The Strengthsfinder test is invaluable for individuals seeking insight into their strengths and how they can best apply them in the workplace. The CliftonStrengths assessment (formerly StrengthsFinder test) is a comprehensive assessment that identifies 34 themes of power.
This article will briefly overview each CliftonStrengths theme and how they can be applied to enhance an individual’s performance.
What is the CliftonStrengths Assessment (Former StrengthsFinder)?
The CliftonStrengths Talent Assessment is a comprehensive assessment created by Gallup to help individuals gain insight into their strengths and how they can best apply them at work.
It focuses on 34 CliftonStrengths themes, broad categories of skills, and aptitudes found in different personalities. The assessment offers a personalized report that ranks each of the 34 themes in order of strength.
Benefits of Taking The CliftonStrengths Test
Here are the main benefits of knowing what elements lie in the Strengthsfinder assessment (along with its themes) to gain insight into your strengths.
Place People in the Right Roles
One of the key benefits of the Strengthsfinder test is that it can help individuals identify their strengths and weaknesses to place themselves or others in appropriate roles.
By understanding what they excel at and which tasks they tend to struggle with, individuals can better match their skills and abilities with a role that suits them.
Promote Positive Coaching
Another benefit of the Strengthsfinder test is that it can help to create positive coaching relationships between individuals and their managers.
By allowing them to identify where they need assistance, managers are better able to give helpful feedback that will help enhance an individual’s performance and progress in their role.
Individualize Management
Using the Strengthsfinder test can also help managers to individualize management for each employee rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. By understanding an employee’s strengths and weaknesses, managers can tailor tasks and goals to suit each person’s unique abilities.
This type of customized management can better incentivize and motivate employees, as well as improve overall performance in the workplace.
Facilitate Collaboration
The Strengthsfinder test allows teams to collaborate with members of different departments or roles. By helping team members identify one another’s strengths, they can better understand how to work together best and leverage each other’s unique abilities. This cooperative team dynamic can help cultivate a more productive and efficient work environment.
Improve Self-Awareness
Finally, the Strengthsfinder test can be a valuable tool for improving self-awareness and understanding among individuals in the workplace.
By taking the assessment, individuals can gain insight into their strengths and weaknesses and learn how to apply them most effectively. This reflection can increase confidence in one’s abilities and personal growth.
CliftonStrengths 4 Domains of Strengths Explained
Let’s now explore the four strength domains of the Strengthsfinder categories in more detail.
Strategic Thinking Strengths
Finally, the Strategic Thinking domain includes themes like Analytical, Context, Futuristic, Ideation, and Input.
People with these strengths enjoy conceptualizing ideas and solving complex problems through creative solutions and strategic planning. They tend to be imaginative but also practical in their approach to problem-solving.
Influencing Strengths
The Influencing domain includes themes related to communication and persuasion, such as Communication, Activator, Command, Competition, Empathy, Self-Expression, and Woo.
People who exhibit these strengths are often natural leaders or team players, as they excel at influencing others through their words or actions.
Executing Strengths
The Executing domain consists of themes that involve achieving and completing tasks, such as Achiever, Responsibility, Self-Assurance, Significance, and Maximizer. Individuals with strong Executing strengths are driven by results and tend to be very efficient and organized when executing projects or assignments.
Relationship Building Strengths
The Relationship Building domain consists of themes that involve forging relationships and creating connections, such as Developer, Harmony, Includer, Individualization, Adaptability, and Relator.
Individuals with solid relationship-building strengths typically understand others’ needs and form meaningful relationships with those around them.
List of 34 CliftonStrengths Themes Explained
Here’s an alphabetical list of all 34 Strengthsfinder theme categories, including a brief description of each:
Achiever
Individuals with this strength are driven to accomplish goals and complete tasks.
Activator
People with this strength can take action quickly and turn ideas into reality.
Adaptability
Those with this strength can easily adjust to new situations and environments.
Analytical
Individuals with this theme can dissect complex problems and identify solutions.
Arranger
People with this strength enjoy organizing things logically and efficiently.
