Well, folks, I'm continuing my strengths reporting. Here's installment 3 of 5.
My Strengthsfinder 2.0 report said, "People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information."
To me this is all about gathering information. Actually, it seems that Intellection, Input and Learner are so linked as to be three parts of one. But, I suppose I would believe that since all three are part of my top five - and one of the others is Connectedness.
Anyway, how does Input show up in my life? Through a somewhat natural process, much of my work has come to be about gathering information. I'm either hunting databases, publications, the Web, books, and so on for data about a topic or I'm facilitating sessions and conversations with clients to collect facts and impressions. I'm so convinced I can find more, most of the time, that I sort of don't know when to shut it off. I have to give myself a deadline or a set amount of hunting time or I'll just keep going and going. Like the now famous pink battery bunny. The same is true for topics of personal interest. I have a lot of books and files. In fact, I finally created a library in our home last fall to house the information I've collected.
Besides the ability to just keep going, another issue I face is the rabbit trails. While hunting for one bit of information, I'll find some other interesting tidbit and then start following it all over the place. Given time, I'll end up far, far away from where I started.
The Strengthsfinder 2.0 report challenges me to name my areas of specialization, actively seek more information in those areas and then tell people I'm a bit of an expert in those areas. So where am I an expert?
Gulp. This is actually scary for me. It's hard for me to say I'm an expert in anything.
When it comes to my work life, I have a decent amount of knowledge in graphic design, qualitative market research, brand, marketing and general business. I've been asked to also become our subject matter expert in blogging. Hence, my increased activity in this blog over the last few months. I think of it as a little lab along with a way to live more fearlessly as noted in another post.
As for topics outside of work, I'd say I know something about general psychology, Myers-Briggs personality type, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), inattentive attention deficit disorder (ADD), nutrition (wish I'd apply what I know!), and intuition. I've also collected a lot about green living, creativity, NLP, yoga, religions and spirituality over the years.
Not exactly the life of the party, huh?
Strengthsfinder 2.0 said my Top Five Themes are Intellection, Empathy, Input, Learner and Connectedness.
Here's what I'm wondering: How do other people who have Input as a top theme take advantage of it?
Related posts
Connectedness - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Learner - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Empathy - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Intellection - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Strengthsfinder 2.0
5 comments:
Hi Nila,
I also have Input, Intellection, and Learner Strengths in my top five. One thing I've done to try to leverage my Input is create a Development Binder with multiple categories: Goals/Strengths, Career, Family/Parenting, Time-Management, Money, Journal, and a folder for interesting articles. I have found it helpful in organizing my input efforts. I do the same thing, following trails endlessly until either my brain hurts or I have to stop myself before I go too far! My binder has helped me prioritize my efforts and given me a daily reference. It's actually helping me organize my life quite a bit. I think its because I've managed to focus my input strength (by the way, focus is another one of my strengths)...
Thanks for your blog entry. I found it during one of my massive searches; I'm also looking for other ideas on input.
Thanks,
Mike from Michigan
Hey, Nila. Input is a wonderful quality that enables you to gather, appreciate, and imagine in a way many others don't. I share both Intellection and Input with you (and Mike) above, along with Focus--thank goodness, lest Input continue forever.
I am a college professor. Academic culture allows and encourages research like Input fosters. Files, folders, and any type of categorization is important, but beware becoming a slave to it. It takes discipline to let many good collectibles go. Besides files on religion (my subject), I have found myself memorizing lists of monarchs on vacation and keeping identification cards like aniimal tracks and constellations. Many misunderstand, but for us it's interesting and a future opportunity.
Keep exploring how to use it well!
Brian from Georgia
Thanks to both of your for your comments. Brian, how about you share a little of that Focus with me?
Since I wrote that post, I've found LibraryThing to help me catalog my books. I WAS using Delicious until the recent Yahoo! oops. I've found a suitable alternative, though. I've cut down on how many things I print and put in real folders and instead lean on technology with my MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iPhone. I'm still learning to use the information for the benefit of myself and others. I think that's about keeping my ears open.
Happy hunting and gathering!
Hello Nila,
I feel fortunate to come across your blog; I am searching for articles, blogs, websites, and whatever else I can find on the theme of Input. My top 5 are Input, Strategic, Ideation, Learner, and Relator. While Input is my number one, I'm not sure how to develop this talent within the workplace! Or, rather, what work/job/career coincides well with Input. According to the Strengths Finder book, it appears that teaching, journalism, and research are very fitting, but do you have any other ideas or insights? I know that my comment isn't an answer to your question, but I thought you would be a great person to ask! I am also very intrigued that you are a certified MBTI practitioner. Thank you for any "input" that you could give me!
Chelsea from California
I have 4 of the five that you have.
Input, Empathy, Competition, Learner and Connectedness.
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