswiththesequestions,youmaywasteagreatdealoftimetryingtolearnstrengthsthataren’tlearnable,or,conversely,youmaygiveuptooearlyonstrengthsthatare.

Toanswer thesequestionsyouneedasimplewaytodifferentiatebetweenwhat is innateandwhatyoucanacquirewithpractice. In thenextchapterwepresentapracticalwaytodothis.Specifically,weintroduceyoutothreecarefullydefinedterms:

Talentsareyournaturallyrecurringpatternsofthought,feeling,orbehavior.YourvariousthemesoftalentarewhattheStrengthsFinderProfileactuallymeasures.

Knowledgeconsistsofthefactsandlessonslearned.

Skillsarethestepsofanactivity.

These three— talents, knowledge, and skills— combine to create yourstrengths.

For example, to be drawn toward strangers and to enjoy the challenge ofmakingaconnectionwiththemisatalent(definedlaterinthebookasthetheme “Woo”), whereas the ability to build a network of supporters whoknowyouandarepreparedtohelpyouisastrength.Tobuildthisstrengthyouhaveperfectedyourinnatetalentwithskillsandknowledge.Likewise,to be able to confront others is a talent (defined later as the themeCommand), whereas the ability to sell successfully is a strength. Topersuade others to buy your product youmust have combined your talentwithproductknowledgeandcertainsellingskills.

Althoughallareimportanttostrengthbuilding,ofthesethreerawmaterialsthemostimportantaretalents.Yourtalentsareinnate(we’llexplainwhyinthe next chapter), whereas skills and knowledge can be acquired throughlearning andpractice; for example, as a salespersonyou can learnhow todescribe your products’ features (knowledge), you can even learn how toasktherightopen-endedquestionstoeliciteachprospect’sneeds(askill),but you’ll never learnhow to push that prospect to commit at exactly therightmomentandinexactlytherightway.Thesearetalents(definedlaterasthethemesCommandandIndividualization).

Althoughitisoccasionallypossibletobuildastrengthwithoutacquiringtherelevantknowledgeandskills—thereare“natural”salespeoplewhohavesomuch innate talent for persuasion that they can sell even though theirknowledgeoftheproductisratherlimited—itisneverpossibletopossessa strengthwithout the requisite talent. Inmany roles you can acquire therelevantknowledgeandskillstothepointwhereyouareabletogetby,butnomatterwhattherole,ifyoulackthenecessarytalents,youwillneverbeabletohaveconsistentnearperfectperformance.

Thus,thekeytobuildingabonafidestrengthistoidentifyyourdominanttalentsandthenrefinethemwithknowledgeandskills.

Remember that many people don’t appreciate what talents are, let alonewhat their talents are. They think that with enough practice almosteverything is learnable. They don’t actively seek knowledge and skills toenhance their talents.Rather, they fall into the trapof trying toacquireasmuchknowledgeandasmanyskillsastheyareableinthehopeofbetteringthemselves in some general way, smoothing out their rough edges, andemergingsuitablywell-rounded.

Tobuildyourstrengthsyoumustavoidthistrap.Don’tsignupblindlyforleadership skills training or listening skills or empathy skills or publicspeakingskillsorassertivenessskillsoranyofthosewell-meaningclassesand expect dramatic improvement. Unless you have the necessary talent,your improvements will be modest. You will be diverting most of yourenergytowarddamagecontrolandverylittletowardrealdevelopment.Andsinceyouhaveonlyafiniteamountoftimetoinvestinyourself,youhavetodecidewhetherafixationondamagecontrolwillnetyouthebestreturn.

Wesuggestyoutakeacloselookatknowledge,skills,andtalents.Learntodistinguish each one from the others. Identify your dominant talents andthen in a focusedway acquire the knowledge and skills to turn them intorealstrengths.

2.Thesecondrevolutionarytoolisasystemtoidentifyyourdominanttalents.Thereisonesurewaytoidentifyyourgreatestpotentialforstrength:Stepbackandwatchyourselfforawhile.Tryanactivityandseehowquicklyyoupickitup,howquicklyyouskipstepsinthelearningandaddtwistsandkinksyouhaven’tbeentaughtyet.Seewhetheryoubecomeabsorbedintheactivitytosuchanextentthatyoulosetrackoftime.Ifnoneofthesehashappenedafteracoupleofmonths,tryanotheractivityand

watch—andanother.Overtimeyourdominanttalentswillrevealthemselves,andyoucanstarttorefinethemintoapowerfulstrength.

This is probablywhat school should be like: a focused hunt for a child’sareas of greatest potential. This is probablywhatwork should be like: anintentional effort to find out how each employee might approach world-classperformancelevels.Unfortunately,neitherschoolnorworkseemsupto the task. Both are so preoccupied with transferring knowledge andplugging skill gaps that developing awareness of natural talents isdisregarded.Andsotheburdenfallsonyou,theindividual.Youmustleadthesearchforyourowntalents.

TheStrengthsFinderProfilediscussedinChapter4isdesignedtohelpyouidentifyyourdominanttalents.Itwillnotattempttodefineyoucompletelyorlabelyouasthis typeor that,stronghereandweakthere.Eachofus istoo nuanced for that kind of simplification. StrengthsFinder’s purpose ismorefocused.It isdesignedtorevealyourfivestrongest themesof talent.Thesethemesmaynotbestrengthsyet.Theyareareasofgreatestpotential,areasinwhichyouhavethebestpossiblechancetocultivateaworld-classstrength.StrengthsFinderwillshineaspotlightonthem.Itwillbeuptoyoutoperform.

3.Thethirdrevolutionarytoolisacommonlanguagetodescribeyourtalents.Weneedanewlanguagetohelpexplainthestrengthsweseeinourselvesandothers.Thislanguagemustbeprecise;itmustbeabletodescribethesubtlewaysinwhichonepersondiffersfromanother.Itmustbepositive;itmusthelpusexplainstrength,notfrailty.Anditmustbecommon;itmustbealanguageinwhichweareallfluentsothatnomatterwhoweareorwherewearefrom,weallknowexactlywhatismeantwhensomeonesays,“MarcusembodiesCommand”or“DonexhibitsAchiever.”

Whydoweneedthisnewlanguage?Quitesimplybecausethelanguagewe

currentlyuseisn’tuptothechallenge.

Thelanguageofhumanweaknessisrichandvaried.Therearemeaningfuldifferences in the terms neurosis, psychosis, depression, mania, hysteria,panic attacks, and schizophrenia. An expert in mental illness is acutelyaware of these differences and takes them into consideration inmaking adiagnosis anddetermining treatment. In fact, this language of frailty is sowidespreadthatmostofusnonexpertsprobablyuseitprettyaccurately.

Bycontrast,thelanguageofhumanstrengthissparse.Ifyouwanttoknowjust how sparse, listen to a couple of human resources professionalsdescribing themerits of three candidates for a position.Youmight hear acoupleof broadgeneralizations such as “I likedher people skills” or “Heseemed self-motivated,” but then the conversation will revert tocomparisons of facts such as each candidate’s education and workexperience.Wedon’tmeantosingleouthumanresourcesprofessionals.Ifyou listen to senior managers discussing the same three people, you willprobablyhearasimilarconversation.Morethanlikelythecandidates,whentryingtodescribetheirownstrengths,willrolloutthesamegeneralizationsand then dive into the comfortable certainty of their education and workexperience.

The sorry truth is that the language available, the language of humanstrength, is still rudimentary at best. Take the term “people skills” as anexample.Ifyousaythattwopeoplehave“peopleskills,”whatdoesthattellyouaboutthem?Ittellsyoutheybothseemtorelatewellwithpeople,butprobablynotmuchelse.Itdoesn’ttellyou,forexample,thatoneexcelsatbuildingtrustwithpeopleoncetheinitialcontacthasbeenmade,whiletheother isbrilliantat initiatingthecontact.Bothof theseabilitieshavetodowith people, but they are obviously not the same.Yet this difference haspracticalimplications.Regardlessofexperienceoreducation,youwouldn’tnecessarily put the great trust builder in the same role as the great

networker. Nor would you expect them to connect with customers andassociatesinthesameway.Norwouldyouexpectthemtoderivethesamekind of satisfaction from their work. Nor would you necessarily managethemin thesameway.Since thesevariablescombine tocreateeachone’sperformance, knowingwho is the instinctive trust builder andwho is thenetworkermightmake the difference between success and failure. In thissituationtheterm“peopleskills”simplydoesn’thelpyouverymuch.

Unfortunately, this applies to most of the language of human strengths.Whatdoes“self-motivated”meanexactly?Doesitmeanthat thepersonisdriven by an internal need for achievement thatwill keep firing away nomatter how you manage her? Or does it mean that she needs you to setchallenginggoals,whichshethenmotivatesherselftosurpass?Whatdoesa“strategicthinker”mean?Doesitmeanheisconceptualandlovestheories?Ordoesitimplythatheisanalyticalandlovesproof?Whatabout“sellingskills”?Ifsomeonehasthem,doesthismeanthatsheclosesbygoingforthejugular,bywooing,bylogicalpersuasion,orbyexpressingferventbeliefintheproduct?Theseareimportantdistinctionsifyouwanttomatchtherightsalespersonwiththerightprospects.

It is possible that you know exactly what you mean by “selling skills,”“strategic thinking,” “people skills,” and “self-motivated.”Butwhat aboutthepeoplearoundyou?Theymayuse thesamewordsbutgive themverydifferentmeanings.Thisistheworstkindofmiscommunication.Youfinishtheconversationandthinkyouarebothonthesamepagewheninfactyouaren’tevenspeakingthesamelanguage.

Andforsomestrangereasonwhenwedohaveaprecise,commonlyagreeduponword for a strong pattern of behavior, thewordwe use often has anegative connotation. Remember Pam D., the health and human servicesdirectorwhocan’twaittoact?Sheisimpatientorimpulsive.

Peoplewhoarebrilliantatimposingorderandstructureontheworld?Anal.

Peoplewhoclaimexcellence?Egotists.

Peoplewhoanticipateandarealwaysasking“Whatif?”Worriers.

Whichever way you look at it, we don’t have a rich enough language todescribethewealthofhumantalentweseearoundus.

In Chapter 4 we will introduce the thirty-four themes of talent. Obviously,thesearenottheonlywordsthatdescribepatternsofbehavior,buttheyarethewordsthatcapturedthemostprevalentpatternsinourstudyofexcellence.Thesethirty-fourthemeshavebecomeourlanguagefordescribinghumantalentsand,thereby, for explaining human strengths. We offer them to you as a way ofrevealingthebestinyouandthebestinthosearoundyou.

CHAPTER2StrengthBuilding

ISHEALWAYSTHISGOOD?

KNOWLEDGEANDSKILLS

TALENT

IsHeAlwaysThisGood?

“WhatcanwelearnaboutstrengthsfromColinPowell?”

Recently,GeneralColinPowellcametospeaktoonethousandofTheGallupOrganization’s leaders.His reputationwas almost ridiculously impressive.Weknew him to be the former national security advisor, chairman of the JointChiefsofStaff,commander-in-chiefofNATO’sforcesduringDesertShieldandDesertStorm, and, according to the last decadeofglobalpolls, oneof the tenmostrespectedleadersintheworld.Needlesstosay,ourexpectationswerehigh.Ashewalkedonstageafterasuitablyglowingintroduction,morethanafewofuswonderedwhethertheperformancewouldliveuptotheresume.

By the end of the speech we had a different question: “Is he always thisgood?”InthecourseofoneshorthourGeneralPowellhadrevealedhimselftobeanespeciallygiftedpublicspeaker.Hedrewus into the intimatepoliticsofPresident Ronald Reagan’s Oval Office. He placed us across a table in theKremlin asMikhailGorbachev announcedperestroikawith: “General, you aregoingtohavetofindyourselfanotherenemy.”HehaduswaitingbythephoneforGeneralH.NormanSchwarzkopf’s call to report on the first air strikes ofDesertStorm.Hespokecasually,withouttheformulaicpatterofthepolitician,without the bombast of the preacher,without structure, andwithout notes.Hejusthadafewstoriestotell,andashetalked,almostaccidentallythesestorieslacedthemselvestogetherintoanarrativeaboutleadershipandcharacter.Itwasasimplemessage,perfectlydelivered.

A strength such as this is intimidating. For the audience, the General’sperformancestoodfarabovebasicanalysis.Wedidn’twanttoask,“Wheredidhelearnthis?”becauseitwasquiteobviousthatneitherToastmastersnorDaleCarnegiehadanythingtodowithhisperformance.Instead,wewantedtoknow

“Wheredidthiscomefrom?”asthoughtheperformancewasnotbeingcreatedbyGeneralPowellbutwasbeingchanneledthroughhim,flawlessandsublime.

Allstrengthshavethisquality.StandinfrontofaMonetforafewmoments,anditappearscomplete,likeacircle.Youdon’timagineatentativebeginning,aslewofclumsycrossings-outinthemiddle,andalastbrushstroketofinishthepainting.Youexperienceitasawhole,all-at-onceperfection.

The strengthdoesn’t have tobe artistic tobe intimidating.Anynear perfectperformance stimulates this same feeling of awe. A friend tells a joke withtimingand flair, andyouwonder “Howdidhedo that?”Acolleaguewrites aclient letter that isboth focusedand intriguing, andyouaskyourself the samething.

Anditisnotjustthe“nearperfect”aspectofastrengththatsoimpressesus;the“consistent”partisequallyamazing.CalRipkenplayedin2,216consecutivebaseball games.How did hemanage that?BettinaK., one ofDisneyWorld’sbesthousekeepers,hascleanedthesamesectionofroomsinthesamehotelformore than twenty-one years. How does she stickwith it? Before his death inFebruary2000,CharlesSchulzhaddrawnthesamecartoonstrip,“Peanuts,”foroverforty-oneyears.Howdidhedothat?

Whetherthequestionis“Howdoeshedoitsowell?”or“Howdoeshedoitfor so long?” any consistently near perfect performance seems almost tooamazingtoanalyze.But,ofcourse,strengthsdonotemergeperfectandwhole.Eachperson’sstrengthsarecreated—developedfromsomeveryspecificrawmaterials. You can acquire some materials, your knowledge and skills, withpracticeandlearning;others,yourtalents,yousimplyhavetohone.

KnowledgeandSkills

“Whichaspectsofyoucanyouchange?”

KNOWLEDGETheexactdefinitionof“knowledge”haswithstoodcenturiesofphilosophical

assault,andwedon’twanttojoininthefray.Solet’ssteparoundit.Let’sjustsaythat,forthepurposesofbuildingyourstrengths,therearetwodistinctkindsofknowledge.Youneedboth,and,fortunately,bothcanbeacquired.

First,youneedfactualknowledge,whichiscontent.Forexample,whenyoustart to learna language, factualknowledge is thevocabulary.Youmust learnwhateachwordmeans,oryouwillneverbeabletospeakthelanguage.Inthesamevein,salespeoplemustspendtimelearningtheirproducts’features.Mobiletelephone customer service representatives must know the benefits that eachcallingplanconfers.Pilotsmustlearnthecallsignprotocols.NursesmustknowexactlyhowmuchNovocainisappropriateforeachprocedure.

Factualknowledgesuchasthiswon’tguaranteeexcellence,butexcellenceisimpossiblewithoutit.Thus,nomatterwhatyourskillsortalents,youwillneverexcel at painting if youdon’t know that red andgreenpaint,when combined,create thecolorbrown.Likewise,all thecreativity in theworld isnotgoingtohelp you excel at lighting design if you don’t know that red and green light,whencombined, don’t create the color brown.Red light andgreen lightmakeyellowlight.

Factualknowledgesuchasthisgetsyouintothegame.

Thesecondkindofknowledgeyouneedisexperiential,whichisn’ttaughtinclassroomsorfoundinmanuals.Rather,itissomethingthatyoumustdisciplineyourselftopickupalongthewayandretain.

Someof it ispractical.Forexample,KatieM.,aproducerofsegmentsforamorning television show, initially struggled to produce clear and compellingtwo-minute pieces. She gradually realized that she was ignoring the mostimportant ruleof journalism:Alwaysset thestage.Regardlessofhowcreativethe rest of the piecewas, if the audiencewasn’t told immediatelywhom theywerewatchingandwhy,theywouldquicklytuneout.

Andy Kaufman, the comic captured by Jim Carrey in the filmMan on theMoon,pickedupsomethingsimilarabouttheimportanceofstagesetting.Atthebeginningofhiscareerhewasexperimentingwithtwocharacters:ForeignMan,asweet,naivestraightman,andanElvisPresleyimpression.Bothcharactersgotafewlaughsbutnothingspectacularuntil,asAndysaid,“IncollegeIsawthatthe audiencewouldn’t accept it if I started outwith Elvis Presley. Theywereoffended.They’dgo,‘What,hethinkshe’shandsomeorsomething?’IdecidedthatmynaturalinnocencehadbeenlostafterthefirstfewtimesIdidmyact.IthoughtIcouldbemoreinnocentastheForeignMan.…SothefirsttimeItriedit,thewholeactwasForeignMan,andwhenIgottotheElvispart,Isaid,‘SonowIvould like tododeElvisPresley.’”From theuproar in theaudiencehecouldseeimmediatelythathewasontherighttrack.

Bothoftheseexamplesconcernthewayaperformanceisstaged,butasyoucanimagine,experientialknowledgetakesamultitudeofforms.Thesalespersondiscovers that the first and most important sale she makes is the prospect’sassistant. Themarketing executive notices that if youwant to sell tomothers,radioadsworka lotbetter than televisionads (forbusymothers the radio isamoreconstantcompanionthanthetelevision).Bothofthesepeoplehavepickedupanimportanttidbitofknowledge,andeachnowperformsbetterasaresult.

Everyenvironmentofferschancestolearn.Clearly,todevelopyourstrengthsit is your responsibility to keep alert for these opportunities and then toincorporatethemintoyourperformance.

Some experiential knowledge is more conceptual. Take the most obviousexamples:yourvaluesandyourself-awareness.Bothoftheseneedtoberefinedif you are to build your strengths, and, again, both of them can be developedovertime.Infact,oftenwhenwesay,“So-and-sohaschanged,”wedon’treallymeanthathisunderlyingpersonalityhaschangedbutthathisvaluesystemhaschangedorthathiscomfortwithwhoheishaschanged.

Charles Colson, special counsel to President Richard Nixon, was jailedbecausehisexcessiveloyaltyledhimtocommitcrimestoprotecthispresident.Today he is a born-again Christian. Has he changed? Here is WinifredGallagher’sanswer inherbookJust theWayYouAre:“CharlesColsonwouldhavebeathisgrandmother todeathwhenhewaswithNixon,but thenhewasbornagain.Heprobablyalwayshadaveryemotional,intensetemperament,butnowhehasdifferent enemies and friends.Hisnaturedidn’t change—he justdoessomethingelsewithallthatzeal.One’smodeofengagementwithlifemaynotaltermuch.Butone’sfocuscan…”

Whereverwelook,wecanseeexamplesofpeoplewhochangedtheirfocusbychangingtheirvalues:Saul’sreligiousconversionontheroadtoDamascus;thecharity work of the disgraced British cabinet minister John Profumo and theAmerican junk-bond king Michael Milken; the animal-rights activism of thenotoriousrockerOzzyOsbourne;theremorseofHitler’sarchitectAlbertSpeer;and perhaps the most impressive example, the courageous transformationsachievedbymillionsofmembersofAlcoholicsAnonymous.

Theseexamplesareupliftinginthesensethattheyoffereachofusthehopeofredemption.Butupliftingthoughtheymaybe,weshouldbearinmindthatthesepeopledidnotchangetheirbasicnatureor,aswewilldefinelater,theirtalents.They simply redirected their talents toward very different and more positiveends. Thus, the lesson we should draw from these people is not that eachperson’stalentsareinfinitelymalleableorthattheycanbeanythingtheywanttobe if they just apply themselves. Rather, the lesson is that talents, like

intelligence,arevalueneutral.Ifyouwanttochangeyourlifesothatothersmaybenefitfromyourstrengths,thenchangeyourvalues.Don’twastetimetryingtochangeyourtalents.

Thesameappliestoself-awareness.Overtimeeachofusbecomesmoreandmore aware of who we really are. This growing awareness of self is vital tostrengthbuildingbecauseitallowseachofustoidentifymoreclearlyournaturaltalentsandtocultivatethesetalentsintostrengths.Unfortunately,thisprocessisnotalwayssmooth.Someofus identifyour talentsaccuratelyenoughbut thenwishwewere blessedwith different ones. LikeMozart’s rival, Salieri, in thefilmAmadeus,webecomeincreasinglybitteraswetryandfailtoconjurenewtalentsfromwithin.Whenweareinthismode,wearen’tmuchfuntobearound.Nomatterhowmanyclasseswetake,nomatterhowmanybooksweread,itstillgrates,itisstillhard,anditstilldoesn’tseemtogetanyeasier.Ifyouhaveeverfoundyourselfinarolethataskedyoutobesomethingyouarenot,youknowhowthisfeels.

Andthensuddenlywehavearevelation.“Ishouldneverhavetakenthissalesjob. I hate bothering people.” Or maybe “I’m not a manager! I much preferdoingmyownworkthanbeingresponsibleforotherpeople’s.”Wereturntoourstrengthspath,andourfriends,impressedbyallthegoodthingsthathappenasaresult—ourproductivityincrease,ourattitudeimprovement—lookatusandsay,“Wow,lookathim.Hechanged.”

Well, no, the exact opposite has happened.What looks on the surface liketransformation is actually acceptance of some things that can never betransformed — talents. We don’t change. We simply accept our talents andrefocusourlivesaroundthem.Webecomemoreself-aware.

Inordertobuildyourstrengths,youwillneedtodothesame.

SKILLSSkills bring structure to experiential knowledge. What does this mean? It

meansthat,whatevertheactivity,atsomepointasmartpersonwillsitbackandformalize all the accumulated knowledge into a sequence of steps that, iffollowed, will lead to performance — not necessarily great performance butacceptableperformancenonetheless.

To illustrate, let’s return to General Powell for a moment. After studyingGeneral Powell and other public speakers, this smart person will realize thatgreatspeakersalwaysseemtostartbytellingtheaudiencewhattheyaregoingtosay.Thentheyproceedtodoexactlythat.Thentheyclosebyremindingtheaudience about what they have heard. This sequence becomes themost basicskillofpublicspeaking:

1. Alwaysstartbytellingpeoplewhatyouaregoingtotellthem.

2. Tellthem.

3. Tellthemwhatyouhavetoldthem.

Followthissequenceofsteps,andyouwillbeabetterpublicspeaker.

If our smart person studies a little more, he will soon realize that GeneralPowell, aswith other great speakers,was not speaking extemporaneously.Onthecontrary,heknewexactlywhatstorieshewasgoing to tell,andmore thanlikelyhehadpracticedthosestoriesoutloudbyhimself,playingwiththewords,the emphasis, the timing. Our smart person might then take this insight andformalizeitintothesecondskillofpublicspeaking.

1. Writedownanystoryorfactorexamplethatresonateswithyou.

2. Practicetellingitoutloud.Listentoyourselfactuallysayingthewords.

3. Thesestorieswillbecomeyour“beads,”asinthebeadsofanecklace.

4. Allyouhavetodowhengivingaspeechisstringyourbeadsintheappropriateorder,andyouwillgiveaspeechthatseemsasnaturalas

conversation.

5. Use3-by-5cardsoraclippingfiletokeepaddingnewbeadstoyourstring.

Skillsenableyoutoavoidtrialanderrorandtoincorporatedirectlyintoyourperformancethebestdiscoveriesfromthebestperformers.Ifyouwanttobuildyour strengths, whether in selling, marketing, financial analysis, flying, orhealing,youwillneedtolearnandpracticealltherelevantskillsavailable.

But be careful. Skills are so enticingly helpful that they obscure their twoflaws.Thefirstflawisthatwhileskillswillhelpyouperform,theywillnothelpyouexcel.Ifyoulearntheskillsofpublicspeaking,youmaywindupbeingabetterpublicspeakerthanyouwerebefore,butlackingthenecessarytalents,youwill neverbe asgoodasGeneralPowell.TheGeneral isblessedwith a talentthat enables him to becomemorearticulatewhenhe is onstage. Somehowhisbrainfiltersthefacesofthepeopleinfrontofhimandbringshimmorewords,better words, fast. Without this talent you might follow the step-by-stepsequenceoftheskillbutstillstruggletodeliverasublimeperformance.Thus,inthe same way that learning the grammar of language will not help you writebeautiful prose, learning a skill will not necessarily lead to near perfectperformance in any activity. Without underlying talent, learning a skill is asurvivaltechnique,notapathtoglory.

The second flaw is that some activities, almost by definition, defy beingbroken down into steps. Take empathy, for example. Empathy is the talent topickuponthefeelingsofotherpeople.Nomatterhowsmartyouare,canyoureally break empathy down into a series of measured steps? Surely empathyhappensinthemoment.Asyoutalktosomeone,younoticeaminusculepausebeforehementionssomeone’sname.Youinstinctivelyrealizethathehaspausedevery time he was about to mention this person’s name. You ask about thisperson, andwhen responding, he is a little too effusive. It’s something in hisvoice.Heisonedecibeltooloud,onetonetoopositive.Andjustthenyourbrain

handstheexplanationtoyou:Heisdeeplyupsetwiththisperson.

This is what real empathy is like — immediate, instantaneous, instinctive.Whenyouthinkaboutit,thisiswhatrealassertivenessislike.Thisiswhatrealstrategicthinkingislike.Thisiswhatrealcreativityislike.Nomatterhowsmarttheobserver,nomatterhowwell-intentioned,heisnotgoingtobeabletobreakthese activities down into preplanned steps. In fact, as you may haveexperienced,hiseffortstodosomayactuallyendupconfusingyou.

Thebottomlineonskillsisthis:Askillisdesignedtomakethesecretsofthebesteasilytransferable.Ifyoulearnaskill,itwillhelpyougetalittlebetter,butitwillnotcoverforalackoftalent.Instead,asyoubuildyourstrengths,skillswillactuallyprovemostvaluablewhentheyarecombinedwithgenuinetalent.

Talent

“Whichaspectsofyouareenduring?”

Wehavebeeninvokingtheword“talent”forthelastfewpages.Nowit’stimeto investigate itmorefully.What is talent?Whyareyour talentsenduringandunique?Andwhyareyourtalentssoimportanttostrengthbuilding?Let’stakethesequestionsonebyone.

WHATISTALENT?

Talentisoftendescribedas“aspecialnaturalabilityoraptitude,”butforthepurposes of strength building we suggest a more precise and comprehensivedefinition,which is derived fromour studies of greatmanagers. Talent is anyrecurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productivelyapplied. Thus, if you are instinctively inquisitive, this is a talent. If you arecompetitive, this is a talent. If you are charming, this is a talent. If you arepersistent, this isa talent. Ifyouare responsible, this isa talent.Any recurringpattern of thought, feeling, or behavior is a talent if this pattern can beproductivelyapplied.

Bythisdefinitionevenseeminglynegativetraitscanbecalledtalents if theycanbeproductivelyapplied.Obstinacy?Beingobstinate is a talent ifyou findyourself in a role where sticking to your guns in the face of overwhelmingresistanceisaprerequisiteforsuccess—asalesrole,forexample,oralawyerina courtroom. Nervousness? Being nervous is a talent if it causes you to askyourself “What if?” and to anticipate potential pitfalls and design contingencyplans.Thiskindofscenarioplanningcanproveveryproductiveinavarietyofroles.

Even a “frailty” such as dyslexia is a talent if you can figure out away to

apply it productively. David Boies is dyslexic. Boies was the United Statesgovernment’slawyerinitsantitrustsuitagainstthesoftwaregiantMicrosoft.HewastheonewhoworedownBillGateswithhispersistentlypolitequestioningduring the pretrial deposition and who won over the judge with his clearexpositionofthegovernment’scase.Hisdyslexiacauseshimtoshyawayfromlong, complicated words. He knows what these words mean but doesn’t usethem in his arguments because, as he described in a recent interview, “I amafraid that I will mispronounce them.” Happily, this need to rely on simplewords makes his arguments very easy to follow. Furthermore, without hisnecessarily intending it, he comes across as a commonsensical man of thepeople.Hisstraightforwardlanguagesendsthemessage“Idon’tknowanymorethanyou. I amsimply trying togetmyheadaroundadifficult subject, just asyouare.”

ForDavidBoiesdyslexiaisatalentbecausehehasfiguredoutawaytoapplythis recurring pattern productively and, by combining it with knowledge andskills,toturnitintoastrength.

Thisisobviouslyanextremeandrareexample,butitservestomakethepoint:Yourtalentsarethoserecurringpatternsofthought,feeling,orbehaviorthatyoucanproductivelyapply.

WHYAREYOURTALENTSENDURINGANDUNIQUE?

Whatcreatesinyoutheserecurringpatterns?Ifyoudon’tmuchcareforyourpatterns, can you stitch a new design? The answers to these questions are (a)yourrecurringpatternsarecreatedbytheconnectionsinyourbrain;and(b)no,beyond a certain age you are not going to be able to stitch a completely newdesign—yourtalentsareenduring.

Given the large sums of money that companies spend on remediationprograms, in effect trying to reconfigure people’s brains for empathy orcompetitivenessorstrategicthinking,wehadbetterexplain(b).Fortunately,(a)

explains (b). Ifyouknowhowyourbrain’s threadsarewoven,youknowwhytheyaresohardtoreweave.Solet’slookmorecloselyat(a).

Thebrainisanoddorganinthatitseemstogrowbackward.Yourliver,yourkidneys, and, thankfully,your skin all start small andbecomegradually largeruntil they reach the appropriate adult size. With your brain, the oppositehappens.Yourbraingetsverybigveryquicklyandthenshrinksandshrinksintoadulthood.Mostbizarreofall,asyourbrainbecomessmallerandsmaller,youbecomesmarterandsmarter.

Thesecrettomakingsenseofthistopsy-turvyorgancanbefoundinwhatiscalled a “synapse.” A synapse is a connection between two brain cells thatenablesthecells(alsocalledneurons)tocommunicatewithoneanother.Thesesynapsesareyourthreads,andyouneedtoknowaboutthembecause,asitsaysinoneneurology textbook,“Behaviordependson the formationofappropriateinterconnectionsamongneuronsinthebrain.”

Putmoreplainly,yoursynapsescreateyourtalents.

So how are your synaptic connections made? Forty-two days after you areconceived,yourbrainexperiencesafour-monthgrowthspurt.Actually,theword“spurt” doesn’t do justice to the sheer scale of what happens. On your forty-seconddayyoucreateyourfirstneuron,and120dayslateryouhaveahundredbillionofthem.That’sastaggering9,500newneuronseverysecond.Butoncethisexplosiondiesdown,muchoftheneurondramaisover.Youhaveahundredbillionwhenyouareborn, andyouhaveabout thatmanyupuntil latemiddleage.

Elsewhere inyourbrain,however, therealdrama, thesynapsedrama, is justbeginning.Sixtydaysbeforeyourbirthyourneuronsstarttryingtocommunicatewith one another. Each neuron reaches out— literally “reaches out” a strandcalled an axon— and attempts tomake a connection.Whenever a successfulconnectionismade,asynapseisformed,andduringthefirstthreeyearsofyour

life,yourneuronsprovephenomenallysuccessfulatmakingtheseconnections.In fact, by the age of three each of your hundred billion neurons has formedfifteenthousandsynapticconnectionswithotherneurons.Justtobeclear,that’sfifteen thousand connections for each of your hundred billion neurons. Yourpatternofthreads,extensive,intricate,andunique,iswoven.

Butthensomethingstrangehappens.Forsomereasonnaturenowpromptsyoutoignorealotofyourcarefullywoventhreads.Aswithmostthings,threadsthatareneglectedfallintodisrepair,andsoacrossyournetworkconnectionsstarttobreak.Youbecomesoinattentivetopartsofyourmentalnetworkthatbetweenthe ages of three and fifteen you lose billions and billions of these carefullyforged synaptic connections. By the time you wake up on your sixteenthbirthday,halfyournetworkisgone.

Andthebadnewsisthatyoucan’trebuildit.Yes,overthecourseofyourlifeyourbraindoesretainsomeofitsearlyplasticity.Forexample,itnowappearsthatlearningandmemoryrequiretheformationofnewsynapticconnections,asdoesfiguringouthowtocopewiththelossofalimboryoureyesight.However,formostpracticalpurposes, theconfigurationofyourmentalnetwork,with itsrangeof stronger toweakerconnections,doesn’tchangemuchafteryourmid-teens.

Thisallsoundsveryodd.Whywouldnaturedothis?Whywoulditexpendsomuchenergycreatingthisnetworkonlytoletlargechunksofitwitheranddie?Theanswer to thisquestion,aseducator JohnBruerdescribes inhisbookTheMythoftheFirstThreeYears,isthatwhenitcomestothebrain,“lessismore.”Parentshangblack-and-whitemobilesandplayMozartCDsinthecribinordertostimulatesynapsecreationintheirchild,buttheyaremissingthepoint.It isnottruethatthemoresynapticconnectionsyouhave,thesmarteryouareorthemore effective.Rather, your smartness and your effectiveness depend on howwell you capitalize on your strongest connections. Nature forces you to shutdownbillionsofconnectionspreciselysothatyoucanbefreeduptoexploitthe

ones remaining. Losing connections isn’t something to be concerned about.Losingconnectionsisthepoint.

Initially,naturegivesyoumoreconnectionsthanyouwilleverneedbecauseduringthosefirstfewyears,youhaveagreatdealtosoakup.Butsoakingupisall you are doing. You are not yet making sense of your world. You can’tbecausewith thisabundanceofconnectionsyouareoverwhelmedbysomanysignalsfromsomanydifferentdirections.Tomakesenseofyourworldyouwillhavetoshutoutsomeofthisnoiseinyourhead.Naturehelpsyoudojust thatoverthenextdecade.Yourgeneticinheritanceandearlychildhoodexperiencesassistyouinfindingsomeconnectionssmootherandeasiertousethanothers—the competitive connection, perhaps, or the inquisitiveness connection or thestrategicthinkingconnection.Youaredrawntotheseconnectionstimeandtimeagainuntiltheybecometighterandtauter.TouseanInternetanalogy,theseareyoursuperfastT1lines.Herethesignalsareloudandstrong.

Meanwhile, ignored and unused, other connections in other parts of yournetworkwitheraway.Nosignalatallcanbeheard.Forexample,ifyouendupwith a T1 line for competitiveness, when you see numbers, you cannot helpusingthemtocompareyourperformancewithotherpeople’s.Orifyouwindupwith a T1 line for inquisitiveness, you are the kind of personwho can’t helpasking why. At the other extreme, you may lose your center-of-attentionconnection.UnlikeGeneralPowell,yourbrainfreezeswhenyoufeeltheeyesofthe audience on you. Or perhaps you have no connection for empathy.Rationally,youunderstand that empathy is important,butmomentbymomentyoujustcan’tseemtopickupthesignalsthatotherpeoplearesending.

Onamicroscopiclevelyourmentalnetwork,rangingfromsmoothT1linesallthe way to broken connections, explains why certain behaviors and reactions“just feel right” toyou,whileothers,nomatterhowhardyoupractice,alwaysseem stilted and forced. This is as it should be. If nature didn’twhittle downyour network to a smaller number of strongly forged connections, youwould

neverbecomeanadult.Youwouldremainapermanentchild,frozeninsensoryoverload.

AuthorJorgeBorgesimaginedwhatsuchacharactermightbelike.Hetoldofaboy“possessedofaninfinitememory.Nothingescapeshim;allofhissensoryexperience,pastandpresent,persistsinhismind;drownedinparticulars,unabletoforgetthechangingformationsofallthecloudshehasseen,hecannotformgeneralideas,andtherefore…cannotthink.”Aboylikethiswouldn’tbeabletofeel,either,orbuildrelationshipsormakedecisionsofanykind.Hewouldlackpersonality,preference,judgment,andpassion.Hewouldbetalentless.

Tosaveyoufromthisfate,natureandnurturereinforcesomeconnectionsandallowbillionsofotherstofadeaway.Andsoyouemerge—adistinctlytalentedindividual blessed and/or cursed to react to theworld in your own enduringlyuniqueway.

Many of us may find it hard to convince ourselves of this enduringuniqueness. Our talents come so easily to us that we acquire a false sense ofsecurity:Doesn’teveryoneseetheworldasIdo?Doesn’teveryonefeelasenseofimpatiencetogetthisprojectstarted?Doesn’teveryonewanttoavoidconflictandfindthecommonground?Can’teveryoneseetheobstacleslyinginwaitifweproceeddownthispath?Ourtalentsfeelsonaturaltousthattheyseemtobecommonsense.Onsomelevelitisquitecomfortingtobelievethatthe“sense”wemakeoftheworldis“common”toeveryone.

Butintruthoursenseisn’tcommonatall.Thesensewemakeoftheworldisindividual.Our“sense,”ourrecurringpatternofthought,feeling,orbehavior,iscaused by our uniquemental network. This network serves as a filter, sortingandsifting theworldweencounter, causingus tozero inonsomestimuli andmissothersentirely.

To illustrate this, imagine that you are sitting down for dinner with fiveacquaintances in a favorite restaurant. Let’s say that you are blessedwith the

talentofempathy,soinsituationssuchas thisyourmentalfiltercausesyoutowonder how everyone is feeling tonight.You smile at each person, ask a fewquestions,andinstinctivelystarttuningyourfrequencytopickuptheemotionalsignals emanating from each one. And as you look around the table, it istempting—and,tobefrank,easier—toassumethatroughlythesamethoughtsarerunningthrougheveryone’smind.

But of course they aren’t. One of your companions has apologized forshowinguplateandiswonderingwhetherheshouldoffertopayfordinnerbywayofrestitution.Asweshalldescribelater,thisisthetalentofResponsibility.Anotheristryingtoguesswhateachpersonwillbeorderingtonight—thetalentofIndividualization.Anotherishopingthatshewillmanagetosqueezeintotheseatnexttoherclosestfriendsothatshewillhaveachanceto“reallycatchup”— the talent of Relator, of building in-depth relationships. Still another isworried that twoof thepartywill start arguing“like the last timeweallwentout” and so is figuring outways to steer the conversation away from volatilesubjects — the talent of Harmony, of building consensus. Your last dinnercompanionisoblivioustoall thisandismentallyrehearsingafunnystorythathehopestotelllater—thetalentofCommunication,offindingdramainwords.

Fivefriendsinthesamesituation,eachfilteringitinwaysradicallydifferentfromyourown.Inasocialcontexttheseuniquefilterscanhelpexplainwhythesixofyouhavesuchlivelyconversationsandwhyeachpersonseemsjustalittlemysterious to theothers. Inaworkcontext the fact that eachperson’s filter isuniqueprovidesrathermorepracticalexplanations.Forexample,haveyouevertried and failed to persuade someone, using simple and easy-to-understandlanguage,toseethingsyourway?Itcanbeveryfrustrating.Youtoldhimhowitis,youlaidthingsoutclearlyandconvincingly,andyethestillwanderedoffanddidsomethingcompletelydifferent.Wasn’thelistening?Ifhedidn’tagree,whydidn’t he just say so?Whymust youkeephaving the same conversationwithhimoverandover?

It isobviousnowthat theanswer toall thesequestions isnot thathewasn’tlistening or that he was being deliberately contrary. The answer is that hecouldn’t look throughyoureyes.His filterdidn’tallowhim to.Heunderstoodyourwords,buthecouldn’tseeyourworld.Imaginetryingtoexplainthecolorpurple to someone who is color-blind, and you will get an idea of what ishappeningwiththatperson.Nomatterhoweloquentyourdescriptionofpurple,hewillneverseeit.

Perhaps thisoverstatesour inherent separation fromoneanother.Obviously,we are not totally isolated by our uniqueness. Each of us sharesmany of thesamethoughtsandfeelingsasourfellowman.Regardlessofthecultureinwhichwewereraised,eachofusisfamiliarwithemotionssuchasfear,pain,shame,and pride. In his recent book How the Mind Works, Steven Pinker, theMassachusettsInstituteofTechnologyprofessor,describesafamousexperiment,whichdebunksthenotionthatindividualsfromdifferentcultureshaveradicallydifferent personalities. A couple of sociologists showed New Guineanhighlanders a series of photographs of Stanford University students. Eachphotograph depicted an American student’s face in the throes of an extremeemotion: happiness, love, disgust, or pain. The sociologists then asked thehighlanders to name the emotion behind each face. Despite their lack offamiliarity with photographs in general and with Anglo-American features inparticular,theyrecognizedeverysingleemotion.

On some level this is a pleasing discovery. It reinforces the notion that nomatterwhatourculturalheritage,wecanindeedrelatetooneanother.However,discoveries such as these do not refute what we have been saying about theuniquenessofeachindividual’sfilter.Theboundariesofhumanexperiencearefinite (ifyouhaven’texperiencedemotionssuchaspainor fearorshame,youareeitherasociopathoranalien),butwithintheseboundariesthereissignificantrangeanddiversity.Regardlessofrace,sex,orage,somepeoplelovepressureandsomepeoplehateit,somestriveforsignificanceandsomelivecomfortably

inthecrowd,somerevelinconfrontationandsomeyearnforharmony.

Themostinterestingdifferencesbetweenpeoplearerarelyafunctionofraceor sex or age; they are a function of each person’s network of mentalconnections.Asan individualemployeeresponsiblebothforyourperformanceand for directing your own career, it is vital that you gain an accurateunderstandingofhowyourmentalconnectionsaregrooved.Asamanageryoumust take the time to identify the distinct talents of your staff. In the nextchapter, with the help of some clues to talent and the StrengthsFinder Profileitself, we will help you do this. But before we do, one last question begs ananswer.

WHYAREYOURTALENTSSOIMPORTANTTOSTRENGTHBUILDING?

The acid test of a strength is that you can do it consistently and nearlyperfectly. By defining your talents as your strongest synaptic connections,wecannowseewhyitisimpossibletobuildastrengthwithoutunderlyingtalent.

Everydayatworkyouhavedecisionstomake.Yourtalents,yourmentalT1lines, dominate the decision-making. Our concern here is not with the majordecisionssuchaswhethertorelocateafactoryfromtheUnitedStatestoEuropeorwhethertomovesomeonefromsalesintomarketing.Ourconcerniswiththethousandsofsmalldecisionsthatconfrontyouthroughouttheday.Whilesittingatyourdesk,youlookatthefilesspreadoutinfrontofyou.Whichoneshouldyouopen?Theonethatrequiresverylittleworkorthetoughonethatmighttakethe whole morning to complete? You open the latter. You are like that. Youprefertotacklethedifficultworkfirst.Thenthephonerings.Doyouignoreit,preferringtostayfocusedonthetaskathand,ordoyoupickitup?Ifyoupickitup, do you recognize the person’s voice? Do you remember his name?Whattone of voice do you use? If he confronts you with a challenge, do youimmediately defend yourself, or do you allow him to get everything off his

chest?Oneafteranother, inanendlessprocession, these smallchoicespresentthemselves.

Unable to intellectualize everyminute decision, you are compelled to reactinstinctively.Yourbraindoeswhatnaturealwaysdoesinsituationssuchasthis:Itfindsandfollowsthepathofleastresistance,yourtalents.Achoiceappears,youareimmediatelywhiskedawaydownoneofyourT1lines,and—bam—the decision is made. Another choice. Another trip down a T1 line. Anotherdecision.

The sum of these tiny decisions— let’s say a thousand a day— is yourperformance for the day. Multiply this number by five, and you get yourperformance for theweek.Multiply by, let’s say, 240working days, and youhave your performance for the year. Roughly 240,000 decisions, and yourtalents,yourstrongestsynapticconnections,madealmosteveryoneofthem.

Thatexplainswhyitisvirtuallyimpossibletocreatenearperfectperformanceby simply teaching someone a new skill. As we described earlier, when youlearnaskill,whatyoulearnare thestepsofanactivity.With the learningyoumayweaveafewnewconnections,butyoudonot learnhowtoreweaveyourentirenetwork.Thenewskillyoujustacquiredmaybeabletointerveneinafewdecisionsandredirectyoudownoneofyourweakerconnections,butonlyafew.ThedecisionsaretoonumerousandtooimmediatefortheskilltoblockoffyourT1 lines completely and create a consistent and significant change in yourbehavior. Skills determine if you can do something, whereas talents revealsomethingmoreimportant:howwellandhowoftenyoudoit.

Forexample,ifyoulackthetalentofempathybuthaveattendedanempathyskillsclass,youmaynowknowthatyouaresupposedtobeonthelookoutforemotionalcuesorthatyoushouldrepeatbacktothepersonyourunderstandingof what has been said so he can feel “heard.” During the heat of theconversation,however,yourbrainmaykeepchannelingyoudownyourT1lines,

whichunfortunatelyarenotthosedealingwithempathy.Soyouinterruptwhenyou should be “reflecting back.” You look away when you should be“maintainingeyecontact.”Youfindyourselfshufflinginyourseateventhoughyourbodylanguageissupposedtobe“openandaccepting.”Occasionallyyourrationalmindmayremindyoutopauseortoaskopen-endedquestions,butevenhereyourpausesareslightlytoolong,yourquestionsalittletoopointed.Allinall,despiteyourbest intentions,yourperformance remainsclumsyanderratic,thekaraokeversionofempathy.

Of course, a karaoke version of empathy can sometimes be better than noversionatall.Ifyouaresooblivioustootherpeople’sfeelingsthatyoualienateallthosearoundyou,aremindertopauseortoaskanopen-endedquestiononceinawhilemaybejustthehelpyouneed.Thepointhereisnotthatyoushouldalwaysforgothiskindofweaknessfixing.Thepointisthatyoushouldseeitforwhat it is: damage control, not development. And as we mentioned earlier,damagecontrolcanpreventfailure,butitwillneverelevateyoutoexcellence.

Some people challenge the notion that after the age of sixteen yourmentalnetworkisrelativelyfixed.Pointingtosynapticgrowthinoverstimulatedadultrats and in adult human amputees, they imply that, with enough repetition,training does reconfigure the brain. Superficially, they are correct. Adult ratsplaced in an exciting rat world of mazes, tasks, and games do grow moresynapses than their bored brethren in empty cages. Likewise, an adult humanwho has had a limb amputated does seem to undergo some mentalreconfigurationashisbrainattemptstorestoreitsequilibrium.Theystretchtheimplications of these discoveries too far, however, when they say that youshouldactivelytrytoredesignyourbrainthroughtrainingandrepetition.