Belief
this is the internal conviction that something is valid or essential, regardless of external evidence or opinion.
Command
These individuals naturally lead others and take charge of situations when necessary.
Communication
This involves being an effective listener and a confident speaker.
Competition
People with this strength seek to outdo others and are often highly competitive.
Connectedness
This is the recognition of the relationships between ideas and events.
Context
Those with this strength deeply understand how things fit into larger systems or patterns.
Deliberative
These individuals are careful when making decisions and consider every option before acting.
Developer
People with this strength can recognize the potential in others and help them grow to reach it.
Discipline
Individuals with this theme adhere to rules and responsibilities without fail.
Empathy
This involves understanding another person’s feelings from their perspective.
Fairness
People with this strength have a strong sense of justice and strive to treat everyone fairly.
Focus
Individuals with this strength can concentrate on one task and stay on track.
Futuristic
People with this theme think ahead and always look for ways to improve the future.
Harmony
These individuals seek peaceful resolutions and strive to unite people.
Ideation
Those who possess this strength find it easy to generate new ideas quickly and easily.
Inclusiveness
People with this theme ensure that no one is left out or forgotten about.
Individualization
This theme involves understanding how each person’s unique qualities contribute to the group.
Input
Individuals with this strength enjoy gathering information and facts from various sources.
Intellection
This is the capacity for abstract thought, deep contemplation, and complex problem-solving.
Learner
People with this strength are constantly developing their knowledge and skills.
Maximizer
These individuals strive to make the best use of resources, time, and talent.
Positivity
Individuals with this theme maintain a positive outlook on life and look for the good in people and situations.
Related
People with this strength establish strong relationships quickly and can read others’ emotions accurately.
Responsibility
Those who possess this strength take ownership of their actions and accept blame and praise graciously.
Restorative
Individuals with this theme can quickly identify problems and find creative solutions.
Self-assurance
People with this strength have confidence in their abilities and trust their judgment
Significance
These individuals seek opportunities to make an impact and be recognized for their achievements.
Strategic
Individuals with this strength can plan effectively, anticipate obstacles, and develop contingencies.
Woo
People with this theme thrive when interacting with others; they often excel at networking, sales, or public relations.
How to Find and Discover Your Top 5 Strengths
Here are some of the best ways to discover and enhance your top five strengths:
- Take a Strengths Assessment
You can take several online assessments to determine your most vital personality traits. This will help narrow down the list of strengths you should focus on. We recommend taking the High5 strengths test. Other alternatives are StrengthsFinder or VIA.
- Talk to Close Friends or Family
Ask your close friends and family what they think you do best and what strengths they see in you. This can be helpful as it gives an outside perspective on your skillset rather than relying solely on self-analysis.
- Identify Areas of Weakness
It is essential to know where you need to improve, so take the time to identify any areas of weakness. Once identified, you can focus on strengthening and improving those weaknesses over time.
- Break Down Your Goals
Analyze each goal you have set for yourself and determine which strengths will allow you to reach those goals most effectively. Doing this step will help you prioritize which muscles to focus on.
- Prioritize Your Strengths
List the top five most important to you and your personal goals after assessing your strengths. Then, plan how you can best enhance them over time. This could include taking classes or workshops, reading books, or talking to people with similar skill sets.
By following these steps, you can uncover and hone in on your top five strengths to become even more successful in life. Additionally, focusing on your most vital traits will make it easier for you to succeed as you progress in your career.
Fun Facts About CliftonStrengths and StrengthsFinder
Here are a few fun facts about the StrengthsFinder assessment.
Who developed StrengthsFinder?
StrengthsFinder is an online assessment created by the Gallup Organization, a world-renowned research-based consulting firm. The review was developed to help people discover their unique talents and strengths to use them more effectively in life and work.
The original StrengthsFinder evaluation was based on decades of research by Dr. Don Clifton, founder of the Gallup Organization and author of Now, Discover Your Strengths.
The review was designed to measure 34 different strengths and attributes that can be used for personal development and success.
