Glad you found it helpful! 👍🏼

Glad you like it! Yes, it’s not enough to be good at something - especially if it drains you. Your Strengths are what you’re consistently good at AND energizes you in the process.

Thanks for your comment. I can’t respond for Gallup. That’s a 25 year old marketing question for when StrengthsFinder was first introduced. They did rename the assessment in 2015 from StrengthsFinder to CliftonStrengths. But I wouldn’t let the name deter anyone from using the tool. The tool’s power is not in its marketing or messaging. Its power is in its decades-long research and the insight the results give you. The assessment identifies a person’s Talents. Exploring their Talents is what leads them to finding their Strengths. I believe that’s where the ‘StrengthsFinder’ comes in. But anyone who really dives into CliftonStrengths can tell you that finding your Strengths is barely scratching the surface of what exploring your Talent Themes can reveal about you.

Thank you so much for your kind comment, Art@work. I’m so glad that you’re getting clarity from the content.

Hi Jules. Thanks for your comment. Yes, you’re right. This was one of my very first videos on the topic years ago and didn’t realize at the time the precise meaning of the term and I used it casually. I too have had clients ask me about it and have simply explained. Despite that one point, there’s a lot of value in the video overall so that’s why I keep it posted. Thanks again!

Thank you for your comment, Jamie. I certainly encourage you to dig deeper. The depth to explore is endless, and complements any coaching approach.

Hi Joanne, there’s no easy answer to your question. The test isn’t going to point you to a particular role, career, or job. For example, it’s not going to point to musician, baker, or scientist. Some folks want an answer like that. Instead, exploring your results helps you identify what fuels you, your needs, and your values. What activities light you up and make you want more? What criteria brings out the best in you (example in environments or in others)? And what conditions bring out the worst in you, deplete you, or are just not right for you? Ultimately, your results help describe HOW you approach what you do, but now what you do. It’s hard to capture in a concise comment/post. When I work with others, there’s a lot of discussion, reflecting, and exploration combining results, experiences, and interests to determine the right career steps for the person. The WHAT can be anything. The way you approach it is what will make it uniquely yours. Just be sure you have outlets and ways to express your Talents and Strengths, and make sure your Needs are met, and your Values satisfied.

You’re welcome!

This is very common. Some folks have a work persona and they’re someone else outside of work. That’s why sometimes people are in the wrong fit. They’re being who they think they need to be as opposed to who they naturally are. If people shift depending on the environment, there could be something in their results (or experiences) that explain why (for example: having the Adaptability Talent Theme, like I do). As far as accurate, it can only go by how you answer. What’s your immediate response vs. overthinking it? That’s truer and more natural to who you are. Ultimately, the assessment is identifying your naturally recurring patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. By leaning into what’s natural to you means you’re using less energy. You’re not going against your own natural grain and working against yourself. There are no right or wrong answers. There are no results better than any others. It’s simply a tool to help you identify what’s most natural to you. Up to you to decide whether the results describe you. And if they don’t, that’s be something to explore. Thank you for commenting!

Thank you for your kind comment. I’m glad you liked it. 🙌🏼

I’m glad you found it helpful! 👍🏼

Thank you for your comment. This is exactly why I do these videos - for individuals to understand that they aren’t limited by their results and how to use them in a way that’s right for them. I’m happy to hear you’ve found an environment that appreciates you. Communication has a lot of layers. It’s not just about what’s being said, it’s A LOT about how it’s being understood. It sounds like your former environment wasn’t a good fit and wasn’t in a place to be constructive in working with you. There’s definitely a difference between communication as a skill and Communication as a Talent Theme. I’m so glad you understand you can be an effective communicator while leaning into other talents. Congratulations on your new job, and good luck as you continue to explore using your Talents!

Hi Maggie, thanks for the comment, the kind words, and I appreciate the question. You’re right, it’s not a quick, easy answer and a lot of times that’s what some want from their results. I can certainly appreciate what you’re saying. I left my career of 15 years and completely changed directions. Yes, I definitely look at your results as insight on what’s right for specifically for you (including your natural gifts, flavoring your needs and values) and as tools to help you approach challenges/new experiences and opportunities. For example, I tend to be very relationship focused and execution focused. I know that I’ll better thrive in environments where people are genuinely valued, team building and collaboration is supported and encouraged. I also know that I do better with projects that need to be taken from inception to completion rather than monotonous everyday “check-the-box” tasks. That’s just me. Others thrive in different environments or having routine, order, and discipline. As you can see, that can be true in SO MANY arenas and industries. So I really need to be aware of my interests too. Choosing your next step can be daunting. And when there’s SO MUCH pressure to get it right because of the years of potential investment in redirecting your path, it makes it more stressful. It’s hard to answer concisely in a comment. I’d encourage to find ways to exercise your results now (even in your current job). That way you’re getting in the habit of using them, leaning into them, and fueling yourself now rather than waiting til you make a change. Who knows, you may be able to shift/influence your current role. That doesn’t mean you won’t still change, it just incrementally shifts the now while taking pressure off making the next thing be “right”. Besides what’s “right” is continuously changing. What’s right now, may not be right in 5, 10, or 15 years. CliftonStrengths isn’t the answer to everything, but I do believe they’re incredibly insightful and powerful. Having results can mislead many to believe they provide answers. What they really do is identify for you what are the tools that are best/most natural to you. It’ll take learning how to wield those tools to determine the right answers for you. Like I said, comments are hard for in depth answers. Send me an email. I’m happy to have a chat. Good luck, and thank you again for the comment and kind words.