Althoughlearningthroughrepetitionmayresult inafewnewconnections, itwillnothelpyoucreateanynewsuperfastT1lines.Withoutunderlyingtalent,training won’t create a strength. Also, repetition in an attempt to carve newconnectionsissimplyaninefficientwaytolearn.AsJohnBruerdescribesinThe

MythoftheFirstThreeYears,naturehasdevelopedthreewaysforyoutolearnas an adult: Continue to strengthen your existing synaptic connections (ashappens when you perfect a talent with relevant skills and knowledge), keeplosingmoreofyourextraneousconnections(asalsohappenswhenyoufocusonyourtalentsandallowotherconnectionstodeteriorate),ordevelopafewmoresynaptic connections. The least efficient of the three is the last because yourbody has to expend relatively large amounts of energy creating the biologicalinfrastructure(bloodvessels,alpha-integrinproteins,andthelike)tocreatethesenewconnections.

Finally,thedangerofrepetitivetrainingwithoutunderlyingtalentisthatyouburnoutbeforeyounetany improvement.To improveatanyactivity requirespersistence. Inorder towithstand the temptation to slackenoff,youneed fuel.Youneedawaytoderiveenergyfromtheprocessofimprovingsothatyoucankeep improving. Unfortunately, when you repeatedly try to mend a brokenconnection,theoppositehappens.Itdrainsyouofenergy.Nomatterhowwell-conceived the training, your movements remain jerky and disjointed. Youpracticeandpractice,butitstillfeelsunnaturalandunsatisfying.Andsincethereisnopsychicreinforcement,itishardtogearyourselfuptotryagain.Mendingabrokenconnectioncanquicklybecomeanalienating,thanklesstask.

Most organizations, with their heavy emphasis on weakness fixing, ignorehowdeadeningitcanbe.And,ironically,recentadvancesintrainingtechniqueshave only made the situation worse. Today the most advanced trainingtechniquessuggestthat“learningisnotaneventbutaprocess,”andsoemphasisisplacedontheongoingsupportprovidedtoparticipantsafterthetrainingclass.Thisapproachisfruitfulaslongastheparticipantspossessthenecessarytalent.Iftheydon’t,however,thiskindoftrainingwillinevitablyproducetheoppositereactionfromtheoneintended.Insteadofcreatinginthemlastingimprovement,itwillgrindthemdown.

Imagine an employee who struggles with thinking strategically. He is

encouragedbyhiscompanytoattendtheirstate-of-the-artstrategyskillstrainingprogram.Thenafter theclass iscompleted,someoneisassignedtofollowhimaroundforacoupleofmonths.This“coach”observeshiminmeetings,rateshimon his strategic thinking, points out his tiny improvements, and offerssuggestionsforhowtoimproveinthoseareaswhereheisstillweak.Allofthisis intended to help, but can you imagine anything more annoying for theemployee?Everydayhiscoachremindshimoftheinsightshemissed,theclueshe failed to spot, the connections that went begging. And every day theemployeebecomesalittlemoreconfused,alittlemorefrustrated,andalotlesssureofhimself.

Contrast his predicamentwith the feeling you get when you repeatedly useyourtalents.Talentshavenotonlyan“Ican’thelpit”qualitytothembutalsoan“it feels good” quality. Somehow nature has crafted you so that with yourstrongestconnectionsthesignalsflowbothways.Yourtalentcausesyoutoreactinaparticularway,andimmediatelyagoodfeelingseemstoshootbackuptheT1line.Withthesesignalsflowingsmoothlybackandforth,itfeelsasifthelineisreverberating,humming.Thisisthefeelingofusingatalent.

By imbuing talentswith their own built-in feedbackmechanism, nature hasensured that youwill keep trying to use them. In a sense, talents are nature’sattemptataperpetualmotionmachine.Naturecausesyoutoreacttotheworldin certain recurring ways, and by making those reactions feel satisfying, itpushesyou to react in thatwayagainandagain,ad infinitum.Thus,whileweshould still be amazed by Cal Ripken’s 2,216 consecutive baseball games,Bettina’stwenty-oneyearsofhousekeeping,andCharlesSchulz’sfortyyearsofcartooning,wecanatleastexplainwheretheyweregettingsomeoftheirfuel.

*

Yourtalents,yourstrongestsynapticconnections,arethemostimportantrawmaterial for strength building. Identify yourmost powerful talents, hone them

withskillsandknowledge,andyouwillbewellonyourwaytolivingthestronglife.

Sonowcomestheinevitablequestion:Iftalentsarevitaltostrengthbuilding,how can you identify yours? The irony is that since they influence everydecision youmake, you are already intimately familiar with your talents. Yettheyaresoinfluential,sointerwoveninthefabricofyourlife,thatthepatternofeachoneishardtodiscern.Hidinginplainsight,theydefydescription.Buttheydoleavetraces.Asweshallseenext,topinpointyourtalentsyouneedtochangethewayyoulookatyourselfsothatyoucanspotthesetraces.

CHAPTER3StrengthsFinder

THETRACESOFTALENT

THESTRENGTHSFINDERPROFILE

TheTracesofTalent

“Howcanyouidentifyyourowntalents?”

First, if you want to reveal your talents, monitor your spontaneous, top-of-mind reactions to the situations you encounter. These top-of-mind reactionsprovidethebesttraceofyourtalents.Theyrevealthelocationofstrongmentalconnections.

Kathie P., a senior manager for a computer software company, gave us adramaticexample.Shewasboundforhercompany’sannualsalesmeetingintheDominicanRepublic.Squeezingintohertinyseatsheglancedaroundhertoseewhowassharingthepuddle jumper.Spreadout in thebackrowwasBrad, theaggressive,opinionated,andimpatientCEO.InfrontofhimwasAmy,ageniusatthedetailsofsoftwaredesign,thebestinthecompany.AcrossfromherwasMartin, a gregarious, charming Brit who through his network of contacts hadsinglehandedlyturnedaroundtheirflaggingEuropeanoperations.AndthentherewasGerry,theinsipidheadofmarketingwhoasusualhadangledhiswayintotheseatnexttoBrad.

“The problems began right after takeoff,” Kathie recalled. “We had justcleared the clouds when the alarm went off. I didn’t even know planes hadalarms,but suddenly it startedbraying likeadonkey—eee-aww,eee-aww—filling the cabin with this terrible sound. The main lights went out, and theemergencylightsstartedflashingred.AsIfelttheplanedropwhatseemedlikeathousandfeetinasecondortwo,Ilookedthroughtheopencabindoorandsawbothpilots,necksflushedandstiff,turntoeachother.Isensedimmediatelythatneitherofthemhadanyideawhatwasgoingon.

“Therewasamomentofsilenceinthecabin—shock,Iimagine—andthensuddenlyeveryonestarted talkingatonce.Amycranedoverandsaid, ‘Kathie,

canyouseethedials?Canyouseethedials?’MartinpulledoutatinybottleofSmirnofffromhisbagandjokinglycriedout,‘Atleastgivemeonelastdrink!’Gerrystartedrockingbackandforth,moaning,‘Weareallgoingtodie.Weareallgoing todie.’Bradwas immediatelyat thecockpitdoor. I stilldon’tknowhowhesqueezedoutofthosebackseats,buttherehewas,screamingatthetopofhislungs,‘Whatthehelldoyouthinkyouguysaredoinguphere?’

“Me?WhatwasIdoing?”Kathiesaid.“Watching,Isuppose,asalways.Thefunnythingwas,nothingwaswrongwiththeplaneatall.Afaultysystemhadtriggeredthealarm,andthenthepilotshadjustpanickedandpushedtheplaneintoasharpdescent.”

Eachofthesereactionsunderextremestressrevealeddominanttalentsandtosomeextenthelpedexplaineachperson’sperformanceonthejob.Kathie’skeenobservations of human nature undoubtedly contributed to her success as amanager.Amy’sinstinctiveneedforprecisionwasthefoundationforhergeniusat software design. Martin’s ability to find the humor in every situation hadpresumably endeared him to his growing network of European clients. Brad’scompulsion to takechargewas thefoundationforhis leadership.EvenGerry’swailingwasconfirmationofhis suspectbackbone (thisone isnota true talentsinceitishardtoseewhereandhowitcouldbeappliedproductively).

While this is a dramatic example of how people reveal themselves understress, daily life offers thousands of less intense situations that also provokerevealingreactions.

Thinkofa recentpartywhereyoudidn’tknowmostof theguests.Whodidyouspendthemajorityofyourtimewith,thoseyoukneworthoseyoudidn’t?Ifyou were drawn to the strangers, you may be a natural extrovert, and yourbehaviormaywell reflect the theme“Woo,”defined laterasan innateneed towinothersover.Conversely,ifyouactivelysoughtoutyourclosestfriendsandhung outwith them all evening, resenting the intrusions of strangers, this is a

goodsignthatRelator—anaturaldesiretodeepenexistingrelationships—isoneofyourleadingthemes.

Recallthelasttimethatoneofyouremployeestoldyouhecouldnotcometowork because his child was sick. What was your first thought? If youimmediatelyfocusedontheillchild,askingwhatwaswrongandwhowasgoingto take care of her, thismay be a clue that Empathy is one of your strongestthemesof talent.But ifyourmind instinctively jumped to thequestionofwhowould fill in for the missing employee, the theme Arranger— the ability tojugglemanyvariablesatonce—isprobablyadominanttalent.

Orhowaboutthelasttimeyouhadtomakeadecisionwhenyoudidnothaveall the facts? If you relished the uncertainty, sure in your belief that anymovement,eveninthewrongdirection,wouldleadtoaclearerperspective,youareprobablyblessedwiththethemeActivator,definedasabiasforactioninthefaceofambiguity.Ifyoustoppedshort,delayingactionuntilmorefactsbecameavailable,astrongAnalyticalthememaywellbetheexplanation.Eachofthesetop-of-mind reactions impliesdistinctpatternsofbehavior and thereforeofferscluestoyourtalents.

While your spontaneous reactions provide the clearest trace of your talents,here are three more clues to keep in mind: yearnings, rapid learning, andsatisfactions.

Yearningsrevealthepresenceofatalent,particularlywhentheyarefeltearlyinlife.AttenyearsofagetheactorsMattDamonandBenAffleck,alreadyclosefriends, would find a quiet spot in the school cafeteria and hold meetings todiscusstheirlatestacting“projects.”AtthirteenPicassowasalreadyenrolledinadultartschool.AtfivethearchitectFrankGehrymadeintricatemodelsontheliving room floor with wood scraps from his father’s hardware store. AndMozarthadwrittenhisfirstsymphonybythetimeheturnedtwelve.

Thesearetheeye-catchingexamples,but thesameholdstrueforeachofus.

Perhapsbecauseofyourgenes,oryourearlyexperiences,asachildyoufoundyourselfdrawntosomeactivitiesandrepelledbyothers.Whileyourbrotherwaschasing his friends around the backyard, you settled down to tinker with thesprinklerhead,pullingitapartsothatyoucouldfigureouthowitworked.Youranalyticalmindwasalreadymakingitspresenceknown.

When your mother, as a surprise on your seventh birthday, took you toMcDonald’sinsteadofhavingapartyathomeasyouhadplannedtogether,youburstintotears.Evenatthistenderageyourdisciplinedmindresentedsurprisesinyourroutine.

These childhood passions are caused by the various synaptic connections inyour brain. The weaker connections manage little pull, and when well-intentionedmothers(orotherterriblecircumstances)forceyoudownaparticularpath,itfeelsstrangeandmakesyoucry.Bycontrast,yourstrongestconnectionsare irresistible. They exert a magnetic influence, drawing you back time andagain.Youfeeltheirpull,andsoyouyearn.

Needless to say, social or financial pressures sometimes drown out theseyearnings and prevent you from acting on them. The Booker Prize-winningnovelist Penelope Fitzgerald, burdened by the demands of providing for herfamilywithoutthehelpofheralcoholichusband,wasn’tabletohonorherurgetowriteuntilwellintoherfifties.Oncereleasedbytheirpermanentseparation,thisurgeprovedasirrepressibleasateenager’s.Overthelasttwentyyearsofherlifeshepublishedtwelvenovels,andbeforeherrecentdeathateighty,shewaswidely considered at the top of her game, “the best of all British novelists,”accordingtooneofherpeers.

Anna Mary Robertson Moses probably holds the record for stymieing apowerfultalent.BornonafarminupstateNewYork,shebegansketchingasayoungchildandwassointentonincorporatingeverynuanceofhersurroundingsthatshemixedthejuiceofberriesandgrapestobringcolortoherdrawings.But

herardentsketchingwassoonpushedasidebythedemandsofthefarminglife,andforsixtyyearsshedidn’tpaintatall.Finally,attheageofseventy-eight,sheretiredfromfarming,allowedherselftheluxuryoflettinghertalentloose,and,likePenelopeFitzgerald,wasquicklybornealoftbyitspent-upenergy.Bythetimeofherdeath twenty-threeyears later shehadpainted thousandsof scenesremembered from her childhood, exhibited her pictures in fifteen one-womanshows,andbecameknownaroundtheworldastheartistGrandmaMoses.

Your yearnings may not prove quite as inexorable as those of GrandmaMoses,buttheywillexertaconsistentpull.Theyhaveto.Youryearningsreflectthe physical reality that some of yourmental connections are simply strongerthan others. So nomatter how repressive the external influences prove to be,thesestrongerconnectionswillkeepcallingouttoyou,demandingtobeheard.Ifyouwanttodiscoveryourtalents,youshouldpaythemheed.

Of course, you can occasionally be derailed by what one might call a“misyearning,” such as yearning to be in public relations because of theimaginedglamourofcocktailpartiesandreceptionsoraspiringtobeamanagerbecauseofaneedtocontrol.(Obviously,thebestwaytodiagnoseamisyearningistointerviewanincumbentintheroleandlearnwhattheday-to-dayrealitiesoftherolearereallylikeoncetheblushhaslefttherose.)Thesefalsesignalsaside,youryearningsareworthfollowingasyoustrivetobuildyourstrengths.

Rapidlearningoffersanothertraceoftalent.Sometimesatalentdoesn’tsignalitselfthroughyearning.Foramyriadofreasons,althoughthetalentexistswithinyou,youdon’thearitscall.Instead,comparativelylateinlife,somethingsparksthe talent, and it is the speed atwhichyou learn a new skill that provides thetelltalecluetothetalent’spresenceandpower.

Unlike Picasso, his precocious contemporary,HenriMatisse didn’t feel anyyearning towardpainting. Infact,by the timehewas twenty-onehehadneverevenpickedupabrush.Hewasalawyer’sclerk,andmostofthetimeasickand

depressedlawyer’sclerk.Oneafternoonwhilehewasrecuperatinginbedafteranotherboutofflu,hismother,insearchofsomething—anything—tolightenhis spirit, put aboxofpaints inhishands.Almost instantlyboth thedirectionand the trajectory of his life changed. He felt a surge of energy as thoughreleased from a dark prison and seeing the light for the first time. Feverishlystudying a “how-to-paint” manual, Matisse filled his days with painting anddrawing.Fouryearslater,withnoschoolingbuthisown,hewasacceptedintothe most prestigious art school in Paris and was studying under the masterGustaveMoreau.

FrederickLawOlmstedneededa similar situation to sparkhis talent, but aswithMatisse,once revealed,his talent launchedhim to levelsof excellence inhisfieldatanunprecedentedpace.Olmsted,arestlessmanwithlittletoshowforhis thirty years, discovered his life’s calling (what today we call landscapearchitecture)whenhevisitedEngland in1850.Therehewas struckby, in hiswords,the“hedges,theEnglishhedges,hawthornhedges,allinblossomandthemild sun beaming through the watery atmosphere.” A few years later, afterreturningtotheUnitedStatesandrefininghisideas,hewonthemostextensivelandscape design competition ever held:NewYork’s Central Park. It was hisfirstcommission.

Youmayhavehadasimilarexperience.Youstart to learnanewskill—inthe context of a new job, a new challenge, or a new environment — andimmediatelyyourbrain seems to lightupas if awholebankof switchesweresuddenly flicked to “on.” The steps of this skill fly down the newly openedconnectionsatsuchspeedthatverysoonthestepsdisappear.Yourmovementslose thedistinctive jerkinessof thenoviceand insteadassume thegraceof thevirtuoso.Youleaveyourclassmatesbehind.Youreadaheadandtrythingsoutbefore the curriculum says you should.You even become unpopularwith thetrainer as you challenge him with new questions and insights. But you don’treally care because this new skill has come to you so naturally that you can’t

waittoputitintopractice.

Ofcourse,noteveryonehasexperiencedeurekamomentsthatdeterminedthedirection of their lifelong career, but whether the skill is selling, presenting,architecturaldrafting,givingdevelopmentalfeedbacktoanemployee,preparinglegal briefs, writing business plans, cleaning hotel rooms, editing newspaperarticles,orbookingguestsonamorningTVshow,ifyoulearneditrapidly,youshouldlookdeeper.Youwillbeabletoidentifythetalentortalentsthatmadeitpossible.

Satisfactionsprovide the last clue to talent.Aswedescribed in thepreviouschapter,yourstrongestsynapticconnectionsaredesignedsothatwhenyouusethem, it feels good. Thus, obviously, if it feels good when you perform anactivity,chancesarethatyouareusingatalent.

Thisseemsalmosttoosimple,muchliketheadvicethat“if itfeelsgood,doit.” Clearly, it is not as simple as this. For various reasons—most of themhaving to do with our psychological history — nature has conspired toencourage a fewofourmore antisocial impulses.For example, haveyou evercaughtyourself feelinggoodwhensomeoneelsestumbles?Haveyouever feltan impulse toput someoneelsedown inpublicor even to shirk responsibilityand blame someone else for your failings? Many people do, no matter howignobleitseems.Eachofthesebehaviorsinvolvesbuildingone’sgoodfeelingsonthebackofsomeoneelse’sbadfeelings.Thesearenotproductivebehaviorsand shouldbeavoided.Aswe saidearlier, thosewhoare tempted touse theirtalentstodelightinotherpeople’sfailureshouldperhapsreexaminetheirvalues.

Youarebetterservedbytuningyourantennatowardidentifyingthosepositiveactivities that seemtobringyoupsychological strengthandsatisfaction.Whenwe interviewed the excellent performers in our study,whatwasmost strikingwasthesheerrangeofactivitiesoroutcomesthatmadepeoplehappy.Initially,when we asked people what aspect of their work they enjoyed the most, we

heard a common refrain: Almost all of them liked their jobwhen theymet achallengeand thenovercame it.However,whenweprobeda littledeeper, thediversity—whattheyactuallymeantby“challenge”—emerged.

Somepeoplederivedsatisfactionfromseeinganotherpersonachievethekindof infinitesimal improvement most of us would miss. Some people lovedbringing order to chaos. Some people reveled in playing the host at a majorevent. Some people delighted in cleanliness, smiling to themselves as theyvacuumed themselves out of a room. Some people were idea lovers. Somepeoplemistrustedideasandinsteadthrilledtotheanalyticalchallengeoffindingthe “truth.” Some people needed tomatch their own standards. Some people,whetherornottheyhadmettheirownstandards,feltemptyiftheyhadn’talsooutperformed their peers. For some people only learning was genuinelymeaningful. For some people only helping others provided meaning. Somepeopleevengotakickoutofrejection—apparentlybecauseitofferedthemthechancetoshowjusthowpersuasivetheycouldbe.

Thislistcouldlegitimatelybecomeaslongastherollcalloftheentirehumanrace.Weareallwovensouniquelythateachofusexperiencesslightlydifferentsatisfactions.Whatwearesuggestinghereisthatyoupaycloseattentiontothesituationsthatseemtobringyousatisfaction.Ifyoucanidentifythem,youarewellonyourwaytopinpointingyourtalents.

How can you identify your sources of satisfaction?Well, we need to treadcarefully here. Telling someone how to know if she is genuinely enjoyingsomethingcanbe asvacuous as tellingherhow toknow if she is in love.Onsomeleveltheonlysageadviceis“Youeitherfeelitoryoudon’t.”

Wewilltakeariskhowever,andofferyouthistip:Whenyouareperforminga particular activity, try to isolate the tense you are thinking in. If all you arethinkingaboutisthepresent—“Whenwill thisbeover?”—morethanlikelyyouarenotusingatalent.Butifyoufindyourselfthinkinginthefuture,ifyou

findyourselfactuallyanticipatingtheactivity—“WhencanIdothisagain?”—itisaprettygoodsignthatyouareenjoyingitandthatoneofyourtalentsisinplay.

*

Spontaneousreactions,yearnings,rapidlearning,andsatisfactionswillallhelpyoudetectthetracesofyourtalents.Asyourushthroughyourbusylife,trytostep back, quiet the windwhipping past your ears, and listen for these clues.Theywillhelpyouzeroinonyourtalents.

TheStrengthsFinderProfile

“Howdoesitwork,andhowdoIcompleteit?”

HOWDOESITWORK?

Probablythebestwaytopinpointyourtalentsistomonitoryourbehaviorandyourfeelingsoveranextendedperiodoftime,payingparticularattentiontotheclueswedescribedabove. Itwouldbehard foranyprofileorquestionnaire tocompetewiththiskindoffocusedanalysis.However,asmanyofusdo,youmaystruggletofindthetimeandtheobjectivitytoanalyzeyourselfinthisway.Youaretoobusyandtooclosetotheaction.

The StrengthsFinder Profile was designed to help you sharpen yourperception.Itpresentsyouwithpairsofstatements,capturesyourchoices,sortsthem, and reflects back your most dominant patterns of behavior, therebyhighlightingwhereyouhavethegreatestpotentialforrealstrength.

As we just described, in the real world your spontaneous reactions to thesituationsyouencounterhelprevealyour talents.Foraprofile to identifyyourtalentsaccurately,itmustmirrorthisprocess.Itmustgiveyouastimulus,offeryouaselectionofpossiblereactions,andthenmeasurehowyoureact.Simple.

Well,no.Buildingaprofiletomeasuretalentisagooddealmorecomplicatedthanitappears.

Thefirstproblemisthatwhenyoureactinreallife,youarenotpresentedwitha setnumberof choices,whichyou then rateona scaleof1 to5.Rather, foreveryreactionthereareaninfinitenumberofchoices.Yourbrainquicklyfiltersthesechoices,and,guidedbyyourstrongestsynapticconnections,itselectsone.When building the StrengthsFinder Profile we couldn’t give you an infinitenumberofchoices.Infact,weplannedtogiveyouonlytwo.Tomakethesetwo

choicescount,wehadtobesurethatatleastoneofthemreflectedthepresenceofanunderlying talent.Weachieved thisbyaskingalmost twomillionpeopleopen-endedquestionsandlisteningtofindoutwhethersomeofthesequestionselicitedsimilarkindsofresponsesfrompeoplewithsimilartalents.

Forexample,weaskedmanagerstorespondtothisquestion:“Whatisthebestwaytomotivatesomeone?”Weweren’texactlysurewhatwewerelisteningfor,buttooursurpriseapatternquicklyemerged.Thosemanagerswiththetalenttosee thedifferences inpeopleallansweredin thesameway.“Itdependsontheperson,”theysaid.Thenweaskedanotherquestion:“Howcloselyshouldpeoplebe supervised?” These managers gave the same answer: “It depends on theperson.”Thisisn’tthe“right”answertothisquestion,butitdoesseemtoreflectthepresenceofadistinctpatternofthinking.

Usingdiscoveries such as this,we then crafted statements that presented “Itdependson theperson”asoneof thechoices.ThosewhoconsistentlyselectedthischoiceprobablypossessedthetalentofIndividualization.

Thesecondproblemwasthatwecouldn’tmakethechoicestooobvious.Ifwedesigned paired statements where one of the two was blatantly right and theother wrong, the choices would be skewed and would no longer accuratelypredictthepresenceorabsenceofaparticulartalent.Tosolvethisproblemwedecidedthatmoststatementpairswouldnotbeopposites.Forexample,whenweaskedmillionsofpeople“Whenyouaretalkingtosomeone,howdoyouknowif you are doing a good job of listening?” we found two distinct patterns ofresponse. People with analytical talent answered like this: “I know that I amdoingagoodjoboflisteningifIcanunderstandandrepeatbackwhattheotherperson is saying.” By contrast, people with a talent for empathy gave a verydifferent answer: “I know that I amdoing a good job of listening if the otherpersonkeepstalking.”

Again,neitheroftheseanswersis“right”—infact,onthesurfacebothappear

eminently sensible— nor are they exact opposites. However, guided by ourresearchwenowknowthatifwepresentthesetwostatements,thechoicemadeprovidesaclueastowhetherthepersonpossessesadominanttalentofempathyoranalysis. It ispossible,ofcourse, foraperson tohavebothof these talents;whenfacedwiththesetwostatements,thepersonwillfeelpulledequallyinbothdirections. To accommodate this wemade sure that many other opportunitieswouldbegiventhroughout theprofile toreveal thepresenceofeitherempathyoranalysis.

Thelastproblemconcernsspontaneity.Inreallifethedecisionscomesofastthatyoudon’thavetimetostop,weighallrelevantoptions,andthenselectthemostappropriateone.Onthecontrary,evenwhenyouareinvolvedinsomethingassimpleasaconversation,yourbrainismakinginstantaneousdecisionsabouttone,inflection,gaze,bodylanguage,words,andlogicflow.Tomirrorthespeedofreal-lifedecision-making,wedecidedtoimposeatimelimit.Aftereachpairof statements flashes on the screen, youwill have twenty seconds to respond.Twenty seconds is just enough time for you to read and comprehend bothstatements,butnotenoughtimetoallowyourintellecttoaffectyourchoice.

WHATWILLYOURECEIVE?

StrengthsFinder’spurposeisnottoanointyouwithstrengthsbuttofindwhereyouhavethegreatestpotentialforastrength.Thus,theStrengthsFinderProfilemeasures the thirty-four themes of talent that we discovered during our longstudyofexcellence.

Onceyouhavecompletedtheprofileyouwill immediatelyreceiveyourfivemostdominantthemesoftalent,yourSignatureThemes.Thesethemesoftalentmaynotyetbestrengths.Eachthemeisarecurringpatternofthought,feeling,orbehavior—thepromiseofastrength.Whatfollowsisaguidetothethirty-fourthemesoftalent.Inityouwillfinddetaileddescriptionsofeachthemeandquotes frompeoplewhopossess the theme.Youmaynotwant to read all the

themes and quotes in one sitting. Instead, once you have completed theStrengthsFinderProfileandreceivedyourSignatureThemes,youcanturntotherelevantpagesforeachofyourthemesandstartthere.

HOWDOYOUCOMPLETETHESTRENGTHSFINDERPROFILE?

This book includes a unique access code. (See IMPORTANT InformationAbout Taking Clifton StrengthsFinder) Go to www.strengthsfinder.com.NavigatetothebottomofthepagewhereyouwillseethecoverimageforNow,Discover Your Strengths. Follow the instructions, and when prompted, enteryouraccesscode.TheStrengthsFinderProfilewillorientyouto thesystembyshowingyouonesamplepairofstatements,andthenthepairedstatementsfromtheprofileitselfwillbegin.

Asyouselectoneofthepairedstatements,rememberthatyoushouldrespondwithyour top-of-mindanswer.Trynot toanalyzeyourresponse indetail.Anddon’t be concerned if you find yourself marking “Neutral” for some of thestatements.ThepurposeofStrengthsFinderistoisolateyourSignatureThemes.Ifneitherofthepairedstatementstriggersastrongreactionorifbothstatementsfityouequallywell,thenobviouslythisstatementpairhasn’ttappedintooneofyourmostdominantthemes.Ineithercase,“Neutral”isanappropriateresponse.

A final word of reassurance:We have found that some people are nervousabouttakingtheprofilebecausetheyworrythattheirSignatureThemeswillnotbe“good”themes.Thisworryismisplaced.Athemeinisolationisneithergoodnor bad. It is simply a recurring pattern that can either be cultivated into astrength or squandered. To be sure, when you complete the StrengthsFinderProfileyourimmediatereactiontoyourfiveSignatureThemeswillbeaffectedbythoseverythemes.Forexample,ifyoudiscoverthatActivatorisoneofyourSignatureThemesyouwillprobablyreactbydemandingtoknowwhatyoucanactuallydowiththisnewknowledge.IfAnalyticalisoneofyourtopfive,you

will immediately start to wonder how we derived this theme from yourresponses.Yourmostpowerfulthemeswillalwaysfilteryourworldandpromptyoutoreactincertainrecurringways.However,nomatterwhatyourthemesare,trynottoreactbylisteningtothatsuggestive,criticallittlevoicesaying“Maybeyou failed the test.”You didn’t.You can’t fail StrengthsFinder because everySignatureTheme contains the promise of a strength.Theonly possible failurewouldbenevermanagingtofindtherightroleortherightpartnerstohelpyourealizethatstrength.

ACHIEVERYourAchiever theme helps explain your drive.Achiever describes a constantneedforachievement.Youfeelasifeverydaystartsatzero.Bytheendofthedayyoumustachievesomething tangible inorder to feelgoodaboutyourself.And by “every day” you mean every single day — workdays, weekends,vacations.Nomatterhowmuchyoumayfeelyoudeserveadayof rest, if thedaypasseswithout some formof achievement, nomatter how small, youwillfeeldissatisfied.Youhaveaninternalfireburninginsideyou.Itpushesyoutodo more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the firedwindlesforamoment,butverysoonitrekindlesitself,forcingyoutowardthenextaccomplishment.Yourrelentlessneedforachievementmightnotbelogical.Itmightnotevenbefocused.Butitwillalwaysbewithyou.AsanAchieveryoumust learn to livewith thiswhisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. Itbringsyoutheenergyyouneedtoworklonghourswithoutburningout.Itisthejoltyoucanalwayscountontogetyoustartedonnewtasks,newchallenges.Itis the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels ofproductivityforyourworkgroup.Itisthethemethatkeepsyoumoving.

ACHIEVERSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

MelanieK.,ERnurse:“Ihavetorackuppointseverydaytofeelsuccessful.TodayI’vebeenhereonlyhalfanhour,butI’veprobablyrackedup30pointsalready. I ordered equipment for the ER, I had equipment repaired, I had ameeting with my charge nurse, I brainstormed with my secretary aboutimprovingourcomputerizedlogbook.SoonmylistofninetythingsIhavethirtydonealready.I’mfeelingprettygoodaboutmyselfrightnow.”

Ted S., salesperson: “Last year I was salesperson of the year out of mycompany’s three hundred salespeople. It felt good for a day, but sure enough,later that week it was as if it never happened. I was back at zero again.Sometimes Iwish Iwasn’t because it can leadme away from a balanced life

towardobsession.Iusedto thinkIcouldchangemyself,butnowIknowIamjust wired this way. This theme is truly a double-edged sword. It helps meachievemygoals,butontheotherhandIwishIcouldjustturnitoffandonatwill.But,hey,Ican’t.ButIcanmanageitandavoidworkobsessionbyfocusingonachievinginallpartsofmylife,notjustwork.”

SaraL.,writer:“Thisthemeisaweirdone.First,it’sgoodbecauseyouliveinpursuit of the perpetual challenge. But in the second place, you never feel asthoughyou’vereachedyourgoal.Itcankeepyourunninguphillatseventymilesanhourforyourwholelife.Youneverrestbecausethere’salwaysmoretodo.But, on balance, I think I would rather have it than not. I call it my ‘divinerestlessness,’andif itmakesmefeelas ifIowethepresenteverythingIhave,thensobeit.Icanlivewiththat.”

ACTIVATOR“Whencanwestart?”Thisisarecurringquestioninyourlife.Youareimpatientfor action. You may concede that analysis has its uses or that debate anddiscussion can occasionally yield some valuable insights, but deep down youknowthatonlyactionisreal.Onlyactioncanmakethingshappen.Onlyactionleadstoperformance.Onceadecisionismade,youcannotnotact.Othersmayworrythat“therearestillsomethingswedon’tknow,”butthisdoesn’tseemtoslowyou. If thedecisionhasbeenmade togoacross town,youknowthat thefastestway toget there is togostoplight tostoplight.Youarenotgoing tositaround waiting until all the lights have turned green. Besides, in your view,actionand thinkingarenotopposites. Infact,guidedbyyourActivator theme,youbelievethatactionisthebestdeviceforlearning.Youmakeadecision,youtakeaction,youlookattheresult,andyoulearn.Thislearninginformsyournextactionandyournext.Howcanyougrowifyouhavenothingtoreactto?Well,youbelieveyoucan’t.Youmustputyourselfoutthere.Youmusttakethenextstep. It is theonlyway tokeepyour thinking freshand informed.Thebottomlineisthis:Youknowyouwillbejudgednotbywhatyousay,notbywhatyouthink,butbywhatyougetdone.Thisdoesnotfrightenyou.Itpleasesyou.

ACTIVATORSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

JaneC.,Benedictinenun:“WhenIwasprioressinthe1970s,wewerehitbytheenergyshortage,andcostsskyrocketed.Wehad140acres,andIwalkedtheacreage every day pondering what we should do about this energy shortage.SuddenlyIdecidedthatifwehadthatmuchland,weshouldbedrillingourowngaswell,andsowedid.Wespent$100,000todrillagaswell.Ifyouhaveneverdrilledagaswell,youprobablydon’trealizewhatIdidn’trealize:namely,thatyou have to spend $70,000 just to drill to see if you have any gas on yourpropertyatall.Sotheydugdownwithsomekindofvibratorycamerathing,andtheytoldmethatIhadagaspool.Buttheydidn’tknowhowlargethepoolwas,

and theydidn’t know if therewas enoughpressure to bring it up. ‘If youpayanother$30,000,wewilltrytoreleasethewell,’theysaid.‘Ifyoudon’twantusto,we’lljustcapthewell,takeyour$70,000,andgohome.’SoIgavethemthefinal$30,000and,fortunately,upitcame.Thatwastwentyyearsago,anditisstillpumping.”

JimL.,entrepreneur:“Somepeopleseemyimpatienceasnotwantingtolistentothetraps,thepotentialroadblocks.WhatIkeeprepeatingis‘IwanttoknowwhenIamgoingtohitthewall,andIneedyoutotellmehowmuchitisgoingtohurt.ButifIchoosetobumpintothewallanyway,then,don’tworry,you’vedoneyourjob.Ijusthadtoexperienceitformyself.’”

ADAPTABILITYYouliveinthemoment.Youdon’tseethefutureasafixeddestination.Instead,youseeitasaplacethatyoucreateoutofthechoicesthatyoumakerightnow.And soyoudiscoveryour futureonechoice at a time.Thisdoesn’tmean thatyou don’t have plans. You probably do. But this theme of Adaptability doesenableyoutorespondwillinglytothedemandsofthemomenteveniftheypullyou away from your plans.Unlike some, you don’t resent sudden requests orunforeseendetours.Youexpectthem.Theyareinevitable.Indeed,onsomelevelyouactuallylookforwardtothem.Youare,atheart,averyflexiblepersonwhocanstayproductivewhenthedemandsofworkarepullingyouinmanydifferentdirectionsatonce.

ADAPTABILITYSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

MarieT.,televisionproducer:“IloveliveTVbecauseyouneverknowwhatisgoingtohappen.OneminuteImightbeputtingtogetherasegmentonthebestteenage holiday gifts, and the next I will be doing the preinterview for apresidentialcandidate.IguessIhavealwaysbeenthisway.Iliveinthemoment.If someone asks me, ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’ my answer is always‘Hell,Idon’tknow.DependswhatIaminthemoodfor.’Idrivemyboyfriendcrazybecausehe’llplanforustogototheantiquemarketonSundayafternoon,and then right at the lastminute I’ll changemymind and say, ‘Nah, let’s gohomeandreadtheSundaypapers.’Annoying,right?Yeah,butonthepositiveside,itdoesmeanthatI’mupforanything.”

LindaG.,projectmanager: “Where Iwork I am thecalmestperson Iknow.Whensomeonecomes inandsays, ‘Wedidn’tplan right.Weneed this turnedaroundbytomorrow,’mycolleaguesseemtotenseupandfreeze.Somehowthatdoesn’t happen to me. I like that pressure, that need for instant response. Itmakesmefeelalive.”

PeterF., corporate trainer: “I think I dealwith lifebetter thanmostpeople.

LastweekIfoundthatmycarwindowhadbeensmashedandthestereostolen.Iwasannoyed,ofcourse,butitdidn’tthrowmeoffmydayonebit.Ijustclearedit,mentallymovedon,andwentrightonwiththeotherthingsIhadtogetdonethatday.”

ANALYTICALYourAnalytical themechallengesotherpeople:“Prove it.Showmewhywhatyouareclaimingistrue.”Inthefaceofthiskindofquestioningsomewillfindthat their brilliant theorieswither and die. For you, this is precisely the point.Youdonotnecessarilywant todestroyotherpeople’s ideas,butyoudo insistthat their theories be sound. You see yourself as objective and dispassionate.You like data because they are value free.They have no agenda.Armedwiththesedata,yousearchforpatternsandconnections.Youwanttounderstandhowcertain patterns affect one another. How do they combine? What is theiroutcome?Does this outcome fitwith the theory being offered or the situationbeing confronted? These are your questions. You peel the layers back until,gradually, the rootcauseorcausesare revealed.Others seeyouas logicalandrigorous.Overtimetheywillcometoyouinordertoexposesomeone’s“wishfulthinking” or “clumsy thinking” to your refining mind. It is hoped that youranalysis isneverdelivered tooharshly.Otherwise,othersmayavoidyouwhenthat“wishfulthinking”istheirown.

ANALYTICALSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

JoseG.,schoolsystemadministrator:“Ihaveaninnateabilitytoseestructuresandformatsandpatternsbeforetheyexist.Forinstance,whenpeoplearetalkingaboutwritingagrantproposal,whileI’mlisteningtothemmybraininstinctivelyprocessesthetypeofgrantsthatareavailableandhowthediscussionfitsintotheeligibility,rightdowntotheformatofhowtheinformationcanfitonthegrantforminaclearandconvincingway.”

JackT.,humanresourcesexecutive:“IfImakeaclaim,IneedtoknowthatIcanbackitupwithfactsandlogicalthinking.Forexample,ifsomeonesaysthatourcompanyisnotpayingasmuchasothercompanies,Ialwaysask,‘Whydoyousaythat?’Iftheysay,‘Well,Isawanadinthepaperthatoffersgraduatesinmechanical engineering five grand more than we are paying,’ I’ll reply by

asking, ‘Butwhereare thesegraduatesgoing towork?Is theirsalarybasedongeography? What types of companies are they going for? Are theymanufacturingcompanieslikeours?Andhowmanypeopleareintheirsample?Isitthreepeople,andoneofthemgotareallygooddeal,thusdrivingtheoverallaverageup?’TherearemanyquestionsIneedtoasktoensurethattheirclaimisindeedafactandnotbasedononemisleadingdatapoint.”

Leslie J., school principal: “Many times there are inconsistencies in theperformanceof the samegroupof students fromoneyear to the next. It’s thesamegroupofkids,buttheirscoresaredifferentyeartoyear.Howcanthisbe?Whichbuildingarethekidsin?Howmanyofthekidshavebeenenrolledforafull academic year?Which teacherswere they assigned to, andwhat teachingstyles were used by those teachers? I just love asking questions like these tounderstandwhatistrulyhappening.”

ARRANGERYou are a conductor. When faced with a complex situation involving manyfactors, you enjoymanaging all of the variables, aligning and realigning themuntilyouaresureyouhavearrangedtheminthemostproductiveconfigurationpossible. Inyourmind there isnothingspecialaboutwhatyouaredoing.Youare simply trying to figure out the best way to get things done. But others,lackingthistheme,willbeinaweofyourability.“Howcanyoukeepsomanythings inyourheadatonce?” theywillask.“Howcanyoustaysoflexible,sowillingtoshelvewell-laidplansinfavorofsomebrand-newconfigurationthathasjustoccurredtoyou?”Butyoucannotimaginebehavinginanyotherway.You are a shining example of effective flexibility, whether you are changingtravelschedulesatthelastminutebecauseabetterfarehaspoppedupormullingover just the right combination of people and resources to accomplish a newproject. From the mundane to the complex, you are always looking for theperfect configuration. Of course, you are at your best in dynamic situations.Confrontedwith the unexpected, some complain that plans devisedwith suchcare cannot be changed, while others take refuge in the existing rules orprocedures.Youdon’tdoeither.Instead,youjumpintotheconfusion,devisingnew options, hunting for new paths of least resistance, and figuring out newpartnerships—because,afterall,theremightjustbeabetterway.

ARRANGERSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

SarahP.,financeexecutive:“IlovereallycomplicatedchallengeswhereIhavetothinkonmyfeetandfigureouthowallthepiecesfit together.Somepeoplelook at a situation, see thirty variables, and get hung up trying to balance allthirty.WhenIlookatthesamesituation,Iseeaboutthreeoptions.AndbecauseI seeonly three, it’s easier forme tomakeadecisionand thenputeverythingintoplace.”

Grant D., operations manager: “I got a message the other day from our

manufacturing facility saying that demand for oneof our products hadgreatlyexceededtheforecast.Ithoughtaboutitforamoment,andthenanideapoppedintomyhead:Shiptheproductweekly,notmonthly.SoIsaid,‘Let’scontactourEuropeansubsidiaries,askthemwhattheirdemandis,tellthemthesituationweare in, and then ask what their weekly demand is.’ That way we can meetrequirementswithoutbuildingupour inventory.Sure, it’lldriveshippingcostsup,butthat’sbetterthanhavingtoomuchinventoryinoneplaceandnotenoughinanother.”

JaneB., entrepreneur: “Sometimes, for instance,whenwe are all going to amovieorafootballgame,thisArrangerthemedrivesmeupthewall.Myfamilyandfriendscometorelyonme—‘Janewillgetthetickets,Janewillorganizethe transportation.’ Why should I always have to do it? But they just say,‘Becauseyoudoitwell.Forusitwouldtakehalfanhour.Foryouitseemstogomuchfaster.Youjustcalluptheticketplace,ordertherighttickets,andjustlikethatit’sdone.’”

BELIEFIf you possess a strong Belief theme, you have certain core values that areenduring. These values vary from one person to another, but ordinarily yourBelief themecausesyou tobe family-oriented,altruistic,evenspiritual,and tovalue responsibilityandhighethics—both inyourselfandothers.Thesecorevalues affect your behavior in many ways. They give your life meaning andsatisfaction; in your view, success is more than money and prestige. Theyprovideyouwithdirection,guidingyouthroughthetemptationsanddistractionsoflifetowardaconsistentsetofpriorities.Thisconsistencyisthefoundationforall your relationships. Your friends call you dependable. “I know where youstand,”theysay.YourBeliefmakesyoueasytotrust.Italsodemandsthatyoufindworkthatmesheswithyourvalues.Yourworkmustbemeaningful,itmustmattertoyou.AndguidedbyyourBeliefthemeitwillmatteronlyifitgivesyouachancetoliveoutyourvalues.

BELIEFSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

MichaelK., salesperson: “The vastmajority ofmy nonworking time goes tomyfamilyandtothethingswedointhecommunity.IwasonthecountywideBoyScoutsboardofdirectors.AndwhenIwasaBoyScout,Iwaspackleader.WhenIwasanExplorer,IwasjuniorassistantleaderfortheBoyScouts.Ijustlikebeingwithkids.Ibelievethat’swherethefutureis.AndIthinkyoucandoawholelotworsewithyourtimethaninvestingitinthefuture.”

LaraM.,collegepresident: “MyvaluesarewhyIworksohardeverydayatmyjob.Iputhoursandhoursintothisjob,andIdon’tevencarewhatIgetpaid.I just foundout that I am the lowest paid college president inmy state, and Idon’tevencare.Imean,Idon’tdothisforthemoney.”

TracyD., airline executive: “If you are not doing something important,whybother?Gettingupeverydayandworkingonwaystomakeflyingsaferseemsimportanttome,purposeful.IfIdidn’tfindthispurposeinmyjob,Idon’tknow

ifIcouldworkthroughallthechallengesandfrustrationsthatgetinmyway.IthinkIwouldgetdemoralized.”

COMMANDCommandleadsyoutotakecharge.Unlikesomepeople,youfeelnodiscomfortwith imposing your views on others. On the contrary, once your opinion isformed,youneedtoshareitwithothers.Onceyourgoalisset,youfeelrestlessuntilyouhavealignedotherswithyou.Youarenotfrightenedbyconfrontation;rather,youknowthatconfrontationisthefirststeptowardresolution.Whereasothers may avoid facing up to life’s unpleasantness, you feel compelled topresent the facts or the truth, nomatter how unpleasant itmay be. You needthings to be clear between people and challenge them to be clear-eyed andhonest.Youpushthemtotakerisks.Youmayevenintimidatethem.Andwhilesomemay resent this, labelingyouopinionated, theyoftenwillinglyhandyouthe reins. People are drawn toward those who take a stance and ask them tomove inacertaindirection.Therefore,peoplewillbedrawntoyou.Youhavepresence.YouhaveCommand.

COMMANDSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

MalcolmM.,hospitalitymanager:“OnereasonIaffectpeopleisthatIamsocandid.Actually, people say that I intimidate them at first.After Iworkwiththema year,we talk about that sometimes.They say, ‘Boy,Malcolm,when Istartedworkinghere, Iwas scared to death.’When I askwhy, they say, ‘I’veneverworkedwithanyonewhojustsaidit.Whateveritwas,whateverneededtobesaid,youjustsaidit.’”

Rick P., retail executive: “We have a wellness program whereby if youconsume less than four alcoholic beverages aweek, youget $25; if youdon’tsmoke, you get $25 a month. So one day I got word that one of my storemanagerswassmokingagain.Thiswasnotgood.Hewassmokinginthestore,settingabadexampletotheemployees,andclaiminghis$25.Ijustcan’tkeepstuff like that inside. It wasn’t comfortable, but I confronted him with itimmediately and clearly. ‘Stop doing that, or you are fired.’ He’s basically a

goodguy,butyoucan’tletthingslikethatslideby.”