What are the Best Strengths in the StrengthsFinder?
The best five strengths in StrengthsFinder are:
- Achiever – People with this strength strive to move forward and often set high standards for themselves.
- Activator – Individuals with this theme take action quickly and efficiently; they don’t waste time when presented with a challenge or opportunity.
- Analytical – These individuals are naturally curious and excel at researching problems and finding creative solutions.
- Self-Assurance – People with this strength have confidence in their abilities and trust their judgment.
- Significance – These individuals seek opportunities to make an impact and be recognized for their achievements.
What is the Most Common StrengthsFinder Theme?
The most common StrengthsFinder theme is Achiever, which makes up 31%+ of the population.
How To List StrengthsFinder’s Strengths on a Resume
When listing your StrengthsFinder results on a resume, including specific examples of how you have used each strength can be helpful.
For example, suppose you have an Analytical theme. In that case, you could write something like “Utilized analytical skills to develop creative solutions for complex problems” or “Performed research and data analysis to improve team efficiency.”
This will help demonstrate to potential employers that you have used your strengths to achieve success in the workplace.
Understanding and using your StrengthsFinder results can make you more successful in life and work. Knowing which strengths are most important to you and how to use them best will help give you an edge over other candidates when applying for jobs.
By leveraging your unique gifts and talents, you can set yourself up for success no matter what field or industry you pursue.
How CliftonStrengths Themes Can Help You Find A Job
Knowing your top strengths from the StrengthsFinder assessment can also be a powerful tool in helping you find job opportunities that match your talents and interests. By understanding your strengths, you can identify job roles where these strengths can be used to help you succeed.
Additionally, employers often use StrengthsFinder results as part of their recruitment process, so familiarity with the assessment and its outcomes can give you an edge when applying for roles.
Knowledge of StrengthsFinder themes can help you develop a career plan tailored to your talents and interests. For example, if two of your top five strengths are Activator and Achiever, pursuing roles in project management or start-up environments may be beneficial.
Similarly, if Significance and Analytical are two of your most vital traits, market research analyst or data scientist positions may be more suitable for you.
In addition to helping with career planning and job search strategies, understanding which strengths are most important to you can also increase your effectiveness in the workplace.
Explaining how each power contributes to successful outcomes at work makes it easier to negotiate higher salaries or bonuses based on the value created through utilizing these skills.
Knowing which tasks you enjoy and what motivates you best can help you set goals that align with these preferences and achieve better results over time. It also allows for better communication between yourself and your employer.
Finally, knowledge of the StrengthsFinder themes can also contribute to long-term professional growth.
For instance, knowing what motivates you most can inform which courses or workshops would best suit continuing education needs; this will expand one’s current skill sets and provide an opportunity for future career success.
Ultimately, understanding how each strength contributes towards achieving positive outcomes at work will enable individuals to maximize their potential in any profession they choose.
Conclusion
The CliftonStrengths is an invaluable assessment tool that can help individuals identify the skills and traits that are most important to them.
Not only does it provide individuals with a clearer understanding of their strengths, but it also helps individuals identify those skills that need further development.
The CliftonStrengths online talent assessment is an essential tool for self-discovery and can help individuals reach their full potential.
By recognizing and harnessing the power of one’s strengths, one can become a more prosperous and fulfilled individual in their personal and professional life.
As such, taking the StrengthsFinder assessment or the strengths assessment is highly recommended for anyone looking to discover their unique talents and learn how to use them in all areas of life best.
Disclaimer: StrengthsTest does not intend to replicate or substitute the Gallup CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) test as both tests follow different methodologies, yet bring value in similar ways. Both tests help test takers be more aware of their own personalities. StrengthsTest does not dispute or diminish the value of the CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) test and encourages test takers to go through both assessments. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach us.
CliftonStrengths’ (StrengthsFinder) logos are trademarks of Gallup Corporation. All other trademarks not owned by StrengthsTest that appear on this website are the property of their respective owners, who may or may not be affiliated with StrengthsTest.
