Strengths Findersand

Your Career

Arthur RingwaltChair, Computer Committee

Sacramento Professional Network

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Your manager and your job

• If your manager primarily ignores you,– then the chances of your being primarily

disengaged are 40%• If your manager primarily focuses on your

weakness,– then the chances of your being primarily

disengaged are 22%• If your manager primarily focuses on your

strengths, – then the chances of your being primarily

disengaged are 1 %

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Strengths Finders 2.0, an Introduction

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Tom Rath and Strengths Finders

• Backgrounder– Strengths Finder 2.0 published in 2007.

Access to Web site . No index. Most of book describes the 34 strengths. 175 pages in all. Costs about $25.00.

– Gallup people, based on Gallup’s 40-year study of human strengths

– Tom Rath has written several books including The New York Times bestseller How Full Is Your Bucket? He leads Gallup’s workplace consulting business.

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Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., 1924-2003

• Dr. Clifton was the leading developer of Strengths-Based Psychology. He received an honor to this regard from the American Psychological Association.

•

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Research behind Strength Finder 2.0

• A 39-page research report on Strength Finder in *.pdf can be retrieved at: http://strengths.gallup.com/private/Resources/CSFTechnicalReport031005.pdf

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Peter Drucker, 1909-2005“Most people think they know what they are good at.

They are usually wrong. . . . And yet, a person can perform only from strength.”

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DSM IV

Strengths Finder is a contrast to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV. {DSM IV}. A leading psychologist called DSM IV a “bloated catalog of what is wrong with people.” Strengths Finder finds what is right with people.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

– Your talents can be your weaknesses and vice versa!

– Strengths = Talents x Investments• Talents are natural ways of thinking,

feeling, or behaving.• Investments are times spent practicing and

developing your skills, and building your knowledge base.• Strengths are abilities to consistently

perform well.

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Rudy RuettigerWho played quarterback for Notre

DameSubject of the 1993 movie Rudy

• Rudy might have scored high on investment even though he might have received a low

score on talent.

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We all admire people like that.

• Rudy made the very best of his little talent.• What would have happened if Rudy had

done something else with his efforts.• Nevertheless he eventually became a

motivational speaker receiving a Vince Lombardi award from Rotary International.

• Wouldn’t it be better if we were to emphasize our talents, not our weaknesses.

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Book comes with Web site

• http://www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx

• You take the 30-minute test using the code at the back of the book. Each book has a different code. You establish a username and password.

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Online test

Test takes about 30 minutes.177 multiple-choice questionsNot a timed test

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Strengths Discovery and Action Planning Guide

• Upon completing the online test.• Features:– Top five theme report– 50 ideas for action, one for each of your

five themes.– Strengths Discovery Interview– Strengths-Based Action Plan– Other features

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Applying your strengths

• Alphabetical order in book. Most of book.

• Two or three pages for each theme.

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Compare to Phil Bristol

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Phil Bristol

Behaviors and Motivators, Descriptors, • DISC– Dominance– Influencing– Steadiness– Compliance

• Success Insights WheelUtilitarian/EconomicTheoreticalIndividualistic/PoliticalTraditional /RegulatorySocialistic/AltruisticAesthetic

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Phil BristolEQ or Emotional Intelligence– “Measure of your ability to sense,

understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of your emotions and the emotions of others in order to facilitate high levels of collaboration and productivity.”

• No equivalent in Strengths Finder

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Conclusion.

–Strengths Finders well-worthwhile in evaluating your career goals.–Strengths Finder and Phil Bristol’s Target Training International complement each other.–Ideally, one should take both.

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