Bloomport U

Earlier this week I picked up Tom Rath’s “Strengths Finder 2.0” based on a recommendation from Jurita Anschutz who actually had a hand in the development of the Clifton Strengths Finder. From our conversation, I figured I could use the test to map out skills I thought I had, develop a list of skills I needed, and I could confirm that what I thought I was good at, I actually was good at.

The test took 30 minutes, but I am still digesting the results.  In short, I was surprised by three of the five results but the customized descriptions were either spot-on or made me think “I am I really like that?” 

Now, all the training the world is useless unless you change something.  So as a result of taking the assessment, I think a lot more about how I think about things.  Simply put, I am understand better why I react the way I do and I can trace the logic path on how I approach problems.  I also understand why and how I impact others and I am starting to identify what triggers I need to watch out for.  The customized feedback based on my responses was great, for example “Sometimes your candor will be intimidating, causing others to tread lightly for fear of your reaction. Watch for this.”  Yikes… that was interesting.

I am now seeking out situations where I can stretch those skills further and I am able to explain why I think the way I think and how to interpret my responses.  This has been a deep experience. Oh, you want to know the five strengths?  It’s kind of embarrassing…. Strategic, Futuristic, Command, Competition, & Self-assurance.  Modesty was not mentioned