The good folks at Gallup, other organizations, and independent researchers did the research and the results are overwhelming: people perform at an exponentially higher level when they work primarily aligned to their design. As I wrote in my last blog post, get in your lane and do what you are designed to do! In a later post, I will write about how to find your lane. Today’s topic is about determining whether or not your CliftonStrengths are actually “Strengths.”.
After you get your results from Gallup and read the descriptions of the Talent Themes, it is important to know that the list you receive from Gallup is not “Strengths,” it is a list of Talent Themes. Each of your talents can grow into a strength. So what is the difference between a talent and a strength?
A Talent Theme is a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied.
A strength is when you have consistent, near-perfect performance in an activity you love doing that can be productively applied.
Your Talent Themes exist on a continuum from raw talent to refined strength. You can decide, based on your performance where on that continuum your Talent Themes land.
A question I encourage my clients to ask themselves is, “Do I control my talent, or does my talent control me?”
If I control my talent, then it is going to be on the Strength side of the continuum. If my talent controls me, it is on the Talent side of the continuum.
The great thing about knowing this is that those “Talents” represent areas where, when you invest in them, you will experience joy as you grow them. Furthermore, you will see a lot of fruit from your efforts. Meanwhile, you can continue to grow and enjoy your strengths.
Next week, I will give you a simple and effective growth formula for your talents.
This week, take a few minutes to review your top 5 talents and ask yourself, “Do I control my talent, or does my talent control me?” Write down examples of when you are in control and when your talent is in control so you can gain a deeper understanding of how your talents are working for and against you. Next week, you can use that information to build a growth plan for that talent.
If you are interested in learning more about your CliftonStrengths and how to grow them, feel free to schedule a free 30-minute coaching call with me so together we can explore the next steps for your growth.
“CliftonStrengths” and the 34 CliftonStrengths theme names are registered trademarks of Gallup, Inc. The graphic elements copyright © CoreClarity, Inc.