My boss loves Marcus Buckingham and his strengths focused research. I can't complain about it because my boss prompted me to listen to his audio CD "Now Discover your Strengths" (Donald O. Clifton co-wrote it with him) and paid for me to take the Strength's Finder profile. I struggled with the assessment until I learned how he designed it and how it was supposed to be measuring or capturing data.
My reaction to my results were a little mixed. I was shocked to learn that numero uno on my list was "strategic"! I had never considered myself a strategic thinker. After reading the description and pondering it a bit more, I had to agree. I just had never thought of myself using that terminology.
Something that was NOT a surprise was "communication" being a strength. I intrinsically knew this. Maybe because I finally saw it in black and white, I acted on the inner nudge to sign up to take my writing class. It's one of my strengths, so I realized it was time to develop it more.
So thanks Marcus! I absolutely love my writing class, and I'm meeting great people at the same time too! Knowing my strengths is wonderful. It helps me know how to articulate some of my "soft skills" that are truly valueable. I never knew quite how to phrase them. And I AM energized by working on developing my skills, rather than focusing on my weaknesses. Three cheers for Marcus, and many fortunate blessings to you!
2 comments:
Marcus is great. If you have an interest in his work, you should also check out Your Child's Strengths by educator Jenifer Fox. Marcus wrote the forward. She makes a great case for and provides tools for parents and teachers to help kids discover their strengths. Why should you wait until you are grown up and already in a job to know what energizes you?
Nick-I couldn't agree more. It would have been wonderful to know my strengths much earlier in life. I'm all for supporting young 'uns to learn and develop their strengths at an early age.
Post a Comment