DianeN.,hospiceworker:“Idon’t thinkofmyselfasassertive,butIdo takecharge.When youwalk into a roomwith a dying person and his family, youhavetotakecharge.Theywantyoutotakecharge.Theyareabitinshock,abitfrightened, a bit in denial.Basically, they’re confused.They need someone totellthemwhatisgoingtohappennext,whattheycanexpect;thatit’snotgoingtobefunbut that insomeimportantways itwillbeall right.Theydon’twantmousyandsoft.Theywantclarityandhonesty.Iprovideit.”

COMMUNICATIONYouliketoexplain,todescribe,tohost,tospeakinpublic,andtowrite.ThisisyourCommunicationthemeatwork.Ideasareadrybeginning.Eventsarestatic.Youfeelaneedtobringthemtolife, toenergizethem,tomakethemexcitingandvivid.Andsoyouturneventsintostoriesandpracticetellingthem.Youtakethe dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. Youbelievethatmostpeoplehaveaveryshortattentionspan.Theyarebombardedby information, but very little of it survives. You want your information —whether an idea, an event, a product’s features and benefits, a discovery, or alesson— to survive. You want to divert their attention toward you and thencaptureit,lockitin.Thisiswhatdrivesyourhuntfortheperfectphrase.Thisiswhatdrawsyoutowarddramaticwordsandpowerfulwordcombinations.Thisiswhypeopleliketolistentoyou.Yourwordpicturespiquetheirinterest,sharpentheirworld,andinspirethemtoact.

COMMUNICATIONSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

Sheila K., general manager of a theme park: “Stories are the best way tomakemypoint.YesterdayIwantedtoshowmyexecutivecommitteetheimpactwe can have on our guests, so I shared this story with them: One of ouremployeesbroughtherfathertotheflag-raisingceremonywehaveforVeteransDayhereatthethemepark.HewasdisabledduringWorldWarII,andhenowhasarareformofcancerandhashadalotofsurgery.He’sdying.Atthestartofthelittleceremonyoneofouremployeessaidtothegroup,‘ThismanisaWorldWarIIveteran.Canwegivehimahand?’Everybodycheered,andhisdaughterstartedcrying.Herdadtookoffhishat.Henevertakesoffhishatbecauseofthescars on his head from thewar and the cancer surgery, butwhen the nationalanthem started, he tookoff his hat andbowedhis head.His daughter toldmelaterthatitwasthebestdayhe’shadinyears.”

TomP., banking executive: “Mymost recent client thought that the flow of

capital toward Internet stocks was just a passing phase. I tried using rationalargumenttochangehismind,buthecouldn’torwouldn’tbeconvinced.Intheend,asIoftendowhenfacedwithaclientindenial,Iresortedtoimagery.Itoldhim thathewas likeaperson sittingonabeachwithhisback to the sea.TheInternetwaslikeafast-risingtide.Nomatterhowcomfortablehefeltrightnow,thetidewasrisingwitheachcrashingwave,andverysoononeofthosewaveswouldcomecrashingdownoverhisheadandengulfhim.Hegotthepoint.”

MargretD.,marketing director: “I once read a book about giving speechesthatgavetwosuggestions:talkonlyaboutthingsyou’rereallypassionateaboutandalwaysusepersonalexamples.Iimmediatelystarteddoingthat,andIfoundlots of stories because I have kids and grandkids and a husband. I build mystoriesaroundmypersonalexperiencesbecauseeveryonecanrelatetothem.”

COMPETITIONCompetition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you areinstinctively aware of other people’s performance. Their performance is theultimate yardstick.Nomatter howhardyou tried, nomatter howworthyyourintentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, theachievementfeelshollow.Likeallcompetitors,youneedotherpeople.Youneedtocompare.Ifyoucancompare,youcancompete,andifyoucancompete,youcan win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You likemeasurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitorsbecause they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce awinner.Youparticularlylikecontestswhereyouknowyouhavetheinsidetracktobethewinner.Althoughyouaregracioustoyourfellowcompetitorsandevenstoic in defeat, you don’t compete for the fun of competing.You compete towin.Overtimeyouwillcometoavoidcontestswherewinningseemsunlikely.

COMPETITIONSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

MarkL., sales executive: “I’ve played sportsmy entire life, and I don’t justplaytohavefun,letmeputitthatway.IliketoengageinsportsIamgoingtowinandnotonesIamgoingtolosebecauseifIlose,Iamoutwardlygraciousbutinwardlyinfuriated.”

HarryD., generalmanager: “I’m not a big sailor, but I love theAmerica’sCup.Bothboatsare supposed tobeexactly the same,andbothcrewsare top-notch athletes.Butyoualwaysget awinner.Oneof themhad some secret uptheir sleeve that tipped the balance and enabled them towinmore often thanlose.Andthat’swhatIamlookingfor—thatsecret,thattinyedge.”

SumnerRedstone, chairmanofViacomCorporation, onhisacquisitionofthe television network CBS: “For me being number one was always a bigthing. What I saw was that we’d have the number one cable network! Thenumberonebroadcastnetwork!Thenumberoneoutdoor-advertisingcompany!

ThenumberoneTVprogramming!Acrosstheboard—numberones!”

CONNECTEDNESSThingshappenforareason.Youaresureofit.Youaresureofitbecauseinyoursoulyouknowthatweareallconnected.Yes,weareindividuals,responsibleforourownjudgmentsandinpossessionofourownfreewill,butnonethelesswearepartofsomethinglarger.Somemaycallitthecollectiveunconscious.Othersmay label it spirit or life force. But whatever your word of choice, you gainconfidencefromknowingthatwearenotisolatedfromoneanotherorfromtheearth and the life on it. This feeling of Connectedness implies certainresponsibilities. If we are all part of a larger picture, then wemust not harmothersbecausewewillbeharmingourselves.Wemustnotexploitbecausewewill be exploiting ourselves. Your awareness of these responsibilities createsyour value system.You are considerate, caring, and accepting. Certain of theunity of humankind, you are a bridge builder for people of different cultures.Sensitive to the invisible hand, you can give others comfort that there is apurposebeyondourhumdrumlives.Theexactarticlesofyourfaithwilldependonyourupbringingandyourculture,butyourfaithisstrong.Itsustainsyouandyourclosefriendsinthefaceoflife’smysteries.

CONNECTEDNESSSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

MandyM.,homemaker:“HumilityistheessenceofConnectedness.Youhavetoknowwhoyouareandwhoyouaren’t.Ihaveapieceofthewisdom.Idon’thavemuchof it,butwhat Idohave is real.This isn’tgrandiosity.This is realhumility.Youhaveconfidenceinyourgifts,realconfidence,butyouknowyoudon’t have all the answers.You start to feel connected to others because youknow theyhavewisdom thatyoudon’t.Youcan’t feel connected ifyou thinkyouhaveeverything.”

Rose T., psychologist: “Sometimes I just look at my bowl of cereal in themorning and think about those hundreds of people who were involved inbringingmemy bowl of cereal: the farmers in the field; the biochemistswho

madethepesticides;thewarehouseworkersatthefoodpreparationplants;eventhemarketerswhosomehowpersuadedme tobuy thisboxofcerealandnotadifferent one sitting next to it on a shelf. I know it sounds strange, but I givethanks to these people, and just doing thatmakesme feelmore involvedwithlife,moreconnectedtothings,lessalone.”

ChuckM.,teacher:“InlifeItendtobeveryblackandwhiteaboutthings,butwhenitcomestounderstandingthemysteriesoflife,forsomereasonIammuchmore open. I have a big interest in learning about all different religions. I amreadingabookrightnowthattalksaboutJudaismversusChristianityversusthereligion of theCanaanites. Buddhism,Greekmythology, it’s really interestinghowallofthesetietogetherinsomeway.”

CONSISTENCYBalanceisimportanttoyou.Youarekeenlyawareoftheneedtotreatpeoplethesame,nomatterwhat theirstation in life,soyoudonotwant tosee thescalestipped too far inanyoneperson’s favor. Inyourview this leads toselfishnessand individualism. It leads to a world where some people gain an unfairadvantagebecauseoftheirconnectionsortheirbackgroundortheirgreasingofthewheels.Thisistrulyoffensivetoyou.Youseeyourselfasaguardianagainstit. In direct contrast to this world of special favors, you believe that peoplefunction best in a consistent environment where the rules are clear and areappliedtoeveryoneequally.Thisisanenvironmentwherepeopleknowwhatisexpected. It is predictable and evenhanded. It is fair.Here eachpersonhas anevenchancetoshowhisorherworth.

CONSISTENCYSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

SimonH., generalmanager of ahotel: “I often remindmy seniormanagersthattheyshouldn’tbeabusingtheirparkingprivilegesorusingtheirpositiontotake golf tee times when there are guests waiting. They hate my drawingattention to this, but I am just thekindofpersonwhodislikespeople abusingtheirperks.Ialsospendagreatdealoftimewithourhourlyemployees.Ihavetremendousrespectforthem.Infact,asItoldmymanagers,thelowerpeopleareonthetotempole,thebetterItreatthem.”

Jamie K., magazine editor: “I am the person who always roots for theunderdog. I hate it when people don’t get a fair shot because of somecircumstanceintheirlifethattheycouldn’tcontrol.Toputsometeethtothis,Iamgoingtosetupascholarshipatmyalmamatersothatjournalismstudentsoflimitedmeanscandointernshipsintherealworldwithouthavingtokeeppayingfortheircollegetuition.Iwaslucky.WhenIwasaninterninNewYorkatNBC,myfamilycouldaffordit.Somefamiliescan’t,butthosestudentsshouldstillgetafairshot.”

BenF.,operationsmanager:“Alwaysgivecreditwherecreditisdue,that’smymotto.IfIaminameetingandIbringupanideathatoneofmystaffactuallycameupwith, Imake sure to publicly attribute the idea to that person.Why?Becausemybossesalwaysdidthatwithme,andnowitseemsliketheonlyfairandproperthingtodo.”

CONTEXTYoulookback.Youlookbackbecausethatiswheretheanswerslie.Youlookbacktounderstandthepresent.Fromyourvantagepointthepresentisunstable,aconfusingclamorofcompetingvoices.Itisonlybycastingyourmindbacktoan earlier time, a timewhen the plans were being drawn up, that the presentregains its stability. The earlier time was a simpler time. It was a time ofblueprints. As you look back, you begin to see these blueprints emerge. Yourealizewhattheinitialintentionswere.Theseblueprintsorintentionshavesincebecome so embellished that they are almost unrecognizable, but now thisContext theme reveals them again. This understanding brings you confidence.No longer disoriented, you make better decisions because you sense theunderlyingstructure.Youbecomeabetterpartnerbecauseyouunderstandhowyour colleagues came to bewho they are.And counterintuitively you becomewiseraboutthefuturebecauseyousawitsseedsbeingsowninthepast.Facedwith new people and new situations, it will take you a little time to orientyourself,butyoumustgiveyourself this time.Youmustdisciplineyourself toaskthequestionsandallowtheblueprintstoemergebecausenomatterwhatthesituation, if you haven’t seen the blueprints, youwill have less confidence inyourdecisions.

CONTEXTSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

AdamY.,softwaredesigner:“Itellmypeople,‘Let’savoidvujade.’Andtheysay,‘Isn’tthatthewrongword?Shouldn’titbedéjàvu?’AndIsay,‘No,vujademeans thatwe’rebound to repeat themistakesof ourpast.Wemust avoidthis.Wemustlooktoourpast,seewhatledtoourmistakes,andthennotmakethemagain.’Itsoundsobvious,butmostpeopledon’tlooktotheirpastordon’ttrustthatitwasvalidorsomething.Andsoforthemit’svujadealloveragain.”

JesseK.,mediaanalyst:“Ihaveverylittleempathy,soIdon’trelatetopeoplethroughtheirpresentemotionalstate.Instead,Irelatetothemthroughtheirpast.

Infact,Ican’tevenbegintounderstandpeopleuntilIhavefoundoutwheretheygrewup,whotheirparentswere,whattheystudiedatcollege.”

GreggH.,accountingmanager:“I recentlymoved thewholeoffice toanewaccountingsystem,andtheonlyreasonitworkedwasthatIhonoredtheirpast.Whenpeoplebuildanaccountingsystem,it’stheirblood,theirsweatandtears,it’sthem.Theyarepersonallyidentifiedwithit.SoifIcomeinandblandlytellthem that I’mgoing to change it, it’s likeme saying I amgoing to take yourbabyaway.That’sthelevelofemotionIwasdealingwith.Ihadtorespectthisconnection,thishistory,ortheywouldhaverejectedmeoutofhand.”

DELIBERATIVEYouarecareful.Youarevigilant.Youareaprivateperson.Youknowthattheworldisanunpredictableplace.Everythingmayseeminorder,butbeneaththesurface you sense the many risks. Rather than denying these risks, you draweach one out into the open. Then each risk can be identified, assessed, andultimately reduced. Thus, you are a fairly serious personwho approaches lifewith a certain reserve.For example, you like toplan ahead so as to anticipatewhatmight gowrong.You select your friends cautiously and keep your owncounselwhentheconversationturnstopersonalmatters.Youarecarefulnottogive toomuch praise and recognition, lest it bemisconstrued. If some peopledon’tlikeyoubecauseyouarenotaseffusiveasothers,thensobeit.Foryou,lifeisnotapopularitycontest.Lifeissomethingofaminefield.Otherscanrunthrough it recklessly if theysochoose,butyou takeadifferentapproach.Youidentify the dangers, weigh their relative impact, and then place your feetdeliberately.Youwalkwithcare.

DELIBERATIVESOUNDSLIKETHIS:

DickH.,filmproducer:“Mywholethingistoreducethenumberofvariablesout there. The fewer the variables, the lower the risk.When I am negotiatingwith directors, I always start by giving in on some of the smaller points rightaway.ThenonceIhavetakenthesmallerissuesoutofplay,Ifeelbetter.Icanfocus.Icancontroltheconversation.”

DebbieM.,projectmanager:“Iamthepracticalone.Whenmycolleaguesarespouting all of thesewonderful ideas, I am asking questions like ‘How is thisgoingtowork?’‘Howisthisgoingtobeacceptedbythisgrouporthatgroupofpeople?’Iwon’tsaythatIplaydevil’sadvocatebecausethatistoonegative,butI do weigh the implications and assess risk. And I think we all make betterdecisionsbecauseofmyquestions.”

JamieB.,serviceworker:“Iamnotaveryorganizedperson,buttheonething

Idowithoutfailisdouble-check.Idon’tdoitbecauseIamhyperresponsibleoranything. I do it to feel secure. With relationships, with performance, withanything,Iamoutthereonalimb,andIneedtoknowthattheparticularbranchIamstandingonissolid.”

BrianB.,schooladministrator:“Iamputtingtogetherasafeschoolsplan.Iamgoing to conferences, and we have eight committees working. We have adistrictwide reviewboard,but Iamstillnotcomfortablewith thebasicmodel.My boss asks, ‘When can I see the plan?’ And I say, ‘Not yet. I am notcomfortable.’Shehasabigsmileonherfaceandsays,‘Gee,Brian,Idon’twantittobeperfect,Ijustwantaplan.’ButsheletsmebebecausesheknowsthatthecareItakenowpaysbigdividends.Becauseofthispre-work,oncethedecisionismade,itstaysmade.Itdoesn’tunravel.”

DEVELOPERYousee thepotential inothers.Veryoften, in fact,potential is allyou see. Inyour viewno individual is fully formed.On the contrary, each individual is aworkinprogress,alivewithpossibilities.Andyouaredrawntowardpeopleforthis very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help themexperiencesuccess.Youlookforwaystochallengethem.Youdeviseinterestingexperiencesthatcanstretchthemandhelpthemgrow.Andallthewhileyouareonthelookoutforthesignsofgrowth—anewbehaviorlearnedormodified,aslight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” wherepreviously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments —invisible to some—areclear signsofpotentialbeing realized.These signsofgrowth inothers areyour fuel.Theybringyou strength and satisfaction.Overtimemanywillseekyououtforhelpandencouragementbecauseonsomeleveltheyknowthatyourhelpfulnessisbothgenuineandfulfillingtoyou.

DEVELOPERSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

Marilyn K., college president: “When it’s graduation time and a nursingstudentwalksacrossthestage,it’susuallyawomanaroundthirty-five.Shegetsherdiploma,andabouteighteenrowsbacksomelittlekidisstandingonachairwithagroupyelling,‘Yeah,Mom!’Ilovethat.Icryeverytime.”

John M., advertising executive: “I’m not a lawyer, doctor, or candlestickmaker.My skills are of a different type. They have to dowith understandingpeople and motives, and the pleasure I get is from watching people discoverthemselves inways they never thought possible and from finding peoplewhobringtalentstothetablethatIdon’thave.”

AnnaG.,nurse:“Ihadapatient,ayoungwoman,withlungdamagesobadthatshewill have to be on oxygen forever. Shewill never have the energy or thestrength to live a normal life, and I walk in and she’s desperate. She doesn’tknowifsheisshortofbreathbecausesheisanxious,oranxiousbecausesheis

shortofbreath.Andshe’stalkingsuicidebecauseshecan’twork,can’tsupportherhusband.SoIgotherthinkingaboutwhatshecoulddoratherthanwhatshecouldn’t.Itturnsoutthatsheisverycreativewithartsandcrafts,soItoldher,‘Look,therearethingsyoucando,andifthosethingsbringyoupleasure,thendothem.It’saplacetostart.’Andshecriedandsaid,‘Ihavetheenergytowashonly one bowl.’ I said, ‘That’s today. Tomorrow you canwash two.’And byChristmastimeshewasmakingallkindsofthingsandsellingthem,too.”

DISCIPLINEYourworldneedstobepredictable.Itneedstobeorderedandplanned.Soyouinstinctivelyimposestructureonyourworld.Yousetuproutines.Youfocusontimelines anddeadlines.Youbreak long-termprojects into a series of specificshort-term plans, and you work through each plan diligently. You are notnecessarilyneat andclean,butyoudoneedprecision.Facedwith the inherentmessiness of life, youwant to feel in control. The routines, the timelines, thestructure,allof thesehelpcreate this feelingofcontrol.Lacking this themeofDiscipline,othersmaysometimesresentyourneedfororder,butthereneednotbe conflict. You must understand that not everyone feels your urge forpredictability; theyhaveotherwaysof getting things done.Likewise, you canhelpthemunderstandandevenappreciateyourneedforstructure.Yourdislikeof surprises, your impatience with errors, your routines, and your detailorientation don’t need to be misinterpreted as controlling behaviors that boxpeoplein.Rather,thesebehaviorscanbeunderstoodasyourinstinctivemethodformaintainingyourprogress andyourproductivity in the faceof life’smanydistractions.

DISCIPLINESOUNDSLIKETHIS:

LesT.,hospitalitymanager:“Theturningpointinmycareerwasattendingoneof those time-management courses someyearsback. Iwas alwaysdisciplined,but thepowergrewwhen I learnedhow touse that discipline in anorganizedprocesseveryday.ThislittlePalmPilotmeansthatIcallmymomeverySundayratherthanlettingmonthsgobywithoutcalling.ItmeansItakemywifeoutfordinnereveryweekwithoutherasking.ItmeansthatmyemployeesknowthatifIsayIneedtoseesomethingonMonday,IwillbecallingonMondayifIhaven’tseenit.ThisPalmPilotissomuchapartofmylifethatIhavelengthenedallofmypants’pocketssothatitfitsrightthereonmyhip.”

TroyT.,salesexecutive:“Myfilingsystemmaynot lookthatpretty,but it is

veryefficient.IhandwriteeverythingbecauseIknowthatnocustomerisgoingtoseethesefiles,sowhywastetimemakingthemlookpretty?Mywholelifeasasalespersonisbasedondeadlinesandfollow-up.InmysystemIkeeptrackofeverythingsothatItakeresponsibilitynotonlyformydeadlinesandfollow-upbutforallofmycustomers’andcolleagues’aswell.Iftheyhaven’tgottenbacktomebythetimetheypromised,they’regoingtoreceiveane-mailfromme.Infact, Iheard fromone theotherdaywhosaid, ‘Imayaswellgetback toyoubecauseIknowyou’regoingtovoice-mailmeifyouhaven’theardfromme.’”

DiedreS.,officemanager:“Ihatewastingtime,soImakelists,longliststhatkeepmeontrack.Todaymylisthasninetyitemsonit,andIwillgetthrough95percent of them. And that’s discipline because I don’t let anybody waste mytime.Iamnotrude,butIcanletyouknowinaverytactful,humorouswaythatyourtimeisup.”

EMPATHYYou can sense the emotions of those around you.You can feelwhat they arefeelingasthoughtheirfeelingsareyourown.Intuitively,youareabletoseetheworld through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarilyagreewitheachperson’sperspective.Youdonotnecessarilyfeelpityforeachperson’s predicament — this would be sympathy, not empathy. You do notnecessarilycondonethechoiceseachpersonmakes,butyoudounderstand.Thisinstinctive ability to understand is powerful.Youhear theunvoicedquestions.Youanticipatetheneed.Whereothersgrappleforwords,youseemtofindtherightwordsandtherighttone.Youhelppeoplefindtherightphrasestoexpresstheirfeelings—tothemselvesaswellastoothers.Youhelpthemgivevoicetotheiremotionallife.Forallthesereasonsotherpeoplearedrawntoyou.

EMPATHYSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

AlyceJ.,administrator:“Recently,Iwasinameetingoftrusteeswhereoneoftheindividualswaspresentinganewideathatwascriticaltoherandtothelifeof thisgroup.Whenshewas finished,nooneheardheropinion,noonereallyheardher.Itwasapowerfullydemoralizingmomentforher.Icouldseeitinherface,andshewasn’therselfforadayortwoafterward.Ifinallyraisedtheissuewith her and used words that helped describe how she was feeling. I said,‘Something’swrong,’andshestartedtotalk.Isaid,‘Ireallyunderstand.Iknowhowimportant thiswas foryou,andyoudon’tseemlikeyourself,’andsoon.Andshefinallygavewordstowhatwasgoingoninsideher.Shesaid,‘You’retheonlyonewhoheardmeandwhohassaidonewordtomeaboutit.’”

BrianH.,administrator:“Whenmyteamismakingdecisions,whatIliketodoissay,‘Okay,whatwillthispersonsayaboutthis?’‘Whatwillthatpersonsayabout it?’ In otherwords, put yourself in their position. Let’s think about theargumentsfromtheirperspectivesothatwecanallbemorepersuasive.”

JanetP.,schoolteacher:“Ineverplayedbasketballbecausetheydidn’thaveit

forwomenwhenIwasakid,butIbelieveIcantellatabasketballgamewhenthemomentum is changing, and Iwant togo to the coachand say, ‘Get themrevvedup.Youarelosingthem.’Empathyalsoworksinlargegroups;youcanfeelthecrowd.”

FOCUS“Where am I headed?” you ask yourself. You ask this question every day.GuidedbythisthemeofFocus,youneedacleardestination.Lackingone,yourlife and your work can quickly become frustrating. And so each year, eachmonth, and even each week you set goals. These goals then serve as yourcompass,helpingyoudetermineprioritiesandmakethenecessarycorrectionstogetbackoncourse.YourFocusispowerfulbecauseitforcesyoutofilter;youinstinctively evaluate whether or not a particular action will help you movetoward your goal. Those that don’t are ignored. In the end, then, your Focusforcesyoutobeefficient.Naturally,theflipsideofthisisthatitcausesyoutobecome impatient with delays, obstacles, and even tangents, no matter howintriguing they appear to be. This makes you an extremely valuable teammember.Whenothersstarttowanderdownotheravenues,youbringthembacktothemainroad.YourFocusremindseveryonethatifsomethingisnothelpingyou move toward your destination, then it is not important. And if it is notimportant,thenitisnotworthyourtime.Youkeepeveryoneonpoint.

FOCUSSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

NickH., computerexecutive: “It isvery important tome tobeefficient. I’mthesortofguywhoplaysaroundofgolfintwoandahalfhours.WhenIwasatElectronic Data Systems, I worked out a set list of questions so that I couldconducta reviewofeachdivision in fifteenminutes.The founder,RossPerot,calledme‘TheDentist’becauseIwouldscheduleawholedayofthesein-and-out,fifteen-minutemeetings.”

BradF.,salesexecutive:“Iamalwayssortingpriorities,tryingtofigureoutthemost efficient route toward thegoal so that there isvery littledead time,verylittlewastedmotion.Forexample,Iwillgetmultiplecallsfromcustomerswhoneedmetocalltheservicedepartmentforthem,andratherthantakingeachoneof these calls as they come and interrupting the priorities of the day, I group

themtogetherintoonecallattheendofthedayandgetitdone.”

MikeL.,administrator:“PeopleareamazedhowIputthingsintoperspectiveandstayontrack.Whenpeoplearoundthedistrictarestuckonissuesandcaughtoncontrivedbarriers, I amable topole-vault over them, reestablish the focus,andkeepthingsmoving.”

DorianeL.,homemaker:“Iamjustthekindofpersonwholikestogettothepoint — in conversations, at work, and even when I am shopping with myhusband.Helikestotryonlotsofthingsandhasagoodtimedoingit,whereasItry one thing on, and if I like it and it is not horribly priced, I buy it. I’m asurgicalshopper.”

FUTURISTIC“Wouldn’titbegreatif…”Youarethekindofpersonwholovestopeeroverthehorizon.Thefuturefascinatesyou.Asif itwereprojectedonthewall,youseeindetailwhatthefuturemighthold,andthisdetailedpicturekeepspullingyouforward,intotomorrow.Whiletheexactcontentofthepicturewilldependonyourotherstrengthsandinterests—abetterproduct,abetterteam,abetterlife,orabetterworld—itwillalwaysbeinspirationaltoyou.Youareadreamerwhoseesvisionsofwhatcouldbeandwhocherishes thosevisions.When thepresent proves too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic, youconjureupyourvisionsofthefutureandtheyenergizeyou.Theycanenergizeothers,too.Infact,veryoftenpeoplelooktoyoutodescribeyourvisionsofthefuture.Theywant apicture that can raise their sights and thereby their spirits.You can paint it for them. Practice. Choose your words carefully. Make thepictureasvividaspossible.Peoplewillwanttolatchontothehopeyoubring.

FUTURISTICSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

DanF., school administrator: “In any situation I am the guywho says ‘Didyou ever think about…? Iwonder ifwe could… I don’t believe it can’t bedone.It’sjustthatnobodyhasdoneityet.…Let’sfigureouthowwecan.’Iamalwayslookingforoptions,forwaysnottobemiredbythestatusquo.Infact,thereisnosuchthingasthestatusquo.Youareeithermovingforward,oryouaremoving backward. That’s the reality of life, at least frommy perspective.AndrightnowIbelieve thatmyprofession ismovingbackward.Stateschoolsare being out-serviced by private schools, charter schools, home schools,Internetschools.Weneedtofreeourselvesfromourtraditionsandcreateanewfuture.”

Dr.JanK.,internist:“HereattheMayoClinicwearelaunchingagroupcalledthe Hospitalists. Rather than having patients handed off from one doctor toanother during their stay in the hospital, I envision a family of providers. I

envision fifteen to twentyMDs, of various genders and races, with twenty totwenty-fivenursepractitioners.Therewillbefourtofivenewhospitalservices,mostofwhichwillworkwith surgeonsandwillprovideparaoperativecareaswell as care for the hospitalized elderly.We are redefining themodel of carehere.Wedon’t just takecareof thepatientswhentheyare in thehospital. Ifapatientcomesinforakneereplacement,amemberoftheHospitalistteamwouldseehimbeforethesurgery,followhimfromthedayofsurgerythroughthedaysof hospitalization, and then see himwhenhe comes in sixweeks later for hispostoperativecheck.Wewillprovidepatientswithacompleteepisodeofcaresothat they don’t get lost in the handoffs.And to get the funding I just saw thedetailed picture inmyhead and kept describing this picture to the departmentchair.IguessImadeitseemsorealthattheyhadnochoicebuttograntmethefunds.”

HARMONYYoulookforareasofagreement.Inyourviewthereis little tobegainedfromconflictandfriction,soyouseektoholdthemtoaminimum.Whenyouknowthat the people around you hold differing views, you try to find the commonground.Youtrytosteerthemawayfromconfrontationandtowardharmony.Infact,harmonyisoneofyourguidingvalues.Youcan’tquitebelievehowmuchtimeiswastedbypeopletryingtoimposetheirviewsonothers.Wouldn’tweallbe more productive if we kept our opinions in check and instead looked forconsensus and support? You believe we would, and you live by that belief.Whenothersaresoundingoffabouttheirgoals,theirclaims,andtheirferventlyheldopinions,youholdyourpeace.Whenothersstrikeout inadirection,youwillwillingly,intheserviceofharmony,modifyyourownobjectivestomergewiththeirs(aslongastheirbasicvaluesdonotclashwithyours).Whenothersstart to argue about their pet theory or concept, you steer clear of the debate,preferring to talk about practical, down-to-earthmatters onwhich you can allagree. In your viewwe are all in the sameboat, andweneed this boat to getwherewearegoing.It isagoodboat.Thereisnoneedtorockit just toshowthatyoucan.

HARMONYSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

JaneC.,Benedictinenun:“I likepeople.IrelatetothemeasilybecauseIamverystronginadjustment.ItaketheshapeofthevesselintowhichIampoured,soIdon’tirritateeasily.”

ChuckM., teacher: “I don’t like conflict in class, but I have learned to letthingsruntheircourseinsteadoftryingtostopitrightaway.WhenIfirststartedteaching,ifsomeonesaidsomethingnegative,Iwouldthink,‘Oh,whydidyouhavetosaythat?’andtrytogetridofitrightaway.ButnowIsimplytrytogettheopinionofsomeoneelse in theclassso thatperhapswecanhavedifferentpointsofviewonthesametopic.”

Tom P., technician: “I can remember vividly when I was ten or eleven andsome of the kids in my school would get into arguments. For some reason Iwould feel compelled to get in the middle of things and find the commonground.Iwasthepeacemaker.”

IDEATIONYou are fascinated by ideas.What is an idea?An idea is a concept, the bestexplanation of themost events.You are delightedwhen you discover beneaththecomplexsurfaceanelegantlysimpleconcept toexplainwhy thingsare thewaytheyare.Anideaisaconnection.Yoursisthekindofmindthatisalwayslooking for connections, and so you are intrigued when seemingly disparatephenomena can be linked by an obscure connection. An idea is a newperspectiveon familiar challenges.You revel in taking theworldweallknowandturningitaroundsowecanviewitfromastrangebutstrangelyenlighteningangle. You love all these ideas because they are profound, because they arenovel,because theyareclarifying,because theyarecontrary,because theyarebizarre.Forall these reasonsyouderivea joltofenergywheneveranew ideaoccurs toyou.Othersmay labelyoucreativeororiginalorconceptualorevensmart.Perhapsyouareallof these.Whocanbesure?Whatyouaresureof isthatideasarethrilling.Andonmostdaysthisisenough.

IDEATIONSOUNDSLIKETHIS:MarkB.,writer:“Mymindworksbyfindingconnectionsbetweenthings.TheotherdayIwashuntingdowntheMonaLisaintheLouvremuseum.Iturnedacornerandwasblindedbytheflashingofathousandcamerassnappingthetinypicture.ForsomereasonIstoredthatvisualimageaway.ThenInoticedaNOFLASHPHOTOGRAPHYsign,andIstoredthataway,too.IthoughtitwasoddbecauseIrememberedreadingthatflashphotographycanharmpaintings.ThenaboutsixmonthslaterIreadthattheMonaLisahasbeenstolenatleasttwiceinthiscentury.AndsuddenlyIputitalltogether.TheonlyexplanationforallthesefactsisthattherealMonaLisaisnotondisplayintheLouvre.

TherealMonaLisahasbeenstolen,andthemuseum,afraidtoadmittheircarelessness,hasinstalledafake.Idon’tknowifit’strue,ofcourse,butwhatagreatstory.”

AndreaH.,interiordesigner:“IhavethekindofmindwhereeverythinghastofittogetherorIstarttofeelveryodd.Forme,everypieceoffurniturerepresentsan idea. It serves a discrete function both independently and in concert witheveryotherpiece.The ‘idea’of eachpiece is sopowerful inmind, itmustbeobeyed. If I am sitting in a roomwhere the chairs are somehownot fulfillingtheirdiscretefunction—they’rethewrongkindofchairsorthey’refacingthewrongwayor they’repushedup tooclose to thecoffee table—I findmyselfgettingphysicallyuncomfortableandmentallydistracted.Later,Iwon’tbeabletogetitoutofmymind.I’llfindmyselfawakeat3:00A.M.,andIwalkthroughtheperson’shouseinmymind’seye,rearrangingthefurnitureandrepaintingthewalls.ThisstartedhappeningwhenIwasveryyoung,saysevenyearsold.”

INCLUDER“Stretchthecirclewider.”Thisisthephilosophyaroundwhichyouorientyourlife.Youwanttoincludepeopleandmakethemfeelpartofthegroup.Indirectcontrast to thosewho are drawn only to exclusive groups, you actively avoidthosegroupsthatexcludeothers.Youwanttoexpandthegroupsothatasmanypeopleaspossiblecanbenefit fromitssupport.Youhate thesightofsomeoneon theoutside looking in.Youwant todraw them in so that theycan feel thewarmthof thegroup.Youarean instinctivelyacceptingperson.Regardlessofrace or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast few judgments.Judgmentscanhurtaperson’sfeelings.Whydothatifyoudon’thaveto?Youracceptingnaturedoesnotnecessarilyrestonabeliefthateachofusisdifferentandthatoneshouldrespectthesedifferences.Rather,itrestsonyourconvictionthatfundamentallyweareall thesame.Weareallequallyimportant.Thus,noone should be ignored. Each of us should be included. It is the least we alldeserve.

INCLUDERSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

HarryB.,outplacementconsultant:“Evenasachild,althoughIwasveryshy,I alwaysmade sure that I was the one inviting others to play.When pickingteams or sides in school, I neverwanted anyone not to participatewith us. Infact, I can rememberwhen Iwas ten or eleven, I had a friendwhowas not amemberofourchurch—hewasaCatholic.Wewereatachurchbanquet,andhe showed up at the door because typicallywe had our youth activity on thatnight.Immediately,Igotup,broughthimovertoourfamily,andsathimdownatthetable.”

Jeremy B., defense lawyer: “When I first started this job, I met people andbecamefast,furiousfriendswiththemalmostondayone,onlytofindoutlaterthat,youknow,thisperson’sgotalotofissues,andI’vealreadyincludedthemin dinner parties and our social circle. My partner, Mark, is like ‘What is it

exactly thatmade youwant to include this person?’And then it’s amatter offiguringoutwhatpushedmybuttonswhenIfirstmetthem,thatmademeenjoythemsomuch.And,youknow,makingsurethatthisistheaspectofthemthatMarkandI focuson…becauseonce I includesomeone inmycircle, Idon’t,youknow,dumpthem.”

GilesD.,corporatetrainer:“InclassIseemtobeabletosensewhensomeoneis disengaging from the group discussion, and I immediately draw them backinto the conversation. Last week we got into a lengthy discussion aboutperformance appraisals, and one woman wasn’t talking at all. So I just said,‘Monica, you’ve had performance appraisals. Any thoughts on the subject?’ Ireally think this has helped me as a teacher because when I don’t know theanswertosomething,veryoftenitisthepersonIpullinwhosuppliestheanswerforme.”

INDIVIDUALIZATIONYourIndividualizationthemeleadsyoutobeintriguedbytheuniquequalitiesofeach person. You are impatient with generalizations or “types” because youdon’twant to obscurewhat is special and distinct about each person. Instead,youfocusonthedifferencesbetweenindividuals.Youinstinctivelyobserveeachperson’sstyle,eachperson’smotivation,howeachthinks,andhoweachbuildsrelationships. You hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person’s life. Thisthemeexplainswhyyoupickyourfriendsjust therightbirthdaygift,whyyouknowthatonepersonpreferspraiseinpublicandanotherdetestsit,andwhyyoutailor your teaching style to accommodateoneperson’sneed tobe shownandanother’sdesireto“figureitoutasIgo.”Becauseyouaresuchakeenobserverof other people’s strengths, you can draw out the best in each person. ThisIndividualization theme also helps you build productive teams. While somesearch around for the perfect team “structure” or “process,” you knowinstinctively that the secret togreat teams is castingby individual strengths sothateveryonecandoalotofwhattheydowell.

INDIVIDUALIZATIONSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

LesT.,hospitalitymanager: “Carl is oneofourbest performers, but he stillhastoseemeeveryweek.Hejustwantsthatlittleencouragementandcheckingin,andhegetsfiredupalittlebitafterthatmeeting.WhereasGregdoesn’tliketomeetveryoften,so there’snoneedforme tobotherhim.Andwhenwedomeet,it’sreallyforme,notforhim.”

MarshaD.,publishingexecutive:“SometimesIwouldwalkoutofmyofficeand—youknowhowcartooncharactershave thoseballoonsover theirhead?—Iwouldseetheselittleballoonsovereveryone’sheadtellingmewhatwasintheirmind.Itsoundsweird,doesn’tit,butithappensallthetime.”

GilesG., salesmanager: “I’m fairlynew to this role,butveryearlyon I canrememberaparticularmeetingwhenwegotstuckononesubjectandkeptgoing

around and around. I got frustrated and suddenly thought, ‘These people haveneverseenmegetangry.Letmethrowthisoutandseehoweachonereactstoit.’SoIgotangry,anditwasinterestingtoseehowcertainpeopleacceptedit,some took it as a challenge, and others went into a big shell. Each one’sreactions toldmesomethingusefulabout them,something Icouldusemovingforward.”

AndreaH., interiordesigner:“Whenyouaskpeoplewhat theirstyle is, theyfind it hard to describe, so I just ask them, ‘What is your favorite spot in thehouse?’AndwhenIaskthat, theirfaceslightup,andtheyknowjustwheretotakeme.FromthatonespotIcanbegintopiecetogetherthekindofpeopletheyareandwhattheirstyleis.”

INPUTYouareinquisitive.Youcollectthings.Youmightcollectinformation—words,facts, books, and quotations— or you might collect tangible objects such asbutterflies,baseballcards,porcelaindolls,orsepiaphotographs.Whateveryoucollect,youcollectitbecauseitinterestsyou.Andyoursisthekindofmindthatfindssomanythings interesting.Theworld isexcitingpreciselybecauseof itsinfinitevarietyandcomplexity.Ifyoureadagreatdeal, it isnotnecessarilytorefineyourtheoriesbut,rather,toaddmoreinformationtoyourarchives.Ifyoulike to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts.Thesecanbeacquiredandthenstoredaway.Whyaretheyworthstoring?Atthetimeofstoringitisoftenhardtosayexactlywhenorwhyyoumightneedthem,butwhoknowswhentheymightbecomeuseful?Withallthosepossibleusesinmind,you reallydon’t feel comfortable throwinganything away.Soyoukeepacquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps yourmindfresh.Andperhapsonedaysomeofitwillprovevaluable.

INPUTSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

EllenK.,writer:“EvenasachildIfoundmyselfwantingtoknoweverything.Iwouldmake a game of my questions. ‘What is my question today?’ I wouldthinkuptheseoutrageousquestions,andthenIwouldgolookingforthebooksthatwouldanswer them.Ioftengotwayovermyhead,deep intobooks that Ididn’t have a clue about, but I read them because they had my answersomeplace. My questions became my tool for leading me from one piece ofinformationtoanother.”

JohnF.,humanresourcesexecutive:“I’moneofthosepeoplewhothinkthattheInternet is thegreatest thingsinceslicedbread. Iused tofeelsofrustrated,butnowifIwanttoknowwhatthestockmarketisdoinginacertainareaortherulesofacertaingameorwhattheGNPofSpainisorotherdifferentthings,Ijustgotothecomputer,startlooking,andeventuallyfindit.”

KevinF.,salesperson:“I’mamazedatsomeofthegarbagethatcollectsinmymind,andI loveplayingJeopardyandTrivialPursuitandanything like that. Idon’tmind throwing thingsawayas longas they’rematerial things,but Ihatewasting knowledge or accumulated knowledge or not being able to readsomethingfullyifIenjoyit.”

INTELLECTIONYouliketothink.Youlikementalactivity.Youlikeexercisingthe“muscles”ofyourbrain,stretchingtheminmultipledirections.Thisneedformentalactivitymaybefocused;forexample,youmaybetryingtosolveaproblemordevelopanideaorunderstandanotherperson’sfeelings.Theexactfocuswilldependonyourotherstrengths.Ontheotherhand,thismentalactivitymayverywelllackfocus.ThethemeofIntellectiondoesnotdictatewhatyouarethinkingabout;itsimplydescribesthatyouliketothink.Youarethekindofpersonwhoenjoysyour time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You areintrospective.Inasenseyouareyourownbestcompanion,asyouposeyourselfquestions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. Thisintrospectionmayleadyoutoaslightsenseofdiscontentasyoucomparewhatyouareactuallydoingwithallthethoughtsandideasthatyourmindconceives.Orthisintrospectionmaytendtowardmorepragmaticmatterssuchastheeventsofthedayoraconversationthatyouplantohavelater.Whereveritleadsyou,thismentalhumisoneoftheconstantsofyourlife.

INTELLECTIONSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

Lauren H., project manager: “I suppose that most people who meet me inpassingpresumethatIamaflamingextrovert.IdonotdenythefactthatIlovepeople, but theywould be amazed to knowhowmuch time alone, howmuchsolitudeIneedinordertofunctioninpublic.Ireallylovemyowncompany.Ilovesolitudebecauseitgivesmeachancetoallowmydiffusedfocustosimmerwithsomethingelse.That’swheremybestideascomefrom.Myideasneedtosimmerand‘perk.’IusedthisphraseevenwhenIwasyounger;‘Ihaveputmyideasin,andnowIhavetowaitforthemtoperk.’”

MichaelP.,marketingexecutive: “It’s strange,but I find that Ineed tohavenoise around me or I can’t concentrate. I need to have parts of my brainoccupied; otherwise, it goes so fast in so many directions that I don’t get

anythingdone.IfIcanoccupymybrainwiththeTVormykidsrunningaround,thenIfindIconcentrateevenbetter.”

JorgeH.,factorymanagerandformerpoliticalprisoner:“Weusedtogetputintosolitaryconfinementasapunishment,butIneverhateditastheothersdid.Youmight think thatyouwouldget lonely,but Ineverdid. Iused the time toreflect on my life and sort out the kind of man I was and what was reallyimportanttome,myfamily,myvalues.Inaweirdwaysolitaryactuallycalmedmedownandmademestronger.”

LEARNERYoulovetolearn.Thesubjectmatterthatinterestsyoumostwillbedeterminedbyyourotherthemesandexperiences,butwhateverthesubject,youwillalwaysbedrawnto theprocessof learning.Theprocess,more than thecontentor theresult, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady anddeliberatejourneyfromignorancetocompetence.Thethrillofthefirstfewfacts,the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growingconfidence of a skill mastered — this is the process that entices you. Yourexcitement leadsyou toengage inadult learningexperiences—yogaorpianolessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic workenvironmentswhereyouareaskedtotakeonshortprojectassignmentsandareexpectedtolearnalotaboutthenewsubjectmatterinashortperiodoftimeandthenmoveontothenextone.ThisLearnerthemedoesnotnecessarilymeanthatyou seek to become the subjectmatter expert, or that you are striving for therespectthataccompaniesaprofessionaloracademiccredential.Theoutcomeofthelearningislesssignificantthanthe“gettingthere.”

LEARNERSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

AnnieM.,managing editor: “I get antsywhen I amnot learning something.Last year, although I was enjoying my work, I didn’t feel as though I waslearningenough.SoItookuptapdancing.Itsoundsstrange,doesn’tit?IknowIam never going to perform or anything, but I enjoy focusing on the technicalskill of tapping, getting a little better each week, and moving up from thebeginners’classtotheintermediateclass.Thatwasakick.”

Miles A., operations manager: “When I was seven years old, my teacherswould tellmy parents, ‘Miles isn’t themost intelligent boy in the school, buthe’saspongeforlearningandhe’llprobablygoreallyfarbecausehewillpushhimselfandcontinuallybegraspingnewthings.’RightnowIamjuststartingacourseinbusinesstravelSpanish.IknowitisprobablytooambitioustothinkI

could learn conversational Spanish and become totally proficient in thatlanguage,butIatleastwanttobeabletotravelthereandknowthelanguage.”

TimS.,coachforexecutives:“Oneofmyclientsissoinquisitivethatitdriveshimcrazybecausehecan’tdoeverythinghewants to. I’mdifferent. I amnotcuriousinthatbroadsense.IprefertogointogreaterdepthwiththingssothatIcanbecomecompetentinthemandthenusethematwork.Forexample,recentlyoneofmyclientswantedmetotravelwithhimtoNice,France,forabusinessengagement, so I started readingupon the region,buyingbooks,checking theInternet.ItwasallinterestingandIenjoyedthestudy,butIwouldn’thavedoneanyofitifIwasn’tgoingtobetravelingthereforwork.”

MAXIMIZERExcellence,notaverage,isyourmeasure.Takingsomethingfrombelowaveragetoslightlyaboveaveragetakesagreatdealofeffortandinyouropinionisnotveryrewarding.Transformingsomethingstrongintosomethingsuperbtakesjustasmucheffortbutismuchmorethrilling.Strengths,whetheryoursorsomeoneelse’s,fascinateyou.Likeadiverafterpearls,yousearchthemout,watchingforthetelltalesignsofastrength.Aglimpseofuntutoredexcellence,rapidlearning,a skillmasteredwithout recourse to steps—all theseareclues thata strengthmaybeinplay.Andhavingfoundastrength,youfeelcompelledtonurtureit,refine it, and stretch it toward excellence.Youpolish the pearl until it shines.This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating.Youchoosetospendtimewithpeoplewhoappreciateyourparticularstrengths.Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivatedtheirownstrengths.Youtendtoavoidthosewhowanttofixyouandmakeyouwell-rounded. You don’t want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack.Rather,youwanttocapitalizeonthegiftswithwhichyouareblessed.It’smorefun.It’smoreproductive.And,counterintuitively,itismoredemanding.

MAXIMIZERSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

GavinT.,flightattendant:“Itaughtaerobicsfortenyears,andImadeapointofaskingpeopletofocusonwhattheylikedaboutthemselves.Weallhavepartsofourbodythatwewouldliketochangeorthatwewouldliketoseedifferently,buttofocusonthatcanbesodestructive.Itbecomesaviciouscycle.SoIwouldsay,‘Look,youdon’tneedtobedoingthat.Instead,let’sfocusontheattributeyoulikeaboutyourself,andthenwe’llallfeelbetteraboutexpendingallofthisenergy.’”

AmyT.,magazineeditor: “There isnothing Ihatemore thanhaving to fixapoorlywrittenpiece.IfIhavegiventhewriteraclearfocusandshecomesbackwithapiecethatiscompletelyoffthemark,Ialmostcan’tbringmyselftowrite

comments on it. I’mmore inclined to just hand it back to her and say, ‘Justpleasestartagain.’Ontheotherhand,whatIlovetodoistakeapiecethatissocloseandthenrefineittomakeitperfect.Youknow,justtherightwordhere,alittlecutthere,andsuddenlyit’sabrilliantpiece.”

Marshall G., marketing executive: “I am really good at setting a focus forpeopleand thenbuildingasenseof teamspiritasweallmarchforward.But Iamnotsogoodatstrategicthinking.Fortunately,Ihaveabosswhounderstandsthat aboutme.We have beenworking together for quite a few years.He hasfoundpeoplewhoplaythestrategicroleandatthesametimestretchedmetobeevenbetteratthefocusandteam-buildingrole.I’msoluckytohaveabosswhothinks this way. It’smadememore secure andmademe charge aheadmuchfaster,knowingthatmybossknowswhatIamgoodatandwhatI’mnotgoodat;hedoesn’tbothermewiththelatter.”

POSITIVITYYouaregenerouswithpraise,quicktosmile,andalwaysonthelookoutforthepositiveinthesituation.Somecallyoulighthearted.Othersjustwishthat theirglasswereasfullasyoursseemstobe.Buteitherway,peoplewanttobearoundyou.Theirworldlooksbetteraroundyoubecauseyourenthusiasmiscontagious.Lackingyourenergyandoptimism,somefind theirworlddrabwith repetitionor,worse,heavywithpressure.Youseem to findaway to lighten their spirit.Youinjectdramaintoeveryproject.Youcelebrateeveryachievement.Youfindwaystomakeeverythingmoreexcitingandmorevital.Somecynicsmayrejectyour energy,butyouare rarelydraggeddown.YourPositivitywon’t allow it.Somehowyoucan’tquiteescapeyourconvictionthatitisgoodtobealive,thatworkcanbefun,andthatnomatterwhatthesetbacks,onemustneverloseone’ssenseofhumor.

POSITIVITYSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

GerryL., flight attendant: “There are somany people on an airplane that Ihavemade it apointover theyearsof singlingoutoneor twoona flightandmaking it something special for them. Certainly, I will be courteous toeverybody and extend to them the kind of professionalism that I would likegiventome,butoverandabovethatItrytomakeonepersonorfamilyorsmallgroupofpeoplefeelparticularlyspecial,with jokesandconversationand littlegamesthatIplay.”

AndyB.,Internetmarketingexecutive:“Iamoneofthosepeoplewholovescreatingbuzz.Ireadmagazinesallthetime,andifIfindsomethingfun—somenew store, new lip gloss, whatever — I will charge around telling everyoneabout it. ‘Oh, you just have to try this store. It is so-o-o cool. Look at thesepictures.Checkthemout.’IamsopassionatewhenItalkaboutsomethingthatpeoplejusthavetodowhatIsay.It’snotthatIamagreatsalesperson.I’mnot.In fact, I hate asking for the close, I hate bothering people. It’s just that my

passionaboutwhatIsaymakespeoplethink,‘Gosh,itmustbetrue.’”

Sunny G., communications manager: “I think the world is plagued withenoughnegativepeople.Weneedmorepositivepeople,peoplewholiketozeroinonwhatisrightwiththeworld.Negativepeoplejustmakemefeelheavy.Inmy last job there was a guy who came intomy office everymorning just tounloadonme.Iwouldpurposelydodgehim.I’dseehimcoming,andI’druntothe bathroomor go someother place.Hemademe feel as if theworldwas amiserableplace,andIhatedthat.”

RELATORRelator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, theRelator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do notnecessarilyshyawayfrommeetingnewpeople—infact,youmayhaveotherthemesthatcauseyoutoenjoythethrillofturningstrangersintofriends—butyoudoderiveagreatdealofpleasureandstrengthfrombeingaroundyourclosefriends.Youarecomfortablewithintimacy.Oncetheinitialconnectionhasbeenmade,youdeliberatelyencourageadeepeningof therelationship.Youwant tounderstandtheirfeelings,theirgoals,theirfears,andtheirdreams;andyouwantthemtounderstandyours.Youknowthatthiskindofclosenessimpliesacertainamount of risk—youmight be taken advantage of—but you arewilling toaccept that risk.Foryouarelationshiphasvalueonly if it isgenuine.Andtheonlywaytoknowthatis toentrustyourselftotheotherperson.Themoreyousharewitheachother, themoreyourisk together.Themoreyourisk together,themoreeachofyouprovesyourcaringisgenuine.Theseareyourstepstowardrealfriendship,andyoutakethemwillingly.

RELATORSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

Tony D., pilot: “I used to fly in the Marines, and, boy, you had better becomfortable with the word ‘friend’ in theMarines. You had better feel goodabout trusting someone else. I can’t tell youhowmany times I putmy life insomeoneelse’shands. Iwas flyingoffhiswing, and I’dbedead ifmy friendcouldn’tgetmebacksafely.”

Jamie T., entrepreneur: “I’m definitely selective about my relationships.Initially,whenIfirstmeetpeople,Idon’twant togivethemverymuchofmytime.Idon’tknowthem,theydon’tknowme,solet’sjustbepleasantandleaveitatthat.Butifcircumstancesmakeitsothatwegettoknoweachotherbetter,itseemslikeathresholdisreachedwhereIsuddenlystartwantingtoinvestmore.I’llsharemoreofmyself,putmyselfoutforthem,dothingsforthemthatwill

bringusalittleclosertogetherandshowthatIcare.It’sfunnybecauseIamnotlookingforanymorefriendsinmylife.Ihaveenough.AndyetwitheachnewpersonImeet,assoonasthatthresholdisreached,Ifeelcompelledtogodeeperand deeper.Now I have ten peopleworking forme, and Iwould call each ofthemmyverygoodfriend.”

GavinT., flightattendant:“Ihavemanywonderfulacquaintances,butas fortrue friends that I holddear, notverymany.And I’m real okaywith that.MybesttimesarespentwiththepeopleI’mtightestwith,likemyfamily.Weareaverytight-knitIrishCatholicfamily,andwegettogethereverychancewecan.It’salargefamily—Ihavefivebrothersandsistersandtenniecesandnephews—butweallget togetheraboutonceamonthandyuk itup. I’m thecatalyst.When I’m back in Chicago, even if there is no birthday or anniversary orwhatever,Ibecometheexcuseforgettingtogetherandhangingoutforthreeorfourdays.Wereallyenjoyoneanother’scompany.”

RESPONSIBILITYYour Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership foranythingyoucommitto,andwhetherlargeorsmall,youfeelemotionallyboundtofollowit throughtocompletion.Yourgoodnamedependsonit.Ifforsomereasonyoucannotdeliver,youautomaticallystarttolookforwaystomakeituptotheotherperson.Apologiesarenotenough.Excusesandrationalizationsaretotallyunacceptable.Youwillnotquitebeable to livewithyourselfuntilyouhave made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doingthings right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation:utterlydependable.Whenassigningnewresponsibilities,peoplewilllooktoyoufirstbecausetheyknowitwillgetdone.Whenpeoplecometoyouforhelp—andtheysoonwill—youmustbeselective.Yourwillingnesstovolunteermaysometimesleadyoutotakeonmorethanyoushould.

RESPONSIBILITYSOUNDSLIKETHIS:HarryB.,outplacementconsultant:“Iwasjustayoungbankmanagerinoneofthebrancheswhenthepresidentofthecompanydecidedthathewantedtoforecloseonaproperty.Isaid,‘That’sfine,butwehavearesponsibilitytogivethepeoplefullvaluefortheirproperty.’Hedidn’tseeitthatway.Hewantedtosellthepropertytoafriendofhisforwhatwasowed,andhesaidmyproblemwasthatIcouldn’tseparatemybusinessethicsfrommypersonalethics.Itoldhimthatwascorrect.Icouldn’tbecauseIdidn’tbelieveandstilldon’tbelievethatyoucanhavetwostandards.SoIquitthefirmandwentbacktoearning$5anhourworkingfortheforestryservicepickinguptrash.SincemywifeandIweretryingtosupportourtwokidsandmakeendsmeet,itwasaharddecisionformetomake.

Butlookingback,ononelevelitreallywasn’thardatall.Isimplycouldn’tfunctioninanorganizationwiththosekindsofethics.”

KellyG.,operationsmanager:“ThecountrymanagerinSwedencalledmeinNovember and said, ‘Kelly, could you please not ship my inventory untilJanuary1.’Isaid,‘Sure.Soundslikeagoodplan.’ItoldmypeopleoftheplanandthoughtIhadallthebasescovered.OnDecember31,however,whenIwascheckingmymessageswhileonaskislope,makingsureeverythingwashunky-dory, Isawthathisorderhadalreadybeenshippedand invoiced. Ihad tocallimmediatelyandtellhimwhathappened.He’saniceman,sohedidn’tuseanyfour-letterwords,buthewasveryangryandverydisappointed.Ifeltterrible.Anapologywasn’tenough.Ineededtofixit.Icalledourcontrollerfromthechalet,andthatafternoonwefiguredoutawaytoputthevalueofhisinventorybackonourbooksandcleanitoffhis.Ittookmostoftheweekend,butitwastherightthingtodo.”

NigelT.,salesexecutive:“Iusedtothinkthattherewasapieceofmetalinmyhandandamagnetontheceiling.Iwouldjustvolunteerforeverything.IhavehadtolearnhowtomanagethatbecausenotonlywouldIendupwithtoomuchonmyplate,butIwouldalsowindupthinkingthateverythingwasmyfault.Irealize now that I can’t be responsible for everything in the world— that’sGod’sjob.”

RESTORATIVEYoulovetosolveproblems.Whereassomearedismayedwhentheyencounteryetanotherbreakdown,youcanbeenergizedbyit.Youenjoythechallengeofanalyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution.Youmay prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal ones. Youmayseekoutspecifickindsofproblems thatyouhavemetmany timesbeforeandthatyouareconfidentyoucanfix.Oryoumayfeelthegreatestpushwhenfaced with complex and unfamiliar problems. Your exact preferences aredeterminedbyyourotherthemesandexperiences.Butwhatiscertainisthatyouenjoy bringing things back to life. It is a wonderful feeling to identify theundermining factor(s), eradicate them, and restore something to its true glory.Intuitively,youknowthatwithoutyourintervention,thisthing—thismachine,thistechnique,thisperson,thiscompany—mighthaveceasedtofunction.Youfixedit,resuscitatedit,rekindleditsvitality.Phrasingitthewayyoumight,yousavedit.

RESTORATIVESOUNDSLIKETHIS:

Nigel L., software designer: “I have these vivid memories of my childhoodwoodworking benchwith hammers and nails andwood. I used to love fixingthingsandputtingthingstogetherandmakingeverythingjustso.Andnowwithcomputerprogramsit’sthesamething.Youwritetheprogram,andifitdoesn’twork,youhavetogobackandredoitandfixituntilitworks.”

JanK.,internist:“Thisthemeplaysinmylifeinsomanyways.Forexample,myfirst lovewassurgery. I love trauma, lovebeing in theOR, lovesewing. Ijust love fixing things in theOR.Thenagain, someofmybestmomentshavebeensittingatthebedsideofadyingpatient,justtalkingtogether.Itisincrediblyrewardingtowatchsomeonemakethetransitionfromangertoacceptanceaboutgrief, to tieup looseendswithfamilymembers,andtopasswithdignity.Andthen with my kids this theme fires every day.When I see my three-year-old

buttoning her sweater for the first time and she buttons it crooked, I feel thispowerfulurge towalkupand rebutton the sweater. Ihave to resist,ofcourse,becauseshehastolearn,but,boy,it’sreallyhard.”

Marie T., television producer: “Producing a morning TV program is afundamentallyclumsyprocess.IfIdidn’tlikesolvingproblems,thisjobwoulddrivemeup thewall.Everyday something seriousgoeswrong, and Ihave tofindtheproblem,fixit,andmoveontothenextone.IfIcandothatwell,Ifeelrejuvenated.Ontheotherhand, if Igohomeandaproblemremainsunsolved,thenIfeeltheopposite.Ifeeldefeated.”

SELF-ASSURANCESelf-Assuranceissimilartoself-confidence.Inthedeepestpartofyou,youhavefaithinyourstrengths.Youknowthatyouareable—abletotakerisks,abletomeetnewchallenges,abletostakeclaims,and,mostimportant,abletodeliver.ButSelf-Assuranceismorethanjustself-confidence.BlessedwiththethemeofSelf-Assurance, you have confidence not only in your abilities but in yourjudgment.Whenyoulookattheworld,youknowthatyourperspectiveisuniqueanddistinct.Andbecausenooneseesexactlywhatyousee,youknowthatnoonecanmakeyourdecisionsforyou.Noonecantellyouwhat to think.Theycan guide. They can suggest. But you alone have the authority to formconclusions,makedecisions,andact.Thisauthority,thisfinalaccountabilityforthelivingofyourlife,doesnotintimidateyou.Onthecontrary,itfeelsnaturaltoyou.Nomatterwhatthesituation,youseemtoknowwhattherightdecisionis.This theme lends you an aura of certainty. Unlike many, you are not easilyswayedby someone else’s arguments, nomatter howpersuasive theymaybe.ThisSelf-Assurancemaybequietorloud,dependingonyourotherthemes,butit is solid. It is strong. Like the keel of a ship, it withstands many differentpressuresandkeepsyouonyourcourse.

SELF-ASSURANCESOUNDSLIKETHIS:

PamD.,publicserviceexecutive:“IwasraisedonaremotefarminIdaho,andI attended a small rural school. One day I returned home from school andannounced to my mother that I was changing schools. Earlier in the day myteacher had explained that our school had too many kids and that three kidswouldhavetomovetoadifferentschool.Ithoughtaboutitforamoment,likedthe ideaofmeetingnewpeople, anddecided Iwouldbeoneof them—eventhoughitmeantgettinguphalfanhourearlierandtravelingfurtheronthebus.Iwasfiveyearsold.”

James K., salesman: “I never second-guess myself. Whether I am buying a

birthdaypresentorahouse,whenImakemydecision,itfeelstomeasifIhadnochoice.Therewasonlyonedecisiontomake,andImadeit.It’seasyformetosleepatnight.Mygutisfinal,loud,andverypersuasive.”

DeborahC.,ERnurse:“IfwehaveadeathintheER,peoplecallonmetodealwiththefamilybecauseofmyconfidence.Justyesterdaywehadaproblemwitha young psychotic girl whowas screaming that the devilwas inside her. Theothernurseswereafraid,butIknewwhattodo.Iwentinandsaid,‘Kate,comeon,lieback.Let’ssaytheBaruch.It’saJewishprayer.Itgoeslikethis:BaruchAtahAdonai,EloheinuMelechHaolam.’Sheresponded,‘SayitslowlysothatIcansayitbacktoyou.’Ididandthenshesaiditbacktomeslowly.Shewasn’tJewish,but thiscalmcameoverher.Shedroppedbackagainstherpillowandsaid,‘Thankyou.That’sallIneeded.’”

SIGNIFICANCEYouwanttobeverysignificantintheeyesofotherpeople.Inthetruestsenseofthewordyouwanttoberecognized.Youwanttobeheard.Youwanttostandout.Youwanttobeknown.Inparticular,youwanttobeknownandappreciatedfor theunique strengthsyoubring.You feel aneed tobeadmiredascredible,professional, and successful. Likewise, youwant to associatewith otherswhoarecredible,professional,andsuccessful.Andiftheyaren’t,youwillpushthemtoachieveuntiltheyare.Oryouwillmoveon.Anindependentspirit,youwantyourworktobeawayofliferatherthanajob,andinthatworkyouwanttobegivenfreerein,theleewaytodothingsyourway.Youryearningsfeelintensetoyou, and you honor those yearnings. And so your life is filled with goals,achievements,orqualificationsthatyoucrave.Whateveryourfocus—andeachperson is distinct — your Significance theme will keep pulling you upward,awayfromthemediocretowardtheexceptional.It is thethemethatkeepsyoureaching.

SIGNIFICANCESOUNDSLIKETHIS:

MaryP.,healthcareexecutive:“Womenaretoldalmostfromdayone,‘Don’tbetooproud.Don’tstandtall.’Thatkindofthing.ButI’velearnedthatit’sokaytohavepower,it’sokaytohavepride,andit’sokaytohaveabigego.AndalsothatIneedtomanageitanddriveitintherightdirections.”

KathieJ.,partner ina lawfirm:“EversinceIcanrememberIhavehad thefeelingthatIwasspecial,thatIcouldtakechargeandmakethingshappen.Backin the sixties I was the first woman partner inmy firm, and I can still recallwalkingintoboardroomafterboardroomandbeingtheonlywoman.It’sstrange,thinking back. It was tough, but I actually think I enjoyed the pressure ofstandingout.Ienjoyedbeingthe‘woman’partner.Why?BecauseIknewthatIwould be very hard to forget. I knew everyone would notice me and payattentiontome.”

JohnL.,physician:“AllthroughmylifeIfeltthatIwasonstage.Iamalwaysawareofanaudience.IfIamsittingwithapatient,Iwantthepatienttoseemeas thebestdoctorheor shehaseverhad. If I am teachingmedical students, Iwanttostandoutasthebestmedicaleducatortheyhaveeverhad.Iwanttowinthe Educator of the Year Award. My boss is a big audience for me.Disappointingherwouldkillme.It’sscarytothinkthatpartofmyself-esteemisinotherpeople’shands,butthenagain,itkeepsmeonmytoes.”

STRATEGICThe Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the bestroute.Itisnotaskillthatcanbetaught.Itisadistinctwayofthinking,aspecialperspective on theworld at large. This perspective allows you to see patternswhere others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play outalternativescenarios,alwaysasking,“Whatifthishappened?Okay,wellwhatifthis happened?”This recurringquestionhelpsyou see around thenext corner.Thereyoucanevaluateaccuratelythepotentialobstacles.Guidedbywhereyouseeeachpath leading,youstart tomakeselections.Youdiscard thepaths thatlead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. Youdiscardthepathsthatleadintoafogofconfusion.Youcullandmakeselectionsuntilyouarriveatthechosenpath—yourstrategy.Armedwithyourstrategy,you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select.Strike.

STRATEGICSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

LiamC.,manufacturingplantmanager:“ItseemsasifIcanalwaysseetheconsequencesbeforeanyoneelsecan.Ihavetosaytopeople,‘Liftupyoureyes,lookdowntheroadaways.Let’stalkaboutwherewearegoingtobenextyearsothatwhenwegettothistimenextyear,wedon’thavethesameproblems.’Itseems obvious to me, but some people are just too focused on this month’snumbers,andeverythingisdrivenbythat.”

VivianT., televisionproducer: “I used to love logic problemswhen Iwas akid.Youknow,theoneswhere‘ifAimpliesB,andBequalsC,doesAequalC?’StilltodayIamalwaysplayingoutrepercussions,seeingwherethingslead.Ithinkitmakesmeagreatinterviewer.Iknowthatnothingisanaccident;everysign,everyword,everytoneofvoicehassignificance.SoIwatchforthesecluesandplaythemoutinmyhead,seewheretheylead,andthenplanmyquestionstotakeadvantageofwhatIhaveseeninmyhead.”

SimonT.,humanresourcesexecutive:“Wereallyneededtotaketheuniononat some stage, and I sawanopportunity, averygood issue to take themon. Icouldseethattheyweregoinginadirectionthatwouldleadthemintoallkindsoftroubleiftheycontinueddownit.Loandbehold,theydidcontinuedownit,andwhen theyarrived, there Iwas, readyandwaiting. I suppose it justcomesnaturallytometopredictwhatsomeoneelseisgoingtodo.Andthenwhenthatperson reacts, I can respond immediately because I have sat down and said,‘Okay, if they do this, we’ll do this. If they do that, thenwe’ll do this otherthing.’It’slikewhenyoutackinasailboat.Youheadinonedirection,butyoujinkoneway,thenanother,planningandreacting,planningandreacting.”

WOOWoostands forwinningothersover.Youenjoy the challengeofmeetingnewpeopleandgettingthemtolikeyou.Strangersarerarelyintimidatingtoyou.Onthecontrary,strangerscanbeenergizing.Youaredrawntothem.Youwanttolearntheirnames,askthemquestions,andfindsomeareaofcommoninterestsothatyoucanstrikeupaconversationandbuildrapport.Somepeopleshyawayfromstartingupconversationsbecausetheyworryaboutrunningoutofthingstosay.You don’t.Not only are you rarely at a loss forwords, but you actuallyenjoyinitiatingwithstrangersbecauseyouderivesatisfactionfrombreakingtheiceandmakingaconnection.Oncethatconnectionismade,youarequitehappytowrapitupandmoveon.Therearenewpeopletomeet,newroomstowork,newcrowdstominglein.Inyourworldtherearenostrangers,onlyfriendsyouhaven’tmetyet—lotsofthem.

WOOSOUNDSLIKETHIS:

DeborahC.,publishingexecutive:“IhavemadebestfriendsoutofpeoplethatIhavemetpassinginthedoorway.Imeanit’sawful,butwooingispartofwhoIam.Allmytaxidriversproposetome.”

Marilyn K., college president: “I don’t believe I’m looking for friends, butpeoplecallmeafriend.Icallpeopleandsay,‘Iloveyou,’andImeanitbecauseIlovepeopleeasily.Butfriends?Idon’thavemanyfriends.Idon’tthinkIamlookingforfriends.Iamlookingforconnections.AndIamreallygoodatthatbecauseIknowhowtoachievecommongroundwithpeople.”

AnnaG.,nurse:“IthinkIamalittleshysometimes.UsuallyIwon’tmakethefirststepout.ButIdoknowhowtoputpeopleatease.Alotofmyjobisjusthumor. If the patient is not very receptive, my role becomes a stand-upcomedian.I’llsaytoaneighty-year-oldpatient,‘Hi,youhandsomeguy.Situp.Letmegetyourshirtoff.That’sgood.Takeyourshirtoff.Whoa,whatacheston thisman!’Withkidsyouhave to start very slowly and say something like

‘Howoldareyou?’ If theysay ‘ten,’ thenyousay, ‘Really?WhenIwasyourage,Iwaseleven’—sillystufflikethattobreaktheice.”

CHAPTER5TheQuestionsYou’reAsking

ARETHEREANYOBSTACLESTOBUILDINGMYSTRENGTHS?

WHYSHOULDIFOCUSONMYSIGNATURETHEMES?

ISTHEREANYSIGNIFICANCETOTHEORDEROFMYSIGNATURETHEMES?

NOTALLOFTHEPHRASESINTHETHEMEDESCRIPTIONAPPLYTOME.WHY?

WHYAMIDIFFERENTFROMOTHERPEOPLEWITHWHOMISHARESOMEOFTHESAMETHEMES?

AREANYOFTHETHEMES“OPPOSITES”?

CANIDEVELOPNEWTHEMESIFIDON’TLIKETHEONESIHAVE?

WILLIBECOMETOONARROWIFIFOCUSONMYSIGNATURETHEMES?

HOWCANIMANAGEAROUNDMYWEAKNESSES?

CANMYTHEMESREVEALWHETHERIAMINTHERIGHTCAREER?

YouhavetakentheStrengthsFinderProfile.Youhavereceivedyourtopfivethemesandreadthedescriptionsandthequotes.Andnow,ifyoureactasmostpeopledo,youwillhavequiteafewquestionsrunningthroughyourhead.Frompastexperiencewehavedeterminedthequestionsmostfrequentlyasked,andwetrustthatouranswerswilladdressyourmostpressingqueries.

AreThereAnyObstaclestoBuildingMyStrengths?

Yes.Asidefromthepoliciesofyourorganization(whichweshalladdressinthe last chapter), there is one obstacle barring your progress: Your ownreluctance.

This probably sounds strange.Why would anyone be reluctant to build ontheirstrengths?Thetruthis thatmanypeoplearereluctant.Manypeopledon’tconcernthemselveswiththeintricaciesoftheirstrengths;instead,theychoosetodevote their time and energy to investigating theirweaknesses.We know thisbecause we asked them this question: “Which do you think will help youimprovethemost:knowingyourstrengthsorknowingyourweaknesses?”

Whetherwe asked the question of theAmerican population, theBritish, theFrench, the Canadian, the Japanese, or the Chinese, whether the people wereyoungorold,richorpoor,highlyeducatedorlessso,theanswerwasalwaysthesame:weaknesses,notstrengths,deservethemostattention.Admittedly,wediddiscoverquite awide rangeof responses to this question.Themost strengths-focused culture is theUnited States,with 41 percent of the population sayingthat knowing their strengths will help them improve the most. The leaststrengths-focusedculturesareJapanandChina.Only24percentbelievethatthekey to success lies in their strengths.However, despite the range, this generalconclusionholdstrue:Themajorityoftheworld’spopulationdoesn’tthinkthatthe secret to improvement lies in a deep understanding of their strengths.(Interestingly, ineveryculture thegroup least fixatedon theirweaknesseswas

theoldestgroup,thosefifty-fiveyearsoldandabove.Alittleolder,alittlewiser,thisgrouphasprobablyacquiredameasureofself-acceptanceandrealized thefutilityoftryingtopaperoverthepersistentcracksintheirpersonality.)

Ofalltheresearchweconductedforthisbook,thesediscoverieswereperhapsthemostsurprising.Theyrequireanexplanation.Whydosomanypeopleavoidfocusingontheirstrengths?Whydoweaknessesprovesomesmerizing?Unlesswefaceuptothesequestionsandresolvethemnow,youreffortstobuildyourstrengthsmightpeteroutbeforetheyhavehadachancetogainmomentum.

Thereareasmanyreasonsas therearepeople toconcoct them,butall thesereasonsseemtostemfromthesamethreebasicfears:fearofweaknesses,fearoffailure,and,fearofone’strueself.

FEAROFWEAKNESSESFor many of us our fear of our weaknesses seems to overshadow our

confidence in our strengths.To use an analogy, if life is a gameof cards andeach of us has been dealt our hand of strengths and weaknesses, most of usassumethatourweaknessestrumpourstrengths.

For example, if we excel at selling but struggle with strategy, it is ourdifficulty with strategy that gets the attention because an inability to thinkstrategicallywillsurelyhurtussomewheredowntheline,won’tit?Ifwebuildtrustingrelationshipswitheasebutfalterwhenitcomestomakingpresentations,wesignupfortheubiquitouspublicspeakingclassbecausepublicspeakingisaprerequisiteforsuccess,isn’tit?Whatevertheweakness,whateverthestrength,thestrengthisjustastrength—tobeadmiredandthensimplyassumed—buttheweakness,ah,theweaknessisan“areaofopportunity.”

Thisfixationwithweaknessisdeeplyrootedinoureducationandupbringing.Wepresentedparentswith thisscenario:Sayyourchild returnshomewith thefollowinggrades:anAinEnglish,anAinsocialstudies,aCinbiology,andanFinalgebra.Whichofthesegradeswouldyouspendthemosttimediscussing

withyoursonordaughter?Seventy-sevenpercentofparentschosetofocusontheFinalgebra,only6percentontheAinEnglish,andanevenmoreminusculenumber, 1 percent, on the A in social studies. Obviously, the algebra graderequires some attention because to progress in school and secure a place at acollegeoruniversity, thechildcannotafford tofailasubject.But thequestionwasphrasedquite carefully:Whichof thesegradeswouldyou spend themosttime discussing with your son or daughter? Despite the demands of today’seducationsystem,doesthemosttimereallydeservetobeinvestedinthechild’sweakness?

Thisweaknessorientationpersistsinthefieldsofresearchandacademia.Inarecentspeechtohisprofessionalcolleagues,MartinSeligman,pastpresidentoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation, reported thathehadfoundover fortythousandstudiesondepressionbutonlyfortyonthesubjectofjoy,happiness,orfulfillment.Aswith the algebra example, the point here is not that depressionshouldnotbestudied.Depressionisadeadeningdisease,andthosewhosufferfrom it need all the help that science can offer them. (In fact, as a result ofscience’s passionate focus on mental illness during the last half century,treatments for fourteen distinct mental illnesses have been discovered.) Thepoint is thatourbalance isoff.Ourperspective issoskewed towardweaknessand illness that we know precious little about strength and health. In MartinSeligman’s words, “Psychology is half-baked, literally half-baked. We havebaked the part aboutmental illness.We have baked the part about repair anddamage.Buttheothersideisunbaked.Thesideofstrengths,thesideofwhatwearegoodat,theside…ofwhatmakeslifeworthliving.”

Eachofushasweaknesses,ofcourse.Activities that areeffortless for somemaybefrustratinglydifficultforus.Andiftheseweaknessesinterferewithourstrengths, we need to develop strategies tomanage around them (wewill listthese strategies in full later in the chapter). To clear our skewed perspective,however,wemust remember thatcastingacriticaleyeonourweaknessesand

working hard to manage them, while sometimes necessary, will only help uspreventfailure.Itwillnothelpusreachexcellence.WhatSeligmanissaying—andwhatmanyof theexcellentperformerswe interviewedare tellingus—isthat you will reach excellence only by understanding and cultivating yourstrengths.

Backinthe1930s,CarlJung,theeminentthinkerandpsychologist,putitthisway:Criticismhas“thepowertodogoodwhenthereissomethingthatmustbedestroyed,dissolvedor reduced,but [it is]capableonlyofharmwhen there issomethingtobebuilt.”

FEAROFFAILUREThisistheusualsuspectinthesensethatbecausefailingisneverfun,someof

uschoosenottoriskit.Butinthecontextofthechallengesofstrongliving,thisfearoffailurebecomesparticularlyresilientanddifficulttodislodge.

Allfailuresarenotcreatedequal.Somearefairlyeasytodigest,usuallythosewherewecanexplainawaythefailurewithouttarnishingourself-image.Itmaysounda littledifferent inkindergarten (“Hey, Iwasn’t ready!”) than itdoes intheworkingworld(“I’mafraidthat’snotmyspecialty”),buttheprincipleisthesame.Whenthecauseof thefailureseemstohavenothingtodowithwhowereallyare,wecanacceptit.

But some failures stick in our throat and lodge there.Of this kind themostpersistentandthemostdamagingarethosetimeswhenwepickoutoneofourstrengths, stake a claim, go all out, and yet still fail. The anguish thataccompaniesthiskindoffailurecanbeacute.DoyourememberthesceneinthefilmChariots of Firewhere the runner Abrahams turns to his girlfriend afterlosing a race for which he had prepared diligently and in a stunned whisperconfesses,“Ijustdon’tthinkIcanrunanyfaster”?

Whether we are competitive like Abrahams or judge ourselves against ourownstandards,oursenseoffailureismostpervasivewheneverwereachdown,

call upon our strengths, and they are found wanting. Despite society’s well-intentionedadvice to“try, tryagain,”at times like thesewecanstart to feelalittle desperate. “I identified a talent, cultivated it into a strength, claimed it,practicedit,andstillfailed!SowheredoIturnnow?”

Anaddedtwisttothisfearofastrength-basedfailureisthatsocietyreservesitsmostdelightedridiculeforthosewhoclaimstrengthsandthenfail.ThinkofDonaldTrump’shighlypublicbrushwithbankruptcyintheearly1990s.ThinkofRichardBranson’sstruggles to launchVirginCola.Thereareprobablyveryfewof uswho, handonheart, can say thatwedid not take just a smidgenofpleasureinseeingsuchgrandclaimsfallshort.Ourbaserinstinctsencourageusto take pleasure in another’smisfortunes; unfortunately, the pleasure seems toincrease indirectproportion to theotherperson’sego.Thebiggerhisego, thegreaterourpleasureinhisfailure.

Forbothofthesereasons,then,manyofusavoidtheexposureofbuildingonour strengths. Instead, we stay in the workroom patching up the cracks. It isdiligent,itishumble,andsocietyrespectsit.Unfortunately,aswejustdescribed,patchingupyourweaknesseswillneverleadyoutoexcellence.Sowhatshouldyoudo?Howcanyouovercomethispotentfearofstrength-basedfailure?

Well,morethanlikelyyouwillneverentirelydissolveeitheryourfearofyourownfailureoryoursmallpleasureinotherpeople’s.Bothseemtobeingrainedinthoseaspectsofhumannaturemanyofusshare.Byexaminingthemupclose,however,youcanatleastdemystifythemtosuchanextentthatneitherstopsyoufrombuildingonyourstrengths.

Let’sstartwiththeegoproblem.Isitegotisticaltospendyourlifebuildingonyour strengths? Everything we know from our research says that it isn’t.Buildingonyourstrengthsandegotismarenotthesamething.Egotismiswhenyou make claims to excellence, but your claims aren’t tied to anythingsubstantive. This blustering, “big hat, no cattle” approach to life is ripe for

ridicule.

But building on your strengths isn’t necessarily about ego. It is aboutresponsibility.Youshouldnot takepride inyournatural talentsanymore thanyoushouldtakeprideinyoursex,race,or thecolorofyourhair.YournaturaltalentsaregiftsfromGodoraccidentsofbirth,dependingonthearticlesofyourfaith.Eitherway,youhadnothingtodowiththem.However,youhaveagreatdealtodowithfashioningthemintostrengths.Itisyouropportunitytotakeyournaturaltalentsandtransformthemthroughfocusandpracticeandlearningintoconsistentnearperfectperformances.

From this point of view, to avoid your strengths and to focus on yourweaknesses isn’t a sign of diligent humility. It is almost irresponsible. Bycontrast themost responsible, themost challenging, and, in the senseofbeingtrue to yourself, the most honorable thing to do is face up to the strengthpotentialinherentinyourtalentsandthenfindwaystorealizeit.

Mightyoufail?Yes,youmight.Buildingastronglifemeansthatyouallowperformance to be the final judge of your strengths. Performance, properlymeasured,isimplacableandunforgiving,andwithoutdoubttherewillbetimeswhenyourclaimsofstrengtharejudgedunfavorably.

Sowhat?Really,whatistheworstthatcouldhappen?Soyouidentifyatalent,cultivate it intoa strength,and fail toperformup toyourexpectations.Yes, ithurts,butitshouldn’tundermineyoucompletely.It isachancetolearnandtoincorporatethislearningintoyournextperformance,andyournext.Andwhatifthese next performances still fail tomeet your standards?Well, it hurts somemore.But it should also tell you something:Youmight be searching for yourstrengths in the wrong places. Despite the hurt, you are at least freed up toredirectyoursearchmoreproductively.AsthewitW.C.Fieldsadvised:“Ifatfirstyoudon’tsucceed,tryagain.Thenquit.Thereisnopointmakingafoolofyourself.”

Thisadviceiseasytogiveanddifficulttoputintopractice,butasyoubuildyourstrengths,sometimesmakinggreatprogress,sometimesslippingback,takecomfortfromthefactthatthisishowastronglifeissupposedtobelived.Thisprocess—act,learn,refine,act,learn,refine—clumsythoughitmaybe,istheessenceofstrongliving.Stronglivingasksyoutobebold,tobeperceptive,tolistenforperformancefeedbackfromtheoutsideworld,and,aboveall,tokeepinvestigatingyourstrengthsdespitethemanyinfluencespullingyouawayfromthem.Again,CarlJungcaptured thespiritof itbestwhenhesaid,“Fidelity tothelawofyourownbeingis…anactofhighcourageflunginthefaceoflife.”

Awordofwarning:Beonthelookoutfortheonemenacingdangerthatcanundermineyou:delusion.Thisoccurswhenyoukeepacting,keep failing, anddon’trealize it.Youthinkthatyouhaveastrengthinpublicspeaking,yetyoudon’t realize the audience is zoning out. Or you imagine yourself a superstarsalesperson, yet never wonder why nobody buys. Or you see yourself as thegreatest manager of people since Vince Lombardi, yet never notice that youremployeessteerclearofyouasyoupatrolthehallways.Or,mostdangerousofall, you dimly register your poor performances, yet somehow seem to find amillion reasons why it has nothing to do with you. Delusion plus denial is alethalcombination.

Ifyouarethusafflicted,nothinginthisbookwillcureyou.Allwecantellyouis that thepersonyouaredoing themostharm to isyourself.ThephilosopherBaruchSpinozasaidthat“tobewhatweare,andtobecomewhatwearecapableofbecoming,istheonlyendoflife.”Youmaydisagreewithhisemphasis,butsurelyoneof thegoals of your life is to discover and applyyour strengths. Ifyoursensesarenumbedwithdelusionanddenial,youwillstoplookingforthesetrue strengths andwind up living a second-rate version of someone else’s liferatherthanaworld-classversionofyourown.

FEAROFONE’STRUESELF

Youmaybereluctant to investigateyourstrengthsquitesimplybecauseyoudon’tbelievethatyourtrueselfismuchtowritehomeabout.Whateverthelabel—afeelingofinadequacyor“impostersyndrome”orplainoldinsecurity—thesymptomsarefamiliar.Despiteyourachievements,youwonderwhetheryouareastalentedaseveryonethinksyouare.Yoususpectthatluckandcircumstance,notyourstrengths,mightexplainmuchofyoursuccess.Theanxiouslittlevoicein your earwhispers, “Whenwill yoube foundout?” and, against your betterjudgment,youlisten.

Inpartthisexplainswhy,whenaskedtodescribetheirstrengths,peoplerarelyrefer to their natural talents. Instead, they talk about external things that theyhave gathered during their life, such as certificates and diplomas, experiencesandawards.Here is the“proof” that theyhave improved themselves, that theyhaveacquiredsomethingvaluabletooffer.

Wedon’tmean to imply that this fear isentirelynegative.Afterall, the flipsideof insecurity iscomplacency.Wedowant toremindyou,however, that ifyou stop investigating yourself for fear of how little youmight find, youwillmissthewonderofyourstrengths.Wesay“remind”becausesomanyofustakeourstrengthsforgranted.Welivewiththemeveryday,andtheycomesoeasilytousthattheyceasetobeprecious.LiketheNewYorkerwhonolongerhearsthesirensandthehorns,wearesoclosetoourstrengthsthatwedon’tseethemanymore.

AfewyearsagoBruceB.wononeofAmerica’smostprestigiousawardsforteachers.Accordingtofeedbackfromhispeers,hisstudents,andtheirparents,hewas brilliant at creating a focused yet caring environment for learning.Aspart of Gallup’s study of excellence, we interviewed him and then gave himfeedback on his strengths. One of his strongest talents was Empathy, so wetalkedtohimabouthowpowerfulitwasthathecouldpickuponthefeelingsofeach student, that he could make each one feel heard and understood. Wedescribed how this theme enabled him to hear the unspoken questions, to

anticipateeachstudent’slearninghurdles,andtotailorhisteachingstylesothattogethertheycouldfindawayaroundthem.Wepaintedasvividapictureaswecouldofhowhehadcultivatedthistalentintoatremendousstrength.

When we were done, Bruce sat there with a strange look on his face. Hewasn’tsurprised.Hewasn’tintrigued.Hedidn’tevenseemparticularlyflattered.Hewasjustconfused.

“Doesn’teveryonedothat?”heasked.

Theanswer,ofcourse,was“No.Everyonedoesn’tdothat,butyoudo,Bruce.Youdo.It’swhatmakesyousoverygoodatwhatyoudo.Ifeveryteacherwasasempathicasyou,everyteacherwouldbeasgoodasyou.Andtheyaren’t.”

Brucehadfallenintothetrapthatcatchessomanyofus.Hecouldn’thelpbutspotthecluesthatrevealedeachstudent’semotionalstate.Hecouldn’thelpbutrespondtotheemotionshesaw.Hecouldn’thelpbutsharetheirpainandrejoicein their successes. And because he couldn’t help it, he didn’t value it. It waseasy, and so it wasmundane, commonplace, obvious. “Doesn’t everybody dothat?”

The oldmaxim says that you can’t see the picturewhen you are inside theframe.Well, you spendyourwhole life inside the frameof your strengths, soperhapsitislittlewonderthatafterawhileyoubecomeblindtothem.Wehopethat by revealing your five Signature Themes we have shown you that yourinstinctivereactionstotheworldaroundyou—thosethingsthat“youcan’thelpbut …” — are not mundane, commonplace, obvious. On the contrary, yourinstinctive reactions are unique. Theymake you different from everyone else.Theymakeyouextraordinary.

WhyShouldIFocusonMySignatureThemes?

ThechiefpurposeofStrengthsFinder isnot to sumyouupor tooffera fullcharacterportrait.Instead,thepointoftheStrengthsFinderProfileistohelpyouachieve consistent near perfect performance — performance that is bothexcellentandfulfilling.Thiskindofstrengthbuildingrequiresasharpfocusforacoupleofreasons.

First,althoughyouhaveundoubtedlyexperiencedsomemomentsof successand fulfillment in your life, the secret to strong living lies in being able toreplicatethesemomentstimeandagain.Todothisyouneedtounderstandthesemomentsdeeply.Youneedtodiscernwhichstrengthswereinplayandhowtheycombinedtocreateeithertheperformanceorthesatisfactionorboth.Youneedto beconsciously competent.To achieve this conscious competencewith evenfivethemesoftalentisquiteachallenge.

Second, when you look closely, the difference between someone whoseperformanceisacceptableandsomeonewhoseperformanceisconsistentlynearperfect is very slight. The near perfect performer is rarely doing somethingdramatically different. Confronted by the daily barrage of a thousandinstantaneous decisions, he is simply making a very small number of moreappropriatechoices.

How small a number?Well, in baseball if you hit the ball successfully 270timesforeverythousandplateappearances,youwillbeamiddlingplayer.Ifyoucanmanage320hitsperthousand,youwillbehailedasoneoftheleague’sbest.So in baseball the difference betweenmiddle of the road and superstardom isabouttwenty-fivebetterdecisionsperseason(onaverage,abatterwillmake500plate appearances a season). In professional golf the difference betweenexcellenceandaverageissimilarlyslight.Thetopplayersaveragetwenty-sevenputtsperround.Themiddlingplayersaveragethirty-two.

In theworld ofwork, the differencebetween the struggling salesperson andthe great one might be just three extra calls made each week or two moreemotionalsignalspickedupduringapresentationoronemorefacttossedinatjusttherightmomentofaconversation.Thedifferencebetweentheexemplarymentorandtherun-of-the-millbossmightsimplybeafewmorequestionsaskedanda fewmoremoments spent listening.Nomatterwhatyourprofession, thesecret to consistent near perfect performance lies in these kinds of subtlerefinements.

Toachievetheserefinementsdemandsexpertise.Youwillneedtostudyyourstrongest themes of talent and figure out how they combine to create yourstrengths. Pondering them in thisway, youmay suddenly realize that a smallshiftinemphasisfromonethemetoanotheroradeepeningofyourknowledgeinoneparticularareaisallyouneedtohelpyoumaketheleapfrommiddlingtoexcellentperformance.

Forexample, ifoneofyourSignatureThemesisInput,youmayrealize thatalthough you read a great deal, you don’t discipline yourself to archiveinteresting articles and facts. So you decide to make a slight change in yourweekly regimen.Youcreate a clipping file and reread everything in it at leastonceaquarter.Youquicklydiscoverthatwiththiswealthofinformationfreshinyourmind,youaremoreinsightful,morehelpful,andmorecreative.

Orperhaps,withConnectednessasoneofyourSignatureThemes,youhavealwaysfeltthecomfortthatthisthemebringsyouinyourpersonallife,butyouhave never thought to apply it in your professional life. So nowyoumake anadjustment. You deliberately talk to your colleagues about how each of theirefforts is combined to create the team’s total performance.Youhighlight howone person’s attention to detail makes another’s work that much easier. Youemphasize the common purpose and the need formutual support.As a result,you gradually build your reputation as one of the best team builders in thecompany.

Topolishevenonethemesothatitbecomesatruestrengthwilltestyourself-awarenessandyourresourcefulness.Tohoneallfiveistheworkofalifetime.

IsThereAnySignificancetotheOrderofMySignatureThemes?

Technically,theanswerisyes,butinpracticalterms,no.TheStrengthsFinderProfileevaluateseachofyour responses,calculatesyourstrongest themes,andpresents your top five in descending order. Thus, technically, the first themelistedisyourstrongesttheme.Thefifththemelistedisyourfifthstrongest.

However,weadviseyounottoplacetoomuchemphasisontheorderofyourSignatureThemes.First, theactualdifferencebetweenyournumberonethemeandyournumberfivetheme,andthoseinbetween,maywellbeinfinitesimallysmall.Intheworldofmathematics, thedifferencesexist,but intherealworld,theymaybemeaningless.

Second,thepracticalpurposeofStrengthsFinderistohighlightyourdominantpatterns of thought, feeling, or behavior. Here we are drawing a distinctionbetween your Signature Themes and your responsive themes. Your SignatureThemes are those that you leadwith.Nomatterwhat the situation, they filteryourworld, forcingyou tobehave incertain recurringways.Bycontrast,yourresponsive themes fire only occasionally, usually when a very particularsituationpresentsitself.

Forexample,ifoneofyourSignatureThemesisDeveloper,youwillactivelylook for opportunities to set other people up for success. Their growth willalwaysbeonyourmind.IfDeveloperisaresponsivetheme,itwillkickinonlywhen the other person is sitting in front of you asking for your advice on hercareer.Similarly, ifStrategic thinking isaSignatureThemeyouwillapproacheverysituationbyasking“Whatif?”Whetherstandingintheshowerorjoggingor lying awake late at night, yourmindwill not be able to stop itself from itsinstinctivecontingencyplanning.However,ifStrategicisaresponsivetheme,itwill be switchedononlywhen the timecomes to carve the five-yearbusiness

plan.

Responsivethemescancomeinhandysometimesbecausetheyenableyoutoperform acceptably well as long as everything is cued up for you, but yourSignatureThemesdon’trelyoncues.Theyarepowerfulpreciselybecausetheyareinstinctual.Eachofthem,onethroughfive,isaself-startingthemeandisacriticalcomponentinstrengthbuilding.

