I've written about each of my Strengthsfinder themes as singular topics. Now I thought I would explore how the combined set of five themes (Intellection, Empathy, Input, Learner and Connectedness) represent my way of being.
So what? So I have some labels. What the heck do I do with them? The first thing that happened for me was a big sigh of relief that these things I had seen as weaknesses could be viewed as strengths. Then I worked at connecting (yay!) these strengths to my relative state of energy, especially for work. I realized that the tasks that took most of my time when I was the chief executive of my firm were probably not in my areas of strength more often than not. I spent some time examining what energized me and was able to directly link them to the strengths themes.
So what does the combination in play look like?
It comes down to an insatiable desire to learn and store information that I'm really interested in - primarily personality, identity, intelligence, creativity and behavioral psychology - so that I can come up with ideas that may help people in my life move toward self-actualization.
The Internet has been both a blessing and curse in my life. I mean, what good Intellection/Input/Learner/Connectedness person (and introvert to boot) wouldn't love, love, love spending hours upon hours surfing the web? The whole concept is set up for me. One bit of learning connects to another. I collect information like state quarters and churn my mind thinking about all the stuff I've collected and connected. Whee! The trick can be what to do with all that stuff (and knowing when to stop!). So when I'm sitting having coffee with someone or am in a staff meeting, I might hear a question or at least a hole in information and think, "oh, this thing I learned about and stored away in my mental files might just help this person."
In my work as a brand strategist in a marketing firm, it comes together like this: I establish rapport with clients and start collecting intelligence about them. I ask questions and listen to learn as much as possible. Then I go out and find supporting information by looking through databases, publications, books and so forth, as well as talking with their customers. I look for patterns in the information. All the while I'm connecting and reconnecting dots. A lot goes into the funnel and what comes out the other side are tightly focused observations and statements - brand essences, word pictures of their cultures and stories they can tell to support their brands.
Incidentally, I've learned from other sites that Empathy is a Relating theme and the other four – Intellection, Input, Learner and Connectedness – are Thinking themes. Relating themes are about working with people while Thinking themes are about working smarter. [Edit 9/14/09: Thanks to the author of the site I originally referenced, Tim McGinnis (see comment below), I now know that Gallup considers Empathy and Connectedness as Relating themes and Intellection, Input, and Learner as Strategic Thinking themes. Note the addition of the word Strategic to Thinking.]
I'm testing my theory out here with my (3 or 4) readers. What do you think? Does this make sense? If you've landed here because you have similar themes as mine, does what I'm saying ring a bell with you? Can you see connections I've missed? What else would someone with my strengths themes do with that energy?
More on Strengthsfinder:
Related posts
Connectedness - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Learner - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Input - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Empathy - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Intellection - Strengthsfinder 2.0
4 comments:
I recently took the Clifton StrengthFinder (Input, Deliberative, Intellection, Analytical, Individualization) while studying Living Your Strengths as part of a church group. I'm fascinated and plan on eventually reading StrengthFinder 2.0 and maybe getting my wife to take the test.
Anyway, I am heavy on the Thinking Strength and find that I have similar experiences with rabbit trails and getting lost in my research. Conversations are also sometimes difficult, because I get lost thinking about something someone said twenty minutes before. I seem to have the problem of wanting to get back to discussing the previous subject once everyone else has moved on.
I think teaming up with someone goal oriented (achiever or arranger) would probably benefit you... or drive you up the wall.
Hi Nila, not sure if you saw it or not, but in Gallup's most recent book, "Leading with your Strengths", Connectedness switched over to the Relationship category. Your others stayed the same, but Thinking changed to Strategic Thinking.
Thought I'd add that to your internal processing stew.
You can read more on my blog. http://cliftonstrengthsfinder.blogspot.com
Tim
Hey, I just took the test and was listed as intellection, restorative, connection, ideation and input. Four of mine are thinking and I can definatly attest to that! Yes, although im only 21 I have had difficulties in the work force on account of these strengths -I also thought they were weakness'. To compensate for them I needed to find jobs that allowed me to work relatively alone. Im also a bit of a learner and often at work im processing information while trying to focus on my tasks. My last job as a stock boy for the produce dept at a store was perfect because they had a repetitive routine and the work was physical enough -and i was mostly alone- that I could blank out after a while and do my work while thinking about other stuff. Its been my concern that Im not going to be able to succeed at any higher paying job because i didn't think I could climb the ladder to those jobs since so often I don't think of the right things at the right times. Well, reading your blog and the following comments -as well as the book- I realize there is a place where I can succeed and im not going to have to punish myself the entire way there! I say punish because before, for instance during a year of college, I would spend long hours trying to focus on specific needed tasks like an essay or some other assignment; I am not an achiever hence the struggle. Now I realize I need to partner with someone who has those strengths and choose my classes besed on which class will work with my strength. Essays are painful! My thoughts never finish!
I am encouraged by your success Nila. Thats what im trying to say.
About connectedness: Its about relationships yet it occurs in the thinking sphere whereas other relational strengths are physical or practical. The actual strengths to do something with the connections one sees or express them are seperate from the strength to see the connections.
Nila,
I'm just reading your website for the first time. Hello. My name is Ed Smith, and I'm a StrengthsFinder addict. I am motivated to contribute here because of your "About Me" profile. The resonance while reading it makes me want to comment.
Here are my StrengthsFinder strengths: Futuristic, Strategic, Ideation, Individualization, Communication.
There are times when I feel one or the other of these themes is dominating my life. At the moment it is the Individualization Theme.
The more I see what is unique about a person, the more I want to understand about that uniqueness. Each person I meet is a work of art, and I quickly lose myself in the wonderment that this person I am talking to was created to be the best in the world.... at something.
I am hooked on the idea that if what makes the person unique can be determined, the world will be a better place, and the lives of everyone who comes in contact with the individual will be improved, enriched, made better in any number of ways.
And I find exhilarating the idea that I had a significant part in helping the individual discover what that special niche is, and how to be more and more in tune with it--and less and less engaged in ways that others think he or she should be.
Today's Overrated Idea About People: Well-roundedness.
Well-Roundedness may well be the enemy of a person working from his or her strengths. It may be a illusion. To become well-rounded, a person must spend large amounts of time trying to gain competence in an area in which he or she is not competent. Usually any progress in improving weaknesses is temporary, and requires 80% of one's time struggling to keep the weakness up to the "average" level.
This is tragic, if only because the natural strengths remain clouded and diminished while this struggle is going on. Here is the advice from Marcus Buckingham--"Find out what you don't enjoy doing, and (my note here: eventually) stop doing it.
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