Stengthfinder

I am in the Caribbean leading HTG2 this week and had some time on a plane so read the book "Strengthfinder 2.0". This book is one that we are using at HTS among our management team to help us learn about each others strengths and to help us relate better as we go through the leading of our company. There are 34 different key strengths that are identified. Part of the purchase of the book is a key you can use to go online and take an assessment test which will then identify your top five strengths. It is 170+ questions and takes about 30 minutes max. It is a timed test because they don' t want you being too analytical - they want first responses. My top five came out pretty much as I see myself:
1. Activator
2. Futuristic
3. Belief
4. Maximizer
5. Arranger
Once identified, there is a profile created that explains what these areas entail. Mine were spot on. To give you an idea - here is what the profile says about my main strenght.

“When can we start?” This is a recurring question in your life. You are impatient for action. You may concede that analysis has its uses or that debate and discussion can occasionally yield some valuable insights, but deep down you know that only action is real. Only action can make things happen. Only action leads to performance. Once a decision is made, you cannot not act. Others may worry that “there are still some things we don’t know,” but this doesn’t seem to slow you. If the decision has been made to go across town, you know that the fastest way to get there is to go stoplight to stoplight. You are not going to sit around waiting until all the lights have turned green. Besides, in your view, action and thinking are not opposites. In fact, guided by your Activator theme, you believe that action is the best device for learning. You make a decision, you take action, you look at the result, and you learn. This learning informs your next action and your next. How can you grow if you have nothing to react to? Well, you believe you can’t. You must put yourself out there. You must take the next step. It is the only way to keep your thinking fresh and informed. The bottom line is this: You know you will be judged not by what you say, not by what you think, but by what you get done. This does not frighten you. It pleases you.

If you know me then you understand just how accurate this is. My focus is about making things happen and getting them done. The feedback is personalized with a lot of other resources that show how to manage the different areas, how to motivate people etc. It creates a list of action items that are suggested based on your strengths. The book has lots of good info as well. The original book was called "Now discover your strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. The research is based on Gallup's work on hundreds of thousands of surveys. It is good stuff. If you are looking for a way to understand your people (or wife or kids although I am not saying this will help you understand women) - then check this book out. I believe it can be a great tool to help develop leadership and collaboration in any team - or just better understand yourself and what makes you tick.