NotAllofthePhrasesintheThemeDescriptionApplytoMe.Why?

In a sense the thirty-four themes do not actually exist. Achiever cannot befound in one corner of a person’s brain and Belief in another. Each person’srecurringpatternsof thought, feeling,orbehaviorarecreatedby the threads inhisnetwork.Somearestrong.Somearebroken.Foralltheobviousreasons—geneticinheritance,upbringing,culture—aperson’snetworkisunique.

WhenGallupinterviewedthetwomillionexcellentperformerstolearnabouthuman strengths, we were investigating the unique configuration of eachindividual’snetwork.Bycontrast,whenwedecidedtosummarizeourresearchandcreateacommonlanguageforexplaininghumanstrengths,wehadtoignorethisuniqueness. Instead,wewove themostcommon threads intopatterns,andthese patterns then became the thirty-four themes of StrengthsFinder. In thedescriptionswehavetriedtocapturethemostprevalentthreadsofeachpatternor theme, but because each theme is a summary, it is likely that some of thethreadswillnotresonatewithyouasstronglyasothersdo.

To stretch the analogy, the themes are patterns in the sameway that tartan,paisley,andherringbonearepatterns.Everyherringbonejacketcontainsslightlydifferent threads, but each is recognizable as herringbone. Likewise, if youpossessthethemeCompetition,youmaybedrawntoconteststhataredifferentfromotherswhohavethissametheme,butintheconteststhatmattertoeachofyou,youwillnotlabelyourselves“goodlosers.”

WhyAmIDifferentfromOtherPeoplewithWhomIShareSomeoftheSameThemes?

VeryfewpeopleshareyourSignatureThemes(infact, thereareover thirty-three million possible combinations of the top five, so the chances of yourmeetingyourperfectmatchare infinitesimal).This isrelevantbecausenoneofyourfive themesstandsalone.Rather,eachthemeisso interwovenwitheveryotheronethatitismodified,alteredbyassociation.Thefollowingprogressionofthemepairsservesasanexampleofhow,bysubstitutingonlyonethemeinthepair,theoverallpatternofbehaviorchangesdramatically.

The theme Ideation describes a love of ideas and connections. The themeContextdescribesan instinctiveneed to investigatehow thingscame tobe theway they are.Together they produce a creative theoristwho takes the time tolooktothepastforcluestoexplainthepresent.Intheextreme,pictureCharlesDarwinwonderingwhythebeaksofGalapagosfinchesvariedinshapeandsize,andstartingtoseetheoutlineofhistheoryofnaturalselection.

Nowmakeonechange.KeepIdeationbutsubstituteFuturistic—afascinationwith thepotentialof thefuture—forContext. IdeationandFuturistic togethercreateavisionarydreamerwhocandistillfromthepresentkeytrendsandthenprojecthowthesetrendswillcometogethertenyearshence.ThinkofBillGates,chairmanofMicrosoft,andhisvividgoalofacomputerineveryhousehold.

NowkeepFuturisticbutforIdeationsubstituteBelief,aneedtoorientone’slife around a core set of values, usually altruistic. The Futuristic and Beliefthemesalsocreateavisionarydreamer,buthisdreamstendtobeverydifferentfrom the previous example. Whereas Bill Gates and his ilk imagine a betterworld, the Futuristic/Belief dreamer can’t help but imagine a better world forpeople. He is less concerned about the creativity of his dream and moreconcernedabout itsbeneficial impact.Dr.MartinLutherKing, Jr., isprobably

themostcompellingexample.Henotonlyorientedhislifearoundthevalueofracialequalitybutprojectedthisvalueintoavividpictureofthefuture,afuturewhereablackgirlandawhiteboycoulddrinkfromthesamewaterfountain,sitinthesameclassrooms,andwalkhandinhanddownthesamestreet.

Lastly,keepBeliefbutforFuturisticsubstituteRelator,adesiretogettoknowpeoplewelland tobuildclose relationshipswith them.TheBeliefandRelatorthemes combine to create amissionary, not a visionary. This person has littletime for inspirational images, which are too distant, too ethereal. Instead, shewants to meet the people she is helping. She wants to learn their names andunderstandtheiruniquesituations.Onlythencanshebesurethatsheisindeedlivingouthervalues.ThispersonrecallsthespiritofMotherTeresaratherthanthatofMartinLutherKing,Jr.

Since we have jumped from Charles Darwin to Mother Teresa by simplyswitching one theme, you can see why your behavior may be significantlydifferentfrompeoplewhoshareone,two,three,orevenfourofyourSignatureThemes. So try not to examine each of your themes in isolation. Instead,examine how each modifies the others. Figure out the combination effects.Thereinliesthesecrettorealself-awareness.

AreAnyoftheThemes“Opposites”?

The answer to this question is no. Personality tests tend to be based on theassumptionthatmanyhumantraitsaremutuallyexclusive.Forexample,youcanbe either an introvert or an extrovert, but never both.You can be either ego-driven or altruistic; either assertive or agreeable; either future-oriented ornostalgic.Thiseither/orassumptionisthenbuiltintothesequestionnaires.Eachquestionisdesignedsothatapositivescoreforonetraitautomaticallyensuresanegativescoreontheoppositetrait.Suchquestionsarelabeled“ipsative,”whichmeansthatifinrealityyouhaveboth,thequestionmakesitimpossibleforyoutoshowupwithboth.

TheStrengthsFinderProfileisnotbuiltthiswayforthesimplereasonthatthiseither/or assumption doesn’t seem to play out in the real world. During ourinterviewswefoundhundredsofthousandsofpeoplewhopossessedthemesthatatfirstglancewouldbeconsideredopposites.DavidG.,thepresidentofafilmcompanyinHollywood,displayedthedominantthemesofbothWoo(aloveofthechallengeofwinningothersover)andIntellection(aneedfortimealonetoponderandruminate).HisWoothemeenabledhimtomakehundredsofcallsaday in his quest to charm desirable film projects onto his lot.His Intellectionthemelenthimareflectiveairand,notinsignificantly,allowedhimtorelatetothe interior life of the characters he read and of thewriters whowrote them.When we asked David about this seeming inconsistency, he said that thecombinationofWooandIntellectionmadeperfectsensetohim.“Iamthekindof guywho dreads going to parties butwho is suddenly atmy best once I’mthere.”

Withthefollowingexample,LeslieT.,aninvestmentbanker,revealedtwoofherstrongestbutseemingly“opposite”themes,Harmony(awillingnesstoavoidconflict ifatallpossible)andCommand(aneedtoconfront).“Aspresidentof

my home owners association I had to supervise the bidding process for aneighborhood landscaping project. Because it was quite a large contract, Iwantedtorunthebiddingprocessmyself.However,oneofmyboardmembersstoodupat themeetingandargued thathe should run it becauseheknew thebusiness, had friends in construction, thewholebit. Iwouldhave stuck tomyguns,buthewassoadamantthatIletitslideandgavehimtheokay.Butthenamonth later, after I saw the final contract, I discovered that he hadn’t evenopenedthecontractupforbid.Hehadsimplywaiteduntil the lastminuteandthenhandedthecontracttoafriendofhis.Iwasfurious.Situationslikethiscanbedifficultbecauseit’snotasthoughyou’rehisbossoranything,butstillIfeltIcouldn’tlethisbehaviorgounmarked.SoIcalledameetingwithhimandmadehimawareofhowverydisappointedIwas.Itwasverydifficult.Infact,itstillisbetweenus.”

Thesearejusttwoexamplesamonghundredsofthousands.Wefoundparishpriestswhohad fashioned their lives aroundhelpingothers (the themeBelief)butwhowerealsodriventowin(thethemeCompetition).Wefoundmarketerswholovedideas(thethemeIdeation)butwhowereequallyexcitedbydataandproof(thethemeAnalytical).Weevenfoundwriterswhosepassionforthepast(thethemeContext)wasmatchedonlybytheirpassionforthefuture(thethemeFuturistic).Thesecombinationsmaybeincongruous,buttheyreflecttherealitythat individuals cannot easily be squeezed into types. Each of us is unique,sometimeswonderfully so, sometimes infuriatingly so, but alwaysunique.WedesignedtheStrengthsFinderProfiletorevealthisuniqueness.Inpracticaltermsthismeans that thepossessionofone themewillneverprecludeyoufromalsopossessinganyothertheme.

CanIDevelopNewThemesifIDon’tLiketheOnesIHave?

The short answer is no. The StrengthsFinder Profile measures yourspontaneousreactionstoaseriesofpairedstatements.Byweavingthereactionstogetherintoapattern,theprofileaimstoidentifythestrongestaspectsofyourmental network, your Signature Themes. And as we discussed earlier, theseSignature Themes are enduring. No matter how much you might yearn totransformyourself,thesethemeswillproveresistanttochange(intestandretestresearchwhereweaskedthreehundredindividualstocompletetheprofiletwice,thecorrelationbetween the twosetsof resultswas .89;aperfectcorrelation is1.0).

Before you lock in on your top five, however,we need to remind you thatalthoughyourSignatureThemeswillnotchangemuchduringthecourseofyourlife,youcanacquirenewknowledgeandskills,andthesenewacquisitionsmaywellleadyouintoexcitingnewarenas.

OneofthepeopleweinterviewedduringourresearchwasDanielleJ.Guidedby themes such as Empathy andCommand,Danielle had carved for herself asuccessful career as a journalist. Her Empathy enabled her to put herintervieweesatease,whileherCommandtalentmadeitsimpleforhertoaskthetough questions. For these reasons (and because she could communicate herinsights through thewrittenword) she excelled andwas promoted to featureseditor. Then, ten years into her career, she abruptly switched off her wordprocessorandrefocusedherlife.Shebecameatherapistinahospice.

Journalism, she felt, was interesting but unsatisfying. Prompted by repeatedvisitstoahospitalduringhermother’sprolongedillness,shereassessedherlifeandrealizedthatshecouldmakeamoresignificantcontributionbyjoiningtheranksofthosewhohelpedfamiliesdealwiththepassingofalovedone.Soshe

studied to be a therapist andwent towork in her local hospice. Interestingly,though,despite the fact that theknowledgeand skills shewasnowemployingwere dramatically different, the same dominant themes of Empathy andCommand drove her behavior and helped her excel. Her Empathy not onlyenabledhertodiscernwhetherthepatient’spainwasphysicaloremotional,butitalsoguidedher topick just the rightwords tohelp the familydescribe theirconfusingfloodoffeelings.Touseherword,itenabledherto“join”thefamilyattherightemotionalplace.

Her Command talent proved even more potent. This was Danielle’sdescriptionofheruseof it inhernewrole:“When the familyhas just learnedthattheirlovedoneisgoingtodie,theiroverridingfeelingisoneofshock.Theycan’tbelieveit.They’reangry,confused,andoftenindenial.Thelastthingtheywant in this situation is for someone to goo all over them. Instead, theywantsomeonetotakecharge.Theywantsomeonetotellthemwhattoexpect,whattoprepare for, and exactly what to do. I found that I was very good at takingcontrol in theway theywanted. I summoned thepresenceand theclarity theyneeded.”

Danielleservesasoneofthethousandsofexamplesofpeoplewhosethemesremained constant but who nonetheless changed the focus of their lives byacquiringnewskillsandknowledge.Yourlifemightserveasanotherexample.YoumightidentifywithBrianM.,adancerwhoseloveofthestage(thethemeSignificance)becamealoveofthetheaterofthecourtroomafterhehunguphisdancingshoesandtookuplaw.OryoumightrecognizeyourselfinGillianK.,ateacher whose desire to help others learn (the theme Developer) found newapplication in her role as a product support specialist for a pharmaceuticalcompany, where she was paid to educate doctors in the capabilities of newdrugs.

Like Danielle, Brian, and Gillian, you might have refocused your life byacquiringnewknowledgeandskills.Ifyouhaven’tbutfeelyourselfhemmedin

byyourSignatureThemes, learn from their example.Youmaynot be able torewireyourbrain,butbyacquiringnewknowledgeandskillsyoucan redirectyourlife.Youcan’tdevelopnewthemes,butyoucandevelopnewstrengths.

WillIBecomeTooNarrowifIFocusonMySignatureThemes?

Thisisacommonquestionandalegitimateconcern.ByconcentratingonyourSignatureThemesyoufearyoumaybecomesoself-involvedthatyouwillsoonbe unable or unwilling to respond to the changing, diverseworld around you.Youimagineyourselfbecomingnarrow,self-absorbed,abrittlespecialist.

Ifyouprobethisconcernmoredeeply,however,youwillseethatyourfearsaregroundless.By focusingonyour top five themesyouwillactuallybecomestronger, more robust, more open to new discoveries and, importantly, moreappreciativeofpeoplewhopossessthemesverydifferentfromyourown.

In thecourseofour researchwe interviewedmanyreligious leaders.Oneofthem,theprioressofaBenedictineconvent,describedherphilosophyoflifethisway:“I try to livemy life in suchaway thatwhen IdieandmyMakerasks,‘DidyoulivethelifeIgaveyou?’Icanhonestlyansweryes.”

Nomatterwhatyourreligiousbeliefs, thequestion“Didyouliveyour life?”can be quite intimidating. It implies you have a particular life that you aresupposedtobelivingandthatanyotherlifeisfalse,inauthentic.Sincemanyofuswanderthroughlifeplaguedbythenaggingsuspicionthatwearemakingupour life aswegoalong,weare fearfulof evenconsidering thisquestion.Andthis fearconfinesus.Unsureofwhowereallyare,wedefineourselvesby theknowledgewehaveacquiredortheachievementswehaverackedupalongtheway.Bydefiningourselvesinthiswaywebecomereluctanttochangecareersorlearnnewwaysofdoing thingsbecause then, in thenewcareer,wewouldbeforced to jettison our precious haul of expertise and achievement.We wouldhavetojettisonouridentity.

Furthermore,unsureofwhowereallyare,webecomereluctanttoinvestigate

whoothers really are. Instead,we resort todefiningothersby their education,their sex, their race, or similarly superficialmarkers.We take shelter in thesegeneralizations.

Whetherinreferencetonewexperiencesornewpeople,ouruncertaintyaboutourselves limits our inquisitiveness about other things. You can avoid thisuncertainty.Byfocusingonyourtopfivethemesyoucanlearnwhoyoureallyare.Youcanlearnthatyouarenotmakingupyourlifeasyougoalong.Youcanlearn that your successes and achievements are not accidental.YourSignatureThemes are influencing every single choice you make. Your top five themesexplainyour successesandachievements.Thiskindof self-awareness leads toself-confidence.Youcan faceup to that intimidatingquestion“Areyou livingyour life?” by answering that no matter what your choice of profession, nomatterwhat the trajectoryofyourcareer, ifyouareapplyingand refiningandpolishing your top five themes, then you are indeed living your life. You areindeedlivingthelifeyouweresupposedtolive.Thiskindofself-awarenesswillopenyouuptobetrulyinquisitive.

Forexample, thisself-awarenesswillgiveyou theself-confidence to inquireaboutanewcareer.Thewonderfulqualityaboutthemesoftalentisthattheyaretransferable from one situation to another. Danielle, the journalist/hospicetherapist mentioned in the previous question, couldmake her dramatic careerleap,atleastinpart,becausesheknewthatherEmpathyandCommandtalentswould prove just as powerful in her new role. The same applies toBrian, thedancer/lawyer, andGillian, the teacher/product specialist.Eachof themhad toleave behind all the successes and achievements they had acquired in theirprevious profession, but they brought their top five themes with them. Byrefining your understanding of your own Signature Themes you can considersimilarly dramatic career shifts or perhaps lateral moves within yourorganization, sure in the knowledge that youwill be bringing your best alongwithyou.

Similarly, this self-awarenesswillgiveyou the self-confidence tobreak freefromthetyrannyofthe“shoulds”:You“should”becomealawyeroradoctorora banker because your family expects you to. You “should” accept that nextpromotion into management because your organization and society at largeexpects you to. These “shoulds” can assume many forms, but whatever theirform,theycancreateirresistiblepressure,and,unfortunately,theyareoftendeafto thecallofyournatural talents.Thebestway towithstand thatpressureandstrikeout inanew,authenticdirectionis to identifyyourSignatureThemesoftalent.Ifyouwanttoliveastronglife,thesethemesandthestrengthstheyforgearetheonly“shoulds”worthlisteningto.

Finally,byfocusingonyourdistinctthemes,youwillgaintheself-confidenceto appreciate the themes of other people.Why?Because themore expert youbecome in recognizing howyourSignatureThemes combine, themore secureyou will be in your own uniqueness. Regardless of your race, sex, age, orprofession,youwillbecertainthatnoonelooksattheworldinquitethesamewayyoudo.Anditfollowsthatifyouarepermanentlyandwonderfullyunique,everyoneelsemustbeuniqueaswell.Superficialsimilaritiesaside,eachpersonmust bring to theworld a slightlybutmeaningfullydifferent perspective.Youmayrelishthechallengeofthenextmountaintoclimb(thethemeAchiever),butsomeoneelsecravestobeofservicetoothers(thethemeBelief).Youmayexcelat findingpatterns indata(the themeAnalytical),butanotherhas thevision tosee the implications of your discoveries (the theme Futuristic). You mayinstinctivelybeable tocreateaconstituencyofpeoplewhoknowyouandarepreparedtogooutoftheirwaytohelpyou(thethemeWoo),butsomeoneelsemanages to carve more intimate relationships with these people (the themeRelator).

Counterintuitively, the greater your expertise in the intricacies of your ownthemes, themoreyouwillbeable to identifyand thenvalue the intricaciesofotherpeople.Conversely,thelessrespectfulyouareofyourowncombinationof

themes,thelessrespectfulyouwillbeofotherpeople’s.

HowCanIManageAroundMyWeaknesses?

Yes,what about yourweaknesses?Aswe described earlier,many of us areobsessedbyourweaknesses.Nomatterhowproudweareofourstrengthsandnomatterhowpowerful thesestrengthscansometimesappear,wesuspect thatour weaknesses are lurking, dragonlike, in the depths of our personality.Wehopethatbynowyouhavecometorealizethatyourweaknessesaremuchlessimposing — more like gremlins, perhaps, than dragons. If left to their owndevices,however,gremlinscanstillcause their fairshareofhavoc.Hence, thebest advice is not to focus on your strengths and ignore yourweaknesses but,rather,tofocusonyourstrengthsandfindwaystomanageyourweaknesses.Sowhatisthemosteffectivewaytomanageaweakness?

To begin with, you need to know what a weakness is. Our definition of aweaknessisanythingthatgetsinthewayofexcellentperformance.Tosomethismayseemtobeanobviousdefinition,butbeforeskippingpastit,bearinmindthat it isnot thedefinitionofweakness thatmostofuswoulduse.Mostofuswould probably side with Webster’s and the Oxford English Dictionary anddefineaweaknessas“anareawherewelackproficiency.”Asyoustrivetobuildyourlifearoundyourstrengths,weadviseyoutosteerclearofthisdefinitionforone very practical reason:Like all of us, you have countless areaswhere youlackproficiency,butmostofthemaresimplynotworthbotheringabout.Why?Becausetheydon’tgetinthewayofexcellentperformance.Theyareirrelevant.Theydon’tneedtobemanagedatall,justignored.

For example, neither your inability to operate amass spectrometer nor yourignorance of the sequence of elements in the periodic table are weaknessesbecausemost likelyyouarenotaprofessionalscientist.UnlessyouarecaughtshortinagameofTrivialPursuit,youprobablycouldn’tcarelessthatyoulackproficiencyintheseareas.

Thesearetransparentexamplesinthattheyrefertospecialistknowledgeandskills,butwhataboutthemesoftalent?Surely,ifyouhavelowproficiencyinathemesuchasStrategic,shouldn’twelabelthisaweaknessandencourageyoutomanagearoundit?Usingourdefinitionofweaknesstheansweris,ifyouhavelimitedtalentforthinkingstrategically,thisisnotaweakness,anymorethannotknowingthesquarerootofpiisaweakness.Therearehundredsofthousandsofroles that don’t require you to play “What if?” games and to developcontingency plans, and thus your lack of the Strategic theme is simply anontalent,anabsence.Youshouldignoreit.

But not unlike the gremlins in the film of the same name who weretransformed into nasty little critters if theywere splashed or if theywere fedaftermidnight,irrelevantnontalentscanmutateintorealweaknessesunderonecondition:Assoonasyoufindyourselfinarolethatrequiresyoutoplaytooneofyournontalents—orareaoflowskillsorknowledge—aweaknessisborn.Forexample,yourignoranceofthestallspeedofaBoeing747,irrelevantmostof the time,becomesadevastatingweakness ifyouhappen tobepilotingone.Likewise,yournontalentforCommunication,harmlessinyourpreviousroleasaresearchlawclerk,swellsintoaweaknessthemomentyoudecidetobecomeatriallawyer.

Soonceyouknowyouhaveagenuineweaknessonyourhands,adeficiencythat actually gets in thewayof excellent performance, how can youbest dealwithit?Thefirstthingyouhavetodoisidentifywhethertheweaknessisaskillsweakness,aknowledgeweakness,oratalentweakness.Forexample,youmightbestrugglingasamedicaldevicesalespersonnotbecauseyoulackthetalenttoconfront(thethemeCommand)butbecauseyouarewastingyourtimesellingtodoctorswhentherealityof today’shealthcaremarket is that thechieffinancialofficer is therealdecisionmaker.Orperhapsasamanageryourdifficulties indelegatingeffectivelyhavelesstodowithastuntedDeveloperthemeandmorewith simply not knowing how to conduct a focused goal-setting session with

youremployees.Ininstancessuchasthese,thesolutionisclear:Goandacquiretheskillsorknowledgeyouneed.

How can you know for certain that themissing ingredient is knowledge orskillandnot talent?Well, sincedevelopingexcellentperformance ishardlyanexact science, it’s difficult toknow for certain, but our advice is this: If, afteracquiringtheknowledgeandskillsyoufeelyouneed,yourperformanceisstillsubpar,thenbyprocessofeliminationthemissingingredientmustbetalent.Atwhichpointyoushouldstopwastingtimetryingtostudyyourwaytoexcellenceand,instead,turntoamorecreativestrategy.

Consider the following five creative strategies, distilled fromour interviewswithexcellentperformers,formanagingatalentweakness:

1.Getalittlebetteratit.Thisfirstonedoesn’tsoundverycreative,butinafewspecificinstancesitistheonlyworkablestrategy.Someactivitiesarebaselinerequirementsforalmostanyrole:beingabletocommunicateyourideas,forexample;orlisteningtoothers;ororganizingyourlifesothatyouarewhereyouneedtobeonanygivenday;ortakingresponsibilityforyourperformance.Ifyoudonotpossessdominantthemesintheseareas—Communication,Empathy,Discipline,orResponsibility—youwillneedtohunkerdownandworktogetalittlebetter.Forallthereasonswedescribedinpreviouschapters,youmaynotenjoythishunkering,andyouwillmostcertainlynotreachexcellenceifthisisallyoudo,butyouneedtodoitnevertheless.Otherwisetheseweaknessesmaywellundermineallyourgreatstrengthsinotherareas.

Ifworking to get a little better proves too draining, try the next strategy:Designasimplesupportsystemtoneutralizeyourweakness.

2.Designasupportsystem.EverymorningbeforeKevinL.putsonhisshoes,hetakesamomenttoimaginehimselfpaintingtheword“What”onhisleftshoeandtheword“If”onhisright.Thisoddlittleritualishis

supportsystemformanagingaroundapotentiallydevastatingweakness.Kevinisthenationalsalesmanagerforasoftwarecompany,and,ratherunsurprisingly,oneofhisresponsibilitiesistocreatethenationalsalesstrategy.Kevinbringsmanytalentstothisrole—heisanalytical,creative,impatient—but,unfortunately,thethemeStrategicisn’toneofthem.Thismeansthatalthoughheissmartenoughtoanticipatetheobstaclesthatmightderailhisplans,hisminddoesn’tnaturallytakethetimetoplayoutallalternativepathsandvisualizeindetailwheretheymightlead.Hisearlymorningshoescribblingisthebesttechniquehecouldconcocttoremindhimtoaskthe“Whatif?”questionsandsoanticipatetheobstacles.

During our research these kinds of idiosyncratic support systems keptcropping up.We heard from a congenitally disorganized manager whosesupport system was the commitment she made to herself that she wouldalways clean out her desk completely once a month. We interviewedanother person, a teacher, who was cursed with such a chronically shortattentionspanthatshefounditvirtuallyimpossibletostayfocusedenoughtomark all of her students’ papers. Her support system?A rule never tomarkmorethanfivepapersatatime.Markfive,thengetupandmakeacupofcoffee.Markanotherfive,thenfeedthecat.

Youprobablyhaveyourownsystemthatservesasacrutchforoneofyourpersistent talent weaknesses. It might be as straightforward as buying aPalmPilot tohelpyoukeep trackofyour lifeor aspeculiar as imaginingyour audience naked in order to calm your nerves before a speech. Butwhatever it is,don’tunderestimate itsusefulness.Youhaveonlyacertainamount of time to invest in yourself. A system that stops your worryingabout aweakness is freeing up time that can be better spent figuring outhowtorefineastrength.

Sometimesyoudon’thavetolookveryfartofindtherightsupportsystembecause it canbeprovidedbyoneofyour strong themes.Hence thisnext

strategy.

3.Useoneofyourstrongestthemestooverwhelmyourweakness.MikeK.isaconsultantwhomakeshislivinggivingspeechestobusinessaudiences.Byallaccountsheexcelsinthisrole.Thefactthathechargesthousandsperspeechandthathisdancecardisfilledforthenexttwelvemonthswouldseemtoconfirmthejudgmentthatheisaneffectivepublicspeaker.

NooneismoresurprisedbythisturnofeventsthanMikehimself.Twentyyearsagoifyouhadtoldhimthathewouldbespeakingtogroupsoffourhundredorfivehundredpeopleeveryweek,andentertainingthemwithhisstories and ideas, he would have assumed the worst — that you, likeeveryoneelse,werejusttryingtohumiliatehim.Yousee,whenMikewasfouryearsold,hedevelopedastammer.Thiswasn’toneofthoseoccasionalunder-pressure stammers. It was a constant affliction. Every word was atrap. Those beginning with consonants couldn’t even get started. Whentryingtopronouncethem,theimpetustospeakwouldwellupinsideMike.Hecouldfeelit,butthesoundjustcouldn’tseemtopushthroughthatfirstletter. So there hewould freeze, a vaguenoise humming fromhismouth,butnowordfollowing.

Words beginning with vowels were even worse. The word’s first soundwould floweasilyenough—itwasasoftvowel,afterall—but then therestofthewordwouldlagfarbehind.Andsothatfirstvowelsoundwouldrepeatitselfagainandagainlikeasteamengineshuntingoutofthestationbutsomehowuncoupledfromthecarsbehind.

Needless to say, Mike was mortified by his weakness. He had themisfortunetoattendaboardingschool inEngland,andsomeofhisyoungpeerswerecreativelycruel.Hisconcernedparentsdraggedhimtomanyachild psychologist in search of a cure, but other than being told to stopstrainingtocompetewithhiselderbrother,Mikelearnednothingthatcould

helphim.Hetrudgedonthroughhisschooling,dreadingthedayswhenhewouldbeaskedtoreadaloudinclass,resentinghisboisterousschoolmates,and plagued by adolescent fears that he would never marry because hecouldn’tutterthewords“Willyoumarryme?”

Thenonemorningamiraclehappened.Mikewasselectedtogiveareadingto thewhole schoolduringmorningassembly.Onseeinghisnameon thereading list,Mikewas furious.Heknew that the schoolmeantno illwill,thattheyweresimplyfollowingprotocolandassigningonereadingtoeverygraduatingsenior,but,still,whatweretheythinking?Didn’ttheyknowhisreadingwould turn into a freak show?Couldn’t they change the protocolandsavehimthehumiliation?

Mikepetitionedhisprincipal,butthiswasEnglandandaboardingschool,and,well,no,theprotocolcouldn’tbechanged.

Themorningofhis reading,Mikeshuffled toward the lectern,numbedbythemagnitudeofhis impending failure.Thenightbeforehehadpracticedthepiecewiththeprincipalashiscoach,andhisstammerhadstretchedthefive-minutepieceintoaquarterofanhourofsuffering.Heknewwhatwasabout tohappenbutwaspowerless to prevent it.Like all tragedies itwasinevitable,andsoheroundedthelectern,grabbedontoitssides,lookedoutintothesmirkingcrowd,andtookhisfirstbreath.

Andsuddenly,likeambrosia,thewordsstartedtoflow.Theyflowedsofastthathecouldbarelykeepupwiththem.Theyflowedastheyweresupposedtoflow,aswordsflowfornormalpeople.Hefoundhimselfinthemiddleofthepiecerightonschedule.Therewasamomentarybobbleovertheword“sarcasm” — an irony that he appreciates today — and then he wasstorming through the second half of the piece, easily navigating theminefield words “inevitable” and “multitudes” and “magnificent,” glidingtoward the finish.Hewasdone.Hehad read thepiecestammer-free.And

bizarrely, inconceivably, he had enjoyed it. He looked up to see openmouths, a couple of cheated stares from his schoolyard nemeses, and,wonderfultobehold,adozenorsogrinsfromhisclosestfriends.

Theycamerunninguptohimafterward:“Whathappened?”Goodquestion,he thought. After a fruitless decade of therapy focused on fixing hisstammer,ithadsuddenlyandverypubliclydisappeared.Whatonearthhadhappened?

Thinkingback,he realized that just before starting to read, hehad lookedoutoverthecrowd,seentheirfaces,andfelt…energized.Slowlyandthenwith increasingcertainty itdawnedonhimthathe lovedbeingonstage—the combination of Significance and Communication, in StrengthsFinderlanguage. The pressure of performing in front of hundreds of people, sofrighteningtosome,waspositivelyupliftingtohim.Whereassomepeoplefrozeinfrontofcrowds,heactuallyloosenedup.Hisbrainseemedtoworkfaster,andthewordscamemoreeasily.Onstagehewasabletodowhathadalways eluded him in real life: He was able to free the thoughts trappedinsidehishead.Hewasabletoexpresshimself.

Mike took thisstrengthdiscoveryandapplied it tohis lifeoffstage.Everytimehespoketosomeone—intheschoolyard,inthecaronthewayhome,on the telephone — he imagined that he was speaking in front of twohundred people. He would picture the scene, see the faces, organize histhoughtscarefully,andallofasuddenthewordswouldbegintoflow.Fromthatmomenton,atcollege, inhisplacesofemployment,with friendsandfamily,hewasneveragainknownas“M-M-M-Mike.”

Mikestandsasanexampleofthepowerofstrengthstotrumpweaknesses.Afteradecadeofbeingdefinedbyhisweakness,ofdesperatelytryingandfailing to fix it,Mikewas fortunate to recognize the talents that, properlycultivated, could free him. As you strive to manage around your

weaknesses,keepyourmindopenforthetalentsthatcoulddothesameforyou.

4.Findapartner.Partnershipisoneofthelostartsofthecorporateworld.Withjobdescriptionsoftheperfectincumbentrunningtotwofullpages,andlistsoftherequiredcompetenciesgrowingeverlonger,wehavebecomeindoctrinatedwiththenotionthataneffectiveemployeeisawell-roundedemployee.Inthefaceofthisindoctrinationitislittlewonderthatsomanyofusforgetthatthisperfectwell-roundedemployeeisafigmentofsomeone’simaginationandthat,instead,the“rounding”helpweneedmaywelllieinthosearoundus.

By contrast, among the excellent performers we interviewed, we foundthousandswhohadbecomeexpertsintheartofcomplementarypartnering.Theynotonlycoulddescribetheirstrengthsandweaknessesinvividdetailbut also identified someone close by whose strengths matched theirweaknesses. Some of these weaknesses were knowledge or skillsweaknesses, and so the matching strengths were quite easy to spot. Wefound “numbers-blind” entrepreneurswho had deliberately partneredwith“numbers-mad” accountants, andgene-splicinggeniuseswhohad sensiblysoughtoutalegalexpertwhoknewhowtosecureapprovalfortheirmiracledrug.However,themostimpressiveexampleswerethosepartnershipsbuiltoncomplementarythemesoftalent.

Therewastheseniorexecutivewhounderstoodtheconceptthateachofhisdirect reportswas different but also realized that he lacked the talent (thethemeIndividualization)toidentifyexactlyhoweachpersonwasdifferent.Ratherthantryingtofakeit,hehiredahumanresourcesprofessionalwhoseprimaryrolewastohelphimunderstandeachperson’sidiosyncrasies.

There was the trial lawyer who delivered compelling arguments in thecourtroom but detested researching case law in the library (the theme

Context).Ashebuilthispractice,heknew thathismost important recruitwouldbesomeonewhosepassionfor researching legalprecedentmatchedhisownpassionforpresentation.Hequicklyfoundsomeonewhoseeyeslitupattheprospectoflongdaysreadingsmallprint,andtogethertheyhavebuiltaflourishingpractice.

Thentherewasthecharmingbutmeekflightattendantwhorecoiledatthethoughtofconfrontingaboisterouspassengerorevenofgivingapleasantpassengerbadnews(thethemeCommand).Andsooneveryflight,beforethepassengersboard,hequietlyasksaroundtoseeifanyofhisfellowcrewmembers are good at maintaining their composure when announcingcanceled flights, seat mix-ups, or other equally grim tidings. He doesn’talways find the perfect partner, but he often does, and to hear him tell it,thesepartnershipshavehelpedhimavoidthosesituationswhereinthepasthewouldgetflustered,losehiscool,andupsetthepassenger.

What is impressive about these examples is not the depth of analysisrequired— in fact, in each of these instances the missing theme(s) wasfairly obvious. Rather, what is impressive is simply each person’swillingness to admit his imperfection. It takes a strong person to ask forhelp.

5.Juststopdoingit.Thisstrategyisalastresort,butwhenforonereasonoranotheryouareforcedtotryit,youmaybesurprisedbyhowempoweringitcanbe.

Manyofusloseagreatdealoftime,trust,andrespecttryingtolearnhowtodothingswesimplydon’tneedtodo.Why?Becauseweareencouragedto.Overeagerhumanresourcesdepartmentsinsistondefiningrolesbyhowthework should be done rather than bywhat thework should achieve. Theylegislatestyleratherthanoutcome,thuscondemningeachemployeetolearnthedesiredstyle.Hence,youfindemployeeswholackthethemeFuturistic

rehearsing theirvisionstatementsbecausesomeonehasdecreed thateveryemployeeshouldhavevision.Oryouseeunfunnymanagerspracticingtheirjokesinhopesofgettingalittlewittierbecausesomewhereitiswrittenthat“Useshumorappropriately”isarequiredmanagementcompetency.

Ourintervieweesrejectedthisstylisticconformity.Theiradviceonhowtodealwithaparticularlypersistentweakness?Stopdoingitandseewhetheranyonecares.Ifyoudo,theysaid,threeoutcomesmaysurpriseyou.First,how little anyone cares. Second, howmuch respect you earn. And third,howmuchbetteryoufeel.

MaryK.,amanagerwholackedthetalentforEmpathy,usedthisstrategy.Afteryetanotherdayoftryingandfailingtopenetratethemysteriesofeachperson’s emotional state, she took a stand. She confessed to each of heremployeesthatshelackedEmpathy,saying,“FromnowonIamnotgoingtotrytofakeitanymore.Iamnevergoingtounderstandyouintuitively,soifyouwantmetoknowwhatyouarefeeling,youarebetteroffjusttellingme. And don’t think that tellingme once at the beginning of the year isenough.How you are feeling is not something that sticks inmymemoryeasily,soyouneedtokeepremindingme;otherwise,I’llneverremember.”

This confession was met with relief. Her employees knew her to be abasically good person, but it was no surprise to them that she lacked thetalent forEmpathy.Theymighthaveused thewordaloofordistant ratherthanunempathic,but theirmeaningwouldhavebeen the same.Asoneofthemsaid:“Maryissoconfusedbytheworldofemotionthatshecouldbeyourbestfriendandneverknowit.”

It takescourage,butbyconfessingherweaknessandannouncing that shewasgivinguponit,Marytookasignificantstepforwardasamanager.Intheeyesofheremployeesshebecameamoreauthenticperson—shewasflawedbutawareoftheflaw—andthereforeamoretrustworthymanager.

Her behavior lost its insincere, “acting” quality and instead becamepredictable—imperfect,butpredictablyso.Heremployeeslikedthat.

By confessing one of your weaknesses and announcing your intention togive itup,youmaynet thesameoutcome.Confess thatyouhave lost thebattlewith your unfixableweakness, and youmaywellwin the trust andrespectofthosearoundyou.

Eachofthesestrategies—getalittlebetteratit,designasupportsystem,useoneofyourstrongest themes tooverwhelmyourweakness, findapartner,andjust stopdoing it—canhelpyouasyoustrive tobuildyour lifearoundyourstrengths. But nomatter which strategy you use, never lose your perspective.These strategies do not transform your weaknesses into strengths. They aredesignedtohelpyoumanagearoundaweaknesssothatitdoesn’tgetinthewayofyourstrengths.Aswehaveseen,thisdamagecontrolcanbevaluable,butonitsownitisnotenoughtoliftyoutoexcellence.

One last point on weakness management. Some people wonder if a strongthemecanbecomesodominatingthatitgetsinthewayofexcellentperformanceand is thus,bydefinition,aweakness.Forexample,cansomeonehavesuchapowerful Activator theme that he forgets to focus on the future? Or cansomeone’sCommand themebe sooverwhelming that he frequentlyupsets thepeople around him?We have a different view. A person can never have toomuchof aparticular theme.Hecanonlyhavenot enoughof anotherone.Forexample, rude people don’t have toomuchCommand. They have insufficientEmpathy.Impatientpeopledon’thavetoomuchActivator.TheyhavetoolittleFuturistictalent.

Thisdistinctionisn’tesoteric.Onthecontrary,ithaspracticalrepercussions.Ifyouassumethatthepersonisstrugglingtoexcelbecausehehastoomuchofaparticulartheme,thenyouwilltellhimtotonethethemedown,tostopbehavinginthatway,andtobelessofwhohetrulyis.Thisisrepressiveadvice.Itmaybe

well-intentioned,but it is rarelyeffective.Conversely, ifyouassumethathe isstruggling because he has too little of a theme(s), you will offer him morepositiveadvice.Youwillsuggestthathemanagearoundthisweakness.Youwilltellhimtodecidewhichofthefivestrategieswouldprovemosthelpful,selectoneortwoofthem,andtailor thisstrategytohisuniquesituation.Thisadviceoftenproveschallenging to implement,butasadvicegoes, it ismorecreative,morepurposeful,andthusmoreeffective.

CanMyThemesRevealWhetherIAmintheRightCareer?

Ofallthequestionsthatmaykeepyouupatnightasyouponderyourcareer,thetwothatfollowarethemostpressing:First,haveyouchosentherightfieldfor who you are (healthcare, education, mechanical engineering, computerscience, fashion, and so on)? Second, are you playing the right role for you?Shouldyoubeasalesperson,amanager,anadministrator,awriter,adesigner,anadvisor,ananalyst,orsomeuniquecombination?

Ifyouchoosetherightrolebutthewrongfield,youmightendupasanaturalsalesperson selling services you don’t believe in or as a genius designer ofproductsthatleaveyoucold.Likewise,honoryourpassionforaparticularfieldbut forget about selecting the right role, and you might find yourselfadministering schools when you’d rather be teaching in them, or editingnewspaperarticlesinsteadofwritingthem.

HowcantheStrengthsFinderresultshelpyouwiththesetwocareerquestions?YourSignatureThemesactuallyhavelittletosayonthequestionofwhichfieldyou should be in, and while they can offer some directional guidance on thesubjectofrole,youwouldbewisenottotakethisguidanceasgospel.

These answersmay surprise you, so take amoment to examine “field” and“role”morecloselyinordertoseepreciselywhere,how,andifStrengthsFindercanhelp.

FIELDHaveyouever takenoneof thosecareerguidance tests, thekindwhereyou

respondtoaseriesofquestionsandlearnthefieldforwhichyouarebestsuited?Thesetestsarefoundedonthepremisethateveryoneinacertainfieldmusthavea similardisposition.They studyyourdisposition,makea comparison to each

field in their database, and then squeeze you into the ones you most closelyresemble.

TheStrengthsFinderProfile isnotoneof these tests.StrengthsFinderrevealsyourSignatureThemes,andwhile these themesmaysuggestcertaindirectionsyour careermight take, they do not force you into one field or another. Theycan’t. Why? Quite simply because the research doesn’t support a linearrelationshipbetweenthemesandfields.Oneofthemostarrestingfindingsfromour interviews was the number of people with similar themes who wereexcellinginverydifferentfields.

WhenJeanneJ.andLindaH.completedtheStrengthsFinderProfile,threeoftheir top five themes proved to be Significance (a craving for recognizedexcellence), Activator (a desire for action), and Command (the presence tochallenge others). Jeanne and Linda are quite similar in style. They are bothassertive, clear, and somewhat intimidating. Their career trajectories are alsosimilar.Bothclimbedontothenationalstage,and,oncethere,bothexcelled.Buttheirrespectivefieldscouldn’tbemoredifferent.

Upon finishing graduate school, Jeanne jumped straight into the retail field.Shehadalwayslovedretail.Itwassoimmediate,someasurable,sodirect.Theentire process from buying, to merchandising, to customer service fascinatedher.Shecouldn’timaginegoingintoanyotherfield.

In this fast-paced world Jeanne’s themes (Activator, Command, andSignificance) proved especially powerful. Shewas never afraid to take actioneven when, as happened occasionally, she had inadequate information. Shenevershiedawayfromconfrontingthepeoplesheworkedwithandchallengingthemtokeeppushingtowardoutstandinglevelsofperformance.Andsoupthetraditionalcareer ladder sheclimbed,up through themanagement ranksof theDisneyStores,uptothepresidencyofVictoria’sSecret,uptothepresidencyofBananaRepublicwheresheledher teampast the$1billionmarkinsales,and

onward finally to her current position as president of Wal-Mart’s e-business,wheresheischargedwiththechallengeofre-creatingtheworld’slargestretailerontheWeb.

Linda found her field less directly. While studying at the University ofPittsburgh,shemetafellowstudentwhowaspassionateaboutlaw.Hewastheeditor of the campus Law Review and spent long hours in the law librarypreparing articles and layouts for the magazine. Linda didn’t have a strongfeeling about lawonewayor theother, but shewas (and still is) intriguedbypeoplewhoarepassionateabouttheirwork,andsoshespenttimewithhiminthe library, proofreading the articles and checking the case law. They becamefriends.

Theymighthavedeveloped their relationshipfurther,but,devastatingly,oneweekbeforehisgraduationhewaskilled inacarcrashwhiledrivinghome tosee his parents.When she could think clearly in those stunned days after thecrash, her overriding sense was of things interrupted, cut short. And so,gradually,withlittleideaofwhereitwouldlead,shewasmovedtopickuphislifewherehehadleftit.“ItwasthemostpracticalthingIcouldthinkoftodotohonorhim,”shesaysnow,tryingtoexplain.Sheenrolledinlawschool,helpededittheLawReview,becameaspassionateaboutherstudiesashehadbeen,andgraduatedsecondinherclass.

Andthenfollowedacareeroffirsts.ShewasthefirstwomaninTexastoclerkforaUnitedStatesCourtofAppealsjudge.Shewasthefirstwomanpartnerofamajor Dallas law firm. She was the first woman to be shortlisted forcommissioneroftheSecuritiesandExchangeCommission.Andhavingmissedthatappointmentbycircumstancesbeyondhercontrol,shewasthefirstwomantobemadechairmanoftheNewYorkStockExchange’slegaladvisoryboard.

Linda’s natural intelligence obviously had something to do with theseachievements,butwhenyouexaminehercareerdecisions,youcanseethatshe

hadmorepropellingherthanadesiretohonorthememoryofherfriend.Infact,ateveryturnyoucanseetheguidinghandofherSignatureThemes.Astheonlywoman partner in her law firm, she enjoyed the pressure of standing tall, ofhavingtosummonthepresencetobeheard(Command),butshecravedabiggerstage(Significance).Andso,ratherthanbatteringherheadontheglassceilingof the Texas legal community, she deliberately (Activator) cultivated anexpertise—thesecuritizationofrealestatesyndicates—thatcouldgiveheranindependent sourceof power and credibility.This expertisebrought her to theattentionofmajorWallStreetinvestmentbanks,whichinturnledtosignificantclient relationships, speaking engagements, authoring books, and visitingprofessorships,therebycatapultingheroutofTexasandontothenationalscene.

Jeanne’sandLinda’sstoriesrevealthattherearemanywaystofindtherightfield. Jeanne felthers inherbones.Linda fell intohers tohonora friend (andincidentally, today,despitehersuccess, she thinks that if shehad todo itoveragain,shewouldprobablychooseentrepreneurship,not law,asherfield).Youwillneedtofindyourfieldinthesameway—bylisteningtotheyearningsthatpullyouand thenseeingwhatmovesyou. Ifyoudon’t feela strongpull,youwillneedtoexperimentinschoolorinyourfirstyearsintheworkingworldandnarrowyourfocusbyelimination.

That iswhywe said thatStrengthsFinderdoesn’t serve to funnel you into aparticularfield.Intheirsearchfortherightfield,neitherJeannenorLindawouldhave been helped by knowing their Signature Themes because, despite theirdifferent fields, their themeswereverysimilar.Thesameapplies toyou.YourSignatureThemeswillnotnecessarilyhelpyouchoosebetweenbeingaretailer,a lawyer,orevenacarpenter.What theycanhelpyoudo ismake themostofwhateverfieldyouchoose.

ROLETheStrengthsFinderProfilehasmoretoofferyouhere.Fromourresearchitis

apparentthatpeoplewhoexcelinthesameroledopossesssomesimilarthemes.

For example, many of the journalists we interviewed found that the themeAdaptabilitywas in their top five. Fromone day to the next they never knowwhere their work might take them. On Monday evening they might findthemselves huddling in the rain outside the Ramada Inn at Newark Airportwaiting to interview plane crash survivors, and on Tuesdaymorning they areback at theoffice finishingup an article on the impact of rising interest rates.Whereas some of uswould feelmentalwhiplash at these constant changes ofsubject, tone, and location, people blessed with Adaptability feel energized.Theyfeedontheunexpected.

