Hello everyone! I took the CliftonStrengths assessment in 2008, it was an eye opener for me. Lots of “Ohhhh that’s why I do that!” and “That’s why I don’t do too much of that!”. I believe it is so life-giving and life-changing that I wanted to share my experience with you. CliftonStrengths is a tool designed to help you and the teams and organisations you belong to identify your unique strengths and use them to achieve your goals.
Firstly, taking the assessment was easy. I simply answered 177 questions about my thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and the assessment generated my top five strengths and ranked all 34 CliftonStrengths for me. I was amazed at how accurately these strengths represented my natural talents and how well they explained my behaviour and preferences.
My top five strengths were Connectedness, Futuristic, Input, Individualisation, and Learner. Connectedness represents my belief in the interconnectedness of all things and my desire to create meaning and purpose in my life. Futuristic describes my ability to envision a better future and to think creatively about new possibilities. Input represents my love for acquiring new information and my tendency to collect and organize data. Individualisation represents my ability to understand the unique qualities of each person and to tailor my approach to meet their needs. Finally, Learner describes my natural curiosity and love for learning new things, which helps me continually expand my knowledge and skills.
After discovering my strengths, I felt more self-aware and confident in my abilities. I began to understand why I enjoyed certain tasks and why I struggled with others. I also started to see how my strengths could be applied in various areas of my life, such as my career and personal relationships (I found the love of my life not too long after!). I could use the CliftonStrengths to explain what I am excel at to others.
One of the things I appreciate about CliftonStrengths is that it focuses on what is right with individuals, rather than what is wrong. Instead of trying to fix weaknesses, CliftonStrengths encourages individuals to embrace and develop their strengths. This positive approach can be empowering and lead to greater satisfaction and success.
I also believe that CliftonStrengths can be valuable for organizations. By identifying the strengths of their employees, organizations can leverage these talents to create a more engaged and productive workforce. CliftonStrengths can also help teams work better together by understanding each other’s strengths and how they can complement each other.
Taking the CliftonStrengths assessment has been a positive and enlightening experience for me. It has helped me better understand myself and my strengths, and I believe it can be a useful tool for individuals and organizations alike. I highly recommend giving it a try and discovering your own unique strengths!