Manyofthedoctorsinourstudy,nomatterwhattheirspecialty,possessedthethemeRestorative.Everydaytheyarefacedwithpatientsinneedofhelp.Theymust respond to each person’s present need, knowing that no matter howdiligently and caringly they apply themselves, the futurewill only bring themmore sick people to heal. This would be an endless, thankless role if theyweren’tguidedbythetalenttoderivedeepsatisfactionfromapatient’srecoveryor,insomecases,byapatient’sgrowingacceptanceofhisownpassing.

In the same vein we found thousands of teachers with themes such asDeveloper,Empathy,andIndividualizationwhopresumablyusedthesetalentstogreateffectinhelpingeachstudentlearn.Command,Activator,andCompetitionweretalentsfrequentlyfoundinthetopfiveofthesalespeopleweinterviewed,enablingthemtothrill to thechallengeofconfrontationandpersuasion,andtotheopportunitytomeasuretheireffectivenessagainsttheirpeers.

Despitethesediscoveries,however,youneedtobecarefulaboutdrawingtoostraight a line between a particular theme and a particular role. We suggestcautionbecauseour research interviews indicate that thousandsofpeoplewithverydifferentthemecombinationsnonethelessplaythesameroleequallywell.

SteveS.andVictoriaS.arebothsuccessfulentrepreneurs,andyetSteve’stopfive are Competition, Analytical, Strategic, Ideation, and Futuristic, whereas

Victoria’sareEmpathy,Developer,Restorative,Context,andConsistency.Withtheseverydifferent themecombinations,howcan theyexcel inasimilar role?TheydoitbycraftingtheirroletofittheirSignatureThemes.

Steve runs an Internet company called Icebox that produces and distributescartoonshortson theWeb.Hisparticulargenius lies inbeingable topersuadefilmdirectorsandventurecapitaliststoseeandliterallybuyintohisvisionofthefuture.Hisbusinessmodelisincomplete,hiscontent(atthetimeofwriting)isstill inside his directors’ heads, and the technology for streaming video is acouple of years from full functionality. And yet he revels in the challenge ofweaving thisuncertainty intoacompellingpictureofaprofitablebusiness.Hehasassembledateamofcompetentexecutorsandpeoplemanagers,leavinghimfreetodowhatheloves.

Victoriarunsatwelve-year-old$7millionLondon-basedpublicrelationsfirmthatspecializesinfull-servicehotelchainssuchasFourSeasonsandSwissôtel.By her own admission she is not a business strategist, preferring to hand offthose duties to her ex-banker partner. Instead, Victoria concerns herself withmanaging the operations side of the business. She is the onewho selects newassociates,positionsthemontheappropriateaccounts,figuresoutwhateachoneneedstolearn,andlistenstotheirproblems.Inthisroleshegetstousemost,ifnot all, of her top five themes, and as a result her business and the fortyemployeeswithinitarethriving.

Steve would fail miserably in Victoria’s role. Victoria would recoil fromSteve’s.Yetbothexcelinentrepreneurship.

JohnF.fliesBoeing737sforAmericanAirlines.GillesR.flies767sforAirFrance. John’s top five are Consistency, Harmony, Context, Developer, andRelator. Gilles’s are Consistency, Harmony, Discipline, Responsibility, andLearner. They have Consistency and Harmony in common. When you thinkabout it, thatmakessomesensegiven theresponsibilitiesofanairlinecaptain.

The Consistency theme prompts them to treat each passenger equally and tostrictly enforce all the safety rules, no matter how uppity a certain frequent-flyingpassengermaybecome.TheirHarmonythemeensuresthattheylookforcommonground in thecockpit,and ifadisagreementdoesoccur, it isquicklysmoothedoversothatpilotandcopilotcangetonwiththebusinessofflyingtheplane.

But what about the rest of their themes? How do they play out? John’sDeveloper, Context, andRelator themes have pushed him in a very particulardirection.He has become a teacher.His actual title isCaptainCheckAirman,InstructorType,butinlayman’sparlanceheisateacher.Hetrainscrewsinhowto operate the new Boeing 737-800. In this role he not only gets to flex hisRelatorandDevelopermusclesashebuildsrelationshipswithhisstudentsandstrives to help them learn but he also uses his Context theme to good effect.Apparently, thebest trainingmethodforpilots is thecasemethod.ThisishowJohn describes it: “Every two weeks I have a hundred pilots in here, and Ibasicallytalkabouthowtomaneuvertheairplaneinsituationstheymightfindthemselvesin.Ijustdrawonnumerousstoriesofotherswhowerelessfortunateintheirrecoveriesandtellthemhowtodoitbetter.Pilotsarebigonthepastandonhistorybecausethat’showwelearn,that’showwemoveforward.”

Gilles’sthreeremainingthemes,Discipline,Responsibility,andLearner,havefoundadifferentoutlet.Gilleslovestofly.Tobemoreprecise,Gilleslovestoland.Heknowsthatasthecaptainheisresponsibleforthesafepassageofthepassengers on board, so on every flight he takes pride in paying attention toevery detail, particularly the landing. For him there is no feeling quite likeputting the plane down so perfectly that the passengers barely notice that thewheels have touched the ground. He rarely receives thanks for this precisionperformance,butheknowsthat,inpilot-speak,he’s“greasedonein.”

This explains how his Responsibility and Discipline themes are expressed.WhatabouthisLearnertheme?Itturnsoutthatotherthanenjoyingtheintricate

details of learning to fly, Gilles hasn’t directed this theme toward his actualwork.Instead,hehasreliedonittofillhislonglayoverhours.Hereadsallthetime. He has become a proficient pianist and pipe organist. He has learnedGermanandSpanish.Why?“Noreason,really.Idon’tnecessarilylearnthingsto use to my advantage. I just learn things because I like studying. I likeacquiringnewskills.”

Each of these examples reminds us that no matter what the role, there aremanyroutestoexcellence.Yes,somethemesseemtofitcertainroles.But,no,youshouldn’tnecessarilydecidethatyouaremiscastjustbecausesomeofyourthemesdonotatfirstglancematchyourrole.

Our research into human strengths does not support the extreme, andextremelymisleading,assertion that“youcanplayany roleyousetyourmindto,”butitdoesleadustothistruth:Whateveryousetyourmindto,youwillbemostsuccessfulwhenyoucraftyourroletoplaytoyoursignaturetalentsmostof the time.Wehope thatbyhighlightingyourSignatureThemeswecanhelpyoucraftsucharole.

CHAPTER6ManagingStrengths

“FIDEL,”SAMMENDES,ANDPHILJACKSON

ONEBYONE

“Fidel,”SamMendes,andPhilJackson

“Whatisthesecretoftheirsuccess?”

Therearemanythingsyoucandotoavoidfailingasamanager.Youcansetclearexpectations.Youcanhighlighttheunderlyingpurposeofpeople’swork.You can correct people when they do something wrong. And you can praisepeoplewhentheydosomethingright.Ifyoudoallthesethingsoftenandwell,youwillnotfailasamanager.

However,neitherwillyounecessarilysucceed.Toexcelasamanager,toturnyourpeople’stalentsintoproductivepowerfulstrengths,requiresanadditional,all-important ingredient.Lacking this ingredient, nomatter howdiligentlyyouset expectations, communicate purpose, correct mistakes, or praise goodperformance, you will never reach excellence. The all-important ingredient isIndividualization,andthisiswhatitsoundslike:

Ralph Gonzalez works as store manager for Best Buy, the phenomenallysuccessful consumer electronic retailer.Acoupleofyears agohewaschargedwithresurrectinga troubledstore inHialeah,Florida,andwithhispassion,hiscreativity,andhisslightlydisconcertingresemblancetoayouthfulFidelCastro,hemadeanimmediateimpression.TogivehispeopleanidentityandapurposehenamedhisstoreTheRevolutionanddubbedeachoneofthemarevolutionary(aparticularlydaringdecisiongiventheanti-CastrosentimentinsouthFlorida,and yet it worked). He drafted a Declaration of Revolution and required thatcertainprojectteamsweararmyfatigues.Hepostedalltherelevantperformancenumbers in the break room and deliberately overcelebrated every smallimprovement. And to drive home the point that excellence is everywhere, hegaveallemployeesawhistleandtoldthemtoblowitloudlywhenevertheysawany employee or supervisor ormanager do something “revolutionary.” Today

thewhistlescomesofrequentlythattheydrownouttheBobMarleyCDplayingovertheloudspeakers,andthestore’snumbersconfirmthewhistling:Nomatterwhichnumberoneuses—salesgrowth,profitgrowth,customersatisfaction,oremployeeretention—theHialeahstoreisoneofBestBuy’sbest.

But,surprisingly,wheninterviewed,Ralphdidn’tattributehissuccesstoTheRevolution,tothewhistles,oreventohislikenesstoayoungCastro.Instead,hesaid this: “Everything comes down to knowing your people. I always start byaskingeachnewemployee,‘Areyouapeoplepersonoraboxperson?’Inotherwords, is thispersondrawn to strikeupaconversationwithourcustomers,ordoeshelovearrangingthemerchandisesothateachproductlooksasifit’saboutto jump off the shelf? If he is a people person, I will keep watching to seewhether he is just a natural smiler, in which case I’ll probably put him on acheckoutregisterorincustomerservice,orwhetherhealsohasthetalenttosell,inwhichcaseI’llsethimuptogivemultiplepresentationsofournewer,morecomplicatedproductsduringourbusiesttimes.AndthenI’llwatchtoseehowhelikestobemanaged.RightnowIhaveamerchandisemanagerwhoneedsmetobefirmandchallenging;he’sthatkindofguy,andheexpectsthesamefromme.ButIalsohaveaninventorymanagerwhoneedssomethingverydifferentfromme.Hewantsmetoexplainmyselfveryclearlyandtotalkaboutexactlywhyweneedtodosomething.Ikeepwatchinglikethis,gettingtoknoweachofthem.IfIdidn’t,noneoftheotherstuffwouldwork.”

RalphGonzalez,toilingawayinrelativeobscurityinsouthFlorida,isonlyoneof the great managers who have founded their approach on the concept ofindividualization. During our interviewswe discovered tens of thousands likehiminfactories,salesdepartments,hospitalwards,andboardrooms.Infact,nomatter where we looked, no matter how anonymous or glamorous theenvironment, when we studied great managers, they all seemed to share thispassionforindividualization.

WhenSamMendes, theyoungOscar-winningdirectorof the filmAmerican

Beauty, was asked by the British newspaper The Independent to describe thesecret of his success, he said, “I am not a master-class director. I am not ateacher.Iamacoach.Idon’thaveamethodology.Eachactorisdifferent.Andonthefilmsetyouhavetobenexttothemall,touchingthemontheshoulder,saying, ‘I’mwithyou. Iknowexactlyhowyou’reworking.’…KevinSpaceylikestojokeand…doimpersonationsrightuptothemomentofaction,onhismobilephonetohisagentorwhatever.Themorerelaxed,themorejovialheis,themore he’s not thinking aboutwhat he does.When you say, ‘Action,’ he’slikealaserbeam.Hisrelaxationleadstospontaneity.SotoKevinyou’resaying,‘GivemeaWalterMatthauimpersonation.’AnnetteBening,ontheotherhand,is on herWalkman half an hour before the cameras roll, cutting off the set,focuseddown,listeningtothemusicthatthecharacterwouldlistento.…AllIknow is that I operate by going out to each of them and trying to learn theterritoryinwhichtheyoperate.”Hesummedup:“Mylanguagetoeachofthemhastosuittheirbrain.”

When Phil Jackson, the coach of the six-time NBA championship-winningChicago Bulls, went to the L.A. Lakers, he brought with him all of thetechniques that had served him so well in Chicago, the Zen philosophy, themeditationsessions,thetriangleoffensivesystem.Buthealsobroughtbooks—a different book, it turned out, for each player. To the young superstar KobeBryanthegaveacopyofTheWhiteBoyShufflebyPaulBeattybecausehefeltthatthestory—ofablackboyraisedinapredominantlywhitecommunity—reflectedthechallengesofKobe’sownupbringinginsuburbanPhiladelphia.ToShaquilleO’Neal,oneofthemostrecognizedandcelebratedbasketballplayersintheworld,hechoseFriedrichNietzsche’sautobiographyEcceHomobecauseitdealtwiththesubjectofaman’ssearchforidentity,prestige,andpower.RickFox,who is said to have aspirations as an actor, received a copyof the notedHollywooddirectorEliaKazan’sautobiography.

Whyselectdifferentbooksforeachplayer?AccordingtoJackson,“Thebooks

aretoshowthatIappreciatethemandamfocusedonwhotheyare.”

In your role as manager you have the same opportunity. You will need tofocusonwhoeachemployeeis.Youwillneedtolearneachone’sbehaviorand,as Sam Mendes did, find the right language “to suit their brain.” Theexpectationsyousetwillbeslightlydifferentforeachperson.Thewayyousetthem will also be different for each, as will the way you talk about yourcompany’s mission, the way you correct a mistake, the way you nurture astrength,andthewayyoupraise,whatyoupraise,andwhy.Allyourmovesasamanagerwillneedtobetailoredtoeachindividualemployee.

Dauntingthoughthismaysound,thereisnogettingaroundit.Eachemployeeiswired justa littlebitdifferently. Ifyouare tokeepyour talentedemployeesandspureachofthemontogreaterperformance,youwillhavetodiscernhoweachoneisuniqueandthenfigureoutwaystocapitalizeonthisuniqueness.

Foracoupleofreasonsthisoftenprovesdifficulttodo.Thefirstreasonisthatthe great majority of organizations, with their formalized processes and theirdetailed lists of competencies, operate under the assumption that mostemployeesarethesameandthat,ifnot,theyshouldberetraineduntiltheyare.The manager who individualizes will invariably butt heads within suchorganizations.

Second, it is hard because individualizing your management style is moretime-consuming than treating all employees the same. Facedwithmany otherresponsibilities,itwouldhavebeensomuchsimplerforRalph,Sam,andPhiltoignore each employee’s pattern and say, in essence, “Look, this is the way Imanage.Ifyoulikeit,good.Ifnot,eitheradaptorgosomewhereelse.”Noneofthem did, but with spans of control in some organizations stretching onemanager to thirty, forty, or even fifty employees, you can hardly blame themanagersthattaketheeasierroute.

Wecannothelpyouverymuchwiththefirstreason,shortofsuggestingthat

youaskyourorganization’sleaderstoreadthenextchapter.Ifyouaretrappedin an organization that tries to train employees in the same role to acquireexactly the same style, your attempts to individualize will always meetresistance. However, we can address the second reason, lack of time. Let’sexplore a few ideas about how tomanage individualswith different SignatureThemes.

OneByOne“Howcanyoumanageeachofthethirty-fourthemesofStrengthsFinder?”

They say that if you really want to know how to workwith someone, youshouldplayaroundofgolfwithhim.Thisnotionmayhavesomemerit,butitisnotthemostpracticaladvice.Someofusdespisethegame,andthoseofuswholoveitdonotalwayshaveeighteenholesavailablewhenweneedthem.Besides,there are other, less time-consuming ways to investigate the details of eachperson’sstrengths.

Asamanager,onceyouknowthetopfivethemesofeachofyouremployees,youcanreadthroughthesuggestionsinthefollowingpagesforeachparticulartheme. Select a few that seem especially relevant for each employee. Whenappropriate, discuss your selections with the employee. Refine them together.And gradually, one employee at a time, you may find yourself conjuring thesamekindofnearperfectperformancesenjoyedbythelikesofRalphGonzalez,SamMendes,andPhilJackson.

Of course, nothing can replace the insights you gain from simply spendingtimewitheachemployee,particularlyifyoupossessthethemeIndividualization.Andno ideawillwork ifyourpeopledon’t trustyour intentions toward them.However,ifyourchallengeisnotlackoftrustbutlackoftime,thesesuggestionsmayprovehelpful.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINACHIEVER

Whentherearetimesthatrequireextrawork,callonthisperson.Rememberthatthesaying“Ifyouwanttogetajobdone,askabusyperson”isgenerallytrue.

Recognizethathelikestobebusy.Sittinginmeetingsislikelytobeveryboringforhim.Soeitherlethimgethisworkdoneorarrangetohavehimattendonlythosemeetingswhereyoureallyneedhimandhecanbefullyengaged.

Helphimmeasurewhathegetsdone.Hemaywellenjoykeepingtrackofhours,but,moreimportant,heshouldhaveawaytomeasurecumulativeproduction.Simplemeasuressuchasnumberofcustomersserved,customersknownbyname,filesreviewed,prospectscontacted,orpatientsseenwillhelpgivehimdefinition.

Establisharelationshipwiththispersonbyworkingalongsidehim.Workinghardtogetherisoftenabondingexperienceforhim.Andkeeplowproducersawayfromhim.“Slackers”annoyhim.

Whenthispersonfinishesajob,arestoraneasyassignmentisrarelytherewardhewants.Hewillbemuchmoremotivatedifyougiverecognitionforpastachievementandthenanewgoalthatstretcheshim.

Thispersonmaywellneedlesssleepandgetupearlierthanmost.Looktohimwhentheseconditionsarerequiredonthejob.Also,askhimquestionssuchas“Howlatedidyouhavetoworktogetthisdone?”or“Whendidyoucomeinthismorning?”Hewillappreciatethiskindofattention.

Youmaybetemptedtopromotehimtohigher-levelrolessimplybecauseheisaself-starter.Thismaybeamistakeifitleadshimawayfromwhathedoesbest.Abettercoursewouldbetopinpointhisotherthemesandstrengths,andlookforopportunitiesforhimtodomoreofwhathedoeswell.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINACTIVATOR

Askthispersonwhatnewgoalsorimprovementsshouldbeachievedby

yourdivision.Selectanareathatfitsandgivehertheresponsibilityforinitiatingandorganizingtheproject.

Letherknowthatyouknowsheisapersonwhocanmakethingshappenandthatyouwillbeaskingherforhelpatkeytimes.Yourexpectationswillenergizeher.

Assignhertoateamthatisboggeddownandtalksmorethanitperforms.Shewillstirthemintoaction.

Whenthispersoncomplains,listencarefully—youmaylearnsomething.Butthengetheronyoursidebytalkingaboutnewinitiativesthatshecanleadornewimprovementsshecanmaketomorrow.Dothisquicklybecause,unchecked,shecanquicklystirupnegativitywhenshegetsofftrack.

Examineherotherdominantthemes.IfsheisstrongintheCommandtalent,shemayhavethepotentialtosellandpersuadeveryeffectively.IfsheisalsostronginRelatororWoo,shemaybecomeanexcellentrecruiterforyou,drawingintherecruitandthenpressinghimtocommit.

Topreventherfromrunningintotoomanyobstacles,partnerherwithpeoplestronginStrategicorAnalyticaltalent.Theycanhelpherlookaroundthecorner.However,youmayhavetointercedeforherinthesepartnershipssothatherinstincttoactisnotstymiedbytheirdesiretoprojectandanalyze.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINADAPTABILITY

Thispersonlivestoreactandrespond.Positionhimsothathissuccessdependsonhisabilitytoaccommodatetheunforeseenandthenrunwithit.

Lethimknowabouttheplanningyouaredoing,butunlessheisalsostronginFocus,don’texpecthimtodotheplanningwithyou.Heislikelytofind

muchplanningworkendlesslyboring.

Withhisinstinctivelyflexiblenatureheisavaluableadditiontoalmosteveryteam.Whenballsaredroppedorplansgoawry,hewilladjusttothenewcircumstancesandtrytomakeprogress.Hewillnotsitonthesidelinesandsulk.

Hewillbemostproductiveonshort-termassignmentsthatrequireimmediateaction.Heprefersalifefilledwithmanyquickskirmishesratherthanlong,drawn-outcampaigns.

Examinehisotherdominantthemes.IfhealsohasatalentforEmpathy,youmighttrypositioninghimwherehehastobesensitivetoandaccommodatethevariedneedsofcustomersorguests.IfoneofhisotherstrongthemesisDeveloper,youshouldcasthiminamentorrole.Withhiswillingnessto“gowiththeflow”hecanprovideawonderfulenvironmentinwhichotherscanexperimentandlearn.

Bereadytoexcusethispersonfrommeetingsaboutthefuture,suchasgoal-settingmeetingsorcareer-counselingsessions.Heisa“here-and-now”personandsowillfindthesemeetingsratherirrelevant.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINANALYTICAL

Wheneverthispersonisinvolvedwithanimportantdecision,taketimetothinkthroughtheissueswithher.Shewillwanttoknowallthefactorsaffectingthedecision.

Ifyouareexplainingadecisionthathasalreadybeenmade,alwaysremembertolayoutthelogicofthedecisionveryclearly.Toyouitmayfeelasthoughyouareoverexplainingthings,butforherthislevelofdetailisessentialifsheistocommittothedecision.

Everytimeyouhavetheopportunity,recognizeandpraiseherreasoning

ability.Sheisproudofherdisciplinedmind.

Whendefendingadecisionoraprinciple,showthispersonthesupportingnumbers.Sheinstinctivelygivesmorecredibilitytoinformationthatdisplaysnumbers.

Rememberthatshehasaneedforexact,well-researchednumbers.Nevertrytopassshoddydatatoherascredibleevidence.

Ahighlightinherlifeistodiscoverpatternsindata.Alwaysgivehertheopportunitytoexplainthepatternindetailtoyou.Thiswillbemotivationalforherandwillhelptosolidifyyourrelationship.

Youwillnotalwaysagreewithher,butalwaystakeherpointofviewseriously.Shehasprobablythoughtthroughherpointsverycarefully.

Becausetheaccuracyoftheworkissoimportanttoher,gettingataskdonecorrectlymaybemoreimportanttoherthanmeetingadeadline.Therefore,asthedeadlinedrawsnear,keepcheckinginwithhertoensurethatshehasthenecessarytimetodoitright.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINARRANGER

Thispersonwillthriveonresponsibility,sogivehimasmuchasyouareable,accordingtohisknowledgeandskilllevels.

Hemaywellhavethetalenttobeamanagerorsupervisor.HisArrangerthemeenableshimtofigureouthowpeoplewithverydifferentstrengthscanworktogether.

Whenyouarelaunchingaproject,givehimtheopportunitytochooseandpositionthemembersoftheprojectteam.Heisgoodatfiguringouthoweachperson’sstrengthsmightaddgreatestvaluetotheteam.

Heisexcitedbycomplex,multifacetedassignments.Hewillthriveinsituationswherehehasmanythingsgoingonatthesametime.

Hecanberesourceful.Feelconfidentthatyoucanslothimintoarolewheresomethingisnotworking,andhewillenjoyfiguringoutotherwaysofdoingthings.

Payattentiontohisotherstrongthemes.IfhealsohastalentforDiscipline,hemaybeanexcellentorganizer,establishingroutinesandsystemsforgettingthingsdone.

Understandthathismodusoperandiforteambuildingisthroughtrustandrelationship.Hemaywellrejectsomeonewhohebelievesisdishonestordoesshoddywork.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINBELIEF

Thispersonwillhaveapassionaboutsomething.Discoverherpassionandtieittotheworktobedone.

Shewillhavesomepowerfulpermanentvalues.Figureouthowtoalignhervalueswiththoseoftheorganization.Forexample,talkwithherabouthowyourproductsandservicesmakethelivesofpeoplebetter,ordiscusshowyourcompanyembodiesintegrityandtrust,orgiveheropportunitiestogoaboveandbeyondtohelpcolleaguesandcustomers.Inthisway,throughheractionsandwords,shewillmakevisiblethevaluesofyourorganization’sculture.

Learnaboutherfamilyandcommunity.Shewillhavemaderocksolidcommitmentshere.Youwillneedtounderstand,appreciate,andhonorthesecommitments,andshewillrespectyouforit.

Realizethatshemayplacemorevalueonopportunitiestoprovidegreaterlevelsofservicethanonopportunitiestomakemoremoney.Findwaystoenhancethisnaturalserviceorientation,andyouwillseeheratherbest.

Youdonothavetosharethisperson’sbeliefsystem,butyoudohaveto

understandit,respectit,andapplyit.Ifyoucannotapplyhervaluestoeitheryourgoalsoryourorganization’s,youshouldperhapshelpherfindadifferentworksituation.Otherwise,majorconflictswilleventuallyerupt.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINCOMMAND

Whenyouneedtojaraprojectlooseandgetthingsmovingagainorwhenpeopleneedtobepersuaded,askthispersontotakecharge.

Alwaysaskhimforevaluationsofwhatishappeninginyourorganization.Heismostlikelytogiveyouastraightanswer.Inthesamevein,looktohimtoraiseideasdifferentfromyourown.Heisn’tlikelytobeaheadnodder.

Asmuchasyoucan,givehimtheroomtoleadandmakedecisions.Hewillnotliketobesupervisedclosely.

Ifhestartsempirebuilding,upsettingcolleagues,veeringfromfocus,orignoringhiscommitments,meethimhead-on.Confronthimdirectlywithspecificexamples.Takefirmactionand,ifnecessary,requireimmediaterestitution.Thenarrangeforhimtobeproductiveassoonaspossible.Hewillgetoverhismistakequickly,andsoshouldyou.

Neverthreatenhimunlessyouare100percentreadytofollowthrough.

Thispersonmayintimidateotherswithhisup-front,assertivestyle.Youmayneedtoweighwhetherornotthecontributionofthispersonwhomakesthingshappenjustifiestheoccasionalruffledfeather.Ratherthanpushinghimtolearnhowtobeempathicandpolite,yourtimemaybebetterspenthelpinghiscolleaguesunderstandthathisassertivenessispartofwhatmakeshimeffective—aslongasheremainsassertiveratherthanaggressiveoroffensive.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGIN

COMMUNICATION

Explorewiththispersonhowhercommunicationstrengthscanbedevelopedsoshecanmakeanevenmoresignificantcontributiontotheorganization.

Shefindsiteasytocarryonaconversation.Askhertocometosocialgatherings,dinners,oranyeventswhereyouwanttoentertainprospectsorcustomers.

Askhertolearnthefolklore,thestoriesofinterestingeventswithinyourorganization,andthengivehertheopportunitytotellthesestoriestohercolleagues.Shewillhelpbringyourculturetolife,andtherebystrengthenit.

Takethetimetohearaboutherlifeandexperiences.Shewillenjoythetelling.Youwillenjoythelistening.Andyourrelationshipwillbecloserbecauseofit.

Discussyourplanswithherforyourorganization’ssocialevents.Sheislikelytohavegoodideasbothforentertainmentandforwhatshouldbecommunicatedattheevent.

Askhertohelpsomeofthespecialistsinyourorganizationmakemoreengagingpresentations.Insomesituationssheshouldactuallymakethepresentationforthespecialist.

Ifyousendhertopublicspeakingtraining,makesuretoplaceherinasmallclasswithadvancedstudentsandatop-leveltrainer.Shewillquicklychafeinaremedialbeginnersclass.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINCOMPETITION

Usecompetitivelanguagewiththisperson.Forexample,itisawin-lose

worldforthisperson,sofromhisperspective,achievingagoaliswinningandmissingagoalislosing.Whenyouneedtoengagehiminplanningorproblemsolving,usethecompetitiveword“outsmart.”

Measurehimagainstotherpeople,particularlyothercompetitivepeople.Youmaydecidetoposttheperformancerecordsofallyourpeople,butrememberthatonlyyourcompetitivepeoplewillgetakickoutofthispubliccomparison.Othersmayresentitandbemortifiedbythecomparison.

Setupcontestsforhim.Pithimagainstothercompetitorsevenifyouhavetofindcompetitorsinbusinessunitsotherthanyourown.Highlychargedcompetitorswanttocompetewithotherswhoareveryclosetotheirskilllevel.Matchingthemagainstmodestachieverswillnotmotivatethem.

Findplaceswherehecanwin.Ifhelosesrepeatedly,hemaystopplaying.Remember,intheconteststhatmattertohim,hedoesn’tcompeteforthefunofcompeting.Hecompetestowin.

Considerthatoneofthebestwaystomanagehimistohireanothercompetitivepersonwhoproducesmore.

Talkabouttalentswithhim.Likeallcompetitorsheknowsthatittakestalenttobeawinner.Namehistalents.Tellhimthatheneedstomarshalhistalentstowin.Donot“PeterPrinciple”thispersonbysuggestingthat“winning”meansgettingpromoted.Helphimfocusonwinningwherehistruetalentslie.

Whenthispersonloses,hemayneedtomournforawhile.Lethim.Thenquicklymovehimintoanotheropportunitytowin.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINCONNECTEDNESS

Thispersonwilllikelyhavesocialissuesthatshewilldefendstrongly.Listencloselytoknowwhattheseissuesare.Youracceptanceoftheseissueswillinfluencethedepthofrelationshipyoucanbuildwithher.

Sheislikelytohaveaspiritualorientationandperhapsastrongfaith.Yourknowledgeand,attheveryleast,acceptanceofherspiritualpositionwillenablehertobecomeincreasinglycomfortablearoundyou.

Encouragethispersontobuildbridgestothedifferentgroupsinyourorganization.Shenaturallythinksabouthowthingsareconnected,sosheshouldexcelatshowingdifferentpeoplehoweachreliesontheothers.Properlypositioned,shecanbeateambuilderinyourcompany.

Shemaybeveryreceptivetothinkingaboutanddevelopingthemissionforyourorganization.Shelikestofeelpartofsomethinglargerthanherself.

IfyouarealsostronginConnectedness,sharearticles,writings,andexperienceswithher.Youcanreinforceeachother’sfocus.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINCONSISTENCY

Whenitcomestimetorecognizetheteamafterthecompletionofaproject,askthispersontopinpointeachperson’scontribution.Shewillensurethateachpersonreceivestheaccoladesheorshetrulydeserves.

Whenyouneedtoputconsistentpracticesinplace,askhertohelpestablishtheroutinewaysofdoingthingsforyourorganization.

Besupportiveofherduringtimesofgreatchangebecausesheismostcomfortablewithpredictablepatternsthatsheknowsworkwell.

Wheninananalyticalrole,askthispersontoworkongroupdataratherthanindividualdata.Sheislikelytobemoreadeptatdiscoveringgeneralizationsthatcanbemadeaboutthegroupratherthanparticularsaboutacertainindividual.

Ifasamanageryoustrugglewithsituationswhererulesmustbeappliedequallyandabsolutelyandnofavoritismmustbeshown,askhertostepinanddealwiththem.Theexplanationsandjustificationswillcomenaturallytoher.

Inthosesituationswhereitisnecessarytotreatdiversepeopleequally,askhertocontributetothedevelopmentoftherules.

Shehasapracticalbentandthuswilltendtoprefergettingtasksaccomplishedanddecisionsmaderatherthanmoreabstractworksuchasbrainstormingorlong-rangeplanning.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINCONTEXT

Whenyouaskthispersontodosomething,taketimetoexplainthethinkingthatledtothisaction.Heneedstounderstandthebackgroundforacourseofactionbeforehecancommittoit.

Whenyouintroducehimtonewcolleagues,askthesecolleaguestotalkabouttheirbackgroundbeforeyouallgetdowntobusiness.

Duringmeetingsalwaysturntohimtoreviewwhathasbeendoneandwhathasbeenlearneduptothepresenttime.Instinctively,hewillwantotherstobeawareofthecontextofdecision-making.

Hethinksintermsofcasestudies,thatis,whendidwemeetasimilarsituation,whatdidwedo,whathappened,whatdidwelearn?Youcanexpecthimtousethistalenttohelpotherslearn,especiallywhentheneedforcasestudiesisimportant.Nomatterwhatthesubjectmatter,askhimtocollectrevealinganecdotes,tohighlightthekeydiscoveryfromeachanecdote,andperhapstobuildaclassaroundthesecasestudies.

Hecandothesameinrelationtoyourorganization’sculture.Askhimtocollectanecdotesofpeoplebehavinginawaythatexemplifiesthe

cornerstonesoftheculture.Hisanecdotes,retoldinnewsletters,trainingclasses,Websites,videos,andsoon,willstrengthenyourculture.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINDELIBERATIVE

Donotpositionthispersoninarolethatrequiressnapjudgments.Sheislikelytofeeluncomfortablemakingdecisionsongutalone.

Askhertojointeamsorgroupsthattendtobeimpulsive.Shewillhaveatemporizingeffect,addingmuch-neededthoughtfulnessandanticipationtothemix.

Sheislikelytobearigorousthinker.Beforeyoumakeadecision,askhertohelpyouidentifythelandminesthatmayderailyourplans.

Insituationswherecautionisrequired,suchassituationsthataresensitivetolegal,safety,oraccuracyissues,askhertotakethelead.Shewillinstinctivelyanticipatewherethedangersmightlieandhowtokeepyourflanksprotected.

Sheislikelytoexcelatnegotiatingcontracts,especiallybehindthescenes.Asfarasyoucanwithintheconfinesofherjobdescription,askhertoplaythisrole.

Honorthatshemaybequiteaprivateperson.Unlessinvited,donotpushtobecometoofamiliarwithhertooquickly.Andbythesametoken,donottakeitpersonallyifshekeepsyouatarm’slength.

Donotaskhertobeagreeter,rainmaker,ornetworkerforyourorganization.Thekindofeffusivenessthatthisrolerequiresmaynotbeinherrepertoire.

Inherrelationshipsshewillbeselectiveanddiscriminating.Consequently,donotmoveherquicklyfromteamtoteam.Sheneedstobeconfidentthatthepeopleshesurroundsherselfwitharecompetentandcanbetrusted,and

thisconfidencetakestimetobuild.

Asamanagershewillbeknownassomeonewhogivespraisesparingly,butwhenshedoes,itistrulydeserved.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINDEVELOPER

Askthispersontotellyouwhichassociatesaregrowingintheirjobs.Heislikelytopickupsmallincrementsofgrowththatothersmiss.

Positionhimsothathecanhelpotherswithintheorganizationgrow.Forexample,givehimtheopportunitytomentoroneortwopeopleofhischoiceortoteachaclassonacompanytopic,suchassafety,benefits,orcustomerservice.

Bepreparedtopaythefeeforhimtobelongtoalocaltrainingorganization.

Sethimupastheonewhowillgiverecognitiontocolleagues.Hewillenjoyselectingtheachievementsthatdeservepraise,andhiscolleaguesonthereceivingendwillknowthatthepraiseisgenuine.

Hemaybeacandidateforasupervisor,teamleader,ormanagerrole.

Ifheisalreadyamanagerorexecutive,looktohisbusinessunitforpeoplewhocanbetransferredtopositionswithlargerresponsibilitiesintheorganization.Hegrowspeopleandpreparesthemforthefuture.

Reinforcehisself-conceptasapersonwhoencouragespeopletostretchandtoexcel.Forexample,tellhim,“Theywouldneverhavebrokentherecordbythemselves.Yourencouragementandconfidencegavethemthesparktheyneeded.”

Beawarethathemayprotectastrugglingperformerlongpastthetimewhensheshouldhavebeenmovedorterminated.Helphimfocushisdevelopinginstinctsonsettingpeopleuptoachievesuccess,andnoton

supportingpeoplewhoareenduringhardship.Themostdevelopmentalactionhecantakewithapersonenduringhardshipistofindheradifferentopportunitywhereshecantrulyexcel.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINDISCIPLINE

Givethispersontheopportunitytobringstructuretoahaphazardorchaoticsituation.Sinceshewillneverbecomfortableinsuchshapeless,messysituations—anddon’texpectherto—shewillnotrestuntilorderandpredictabilityarerestored.

Clutterwillannoyher.Don’texpecthertolastlonginaphysicallyclutteredenvironment.Eitherchargeherwithcleaningituporfindheradifferentenvironment.

Alwaysgiveheradvancenoticeofdeadlines.Shefeelsaneedtogetworkdoneaheadofschedule,andshecan’tdothisifyoudon’ttellhertheschedule.

Inthesamevein,trynottosurpriseherwithsuddenchangesinplanandpriority.Surprisesaredistressingtoher.Theycanruinherday.

Whentherearemanythingsthatneedtogetdoneinasettimeperiod,rememberherneedtoprioritize.Takethetimetoprioritizetogetherandthen,oncethescheduleisset,sticktoit.

Ifappropriate,askhertohelpyouplanandorganizeyourownwork.Youmightaskhertoreviewyourtimemanagementsystemorevenyourproposalforreengineeringsomeofyourdepartment’sprocesses.Tellhercolleaguesthatthisisoneofherstrengthsandencouragethemtoaskherforsimilarhelp.

Sheexcelsatdevelopingroutinesthathelpherworkefficiently.Ifsheisforcedtoworkinasituationthatrequiresflexibilityandresponsiveness,

encouragehertodeviseasetnumberofroutines,eachappropriateforacertainsituation.Inthiswayshewillhaveapredictableresponsetofallbackon,nomatterwhatthesurprise.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINEMPATHY

Askthispersontohelpyouknowhowcertainpeoplewithinyourorganizationarefeeling.Heissensitivetotheemotionsofothers.

Beforesecuringhiscommitmenttoaparticularcourseofaction,askhimhowhefeelsandhowotherpeoplefeelabouttheissuesinvolved.Forhim,emotionsareasrealasother,morepracticalfactorsandmustbeweighedwhenmakingdecisions.

Payattentionbutdonotoverreactwhenhecries.Tearsarepartofhislife.Hemaysensethejoyortragedyinanotherperson’slifemorepoignantlythaneventhatpersondoes.

HelpthispersontoseehisEmpathyasaspecialgift.Itmaycomesonaturallytohimthathenowthinkseveryonefeelswhathefeels,orhemaybeembarrassedbyhisstrengthoffeeling.Showhimhowtouseittoeveryone’sadvantage.

Testthisperson’sabilitytomakedecisionsinstinctivelyratherthanlogically.Hemaynotbeabletoarticulatewhyhethinksthatacertainactionisright,buthewilloftenberightnonetheless.Askhim,“Whatisyourgutfeelingaboutwhatweshoulddo?”

Arrangeforhimtoworkwithpositive,optimisticpeople.Hewillpickuponthesefeelingsandbemotivated.Conversely,steerhimawayfrompessimistsandcynics.Theywilldepresshim.

Whenemployeesorcustomershavedifficultyunderstandingwhyanactionisnecessary,askhimforhelp.Hemaybeabletosensewhattheyare

missing.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINFOCUS

Setgoalswithtimelinesandthenletthispersonfigureouthowtoachievethem.Hewillworkbestinanenvironmentwherehecancontrolhisworkevents.

Checkinwithhimonaregularbasis,asoftenasheindicateswouldbehelpful.Hewillthriveontheseregularcheckinsbecausehelikestalkingaboutgoalsandhisprogresstowardthem.Askhimhowoftenyoushouldmeettodiscussgoalsandobjectives.

Donotalwaysexpecthimtobesensitivetothefeelingsofothersbecausegettinghisworkdoneoftentakespriorityoverfeelings.IfhealsopossessesatalentforEmpathy,thiseffectwillobviouslybelessened.Nonetheless,alwaysbeawareofthepossibilitythathemaytrampleonfeelingsashemarchestowardhisgoal.

Hedoesnotrevelinsituationsofconstantchange.Tomanagethis,uselanguagethathecanunderstandwhendescribingthechange.Forexample,talkaboutchangeintermsof“newgoals”and“newmeasuresofsuccess.”Termslikethisgivethechangetrajectoryandpurpose.Thisisthewayhenaturallythinks.

Whenthereareprojectswithcriticaldeadlines,askhimtogetinvolved.Heinstinctivelyhonorsdeadlines.Assoonashecomestoownaprojectwithadeadline,hewillconcentrateallhisenergiesonituntilitiscompleted.

Arrangeforhimtoattendatimemanagementseminar.Hemaynotnaturallyexcelatthis,butbecausehisFocusthemepusheshimtomovetowardhisgoalsasfastaspossible,hewillappreciatethegreaterefficiencythattimemanagementbrings.

Beawarethatunstructuredmeetingswillbotherhim,sowhenheisinameeting,trytofollowtheagenda.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINFUTURISTIC

Whenyouhavecareerconferencesorperformancemeetingswiththisperson,keepinmindthatshelivesforthefuture.Askhertosharehervisionwithyou—hervisionabouthercareer,aboutyourorganization,andaboutthemarketplace/fieldingeneral.

Givehertimetothink,writeabout,andplanfortheproductsandservicesneededinthefuture.Carveoutopportunitiesforhertoshareherperspectiveincompanynewsletters,meetings,orindustryconventions.

Sendheranydataorarticlesyouspotthatwouldbeofinteresttoher.Sheneedsgristforherfuturisticmill.

Putherontheorganization’splanningcommittee.Haveherpresentherdata-basedvisionofwhattheorganizationmightlooklikethreeyearshence.Haveherrepeatthispresentationeverysixmonthsorso.Inthiswayshecanrefineitwithnewdataandinsight.

Stimulateherbytalkingwithheroftenaboutwhatcouldbe.Asklotsofquestions.Pushhertomakethefuturesheseesasvividaspossible.

Whentheorganizationneedsitspeopletoembracechange,askhertoputthesechangesinthecontextoftheorganization’sfutureneeds.Havehermakeapresentationorwriteaninternalarticlethatputsthesechangesinperspective.Shecanhelpothersriseabovetheirpresentuncertaintiesandbecomealmostasexcitedassheisaboutthepossibilitiesofthefuture.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINHARMONY

Asfaraspossiblesteerthispersonawayfromconflict.Donotincludehim

inmeetingswheretherewillalmostcertainlybeconflictbecauseheisnotathisbestwhenconfrontingothers.

Determineinwhatwaysyouagreewithhimandregularlyreviewtheseagreementswithhim.SurroundhimwithotherpeoplestronginHarmony.Hewillalwaysbemorefocused,moreproductive,andmorecreativewhenheknowsthatheissupported.

Don’twasteyourtimediscussingcontroversialsubjectswiththisperson.Hewillnotenjoythedebateforitsownsake.Instead,keepyourdiscussionsfocusedonpracticalmatterswhereclearactioncanbetaken.

Don’talwaysexpecthimtodisagreewithyouevenwhenyouarewrong.Forthesakeofharmonyhemaynodhisheaddespitejudgingyourideaapoorone.Consequently,youmayneedotherpeoplewhoinstinctivelyvoicetheiropinionstohelpkeepyourthinkingclear.

Sometimeswhenothersarelockedindisagreement,hecanunlockthem.Hewillnotnecessarilyresolvethesubjectunderdebate,buthewillhelpthemfindotherareaswheretheydoagree.Theseareasofcommongroundcanbethestartingpointforworkingproductivelytogetheragain.

Hewantstofeelsureaboutwhatheisdoing.Helphimfindauthoritativebackup(expertopinion)fortheactionshetakes.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINIDEATION

Thispersonhascreativeideas.Besuretopositionherwhereherideaswillbevalued.

Shewillbeparticularlyeffectiveasadesigner,whetherofsalesstrategies,marketingcampaigns,customerservicesolutions,ornewproducts.Whateverherfield,trytomakethemostofherabilitytodesign.

Sinceshethrivesonideas,trytofeedhernewideasthatliewithinthefocus

ofyourorganization.Shewillnotonlybemoreexcitedaboutherworkbutwillalsousetheseideastogeneratenewinsightsanddiscoveriesofherown.

Encouragehertothinkofusefulideasorinsightsthatcanbesharedwithyourbestcustomers.FromGallup’sresearchitisclearthatwhenacompanydeliberatelyteachesitscustomerssomething,theirlevelofloyaltyincreases.

Sheenjoysthepowerofwords.Wheneveryoucomeacrossawordcombinationthatperfectlycapturesaconcept,idea,orpattern,shareitwithher.Itwillstimulateherthinking.

Sheneedstoknowthateverythingfitstogether.Whendecisionsaremade,taketimetoshowherhoweachdecisionisrootedinthesametheoryorconcept.

Onthosefewoccasionswhenaparticulardecisiondoesnotfitintotheoverarchingconcept,besuretoexplaintoherthatthisdecisionisanexceptionoranexperiment.Withoutthisexplanationshemaystarttoworrythattheorganizationisbecomingincoherent.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGININCLUDER

Thispersonisinterestedinmakingeveryonefeelpartoftheteam.Askhimtoworkonanorientationprogramfornewemployees.Hewillbeexcitedtothinkaboutwaystowelcomethesenewrecruits.

Askhimtoleadataskforcetorecruitminoritypersonsintoyourorganization.Heisinstinctivelysensitivetothosewhoareorhavebeenleftout.

Whenyouhavegroupfunctions,askhimtomakesurethateveryoneisincluded.Hewillworkhardtoensurethatnoindividualorgroupis

overlooked.

Inthesameveinyoucancapitalizeonthisperson’sIncluderthemebyfocusingitonyourcustomers.Properlypositioned,hemayproveveryeffectiveatbreakingthebarriersbetweencustomerandcompany.

Becauseheprobablywillnotappreciateeliteproductsorservicesmadeforaselectcategoryofcustomer,positionhimtoworkonproductsorservicesthataredesignedwithabroadmarketinmind.Hewillenjoyplanningwaystoopenthenetwide.

Incertainsituationsitmaybeappropriatetoaskhimtobeyourorganization’slinktocommunitysocialagencies.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGININDIVIDUALIZATION

Askthispersontoserveonyourselectioncommitteeforanynumberofpositions.Shewillprobablybeaverygoodjudgeofeachcandidate’sstrengthsandweaknesses.

Askhertohelpimprovetheorganization’sproductivitybyfiguringouttherightrolesforeveryoneaccordingtotheirstrengthsandweaknesses.

Haveherhelpdesignpay-for-performanceprogramswhereeachemployeecanusehisstrengthstomaximizehispay.

Whenyouarehavingdifficultyunderstandingacertainemployee’sperspective,turntoherforinsight.Shecanshowyoutheworldthroughtheemployee’seyes.

Whenyouarehavingperformanceproblemswithindividualemployees,discusswithherwhatmightbedone.Herintuitionsabouttheappropriateactionforeachindividualwillbesound.

Whenappropriate,askhertoteachaninternaltrainingclassormentoracoupleofnewemployees.Shemaywellhaveaknackforspottinghoweachpersonlearnsalittledifferently.

Lookatherotherdominantthemes.IfherDeveloperandArrangertalentsarealsostrong,shemayhavethepotentialtobeamanagerorsupervisor.IfherstrengthliesinthethemesCommandandWoo,shewillprobablybeveryeffectiveatturningprospectsintocustomers.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGININPUT

Focusthisperson’snaturalinquisitivenessbyaskinghimtoresearchatopicofimportancetoyourorganization.Heenjoystheknowledgethatcomesfromresearch.

Positionhiminroleswithaheavyresearchcomponent.

Payattentiontohisotherstrongthemes.IfheisalsostronginDeveloper,hemayexcelasateacherortrainerbypepperinghislessonwithintriguingfactsandstories.

Keephimpostedonthenewswithinyourorganization.Heneedstobeintheknow.Passalongbooks,articles,andpapersyouthinkhewouldliketoknowaboutandread.

EncouragehimtomakeuseoftheInternet.Hewilluseittofindinformationhethinksheneeds.Notallofhisfact-findingwillbeimmediatelyuseful,butitwillbeimportantforhisself-esteem.

Helphimdevelopasystemforstoringtheinformationhecollects.Thissystemwillensurethathecanfinditwhenheandtheorganizationneedit.

Whenyouareinmeetings,makeapointofaskinghimforinformation.Lookforopportunitiestosaysomethingpositiveabouthisrecall,suchas“It’samazing.Youalwaysseemtohavethefactsweneed.”

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGININTELLECTION

Capitalizeonthefactthatthinkingenergizesthisperson.Forexample,whenyouhaveaneedtoexplainwhysomethinghastobedone,askhertothinkitthroughforyouandthenprovideyouwiththeperfectexplanation.

Don’thesitatetochallengeherthinking.Sheshouldnotbethreatenedbythis.Onthecontrarysheshouldtakeitasasignthatyouarepayingattentiontoherandbestimulatedbyit.

Encouragehertofindafewlongstretchesoftimewhenshecansimplymuse.Forsomepeoplepurethinkingtimeisnotproductivebehavior,butforheritis.Shewillhavemoreclarityandself-confidenceasaresult.

Whenyouarefacedwithbooks,articles,orproposalsthatneedtobeevaluated,askhertoreadthemandgiveyouareport.Shelovestoread.

Haveadetaileddiscussionwithherregardingherstrengths.Shewillprobablyenjoytheintrospectionandself-discovery.

Givehertheopportunitytopresentherthinkingtootherpeopleinthedepartment.Thepressureofcommunicatingherthinkingtootherswillforcehertorefineandclarifyherthoughts.

BepreparedtopartnerherwithsomeonestrongintheActivatortheme.Thispartnerwillpushhertoactonherthoughtsandideas.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINLEARNER

Positionthispersoninrolesthatrequirehimtostaycurrentinafast-changingfield.Hewillenjoythechallengeofmaintaininghiscompetency.

Regardlessofhisrole,hewillbeeagertolearnnewfacts,skills,orknowledge.Explorenewwaysforhimtolearnandremainmotivated,lesthestarthuntingforaricherlearningenvironment.Forexample,ifhelacks

opportunitiestolearnonthejob,encouragehimtotakecoursesthatinteresthimatthelocalcollegeorassociation.Remember,hedoesn’tnecessarilyneedtobepromoted;hejustneedstobelearning.Itistheprocessoflearning,nottheresult,thatenergizeshim.

Helphimtrackhislearningprogressbyidentifyingmilestonesorlevelsthathehasreached.Celebratethesemilestones.

Inthesameveinencouragethispersontobecomethe“masteroftrade”or“residentexpert”inhisfield.Arrangeforhimtotaketherelevantclasses.Besuretorecognizehislearningwiththeappropriatecertificatesandplaques.

Havethispersonworkbesideamasterwhowillcontinuouslypushhimtolearnmore.

Askhimtoconductinternaldiscussiongroupsorpresentations.Theremaybenobetterwaytolearnthantoteachothers.

Helphimsecurefinancialsupporttocontinuehiseducation.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINMAXIMIZER

Thispersonisinterestedintakingsomethingthatworksandfiguringoutwaystomaximizeitsperformance.Shemaynotbeparticularlyinterestedinfixingthingsthatarebroken.

Avoidpositioningherinrolesthatdemandcontinualproblemsolving.

Shewillexpectyoutounderstandherstrengthsandtovalueherforthosestrengths.Shewillbecomefrustratedifyouspendtoomuchtimefocusingonherweaknesses.

Scheduletimetodiscussherstrengthsindetailandtostrategizehowandwherethesestrengthscanbeusedfortheorganization’sadvantage.Shewillenjoytheseconversationsandoffermanypracticalsuggestionsforhowher

strengthscanbestbeused.

Asmuchaspossible,helpherdevelopacareerpathandacompensationplanthatwillallowhertokeepgrowingtowardexcellenceinhercurrentrole.Shewillinstinctivelywanttostayonherstrengths’pathandthusmaydislikecareerstructuresthatforceheroffthispathinordertoincreaseherearningpower.

Askhertoleadataskforcetoinvestigatethebestpracticeswithinyourorganization.Sheisnaturallyinquisitiveaboutexcellence.

Askhertohelpdesignaprogramformeasuringandcelebratingtheproductivityofeachemployee.Shewillenjoythinkingaboutwhatexcellenceshouldlooklikeineachrole.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINPOSITIVITY

Thispersonbringsdramaandenergytotheworkplace.Findwaystopositionhimasclosetoyourcustomersaspossible.Hewillmakeyourorganizationseemmorepositiveandmoredynamic.

Askhimtohelpplaneventsinwhichyourorganizationhostsyourbestcustomers,suchasnewproductlaunchesorusergroups.

ThePositivitythemedoesnotimplythatheisalwaysinagoodmood.Itdoesimplythatthroughhishumorandattitudehecanmakepeoplemoreexcitedabouttheirwork.Remindhimofthisstrengthandencouragehimtouseit.

Hewillquicklybesappedofenergybycynics.Don’texpecthimtoenjoycheeringupnegativepeople.Hewilldobetterwhenaskedtoenergizebasicallypositivepeoplewhoaresimplyinneedofaspark.

Hisenthusiasmiscontagious.Considerthiswhenplacinghimonprojectteams.

Helikestocelebrate.Whencertainmilestonesofachievementhavebeenreached,askhimforideasabouthowtorecognizeandcelebratetheachievement.Hewillbemorecreativethanmost.

Payattentiontohisotherstrongthemes.IfhealsopossessesstrengthintheDevelopertheme,hemayprovetobeanexcellenttrainerorteacher,becausehebringsexcitementtotheclassroom.IfCommandisoneofhisstrongestthemes,hemayexcelinsellingbecauseheisarmedwithapotentcombinationofassertivenessandenergy.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINRELATOR

Tellthispersondirectlythatyoucareabouther.Morethanlikelythislanguagewillnotsoundinappropriateandwillbewelcomedbyher.Sheorganizesherlifearoundhercloserelationships,soshewillwanttoknowwhereshestandswithyou.

Shewillenjoydevelopinggenuinebondswiththepeoplewithwhomsheworks.Theserelationshipstaketimetobuild,sodon’tplaceherinarolethatuprootsherfrequentlyfromhercolleaguesandcustomers.

Helpherknowthegoalsofhercolleagues.Sheismorelikelytobondwiththemwhensheknowstheirgoals.

Trustherwithconfidentialinformation.Sheisloyal,placesahighvalueontrust,andwillnotbetrayyours.

Askhertobuildgenuinetrustingrelationshipswiththecriticalpeoplethatyouwanttoretain.Shecanbeoneofthehumantiesthatbindgoodpeopletoyourorganization.

Payattentiontoherotherstrongthemes.IfshealsoshowsstrongevidenceofFocusorArrangerorSelf-Assurance,shemayhavethepotentialtomanageothers.Employeeswillalwaysworkharderforsomeonewhothey

knowwillbethereforthemandwhowantsthemtosucceed.Shecaneasilyestablishthesekindsofrelationships.

Generosityisoftenastrengthofhers.Drawattentiontohergenerosityandshowherhowithelpsherimpactandconnectwiththosearoundher.Shewillappreciateyournoticing,andthusyourownrelationshipwillbestrengthened.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINRESPONSIBILITY

Thispersondefineshimselfbyhisabilitytoliveuptohiscommitments.Itwillbeintenselyfrustratingforhimtoworkaroundpeoplewhodon’t.Asfaraspossibletrytoavoidputtinghiminteamsituationswithlackadaisicalteammates.

Hedefineshimselfbythequalityofhiswork.Hewillresistifyouforcehimtorushhisworksomuchthatqualitysuffers.Hedislikessacrificingqualityforspeed.

Indiscussinghiswork,talkaboutitsqualityfirst.

Recognizethatheisaself-starterandrequireslittlesupervisiontoensurethatassignmentsarecompleted.

Puthiminpositionsrequiringunimpeachableethics.Hewillnotletyoudown.

Periodicallyaskhimwhatnewresponsibilityhewouldliketoassume.Itismotivationalforhimtovolunteer,sogivehimtheopportunity.

Protecthimfromtakingontoomuch,particularlyifhelacksathemesuchasDiscipline.Helphimseethatonemoreburdenmayresultinhisdroppingtheball,anotionhewillloathe.

Hemaywellimpressyouwithhisabilitytodelivertimeandagain.Youmaybesoimpressedthatyoudecidetopromotehimtomanagement.Becareful.Hemaymuchprefertodoajobhimselfthanberesponsibleforsomeoneelse’swork,inwhichcasehewillfindmanagementfrustrating.Facedwiththissituation,helphimfindotherwaystogrow.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINRESTORATIVE

Askthispersonforherobservationswhenyouwanttoidentifyaproblemwithinyourorganization.Herinsightswillbeparticularlyacute.

Positionherwheresheispaidtosolveproblemsforyourbestcustomers.Sheenjoysthechallengeofdiscoveringandremovingtheobstacles.

Whenasituationwithinyourorganizationneedsimmediateimprovement,turntoherforhelp.Shewillnotpanicbutinsteadwillrespondinafocused,businesslikeway.

Whensheresolvesaproblem,makesuretocelebratetheachievement.Everywrongsituationrightedisasuccessforher,andshewillneedyoutoviewitassuch.Showherthatothershavecometorelyonherabilitytodismantleobstaclesandmoveforward.

Offeryoursupportwhenshemeetsaparticularlythornyproblem.Sinceshedefinesherselfbyherabilitytocope,shemaywellfeelpersonallydefeatedifthesituationremainsunresolved.Helpherthroughit.

Askherinwhatwaysshewouldliketoimprove.Agreethattheseimprovementsshouldserveasgoalsforthefollowingsixmonths.Shewillappreciatethiskindofattention.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINSELF-ASSURANCE

Givethispersonarolewherehehastheleewaytomakemeaningfuldecisions.Hewillneitherwantnorrequireclosehand-holding.

Positionhiminarolewherepersistenceisessentialtosuccess.Hehastheself-confidencetostaythecoursedespitepressuretochangedirection.

Puthiminarolethatdemandsanauraofcertaintyandstability.Atcriticalmomentsthisinnerauthoritywillcalmhiscolleaguesandhiscustomers.

Supporthisself-conceptthatheisanagentofaction.Reinforceitwithcommentssuchas“It’suptoyou.Youmakeithappen”or“Whatisyourintuitionsaying?Let’sgowithyourintuition.”

Helphimknowthathisdecisionsandactionsdoproduceoutcomes.Heisathismosteffectivewhenhebelievesheisincontrolofhisworld.Highlightpracticesthatwork.

Understandthathemayhavebeliefsaboutwhathecandothatmightnotrelatetohisactualstrengths.Althoughhisself-confidencecanoftenproveuseful,ifheoverclaimsormakessomemajormisjudgments,besuretopointtheseoutimmediately.Heneedsclearfeedbacktoinformhisinstincts.

Payattentiontohisotherstrongthemes.IfhealsopossessesthemessuchasFuturistic,Focus,Significance,orArranger,hemaywellbeapotentialleaderwithinyourorganization.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINSIGNIFICANCE

Beawareofthisperson’sneedforindependence.Donotovermanageher.

Acknowledgethatshethrivesonmeaningfulrecognitionforhercontributions.Giveherroomtomaneuver,butneverignoreher.Besuretofeedallcomplimentsthroughtoher.

Givehertheopportunitytostandout,tobeknown.Sheenjoysthepressure

ofbeingthefocalpointofattention.Arrangeforhertostandoutfortherightreasons,orshewilltrytomakeithappenherself,perhapsinappropriately.

Positionhersothatshecanassociatewithcredible,productive,professionalpeople.Shelikestosurroundherselfwiththebest.

Encouragehertopraiseothertopachieversinthegroup.Sheenjoysmakingotherpeoplefeelsuccessful.

Whenshemakesclaimstoexcellence—andshewill—helpherpicturethestrengthsshewillhavetodevelopinordertorealizetheseclaims.Whencoachingher,don’taskhertolowerherclaims;instead,suggestthatshekeepbenchmarksfordevelopingtherelevantstrengths.

Becausesheplacessuchapremiumontheperceptionsofothers,herself-esteemcansufferwhenothersdonotgivehertherecognitionshedeserves.Atthesetimesdrawherattentionbacktoherstrengthsandencouragehertosetnewgoalsbasedonthesestrengths.Thesegoalswillhelpreenergizeher.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINSTRATEGIC

Positionthispersonontheleadingedgeofyourorganization.Hisabilitytoanticipateproblemsandtheirsolutionswillbevaluable.Forexample,askhimtosortthroughallofthepossibilitiesandfindthebestwayforwardforyourdepartment.Suggestthathereportbackonthebeststrategy.

Involvehiminorganizationalplanning.Askhim,“Ifthishappened,whatshouldweexpect?”“Ifthathappened,whatshouldweexpect?”

Alwaysgivehimampletimetothinkthroughasituationbeforeaskingforhisinput.Heneedstoplayoutacoupleofscenariosinhismindbeforevoicinghisopinion.

Recognizethisperson’sstrengthintheStrategicthemebysendinghimtoastrategicplanningorfuturismseminar.Thecontentwillsharpenhisideas.

Thispersonislikelytohaveastrengthforputtinghisideasandthoughtsintowords.Torefinehisthinking,askhimtopresenthisideastohiscolleaguesortowritethemforinternaldistribution.

Whenyouhearorreadofstrategiesthatworkedinyourfield,sharethemwiththisperson.Itwillstimulatehisthinking.

HOWTOMANAGEAPERSONSTRONGINWOO

Trytopositionthispersoninarolewhereshehasachancetomeetnewpeopleeveryday.Strangersenergizeher.

Placeheratyourorganization’sinitialpointofcontactwiththeoutsideworld.Shecanputstrangersateaseandhelpthemfeelcomfortablewithyourorganization.

Helpherrefinehersystemforrememberingthenamesofthepeopleshemeets.Setagoalforhertolearnthenamesandafewpersonaldetailsaboutasmanycustomersaspossible.Shecanhelpyourorganizationmakemanyconnectionsinthemarketplace.

UnlesssheisalsostronginthemessuchasEmpathyandRelator,donotexpecthertoenjoyarolewheresheisaskedtobuildcloserelationshipswithyourcustomers.Instead,shemaywellprefertomeetandgreet,winover,andmoveontothenext.

HerstrengthinWoowillwinyouoverandcauseyoutolikeher.Whenconsideringherfornewrolesandresponsibilities,makesurethatyoulookpastyourlikingofhertohergenuinestrengths.Don’tletherWoothemedazzleyou.

Ifpossible,askhertobethebuilderofgoodwillforyourorganization

withinthecommunity.Haveherrepresentyourorganizationatcommunityclubsandmeetings.

CHAPTER7BuildingaStrengths-BasedOrganization

THEFULLSTORY

THEPRACTICALGUIDE

TheFullStory

‘‘Whoisleadingthestrengthsrevolutionatwork?”

Intheintroductiontothisbookwenotedthatinresponsetothequestion“Atworkdoyouhavetheopportunitytodowhatyoudobesteveryday?”only20percentofemployeescouldanswer“stronglyagree.”Andweusedthisdiscoveryto kick-start the strengths revolution at work. Now we have a confession tomake. The data showing that 20 percent of employees “strongly agree” areaccuratebutincomplete.Togiveyouthefullstoryweneedtominethedatabasemoredeeply.

Some organizations have already begun the strengths revolution. The 75th

percentileinourdatabaseis33percent,whichmeansthatintheseorganizationsathirdofemployeesstronglyagreethattheyareusingtheirstrengthseveryday.The90thpercentile isatawhopping45percentofemployeessaying“stronglyagree.”Andwhenyouexaminethedatabasestillcloser,youdiscoverevenmoreimpressive examples of strengths-basedworkplaces.RalphGonzalez, theBestBuy manager we mentioned in the previous chapter who leads one hundredemployeesontheretailfrontlines,hasdevelopedthekindofworkenvironmentwhere50percentof themstronglyagree. InBocaRaton,Florida,anotherBestBuystoremanager,MaryGarey,hassomehowcreatedthekindofworkplaceinwhich70percentofheremployeesfeelthattheyareperfectlycastintheirroles.ThismeansthatinMary’sstoreseventyofheronehundredemployees,mostofwhom are engaged in customer service, loading/unloading, or shelf-stockingroles, stronglyagree thatatwork theyhaveanopportunity todowhat theydobesteveryday.

MaryandRalphareexceptional,butinvirtuallyeveryorganizationwherewehaveaskedthisquestion,wehavefoundsimilarexceptions.Infact,perhapsthe

most compelling discovery gleaned from our research is the huge range ofresponses that this question elicits. No matter how large the organization, nomatterwhatitsbusinessoritslocation,weinvariablyfindsomemanagerswhoseworkgroupsareinthetop5percentandsomemanagerswhoseworkgroupslieinthebottom5percent.Evenifalltheemployeesareinvolvedinthesamekindofwork,thismassiverangenonethelessappears.

ThestandardsetbymanagerslikeRalphandMaryframesthequestionsthatthis chapterwill attempt to answer:Howcanyounarrow the range?Howcanyoucreateanentireorganizationthatemploys thestrengthsofeverypersonasefficientlyasyourbestmanagersdo?Restatedmorenumerically,howcanyoucreate an entire organizationwhere at least 45percent of your employees (the90thpercentile)stronglyagreethattheyareusingtheirstrengthseveryday?

Themoreyouponderthequestion“Atwork,doIhaveanopportunitytodowhat I do best every day?” the more complex it becomes. There are manyreasons that a particular employee in aparticular rolemight sayno.Hemightgenuinelyfeelthathelacksthetalenttodothejob.Orperhapshepossessesthetalent,buttheorganizationhasoverlegislatedtherolesothathehasnochancetoexpresshistalents.Perhapshefeelshehasthetalentsandroomtousethembutnot thenecessary skillsorknowledge.Perhapsobjectivelyhe isperfectlycast,but subjectively he feels he has much more to offer. Perhaps he is right, orperhapsheisdeludinghimselfastowherehistruestrengthslie.Perhapshewasperfectlycastinhispreviousrolebutwaspromotedintothewrongrolebecausethe organization couldn’t think of any other way to reward him. Perhaps theorganization sends signals that it is a “pass-through” role, and thus no self-respectingemployeewilleversayheiswellcastinitevenifheknowsheis.

At first glance this complexity can be overwhelming. To address all thesepossibilities and thus ensure that your employees say “strongly agree” to thequestion,youwouldhavetoattendtomanydifferentaspectsofeachemployee’sworkinglife.Toaddresshisfearthathelacksthetalentfortherole,youwould

have tobecareful toselectpeoplewhoseemtopossess talentssimilar toyourbest incumbents in the role. To avoid the overlegislation problem, youwouldhave toholdhimaccountable forhisperformancebutnotdefine,stepbystep,howhe should achieve thedesiredperformance.Toovercomehis fear that helacksthenecessaryskillsandknowledge,youwouldhavetoconstructcoachingprogramsthathelphimdevelophistalentsintogenuinestrengths.Toaddressthe“delusion” issueyouwouldhave todevise away tohave everymanagerhelpeach employee discover and appreciate his true strengths. To avoid the“overpromotion”problemyouwouldhavetoprovidehimwithalternativewaystogrowinmoneyandtitleotherthansimplyclimbingthecorporateladder.And,finally,todealwithhisperceptionthatheisina“pass-through”role,youwouldhavetosendthemessagethatnoroleisbydefinitionapass-throughrole.Anyroleperformedatexcellenceisgenuinelyrespectedwithintheorganization.

Listedbacktobacklikethis,thechallengesassociatedwithbuildinganentireorganization around the strengths of each employee appear almost incoherent,“tryabitofthis,doabitofthat.”Butdwellonthemforamoment,andyoumaysoonrealizethatallthesechallengescoherearoundtwocoreassumptionsaboutpeople:

1. Eachperson’stalentsareenduringandunique.

2. Eachperson’sgreatestroomforgrowthisintheareasoftheperson’sgreateststrength.

As you can see,we have come full circle.We presented these assumptionsearlierasinsightsintohumannaturethatallgreatmanagersseemtoshare.Whatwearesayingnowisthataslongaseverythingyoudoisfoundedonthesetwocoreassumptions,youwillsuccessfullyaddress themanychallengescontainedinthequestion“Atwork,doIhavetheopportunitytodowhatIdobesteveryday?” You will build an entire organization around the strengths of eachemployee.Why?Let’splayoutthesetwoassumptionsandseewheretheylead:

Sinceeachperson’stalentsareenduring,youshouldspendagreatdealoftimeandmoneyselectingpeopleproperlyinthefirstplace.Thiswillhelpmitigatethe“Idon’tthinkIhavetherighttalentfortherole”problem.

Sinceeachperson’stalentsareunique,youshouldfocusperformancebylegislatingoutcomesratherthanforcingeachpersonintoastylisticmold.Thismeansastrongemphasisoncarefulmeasurementoftherightoutcomes,andlessonpolicies,procedures,andcompetencies.Thiswilladdressthe“inmyroleIdon’thaveanyroomtoexpressmytalents”problem.

Sincethegreatestroomforeachperson’sgrowthisintheareasofhisgreateststrength,youshouldfocusyourtrainingtimeandmoneyoneducatinghimabouthisstrengthsandfiguringoutwaystobuildonthesestrengthsratherthanonremediallytryingtoplughis“skillgaps.”Youwillfindthatthisoneshiftinemphasiswillpayhugedividends.Inonefellswoopyouwillsidestepthreepotentialpitfallstobuildingastrengths-basedorganization:the“Idon’thavetheskillsandknowledgeIneed”problem,the“Idon’tknowwhatI’mbestat”problem,andthe“mymanagerdoesn’tknowwhatI’mbestat”problem.

Lastly,sincethegreatestroomforeachperson’sgrowthliesinhisareasofgreateststrength,youshoulddevisewaystohelpeachpersongrowhiscareerwithoutnecessarilypromotinghimupthecorporateladderandoutofhisareasofstrength.Inthisorganization“promotion”willmeanfindingwaystogiveprestige,respect,andfinancialrewardtoanyonewhohasachievedworld-classperformanceinanyrole,nomatterwherethatroleisinthehierarchy.Bydoingsoyouwillovercometheremainingtwoobstaclestobuildingastrengths-basedorganization:the“eventhoughI’mnowinthewrongrole,itwastheonlywaytogrowmycareer”problemandthe“I’minapass-throughrolethatnoonerespects”problem.

These four steps represent a systematic process for maximizing the valuelocked up in your human capital. In the pages that follow we flesh out thisprocess. We offer you a practical guide for how to use those two coreassumptions to change theway you select,measure, develop, and channel thecareersofyourpeople.Needlesstosaytheindividualmanagerwillalwaysbeacriticalcatalystintransformingeachemployee’stalentsintobonafidestrengths;consequently,muchoftheresponsibilitywill liewiththemanagertoselectfortalent, set clear expectations, focuson strengths, anddevelopeachemployee’scareer. Taking the ideas found in First, Break All the Rules a step further,however, we have aimed this practical guide at the challenges facing largerorganizationsastheystrivetocapitalizeonthestrengthsofeveryemployee.

ThePracticalGuide

“Howcanyoubuildastrengths-basedorganization?”

TheStrengths-BasedSelectionSystem

TheStrengths-BasedPerformanceManagementSystem

TheStrengths-BasedCareerDevelopmentSystem

THESTRENGTHS-BASEDSELECTIONSYSTEMThe perfect selection system is an integrated affair involving a myriad of

activities—recruiting, interviewing,measuring,educating, tracking,andsoon—whichinalargeorganizationmustoccurallthetime.Forthesakeofclarity,however,wewillpresentthissystemasasimplesequenceoffivesteps.Ifyouweretostartfromscratch,thisistheorderyouwouldfollow.

First, you need to build your selection system around an instrument formeasuring talent.Anumberof such instruments exist, butwhichever oneyouchoosemustmeet two rigorous standards: Itmust be psychometrically sound,whichmeansthatitmustmeasurewhatitpurportstomeasure,anditmustrelyonobjectivescoring,whichmeansthatiftwo,three,orevenonehundredpeopleanalyzed a particular person’s responses, they would all arrive at the sameresults. This doesn’t imply that all these analysts would reach the sameconclusions about the best role for or the best way to manage this particularperson,butitdoesimplythattheyshouldallbeusingexactlythesamedatatoreachtheiruniqueconclusions.

Ifyoudon’testablishthisobjectiveinstrumentasyourfoundation—if,say,yousimplyrelyontrainingmanagerstobebetterinterviewersorontheratingsofprofessionalobserversatanassessmentcenteroronanyothermethodwith

inherent “interrater reliability”problems (thismeansdifferent ratersgiving thesamecandidatedifferentratingsonhisstrengthsandweaknesses)—yourwholeselectionsystemwillbehandicappedfromtheoutset.Lackingdatathatare100percent reliable, youwill be unable to investigate the links betweenmeasuredtalent and subsequent performance. (For various arcanemathematical reasons,data derived from a system plagued with interrater reliability problems arevirtually unusable.) For example, you will never be able to discover whichtalentsdrivehighercustomersatisfactionscoresorbettersafetyrecordsorloweremployeeturnoverorfasterrecoveryofhospitalpatients.Inallyouranalysesthetalentfactorwillbeabsent,leavingyoufunctionallyblindastotheeffectofeachemployee’stalentsontheimportantoutcomesofyourbusiness.Intuitivelyyouwill know that each employee’s talents affect your business in someway, butyou’llneverknowwhereorhowmuch.

We are not suggesting, of course, that you shouldn’t train managers to bebetterinterviewersorthatassessmentcentersareacompletewasteoftimeandmoney,butwearesayingthatthesetechniquesareinappropriatefoundationsfortheperfectselectionsystem.Touseawell-wornanalogy:Manager interviews,assessment centers, and the like are analog techniques cursed with all theaccompanying inefficiencies (lack of precision, lack of comparability, lack ofconsistency).Bycontrast,anobjectivetalentmeasurementinstrumentisadigitaltechnique.Usedproperly itservesas theconsistentoperatingsystemonwhichall yourother “software”—yourbusiness analyses, your recruiting strategies,yourmanpowerplanning—canrun.

The second step in building your selection system is to calibrate yourinstrument by studying your best performers in each key role. This can beginwithasimplefocusgroupwhereyouaskaseriesofopen-endedquestionstogeta feel for the role, but by far themost rigorous approach is to conduct a fullconcurrentvaliditystudy.Intimidatingthoughitsounds,executingaconcurrentvalidity study is actually rather straightforward: you administer the talent

instrumenttoeveryemployeeintheroleinquestion,collectperformancescoreson these employees, and use these scores to identify a study group of fifty ormoreemployees(themosteffectiveintherole)andacontrastgroupofasimilarnumber (the least effective). If your organization lacks objective performancescores,youwillhavetousethefolkdefinitionofyourmosteffective,namely,“Whoare theonesyouwouldwant tohiremoreof?”Thenyoucalibrateyourinstrument by identifying the responses and talents shared by the study groupandabsentinthecontrastgroup.Thislaststeprequiressomeonewithstatisticalexpertise, but the net result is an instrument calibrated for the role and anunderstanding of someof the dominant talents necessary for excellence in therole.

The third step is to teach the talent language throughout the organization.Thisisimportantforanumberofreasons,nottheleastofwhichisthatyouwantyour managers to make the final hiring decision, and a full understanding oftalent language will help them make better decisions. Many organizationscentralize most recruiting activities, as they should. Human beings areinfuriatingly complicated, and consequently it makes sense to establish adepartment, usually the human resources department, to cultivate expertise inunderstanding this complexity. Just as you expect your IT department toinfluencethehigh-techresourcesyourmanagersuse,soyoushouldexpectyourHR department to influence the human resources they use. However, thiscomparison isn’tentirelyappropriate.Employeesaren’tcomputers.Theydon’tcomewithausers’manualoron/offswitches.Toreach their fullcapacityandpotential, they require amanagerwhom they trust,who expects the best fromthem,andwhotakesthetimetolearntheiridiosyncrasies.Inshort,theyrequirearelationship.Andthisrelationshipstartsorstallsatthepointofhire.

So teach your managers the talent language. Supply them with qualifiedcandidatesusingyourcalibrated instrument.Then show themeachcandidate’sdominanttalentsandencouragethemtousethesetalentstomakeasinformeda

decisionaspossible.Yes,theywilloccasionallymakehiringmistakes,butthesemistakes are less important in the larger scheme. To build a strengths-basedorganization demands that yourmanagers become personally invested in theiremployees’success,and theyareunlikely toget invested ifyouareconstantlyforcingemployeesonthemfromheadquarters.

Anotherreasontoteachthelanguageoftalentsthroughouttheorganizationisthatyoucanthenusethislanguageinrecruiting.Ifyouperusetheemploymentopportunitiessectionofyour localnewspaper, the first thingyouwillnotice istheirrelevanceoftalent.Mostemploymentadvertisementsloudlyasserttheneedforcertainskills,knowledge,andyearsofexperiencebutremainmuteontalent.It is ironic that they itemize the qualities they can change in a person whileignoringtheonestheycan’t.

Astrengths-basedorganizationshouldn’tmakethismistake.Havingidentifiedthe dominant talents needed for the role, you should craft employmentadvertisementsthatchallengetheapplicanttoclaimthesetalents.Forexample,let’s say that you discovered from your concurrent validity study that thedominant talents for a computer programmer were Analytical (an ordered,numbers-orientedmind),Discipline(aneedforstructure),Arranger(anabilitytocoordinate the demands of a fluid environment), and Learner (a love of theprocess of acquiring competence in something). Your employmentadvertisementmightthenusethefollowingquestionsasthecenterpiece:

Doyoutakealogicalandsystematicapproachtoproblemsolving?(Analytical)

Areyouaperfectionistwhostrivesfortimelycompletionofyourprojects?(Discipline)

Canyouprioritizetheurgencyofmultiplerequestsandthentakechargetomeetthesedeadlines?(Arranger)

DoyouwanttolearnhowtouseSQL,Java,andPerl,andbuildworld-classdatabase-drivenWebsites?(Learner)

Ifyoucansayyestothesequestions,thenpleasecall…

Youmaystillrequirecertainskillsandexperiencelevels,butwiththosefourquestions in thecenterof the layout inbold type,youwillbecatching theeyeandchallengingthereadertoclaimthesequalities.Naturally,somereaderswhodon’t possess themwill still apply, butmanywon’t, so youwill end upwithfewer applicants of a higher quality, the perfect measure of an effectiveemploymentadvertisement.

Thefourthstepintheconstructionofyourselectionsystemistobuildathemeprofile of your entire company, a theme inventory, if you will. This themeinventoryservestwodistinctfunctions.First,itprovidesyouwithasnapshotofthe character of your company. On one level this has nice-to-know value.Perhaps yours is a competitive culture with no service orientation (strong inCompetition,weakinBelief).Orperhapsyoursisaservice-orientedculturethatlacksopennesstonewwaysofdoingthings(stronginBelief,weakinIdeationandStrategic).

Butonanotherlevelthisall-companysnapshothasdistinctlypracticalvalueinthatitwillallowyoutoalignyourhumanresourcesstrategywithyourbusinessstrategy.Forexample,let’ssaythatyourorganization,abank,hasrealizedthatthe tellers in your branches must become more sales-oriented if you are toexecuteyourcross-sellingbusinessstrategy.Inthepastyoumighthavetriedtoretrain your branch tellers to become salespeople, with the usual disastrousresults:Manytellersareproudoftheirclientresponsivenessbutviewsellingasonestepupfromthedevil.

Nowyoucantakeamoresophisticatedapproach.Youcanlookatyourentirepopulationoftellersandidentifythosewhopossesstalentsthatsuggestamoresales-oriented mentality, talents such as Activator, Command, andWoo. You

can then invest heavily in training these tellers in the skills and knowledgerequired to cross-sell, and redesign your branch teams so that these retrainedtellersleadthesalesinitiativeswithclients,leavingtheothertellerstodowhattheydobest—provideexcellentclientservice.

The preceding example presupposes that you have to fight thewarwith thearmy you have. This is sometimes the case, but often an organization has theleeway touse its all-company theme inventory to recruit adifferent army.Forexample, let’ssupposethatyourthemeinventoryrevealsthatyourentirecadreof front-linemanagers is strong in such talents asAchiever, Consistency, andFocus.(Incidentally,thisoftenhappens.Apersonstronginthesethreetalentsisself-motivated, sets clear expectations, and doesn’t trample those around him.These are exactly the sort of qualities that get a person promoted intomanagement.)However,let’salsosupposethatthiscadreofmanagersisweakinsuch talents as Individualization,Maximizer, and Relator. Given the enduringnatureoftalent,noamountofretrainingwillhelpthiscurrentcadreofmanagersexcel at building relationships with their employees, getting to know theirstrengths, and setting them up for success. Stuck with this army, yourorganizationwillalwaysstruggletokeepanddeveloptalentedemployees.

This discovery needn’t depress you. You can now avoid wasting millionsretrainingthesemanagersandinvestinselectinganewcadrethatdoespossessthese talents.Herewe are not suggesting that you replace your entire existingcadrewiththenew;thisisneitherpossiblenordesirable.Rather,wearesayingthatasyoumoveeachnewpersonintomanagement,youshouldexaminehisorher profile closely to seewhether or not that person possesses strength in thetalentswherethemajorityareweak.Graduallybutdeliberatelyyouwillchangethecharacterofyourcompany,onecharacteratatime.

The other function this theme inventory serves is to help channel eachemployee’scareerforalongwhileafterheisbroughtonboard.Asyouknow,an organization is a fluid community, with employees moving in and out of

differentrolesastheyandtheorganizationgrow.Foranorganizationtoremainvital and strong it should take each employee’s talents into account whendecidingthemovesthatareappropriateforeachemployee.Thisrarelyhappens.Mostorganizationskeeptrackof theiremployees’skills,knowledge,andworkexperiencebutignoretheirtalents.Evenifsomethemeinformationisgatheredatthepointofhire,itislostsoonafter,nevertobereferredtoagain.

Your selection system must avoid this fundamental flaw. Use a themeinventory to capture and keep each employee’s talent profile. Set up amechanism(eitherintranet,Internet,orphysical)sothattheappropriatepeoplecan refer to an employee’s theme profile when considering him for internalcareermoves.Far from limiting thisperson’scareerchoices,his themeprofileshould encourage you to consider him for dramatic career moves even if hedoesn’t possess the necessary skills, knowledge, or work experience. AsmentionedinChapter5,inanycareermovethepersonwillbringhistalentswithhim.Youcanalwaysteachhimtherest.

Thelaststepinbuildingastrengths-basedselectionsystemistostudythelinksbetweenmeasured talentand subsequentperformance.Manyhuman resourcesdepartments have an inferiority complex.With the best of intentions they doeverything they can to highlight the importance of people, but when sittingaroundtheboardroomtable,theysuspectthattheydon’tgetthesamerespectasfinance, marketing, or operations. In many instances they are right, but,unfortunately, in many instances they don’t deserve to. Why? Because theydon’thaveanydata.Mostchiefexecutivesknowthatthequalityoftheirpeoplesomehow affects their business results, but they rightly expect much moredetailedexplanations.Herearejustafewexamplesofthekindsofquestionsforwhichaneffectivechiefexecutiveshouldexpectanswers:

Howgoodareourrecruitingefforts?Fromwheredowefindthemosttalentedcandidates—universities,competitors,thearmedforces,thelocal

paper,theInternet?Howdoweknowonewayoranother?

Whichkindofpeopleareshootingstars,extremelyproductiveoutofthechutebutpronetofadeandleavetheorganization?Howdoweknow?

Areweraisingthetalentlevelofourmanagerswitheachpersonpromoted?Howdoweknow?

Whatkindofpeoplehavethetalenttobefutureleaders?Howmanyofthemdowehave?Arewedeliberatelyhiringmorelikethem?Howdoweknow?

Areweinvestingourtrainingbudgetinourmosttalentedpeople?Howdoweknow?

Whatkindsofpeoplegetgoodratingsfromourmanagersbutlowratingsfromourcustomers?Howdoweknow?

Lacking any kind of objectively measured talent data, even the mostexperiencedhuman resourcesdirectorwillbe stumped foranswers.Butarmedwith data he can describe in detail the links between measured talent andsubsequent performance.As an example, let’s take the last of thesequestions:Whatkindsofpeoplegetgoodratingsfromourmanagersbutlowratingsfromourcustomers?

Workingwithalargetelecommunicationscompany,Gallupwasgivenaccesstothemanagerevaluationsofoverfivethousandemployeeswhointerfacedwithcustomers, the employees’ individual theme profiles, and their performanceratings fromcustomers. (For eachemployee fifteencustomerspermonthwerecontactedandaskedtoratethequalityofservicereceived.Thestudylastedtenmonths, for a total of 150 customer ratings for each employee.)We threw allthesedataintothehopperandtriedtoteaseapartthelinks.

The first discoverywas this:The employeeswhowere strong in the themesResponsibilityandHarmonyearnedthehighestevaluationsfromtheirmanagers,

which,ifyouthinkaboutit,makessense.Ifanemployeeconsistentlyshowsupon time and doesn’t make a fuss, he is likely to endear himself to his boss.Primedwiththisdiscoverythehumanresourcesdirectormightbetemptedtosaytoherchief executive, “Ifwewant to improveourmanagerevaluation scores,weshouldhiremorepeoplewithResponsibilityandHarmony.”Unfortunately,ifthisadvicewereofferedandfollowed,itwouldtakethecompanyinthewrongdirectionbecauseourseconddiscoverywasthat therewasnolinkbetweenthemanagerevaluationsandthecustomerratings.Statednumerically,thestatisticalcorrelation between these two sets of data was zero.Whatever behaviors themanagerswereevaluatingwereirrelevanttothecustomers.Themanagersmightaswellhavebeenratingtheemployees’shoesizeforallthecustomerscared.

Itwasthethirdandfinaldiscoverythatledtothecorrectcourseofaction.Wefoundthatthethemesthatcorrelatedtoeachemployee’scustomerratingswerenot Responsibility andHarmony butAchiever, Positivity, Learner, Command,and Restorative. These employees were self-motivated, energetic and upbeat,excited to learn, and assertive enough to take control of each customer’spredicamentandsolvetheproblem(andalsoassertiveenoughtochallengetheirmanager if theydisagreedwithhim,whichprobablyaccounted for their lowermanagerevaluationscores).Guidedbythisdiscoverythecompanycoulddotwothings: It could refocus its recruiting and selection initiatives on these fivecriticalthemes,anditcouldjettisonitscomplicatedmanagerevaluationprocessand replace it with the more objective performance measure: customersatisfactionscores.

The best human resources departmentsmust learn the language of business.Theymustbeabletoexplainmathematicallythesubtlebutsignificanteffectsofhuman nature on business results. Only then will they prove themselves asvaluableastheotherdepartmentsandgarnertherespecttheytrulydeserve.

THESTRENGTHS-BASEDPERFORMANCEMANAGEMENT

THESTRENGTHS-BASEDPERFORMANCEMANAGEMENTSYSTEM

Onceyouhavediscoveredeachperson’sstrongesttalents,theobviousgoalisto focus and develop these talents into measurable performance. Allorganizations would most likely agree with this. More surprising, mostorganizations would also agree on the three key areas of performance worthfocusingon.

1. Theperson’simpactonthebusiness,suchasnumberofsalesmadeforasalesperson,numberoferrorspermillionforamanufacturingteam,shrinkagepercentageforastoremanager,orgrowthinprofitsforarestaurantmanager.

2. Theperson’simpactonthecustomer,eitherinternalorexternal.Organizationshavedifferentwaysofinvestigatingthis—mysteryshopperprograms,call-outsurveys,in-roomsurveys,themonitoringofcustomercalls,andsoon—butthefocusisthesame:thequalityofservicereceivedbythecustomer.

3. Andlast,theperson’simpactontheemployeesaroundhim.Again,organizationsusedifferentmethodstoaddressthis—360-degreesurveysmeasuringeachemployeeonvariousbehaviors,employeesurveys,qualitativemanagerevaluations—butwhateverthesystemofchoice,thepointistoholdeachpersonaccountableforhisinfluenceonthecultureoftheorganization.

Agreementvanishes,however,whenitcomestowhatactionstheorganizationshould take to improve a person’s performance in these areas. Conceptuallyspeaking, theworldofwhat isoftencalled“performancemanagement”canbesplit into two distinct camps. Both camps share a belief in the fundamentalimportanceandpotentialoftheiremployees,butonlyoneofthemwillcreatethekindofenvironmentwherethatpotentialisrealized.Onlyoneofthemwilllead

toaworkplacebuilton the strengthsofeachemployee.And,unfortunately, atpresentthisstrengths-basedcampisverymuchintheminority.

The larger, establishment camp is comprised of those organizations thatlegislate the process of performance. If performance is a journey from theindividualtotheresults,theseorganizationschoosetofocusonthestepsofthisjourney.Theyapply theircreativity to thechallengeofdefining the journey indetail,andhavingdefinedit, theytrytoteacheachemployeetowalkthesamepath.

These step-by-step organizations share many characteristics, such asoverscripting of employees and over-reliance on process reengineering, butperhaps their clearest identifying mark is their current fascination withmanagerial competencies. To improve each manager’s impact on the culturethese organizations identify a list of desired behaviors or “competencies” (forexample, “uses humor appropriately,” “accepts change,” or “thinksstrategically”) and then spend a great deal of time and money teaching eachmanager toacquire thesecompetencies.Becausestyle trainingis thefocusandthe measurement of true performance is an afterthought in this kind oforganization, the most pressing question becomes “Since we are investing somuchinthesecompetencies,howcanwemeasureifpeopleareactuallygettingbetteratthem?”

For the second camp, the strengths-based camp, this question is irrelevant.Thistypeoforganizationfocusesnotonthestepsofthejourneybutontheendofthejourney—namely,therightwaytomeasureeachperson’sresultsinthethreekeyareas.Thecoachingeffortsoftheseorganizationsarethendesignedtohelppeople find theirownpaths to theprescribedend.Theseorganizationsdonotstruggletomeasuretheeffectivenessofthiscoaching.Theystartbydefiningthe right outcome measures and then construct the coaching to drive thesemeasures.Ifthemeasuresmoveup,thetrainingiseffective.Iftheydon’t,thenitisn’t.

The step-by-step camp will still measure some performance outcomes(particularly in the area of business results), and, likewise, the strengths-basedcampwilldefineandteachsomeprocesses(everyclothingdesignermustknowhow to cut cloth; every loan officer must learn how to qualify the bank’scustomers).Nonetheless,thedistinctionbetweenthetwocampsisreal.Step-by-step organizations are designed to battle the inherent individuality of eachemployee.Strengths-basedorganizationsaredesignedtocapitalizeonit.

So what can your organization do to join the ranks of the strengths-basedcamp?Wesuggestfoursteps.

The first step is to figure out the right way to measure the desiredperformance, theendofthejourney,ifyouwill.Intheareaofbusinessresultsthis is fairly straightforward. Using a simple question such as “What do theemployeesinthisrolegetpaidtodo?”youcanfocusyourthinkingandarriveatthe right metrics for the role. Even here, however, there is some room forcreativity. The hundreds of technical support specialists at CoxCommunications’ customer care center just outside SanDiego,California, aremeasurednotonlyonobviousmetricssuchastalktime(averagelengthofcall)andsign-ontime(averagepercentageoftheworkingdayeachoneisactuallyonthephonewithcustomers)butalsoonarathermoreexoticmetric,“truckrolls.”Atruckrolloccurswhenthesupportspecialistisunabletosolvethecustomer’sproblem over the phone and has to dispatch a repair truck to the customer’shome.Sincethisoftenprovesinconvenientforthecustomer,supportspecialistsareencouragedtorollasfewtrucksaspossible.

Asyouworktodefinethesebusinessresultsmetricsforeverykeyrole,don’tbediscouragedbyemployeeswhoclaim“Youcan’tmeasuremy role. It’s toofluidanddynamicandsubjective.”Theymaybe right.Their rolemightbeallthese things,but in today’sfast-changingbusinessworld, thesamecanbesaidforeveryrole.Tobesure,somerolesaremoreaffectedbychangesthanothers,but the fact is that all roles, nomatter howdynamic, are designed to produce

certainoutcomes.Youshouldbeabletocount,rate,orranksome,ifnotmost,ofthese outcomes. With enough insight and creativity you’ll find that there isindeedatruckrollforeveryrole.

Measuringeachemployee’s impacton thecustomer isa littlemoredifficult.The customers of Cox Communications’ support specialists obviously expectkindsofservicethatareverydifferentfromthekindsthatcustomersoftellersinabankexpect.Likewise,adepartment’sexternalcustomerswillhavedemandsthat are very different from the same department’s internal customers. Facedwiththisvariety,manyorganizationsdesignrole-specificquestionnairesinordertoanalyzeeachstepintheemployee-customerinteraction.Unfortunately,theselengthy questionnaires overcomplicate matters. They can occasionally proveusefulasdiagnostictools—“Exactlywhatisgoingonwhenouremployeesandcustomers interact?” — but because of their unwieldy complexity, they arevirtuallyuselessasperformancemeasures.

Amoreeffectiveapproachistodesignasimplewaytomeasuretheemotionaloutcomes you want to create in your customers, whether internal or external.Youcanthenholdeachemployeeaccountableforcreatingtheseemotions,usingwhatever strengths each happens to possess. Culled from Gallup’s extensiveresearch into customer loyalty,we offer these three questions as a simple andaccurate metric for measuring the employee’s impact on the customer, bothexternalandinternal:

1. Overall,howwelldidtheserviceyoureceivedmeetyourexpectations?Wasitmuchbetterthanexpected…muchworsethanexpected?

2. Howlikelyareyoutorecommendthisproduct/servicetoothers?Areyouverylikely…veryunlikely?

3. Howlikelyareyoutowanttocontinueusingthisproduct/service?Areyouverylikely…veryunlikely?

With current technology it is a relatively straightforward task to link aparticular employee to a particular customer. By asking these three questionsdirectly of your customers (either internal or external) you can avoid thepotential bias or, as we saw earlier, the possible irrelevance of managerevaluations and instead glean an accurate reading of each employee’s actualimpactonthecustomer.

Measuringeachemployee’simpactonhisfellowemployeescanproveequallychallenging. The relationship between each manager and his employees, andbetween each employee and his peers, is somultifaceted that you can hardlyblame the organizations that attempt to legislate this relationship withpredetermined competencies. To reiterate what we said before, though, wesuggest that a more effective approach is to measure the outcomes of aproductive culture and then hold eachmanager accountable for creating theseoutcomes, using the style that fits her best. The following twelve questionsdefine the outcomes of a productive culture. We recommend asking eachmanager’s employees these twelve questions, using a 5-point scale (5 for“stronglyagree,”1for“stronglydisagree”).

1. DoIknowwhatisexpectedofmeatwork?

2. DoIhavethematerialsandequipmentIneedtodomyworkproperly?

3. AtworkdoIhavetheopportunitytodowhatIdobesteveryday?

4. InthelastsevendayshaveIreceivedrecognitionorpraiseforgoodwork?

5. Doesmysupervisororsomeoneatworkseemtocareaboutmeasaperson?

6. Istheresomeoneatworkwhoencouragesmydevelopment?

7. Atworkdomyopinionsseemtocount?

8. Doesthemissionofmycompanymakemefeellikemyworkisimportant?

9. Aremycoworkerscommittedtodoingqualitywork?

10. DoIhaveabestfriendatwork?

11. InthelastsixmonthshaveItalkedwithsomeoneaboutmyprogress?

12. ThislastyearhaveIhadopportunitiesatworktolearnandgrow?

IfyouhavereadFirst,BreakAlltheRules,youwillknowthatthesequestionswereselectedfromalistofhundredspreciselybecause,whenwordedinexactlythisfashion(completewithqualifierssuchas“everyday,”and“inthelastsevendays,” and “best friend”), they predicted employee turnover, productivity,profitability, and customer loyalty.Asked twice a year, they provide themostrobustandthemostrelevantmeasureofamanager’simpactonhisemployees.Andyettheydon’tforceeverymanagertomanageinthesameway.Takingthefirstquestion,“DoIknowwhatisexpectedofmeatwork?”asanexample,anorganization shouldn’t care that one manager sets expectations by havingdetailed,one-on-oneconversationswitheachemployeewhileanothermanagerprefersusingweeklyteammeetingstoprovidethefocus,justaslongas,attheend of sixmonths, the employees knowwhat is expected of them.Again, thedesiredendislegislated,notthejourney.

And what about the impact of each employee on his peers? The twelvequestionspresentedabovedon’tcoverthisbecausetheyaredesignedtoaddressmanager-employee relations,not employee-employee relations.So, instead, tryusingthesefourquestions,alsoculledfromourresearchintohighlyproductiveworkplaces:

Doesthispersonperformhis/herwork

1. inatimelymanner?

2. inanaccuratefashion?

3. inapositive,helpfulmanner?

4. inawaythatmakesyoufeelyouropinionscount?

Usingyourorganization’sintranet,youcanfieldthisshortsurveytwiceayearbyaskingeveryemployeetoidentifytheindividualswithwhomtheyhavehadsignificant contact in the last sixmonths, and you can capture their ratings ofthesepeopleanonymouslyonascaleof1to5.

Armedwiththesethreeoutcomemeasures—businessresults,impactonthecustomer, and impact on the culture—you cannow take the remaining threestepstowardbuildingastrengths-basedperformancemanagementsystem.

The second step is to build a performance scorecard for every employee.Muchhasbeenmadelatelyoftheneedforlargeorganizationstouseabalancedscorecard to measure their overall performance. In their book The BalancedScorecard,RobertKaplan andDavidNorton suggest that you can only assessthetruestrengthofanorganizationbymeasuringmanydifferentaspectsoftheorganization’sperformance.Classicalperformancemetricssuchasprofitgrowthandrevenuegrowtharetrailingmeasures—“grossapproximationsoftherecentpast,”asoneeconomistdescribedthem—andthereforetheyreveallittleaboutthe organization’s future. If youwant to predict how healthy the organizationwillbedowntheroad,youneedtoaddleadingindicatorstothisscorecard,suchas whether the organization has a growing number of loyal customers, howengaged its employees are, andwhether it is strengthening its talentpoolwitheveryhire.

This thinkingissosoundthat itshouldbeappliedtoeveryemployee.Everyemployee should be given a balanced scorecard that provides an objectivepicture of his or her total performance. This scorecard’s dials should reflectperformancedatafromeachofthethreeperformanceareas—businessresults,impacton thecustomer,and impacton theculture. Itshouldbesimple toreadandhave,ideally,onesummarynumberforeachofthethreeperformanceareasandone comparisonnumber (either the50th percentile for eachdial or, if youliketostretchyourpeoplewithanimageofbestpractices,the75thpercentile).

Anditshouldbeupdatedtwiceayear,ataminimum.

This scorecard will serve two purposes. First, it will communicate to eachemployee what success is in his role. This seems obvious, but you would besurprisedathowmanyemployeesdon’tknowhowtheirsuccessismeasured.Infact, inourdatabaseof1.7millionemployees,fully67percentofthemcannotstronglyagreewiththestatement“Iknowwhatisexpectedofmeatwork.”Theconcernhereisnotonlythatbecausetheydon’tknowwhatisexpectedofthem,theywon’t know how to focus and prioritize their time. Themore significantimplication is that since they don’t knowhow their successwill bemeasured,theywillneverhaveachancetofeelsuccessfulintheorganization.

Second, thisscorecardwillreinforcethevaluesof theorganizationforeveryemployee. It is one thing to cajole managers to treat their employeesrespectfully. It is another to hold them accountable twice a year for theiremployees’ response to those twelve questions. The same applies to eachemployee’s impact on the customer and on his peers. Measurement shines arevealing,quantitativespotlightonqualitativevalues.

Thethirdstepistoensurethateverymanagerhasastrengthsdiscussionwithevery employee. Of all the steps this is the one missed most often. So manyorganizationsignoreeachemployee’suniquetalentsandassumethatemployeesinthesamerolerequirethesamekindofmanagement.Touseananalogy,theseorganizations play checkers with their employees. They assume that allemployeesinthesamerolehavesimilarmovesandthereforetheyallrespondtothesamekindoftraining,learninthesamefashion,andrequirethesamelevelof supervision, with the novices needing slightly more and the experiencedslightlyless.

Bycontrast,strengths-basedorganizationsplaychesswiththeirpeople.Theyunderstand that each piece moves differently, and if they don’t know whichpieceiswhich,theymightenduptreatingarooklikeaknightandaknightlikea

rook,whichwillfrustratetherookandtheknight,causingtheplayertolosethegame.So at the outset they place a premiumon taking the time to learn eachpiece’s strongest moves. Some of these strength moves are a function of thepiece’s skills,knowledge,andexperience,butmanyarecausedbyaparticulartalentorcombinationoftalents.

Wheneachemployeeishiredorwhenanewmanager-employeerelationshipbegins, create the expectation that a strengths discussionmust take place.Theformof thisdiscussionwillvarydependingon thestyleof themanager,but itshouldalwayscoverthefollowingareas:

Whataretheemployee’sstrongestthemes?

Howdotheserelatetoperformanceonthejob?Whatstyledotheyproduce?

Whatskillscantheemployeelearnorwhatexperiencescanhehavetobuildthesetalentsintogenuinestrengths?

Howdoestheemployeeliketobemanaged?(Whatisthebestpraiseheeverreceived?Ishelikelytotellhismanagerhowheisfeeling,orwillthemanageralwayshavetoask?Isheaveryindependentperson,ordoesheliketohaveregularcheck-inswithhismanager?Andsoon.IfyourorganizationusestheStrengthsFinderProfile,themanageractionitemswillproveusefulhere.)

Thesestrengthsdiscussionscantouchonotherareas,suchastheemployee’spersonalsituationorhisprofessionalgoals,butthesefourareasshouldserveasthemainfocus.

Aside from some practical insights for the manager, the most significantbenefit from these discussions will be the employee’s awareness of theorganization’sinterestinhisstrengths.Ifyouwanttokeepatalentedemployee,showhimnotjustthatyoucareabouthim,notjustthatyouwillhelphimgrow,

but,moreimportant,thatyouknowhim,thatinthetruestsenseofthewordyourecognize him (or, at the very least, that you are trying to). In today’sincreasingly anonymous and transient working world, your organization’sinquisitiveness about the strengths of its employeeswill set your organizationapart.

Thisrecognitiondoesn’tmeanthatyouwill lethimgetawaywithmore.Onthecontrary, itmeans thatyouwill stretchhimmoreandchallengehimmore.You want more from him precisely because you know where his greatestpotential for excellence lies.And nowhe knows you know.His awareness ofyourawarenessofhisstrengths—thisisthebestwaytokick-starthisjourneytowardoptimumperformance.

So now you have your metrics measuring the end of his journey, hisperformance.Youhaveyourbalancedscorecardtotrackhisjourney.Andattheoutsetyouhavethebeginningsofarelationshipfoundedonhisawarenessthatyou are inquisitive about his strengths. To complete your performancemanagement system you need a mechanism to tie these pieces together. Youneed a way to channel his strengths along his path of least resistance toperformance.

Theworthyeffortsofmanyhumanresourcesandtrainingdepartmentsaside,the employee’smanager is by far themost influential partner on his journey;therefore, the best mechanism for channeling the employee’s path towardperformancemustbydefinitionberegular,predictable,andproductivemeetingswithhisimmediatemanager.If,alongwithalltheotherstepswedescribed,youcanensurethatyourmanagersmeetwitheachoftheiremployeesforatleastonehour per quarter to discuss performance, youwill almost certainly double thenumberofemployeeswhostronglyagreethattheyusetheirstrengthseveryday.

Thisseemsalmosttoosimple,andinsomesensesitis.Therearemanyactionsyoucantaketoaddsophisticationtothesemeetings.Forexample,youcanstudy

themethods of your best performers in each key role, capture these differentmethodsinaformalcoachingguide,andthenencourageyourmanagerstorefertothemiftheyarestrugglingtoofferadvicetoanemployee.Or,aswedescribedinFirst,BreakAlltheRules,youcantrainyourmanagerstofocuseachmeetingonthreebasicquestions:

Whatwilltheemployee’smainfocusbeforthenextthreemonths?

Whatnewdiscoveries(oritemsoflearning)isheplanning?

Whatnewpartnerships(orrelationships)ishehopingtobuild?

Techniquessuchasthesecancertainlybehelpful,butthebottomlineis thatevenwithout these fine-tunings, regular, predictablemeetingswith amanagerare extraordinarily powerful. There are many reasons why. They create aconstanttensiontoachieve—theemployeetokeepreachingshort-termgoals,and themanager to keep adding value. They bring themanager closer to theaction,whichmakesiteasiertoempathizewiththeemployeeandeasiertospotearlyclues toaseachangein themarketplace.Theyprovidethemanagerwiththe detail needed to see the subtle differences between one employee andanother. They are the forum in which generic training is tailored to fit theparticular needs of each employee. And, of course, they serve to build therelationshipbetweenthetwoofthem.

In fact, there is so much dynamism and so much individuality in today’sworking world that it is virtually impossible to build a strengths-basedorganizationwithoutthesemeetings.Everythingelseyoudofromthecenter—conduct concurrent validity studies, build theme profiles, designmeasurementsystems—willbediminished ifyourmanagersarenotmeeting regularlyandpredictably with each of their people. These meetings are a core regimen ofstrongorganizations.

THESTRENGTHS-BASEDCAREER

DEVELOPMENTYourlasthurdletobuildingastrengths-basedorganizationisthis:Youcannot

capitalizeonpeople’sstrengthsifyoukeeppromotingthemintorolesthatdon’tfittheirstrengths.

We’veknownabout thedangersofoverpromotion for at least the last thirtyyears (the book The Peter Principle, which described how most people arepromoted to their level of incompetence,was published in the late 1960s), sowhydowekeepdoingit?Becausewewanttogivepeoplethechancetogrow?Because we don’t want people to stagnate in their role? Because we want toofferthemacareer?Becausewewanttorewardthemforworkwelldone?Nodoubt we are influenced by all these sensible intentions. Yet none of themnecessarily entails promoting the person. People can learn, grow their careers,andreceivepraiseforgoodworkwithoutgettingpromoted.Andsothequestionremains:Whenitcomestodevelopment,careergrowth,orpraise,whydowesooftenresorttomovingthepersonuptheladder?Unlesswecangettotheheartofthis,thirtyyearsfromnowthePeterPrinciplewillbeasdeeplyingrainedinorganizations as it is today, millions of employees will feel miscast, andorganizationseverywherewillbetheweakerforit.

We offer you this explanation: Most organizations keep promoting peoplebecauseofadangerouscombinationofonegreatinsightandonegreaterror.Theone great insight is the intuitive understanding that a craving for prestige isperhaps the most powerful of all human motivations. As Frank Fukuyamadescribed in his book The End of History and the Last Man, throughout thecenturiesmanyofourwisestthinkershaveidentifiedthe“needtoberecognizedasaworthyandsignificantperson”astheessenceofbeinghuman:“Platospokeofthymos,or‘spiritedness,’Machiavelliofman’sdesireforglory,Hobbesofhispride or vainglory,Rousseau of hisamour-propre,AlexanderHamilton of thelove of fame and James Madison of ambition, Hegel of recognition, andNietzscheofmanas‘thebeastwithredcheeks.’”Noneofthesethinkersmeant

to imply that we are all egotists. They were simply saying that deep in ourpsycheeachofusneedstobeviewedasanindividualworthyofrespectandthatthisneedissopowerfulwewillrisklifeandlimbinordertofulfillit.

Mostofusdon’tneedHegel,Nietzsche,orPlatotoconvinceusofthis.Mostofussenseitintuitively.Inallourinteractions,fromourplaygroundsquabblesto humanity’s noblest battles against oppression, we recognize the moralauthorityofthevoicethatsays,“TreatmewiththerespectIdeserveasahumanbeing.”Thisinsightexplainswhyweknowinstinctivelythatprejudiceiswrong,that the natural human condition is liberty, and that the best way to honorsomeoneistogivehermoreprestige.

Andwearerighttothinkthatway.Ifyouwanttoimaginewhatwouldbefallanorganizationthatforgotthatinsightandtherebyfailedtosatisfyeachperson’sneed forprestige, lookatwhatbefellCommunism.Communism’sdemisewasinevitable(eventually)becauseitofferedrespecttothecommunitybutnevertheindividual,andsoitdraineditselfofvitalityandspirit,onepersonatatime.Thesame can be said of those recent experiments to remove hierarchy fromorganizationsandcreateflat,self-managedteamswherenooneisinchargeandeveryonecarriesthetitle“Associate.”Wonderfulintheory,theyfailinpracticepreciselybecausetheyfrustrateeachindividual’scravingforprestige.

If our onegreat insight is that all humanbeings craveprestige and that thiscravingmustbechanneled,notignoredorrepressed,whatisouronegreaterror?Ourgreaterroristhinkingthatallhumanbeingscravethesamekindofprestige— the prestige that comes with power. Up until about twenty years ago thiswouldn’t have been an error. In highly authoritarian societies where eachperson’s freedomofdecision,of judgment,andofdiscretion isat thewhimofthepersonabove,theonlyprestigeworthhavingistheprestigethatcomeswithpower over others. And up until twenty years ago most organizations withcentralized command and control cultures were highly authoritarian societies.Nowondereveryone scrambledup the ladderas fast as theycould. Itwas the

onlywaytoavoidbeingcontrolled.Itwastheonlywaytogetrespect.

Today, however, many organizations are moving away from command andcontrolandtowardmoreempoweredcultures.Theyhave to. Inourknowledgeeconomywherespecializedexpertiseandindividualizedcustomerrelationshipsareprized,thechancesarethattheemployeesknowmoreabouttheirparticularfieldorcustomersthantheirmanagerdoes,andthusthethreatthathehaspowerover theirdecisions, judgment, anddiscretion losesmuchof its force. In thesekindsoforganizations,whowarrantsmoreprestige, thegeniusprogrammerorherboss?Thesuperstarsalespersonorhissalesmanager?Theinspirationalstoremanagerorherdistrictsupervisor?

Theansweristhatinaknowledgeeconomy(andatightlabormarket,toboot)anyone who is excelling in his or her role, whether individual contributor,supervisor, manager, or leader, deserves prestige. Many different kinds ofprestige should be made available to reflect the many different near perfectperformances the organization wants to encourage. Unfortunately, mostorganizations simply aren’t set up to offer many different kinds of prestige.While recognizing theneed toempowerpeople, theyare still locked intoonlyonekindofprestige—theprestigethatcomesfromhavingpoweroversomeoneelse.Andbecause theyseeonlyonekindofprestige, theyhavedesignedonlyone path toward it: Do well, move up, get more power. Do better, move uphigher,getstillmorepower.Ifahierarchyissimplyasystemforapportioningdifferentkindsofprestigetodifferentpeople,thentheflawoforganizationsliketheseisnotthattheyhavetoomuchhierarchybutthattheyhavetoolittle.Theysufferfromashortageofprestige.

Thestrengths-basedorganizationmustavoidthisflaw.Itmustmakedifferentkindsofmeaningfulprestigewidelyavailable. Inexecution thisproves tobeacomplex,detailedendeavor,butinprinciplewesuggestthattherearetwobasicstepsyouneedtotake.First,yourorganizationmustbuildmoreladders.Todothis takeeachkeyroleanddefine threebasicrungson the ladder:good,great,

andsuperb.Youprobablywon’tusetheseterms,butnomatterwhatyourlabels,thehighestrungshouldrepresentthepinnacleofperformanceintherole.Alsomake sure that you identify specific performance criteria (and not just tenure)thatmustbeachievediftheemployeeistoprogressfromonerungtothenext.Use the balanced scorecard we described earlier to determine the levels ofperformance required for each rung. The number of rungs and the requiredperformancelevelswillobviouslyvarybyrole,butintheendthepurposeofthiseffort is to be able to say to a new employee in any role, “This is the TigerWoods levelofperformance inyourrole,and this isexactlywhatyouhave toachieveinordertoreachit.”

Towhichtheemployeemightcounter,“Okay,butifIreachthisTigerWoodslevelofperformance,will Iberespectedin theorganization?”Theanswerhadbetter be yes, or the employee won’t bother climbing. So the second step inbuilding a strengths-based career development system is to give peopleincentivestoclimbtherungs.Obviouslythebestwaytodothisistoreallocateprestige so that the higher you climb, themore prestige you get. This meanschanging your title structure.Why can’t your very best store manager, nursesupervisor, salesperson, or even customer service representative have a seniorlevel title?Thismaysoundoddat first,butwhyshouldn’t theywarranta titlethatcarriesthislevelofprestige?Ifyourobjectivescorecardrevealsthattheyareconsistently brilliant at producing the outcomes your organization needs, whywithhold prestige simply because they don’t have position power over otherpeople?Somemightsaythatthesetitlesshouldn’tbegiventolower-levelrolesbecauseitgoesagainstindustrynorms.Thisistrue,butsowhat?Mostindustrynormsarenotstrengths-based,andyouprobablydon’twantyourorganizationtobeconstrainedbythem.

Youwillalsoneed tochangeyourpaystructure to reflect these increases inprestige.AswedescribedinFirst,BreakAlltheRules,themosteffectivewaytodo this is through broadbanding. This means creating broad bands of pay

wherebytheemployeeonthehighestrungontheroleladdercanearn30,40,oreven50percentmorethantheemployeejustbeginninghisclimb.

Ifyouareworried that thiswilldriveupyour laborcosts,keep inmind thatyourbandscanoverlap.Ifyoudecidethatconceptuallythereisnothingwrongwith a brilliant and experienced customer service representative earningmorethananovicemanager,thenpracticallyyoucanraisethereps’payandnotraisethemanagers’pay.Yourpayincreaseswon’tcascadeupthehierarchy.

Inaddition,byofferingincentivestosomeofyouremployeestobecomenearperfectperformersintheirrole—theworld’sbest,ifyouwill—youmayendupwithfewerpeopledoingmoreandbeingpaidmore.Thus,eventhoughsomeemployeeswillbeearningmore,yournetheadcountwillgodown,andsowillyourlaborcosts.

You can also decide to designate some of this broad band as “at risk” payrather than base pay. Since roughly 40 percent of employee benefits arecalculatedonbasepay,youwillnotseeyourbenefitsrisedramatically.Infact,bymakingmeaningfulprestigeavailabletoasmanyrolesaspossible,youmayactuallyreduceyourbenefitcostssignificantly.Inhislatestbook,Genome:theAutobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters, Matt Ridley describes theconnection between job status and health: “In a massive, long-term study of17,000[British]civilservants,analmostunbelievableconclusionemerged: thestatusofaperson’sjobwasmoreabletopredicttheirlikelihoodofaheartattackthan obesity, smoking or high blood pressure. Somebody in a low-grade job,such as a janitor, was nearly four times as likely to have a heart attack as apermanent secretary [the highest level civil servant] at the top of the heap.Indeed, even if the permanent secretarywas fat, hypertensive or a smoker, hewas still less likely to suffer a heart attack at a given age than a thin, non-smoking, low-blood-pressure janitor. Exactly the same result emerged from asimilar study of a million employees of the Bell Telephone Company in the1960’s.”

Thismeansthat thehealthofyouremployees iscloselylinkedtohowmuchprestige you accord their role.Themoreprestige your organizationoffers, thehealthier your employees will be. Less prestige means sicker employees. InRidley’swords:“Yourheart isat themercyofyourpaygrade.”Gallup’sownresearchextendsthisconnectionbetweenstrengths-basedorganizationsandthehealthof theiremployees. Inour latestmeta-analysisof198,000employees inalmosteight thousandbusinessunits,employeeswhostronglyagreed that theyhadachancetodowhat theydobesteverydayclaimedfewersickdays, filedfewerworkers’compensationclaims,andhadfeweraccidentswhileonthejob.

Allof theaboveaddsweight toyour responsibility forbuildinga strengths-based organization. Yes, if you want a more productive organization, play toeach person’s strengths. Yes, if you want to create higher levels of customerloyalty, play to each person’s strengths.Yes, if youwant to retain yourmosttalentedemployees,playtotheirstrengths.Butjustasimportant,ifyoutakethesafetyandhealthofyouremployees seriously,play to their strengthsandgivethemtheprestigetheydeservefordoingso.

*

Mostorganizationsareapuzzleputtogetherinadarkenedroom.Eachpieceisclumsily squeezed intoplaceand then theedgesaregrounddownso that theyfeelwell-positioned.Butpulluptheshades, letalittlelightintotheroom,andwecanseethetruth.Eightoutoftenpiecesareinthewrongplace.

Eightoutoftenemployeesfeel theyaremiscast.Eightoutoftenemployeesneverhavethechancetorevealthebestofthemselves.Theysufferforit,theirorganizationsuffers,and theircustomerssuffer.Theirhealth, their friends,andtheirfamilysuffer.

Itdoesn’thave tobe thisway.Wecan raise the shadeshigher still.Wecanspotlight eachperson’s strengths.Wecanprovidehimwith amanagerwho isintriguedbythesestrengths.Wecanbuildanorganizationthataskshimtoplay

tothesestrengthsandthathonorshimwhenhedoes.Wecanshowhimthebestofhimselfandaskhimtokeepreachingformore.Wecanhelphimliveastronglife.

With theknowledgeeconomygatheringpace,globalcompetition increasing,new technologies quickly commoditized, and the workforce aging, the rightemployeesarebecomingmorepreciouswitheachpassingyear.Thoseofuswholead great organizations must become more sophisticated and more efficientwhenitcomestocapitalizingonourpeople.Wemustfindthebestfitpossibleofpeople’sstrengthsandtherolesweareaskingthemtoplayatwork.Onlythenwillwebeasstrongasweshouldbe.Onlythenwillwewin.

Appendix:ATechnicalReportonStrengthsFinder

“WhatresearchunderpinstheStrengthsFinderProfile,andwhatresearchisplannedtorefinetheinstrument?”

ByTheodoreL.Hayes,Ph.D.,SeniorResearchDirector,TheGallupOrganization

Therearemany technical issues thatmustbeconsideredwhenevaluatinganinstrument such as StrengthsFinder. One set of issues revolves aroundinformation technology and the expanding possibilities that Web-basedapplications offer for those who study human nature. Another set of issuesinvolveswhatisknownaspsychometrics,whichisthescientificstudyofhumanbehavior through measurement. There are many American and internationalstandardsforpsychometricsappliedtotestdevelopmentthatStrengthsFinderisrequired tomeet (suchasAERA/APA/NCME,1999).Thepresent reportdealswith some questions that emerge from those standards as well as technicalquestions that a leader may have about StrengthsFinder’s use in his or herorganization.

A few technical references have been cited for readerswhowish to reviewprimary source material. These technical materials may be found in localuniversitylibrariesorontheInternet.ThereaderisencouragedtocontactGallupforfurtherdiscussionorreviewthesourcescitedattheendofthereport.

WHATISSTRENGTHSFINDER?

StrengthsFinder is a Web-based assessment of normal personality from theperspective of positive psychology. It is the first assessment instrumentdeveloped expressly for the Internet. There are 180 items in StrengthsFinder,presentedtotheuseroverasecureconnection.Eachitemlistsapairofpotential

self-descriptors,suchas“Ireadinstructionscarefully”and“Iliketojumprightinto things.” The descriptors are placed as if anchoring polar ends of acontinuum.Theparticipant is thenaskedtochoosewhichstatement in thepairbest describes him or her, and also to what extent that chosen option isdescriptive.Theparticipant isgiventwentysecondstorespondtoagivenitembefore the systemmoves on to the next item. (StrengthsFinder developmentalresearch showed that the twenty-second limit resulted in a negligible itemnoncompletionrate.)Theitempairsaregroupedintothirty-fourthemes.

WHATPERSONALITYTHEORYISSTRENGTHSFINDERBASEDON?

StrengthsFinderisbasedonageneralmodelofpositivepsychology.Itcapturespersonalmotivation (Striving), interpersonal skills (Relating), self-presentation(Impacting),andlearningstyle(Thinking).

WHATISPOSITIVEPSYCHOLOGY?

Positive psychology is a framework, or a paradigm, that encompasses anapproach to psychology from the perspective of healthy, successful lifefunctioning.Topicsincludeoptimism,positiveemotions,spirituality,happiness,satisfaction, personal development, and well-being. These topics (and similarones) may be studied at the individual level or in a work group, family, orcommunity.While somewho studypositivepsychologyare therapists, amoretypical distinction is that therapists focus on removing dysfunction, whilepositivepsychologistsfocusonmaintainingorenhancingsuccessfulfunction.Arecent special issue of the journal American Psychologist (2000) gave anoverview of positive psychology by some of its most distinguished academicresearchers.

ISSTRENGTHSFINDERSUPPOSEDTOBEAWORK-RELATEDINVENTORY,ACLINICALINVENTORY,BOTH,OR

RELATEDINVENTORY,ACLINICALINVENTORY,BOTH,ORNEITHER?

StrengthsFinder is an omnibus assessment based on positive psychology. Itsmain application has been in the work domain, but it has been used forunderstanding individuals inavarietyof settings—families, executive teams,andpersonaldevelopment.Itisnotintendedforclinicalassessmentordiagnosisofpsychiatricdisorders.

WHYISN’TSTRENGTHSFINDERBASEDONTHE“BIGFIVE”FACTORSOFPERSONALITYTHATHAVEBEENWELL-ESTABLISHEDINRESEARCHJOURNALSFOROVERTWENTYYEARS?

The“big five” factorsofpersonalityareneuroticism(which reflectsemotionalstability), extroversion (seeking the company of others), openness (interest innew experiences, ideas, and so forth), agreeableness (likability,harmoniousness),andconscientiousness(ruleabidance,discipline, integrity).Asubstantial amount of scientific research has demonstrated that humanpersonality functioning can be summarized in terms of these five dimensions.This research has been conducted across cultures and languages (for example,McCrae and Costa, 1987;McCrae, Costa, Lima, et al., 1999;McCrae, Costa,Ostendorf,etal.,2000).

ThemajorreasonthatStrengthsFinderisnotbasedonthebigfiveisthatthebigfiveisameasurementmodelratherthanaconceptualone.Itwasderivedfromfactor analysis. No theory underpinned it. It consists of the most generallyagreed uponminimal number of personality factors, but conceptually it is nomorecorrectthanamodelwithfourorsixfactors(Block,1995;Hogan,Hogan,andRoberts, 1996). StrengthsFinder could be boiled down to the big five butnothing would be gained from doing so. In fact, reducing the respondent’sStrengthsFinderscoretofivedimensionswouldproducelessinformationthanis

producedbyanycurrentmeasureofthebigfivesincethosemeasuresalsoreportsubscoresinadditiontothefivemajordimensions.

WHYDOESSTRENGTHSFINDERUSETHESE180ITEMPAIRSANDNOTOTHERS?

Thesepairs reflectGallup’s researchover threedecadesofstudyingsuccessfulpeopleinasystematic,structuredmanner.Theywerederivedfromaquantitativereviewof item functioning, froma content reviewof the representativenessofthemesanditemswithinthemes,withaneyetowardtheconstructvalidityoftheentireassessment.Giventhebreadthofhumanperformancewewishtoassess,thepoolofitemsislargeanddiverse.Well-knownpersonalityassessmentsrangefrom150toupwardof400items.

ARETHESTRENGTHSFINDERITEMSIPSATIVELYSCORED,ANDIFSO,DOESTHISLIMITSCORINGOFTHEITEMS?

Ipsativityisamathematicaltermthatreferstoanaspectofadatamatrix,suchasasetofscores.Adatamatrixissaidtobeipsativewhenthesumofthescoresfor each respondent is a constant.More generally, ipsativity refers to a set ofscoresthatdefineapersoninparticularbutiscomparablebetweenpersonsonlyinaverylimitedway.Forexample,ifyourank-orderedyourfavoritecolorsandsomeone else rank-ordered their favorite colors, one could not compare theintensityofpreferenceforanyparticularcolorduetoipsativity;onlytherankingcouldbecompared.Outof180StrengthsFinder items, less than30percentareipsativelyscored.TheseitemsaredistributedovertherangeofStrengthsFinderthemes, and no one theme containsmore than one item scored in a way thatwouldproduceanipsativedatamatrix(Plake,1999).

HOWARETHEMESCORESCALCULATEDONSTRENGTHSFINDER?

STRENGTHSFINDER?

Scoresarecalculatedbasedonthemeanoftheintensityofself-description.Therespondent is given three response options for each self-description: stronglyagree,agree,andneutral.Aproprietaryformulaassignsavaluetoeachresponsecategory.Values for items in the theme are averaged to derive a theme score.Scorescanbereportedasamean,asastandardscore,orasapercentile.

WASMODERNTESTSCORETHEORY(FOREXAMPLE,IRT)USEDTODEVELOPSTRENGTHSFINDER?

StrengthsFinderwasdevelopedtocapitalizeontheaccumulatedknowledgeandexperienceofGallup’stalent-basedstrengthspractice.Thus,initiallyitemswerechosenbasedontraditionalvalidityevidence(construct,content,criterion).Thisisauniversallyacceptedmethodfordevelopingassessments.MethodstoapplyIRTtoassessmentsthatarebothheterogeneousandhomogeneousareonlynowbeing explored (for example, Waller, Thompson, and Wenk, 2000). FurtheriterationsofStrengthsFindermaywelluseIRTmethodstorefinetheinstrument.

WHATCONSTRUCTVALIDITYWORKLINKSSTRENGTHSFINDERTOMEASURESOFNORMALPERSONALITY,ABNORMALPERSONALITY,VOCATIONALINTEREST,ANDINTELLIGENCE?

StrengthsFinder is an omnibus assessment of interpersonal talents based onpositivepsychology.Therefore, itwillundoubtedlyhavecorrelational linkagesto these measures to about the same extent that personality measures link toother measures in general. Ultimately, this is an empirical question to beexploredinfutureresearch.

CANSTRENGTHSFINDERSCORESCHANGE?

Thisisanimportantquestionforwhichtherearebothtechnicalandconceptual

answers.

Technical answers: The talentsmeasured by StrengthsFinder are expected todemonstrateapropertycalledreliability.Reliabilityhasseveraldefinitions.Onedefinition of reliability, technically known as internal consistency, is theproportionof thescore that isdue to theaspectsof the theme itselfandnot toirrelevant influences such as mood, fatigue, and so forth. High internalconsistencyshowsthatatheme’sitemsprovideaconsistentreadwitheachotheranddonotreflectotherinfluences.Gallupresearchersrecentlyinvestigatedtheinternal reliability of StrengthsFinder themes using data frommore than fiftythousandrespondents.Because thenumberof itemsperStrengthsFinder themevary—therearebetweenfourandfifteenitemspertheme—theaverageinter-itemcorrelationforeach themewasadjusted toreflect the internalconsistencyfor a fifteen-item theme. This analysis showed that the average internalconsistencywas .785. Themaximum possible internal consistency is 1, and arule of thumb target for reliability is .80. Thus, StrengthsFinder themes showacceptableinternalconsistency.

Aseconddefinitionofreliability, technicallyknownastest-retest, is theextenttowhichscoresarestableovertime.AlmostallStrengthsFinderthemeshaveatest-retestreliabilityoverasix-monthintervalbetween.60and.80;amaximumtest-retest reliability score of 1 would indicate that all StrengthsFinderrespondentsreceivedexactlythesamescoreovertwoassessments.

Conceptualanswers:Whileanevaluationofthefullextentofthisstabilityis,ofcourse,anempiricalquestion,theconceptualoriginsofaperson’stalentsarealso relevant.Galluphas studied the life themesof highperformers in a largeseries of research studies combining qualitative and quantitative investigationsovermanyyears.Participantshaveincludedyouthsintheirearlyteenstoadultsin their mid-seventies. In each of these studies the focal point was theidentification of long-standing patterns of thought, feeling, and behaviorassociated with success. The lines of interview questioning used were both

prospectiveandretrospective,suchas“Whatdoyouwanttobedoingtenyearsfromnow?”and“Atwhatagedidyoumakeyourfirstsale?”Inotherwords,thetime frameof interest inouroriginal studiesof excellence in jobperformancewas long term, not short term.Many of the items developed provided usefulpredictionsofjobstability,therebysuggestingthatthemeasuredattributeswereof a persistent nature. Tracking studies of job performance over two-to three-year time spans added to the Gallup understanding of what it takes for a jobincumbent to be consistently effective, rather than just achieving impressiveshort-termgains.Theprominenceofdimensionsanditemsrelatingtomotivationand to values in much of the original life themes research also informed thedesignofaStrengthsFinder instrument thatcan identify thoseenduringhumanqualities.

AtthisearlystageintheapplicationofStrengthsFinder, it isnotyetclearhowlong an individual’s salient features, so measured, will endure. In general,however, it is likelytobeyearsrather thanmonths.Wemayperhapsprojectaminimum of five years and upper ranges of thirty to forty years and longer.Thereisgrowingevidence(forexample,Judge,Higgins,Thoresen,andBarrick,1999)thatsomeaspectsofpersonalityarepredictivethroughoutmanydecadesofthelifespan.SomeStrengthsFinderthemesmayturnouttobemoreenduringthan others. Cross-sectional studies of different age groups will provide theearliest insights into possible age-related changes in normative patterns ofbehaviors.The firstexplanations forapparentchanges in themes,asmeasured,shouldthereforebesought inthedirectionofmeasurementerrorrather thanasindicationsofa truechange in theunderlying trait, emotion,orcognition.Therespondents themselves should also be invited to offer an explanation for anyapparentdiscrepancies.

DOSTRENGTHSFINDERTHEMESCORESVARYACCORDINGTORACE,SEX,ORAGE?

Gallup has studied StrengthsFinder themes in the general population. Thesestudies aim to reflect all possible respondents in general, not applicants for orincumbents in a particular position. Score differences between majordemographicgroupstendtoaverageunder.04points(i.e.,fourhundredthsofapoint)atthisworldwidethemedatabaselevel.

Practically speaking, these score differences are trivial. There is also noconsistent pattern to the score differences. For example, one of the mostimportant sales-related themes might be Achiever. For Achiever, males scorehigherthanfemalesby.031points;nonwhite(minoritygroup)individualsscorehigherthanwhite(majoritygroup)individualsby.048points;andpeopleunderforty years of age score higher than those forty and over by .033 points. AnimportantthemeformanagersmightbeArranger.Forthisthemefemalesscorehigher than males by .021 points; white (majority group) individuals scorehigher than nonwhite (minority group) individuals by .016 points; and peopleunder fortyyearsof age score lower than those fortyandoverby .053points.Finally,manypeoplebelievethatEmpathyisanimportantthemeforteaching,inparticular,andhumanrelations,ingeneral.Forthisthemefemalesscorehigherthanmalesby.248points;white(majoritygroup)individualsscorehigherthannonwhite (minority group) individuals by .030 points; and people under fortyscorehigherthanthosefortyandoverby.014points.

Statisticallyspeaking,withmore thanfifty thousandrespondents in thecurrentStrengthsFinderdatabase,evensomeoftheseverysmallscoredifferencesmaybedeemed“statisticallysignificant.”Thisissimplyafunctionofsamplesize.Itis critical to note that the average effect size difference, expressed in unitsreferredtoas“d-prime,”betweenmenandwomenoverallthemesis.099(thatis, the average correlationbetween themedifference andgroupmembership isunder .05); the average d-prime effect size difference between whites andnonwhites is .133 (the average correlation equivalent is under .07); and theaverage d-prime effect size difference between those under forty years of age

andthoseatleastfortyis.050(theaveragecorrelationequivalentisunder.03).Also,manyofthesesmalldifferencesarefavorableforwhatonemightconsider“protected”groups—nonwhites,women,andthosefortyormore.Finally,evensignificantdifferencesdonotindicatethatonegrouphasa“better”themescorethan another, only that at the database levelwemight expect to see trends inscoresforparticulargroups.

In reviewing these results, four conclusions seem clear to Gallup researchers.First,theaveragedifferencesbetweenthemescoresforprotectedversusmajoritygroupsareverysmall, typicallyunder .04points,whichtranslatestoad-primedifferencescoreunder.10.Thus,thereisnoobviousormeasurement-levelbiasin score distributions between these groups. There is 98-100 percent overlapbetweenscoredistributionsforcomparablegroups.

Second, score differences are extremely small and are only statisticallysignificant ina fewcases.This isdue to thefact thatmore thanfifty thousandrespondents have completed StrengthsFinder, thus overmagnifying almost anyscore difference. Even when there are significant differences, the protectedgroupistypicallyfavored.

Third,noonethemeisbetter thananother.Theysimplyrepresent thepotentialfordifferentkindsofstrengths.Strengthbuildingisnotazero-sumgame.

In summary, trivially smalldifferences at theworldwidedatabase leveldonottranslateintoimportantpracticaldifferencesattheindividuallevel.

HOWCANSTRENGTHSFINDERBEADMINISTERED,SCORED,ANDREPORTEDFORINDIVIDUALSWHOAREUNABLETOUSETHEINTERNETEITHERBECAUSEOFDISABILITYORECONOMICSTATUS?

Inregardtoeconomicstatus(a.k.a.thedigitaldivide),possiblesolutionsincludeaccessing the Internet from a library or school. It should be noted that some

organizations thatGallupworkswithdonot haveuniversal Internet access. Inthese cases, as with those from disadvantaged backgrounds, the solutiongenerallyhasinvolvedspecialaccessfromafewcentrallocations.

In regard to disability, a range of accommodations is available.Generally, themosteffectiveisfortheparticipanttoturnoffthetimerthatgovernsthepaceofStrengthsFinderadministration.Beyondthis,accommodationswouldneedtobearranged with Gallup on a case-by-case basis in advance of takingStrengthsFinder.

WHATISTHEREADINGLEVELFORSTRENGTHSFINDER?WHATALTERNATIVESAREAVAILABLEFORTHOSEWHODONOTMEETTHATLEVEL?

StrengthsFinder is designed for completion by thosewith at least an eighth-totenth-grade reading level (that is, by most fourteen-year-olds). Trials ofStrengthsFinder in our youth leadership studies have demonstrated neithersignificant nor consistent problems in completion of StrengthsFinder amongteens. Possible alternatives or accommodations include turning off the timerfeaturetoallowforcheckingadictionaryortoaskaboutthemeaningofaword.

ISSTRENGTHSFINDERAPPROPRIATEFORNON-ENGLISHSPEAKERS?

There is overwhelming evidence from both Gallup and other researchorganizations that personality dimensions such as those measured byStrengthsFinder are the sameacross cultures.What changes is the levelof thescore,notthenatureofthetheme.StrengthsFinderiscurrentlyavailableinsevenlanguages, and translation into other languages will be completed in 2001.Databasesforexpectedscoresbylanguageareunderdevelopment.

WHATFEEDBACKDOESACANDIDATEGETFROMSTRENGTHSFINDER?

STRENGTHSFINDER?

Feedback varies depending on the reason the person completes theStrengthsFinderProfile.Sometimestherespondentreceivesonlyareportlistinghisorhertopfivethemes—thosewherethepersonscoredthehighest.Inothersituationsthepersonmayalsoreviewtheremainingtwenty-ninethemes,alongwith action suggestions for each theme, in a personal feedback sessionwith aGallupconsultantorinasupervisedteam-buildingsessionwiththeircolleagues.

ReferencesThefollowingreferencesareprovidedfor those readers interested inparticulardetailsofthistechnicalreport.Thisreferencelistisnotmeanttobeexhaustive,andalthoughmanyuseadvancedstatisticaltechniques,thereadershouldnotbedeterredfromreviewingthem.

American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council onMeasurement in Education (AERA/APA/NCME). 1999.Standards for educational and psychologicaltesting.Washington,D.C.:AmericanEducationalResearchAssociation.

American Psychologist. Positive psychology [special issue]. 2000. Washington, D.C.: AmericanPsychologicalAssociation.

Block, J. 1995. A contrarian view of the five-factor approach to personality description.PsychologicalBulletin117:187-215.

Hogan, R., J. Hogan, and B. W. Roberts. 1996. Personality measurement and employment decisions:Questionsandanswers.AmericanPsychologist51:469-77.

Hunter,J.E.,andF.L.Schmidt.1990.Methodsofmeta-analysis:Correctingerrorandbias inresearchfindings.NewburyPark,CA:Sage.

Judge,T.A.,C.A.Higgins,C.J.Thoresen,andM.R.Barrick.1999.Thebigfivepersonalitytraits,generalmentalability,andcareersuccessacrossthelifespan.PersonnelPsychology52:621-52.

Lipsey, M. W., and D. B. Wilson. 1993. The efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioraltreatment.AmericanPsychologist48:1181-1209.

McCrae,R.R.,andP.T.Costa.1987.Validationofthefive-factormodelofpersonalityacrossinstrumentsandobservers.JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology52:81-90.

McCrae,R.R.,P.T.Costa,M.P.deLima,etal.1999.Agedifferencesinpersonalityacrosstheadultlifespan:Parallelsinfivecultures.DevelopmentalPsychology35:466-77.

McCrae,R.R.,P.T.Costa,F.Ostendorf,etal.2000.Natureovernurture:Temperament,personality,andlifespandevelopment.JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology78:173-86.

Plake, B. 1999. An investigation of ipsativity and multicollinearity properties of the StrengthsFinderInstrument[technicalreport].Lincoln,NE:TheGallupOrganization.

Waller,N.G., J. S.Thompson, andE.Wenk. 2000.Using IRT to separatemeasurement bias from truegroup differences on homogeneous and heterogeneous scales: An illustration with the MMPI.PsychologicalMethods5:125-46.

AcknowledgmentsThisbookistheproductofmanyyearsofresearchintotalentsandstrengths.

We must thank the many Gallup associates around the world whose insightsfueledtheresearchandultimatelyledtothediscoveriespresentedhere.

Inparticular,weacknowledgeJimCliftonandLarryEmondwhofocusedthebook;Drs.ConnieRathandJamesSorensenwhohavelivedout theirbelief intalent; the research expertise of Drs. Gale Muller, Dennison Bhola, and TedHayes,whichgroundedtheconcepts;Dr.KathieSorensen,wholeadsoureffortstohelppeopledeveloptheirstrengths;Dr.RosemaryTravis,whoconductedsomany of the strengths interviews quoted in this book; Tom Rath and JonConradt, who made the technology underpinning the StrengthsFinder Profilefast, robust,and reliable; JuritaAnschutz, JulieClement,andMarkRupprecht,who crafted the Web site; Antoinette Southwick, Sharon Lutz, and PenelopeBaker,whobuilttherelationshipsandmadeallthearrangementsworkperfectly;BetteCurd,wholistenedsocarefullytoourinterviewees;andAlecGallup,whomay have read through the manuscript more times than the two authorscombined.

WealsohavemanytothankoutsidetheGallupfamily:RichardHuttonforhisstorytelling prowess; our friends at William Morris, Joni Evans and JenniferSherwood,whocontinuetoguideusthroughthebookworld;oureditoratFreePress,FredHills,andhiscolleagueVeeraHiranandani, for their judgmentandtheir discipline;Mitch and Linda Hart for their strength and support; and, ofcourse,ourfamilies.

To help us in our writing we asked hundreds of people to take theStrengthsFinderProfileandthendescribetheirSignatureThemesatwork.Thiswasnosmallinvestmentontheirpart.Theirwillingnesstomakethisinvestment,totolerateourquestions,andtorevealtheirsuccessesandstrugglesbroughtour

booktolife.Thankyouall.

GallupPressexiststoeducateandinformthepeoplewhogovern,manage,teach,andleadtheworld’s7billioncitizens.EachbookmeetsGallup’srequirementsof integrity, trust, and independence and is based onGallup-approved scienceandresearch.