I don’t agree

I also disagree

Thank you, Rafaela! I appreciate you leaving a comment.

Thank you for your comment, Anna. I’m glad you found the analogy clear. 😎 Best to you and your clients!

You’re welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful. Thanks for commenting. I appreciate it!

It’s hard to say without knowing the details of what happened and how you feel on the differences in your results lists. I wouldn’t worry too much about which result is first vs. second vs. third, etc. Overall, do you feel that your Top 5 / Top 10 describe you? The exact order is not critical. What matters is if you feel the general top of the list captures your dominant patterns.

@@ElviraMarieChang thanks for your great insights, honestly I felt the 1st one which I don't have access to were describing me better or at least was more accurate.

Hi 👋🏼 and thank you for your thoughtful comment. Yes, we do have Connectedness in common, but it sounds like our other results likely differ. And yes, I do believe our results bias our perspective. I have Adaptability in my Top 5 so I can’t imagine having a high Discipline theme. However, luckily I have Responsibility in my Top 5 (and Achiever & Maximizer in my Top 10) so it helps me ensure to get things done - just using different Talent Themes. Our Talent Themes influence how we see and value things. And that’s the beauty…. We can get to the same outcomes using different approaches and themes. Thank you again for your comment!

Thank you, Bridget! Glad you liked it. 😊

Hi Kim 👋🏼 Check out the description. There’s a link in the description of the video of where to go to get the PDF.

Best wishes to you, Mariam! That’s exactly what this video is for… to encourage new beginnings at any stage!

Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure what you mean. Lots of the points are about how users misunderstand how to use the results, but these topics are general. The value is in the specifics the results reveal to each person individually and then how they use those insights and discoveries. I haven’t encountered a person who hasn’t gained value from using this tool, but not everything works for everyone.

Thank you so much for your comment, Kailandra! And, I’m glad you’re enjoying the content. I loved reading about your experience. You hit upon many points within CliftonStrengths and how they all interweave and ultimately affect how you feel about yourself. I’m SO GLAD to hear about how you shifted and leaned into what worked for you. It sounds liked you’ve created ways to use your Talents to fuel yourself. How did you do it? Did you work with someone?

@@ElviraMarieChang At first, it was just curiosity, probably driven by Learner and maybe some Input. I wasn't very satisfied with the initial reports from Gallup (no hate, it probably took a lot of work to develop the language) due to the way the language felt canned. At first I looked into Gallup's CliftonStrengths KZbin videos for their seasons (I think I've watched all of them for my top 10, besides the most recent leadership based season). I think the depth that I got from those, as well as the activities that helped me understand what they could look like in action, was really valuable. Research also made me curious about my top 10, and I got the full 34 report. (My 6-10 are Connectedness, Focus, Command, Strategic, Positivity.) Someone in my writer's group had done Becca Syme's Write Better/Faster course and really loved it and recommended it. This course leans into the CliftonStrengths to overcome hurdles as a writer. Part of the course did include 1:1 coaching, and it was really enlightening. One of my favorite pieces of advice I was given to try during that 1:1 was to have a "super hero team meeting" with my strengths, especially when I am feeling stuck. I go down the roster (well, actually, I go backwards from 10 to 1 because it turns out it's a bad idea to set Ideation to a task first thing then expect to get through the other 9 haha) and give each strength a "job" to do - this helps me intentionally focus my strengths and brings them to the forefront of my thoughts on a regular basis, which I think helps me identify opportunities to engage them more intentionally and more often. This has really expanded my understanding of my strengths and how to use them. Also, how my specific strengths can work for and against me. I still have a lot of work to do! My Command, for instance, I am really hesitant with, and I am worried it might be in a basement now and I don't know how to engage it in a more positive way, to pull it out of the basement and eventually nourish it into a balcony (that's how I found the first video I watched by you - I was looking for more information on balconies and basements). In this process, I've also watched more of Becca's strengths-geared writing videos, and learned that some strengths need to be "fed" to continue working optimally / productively (Ideation, Input, and Learner all need to consume material for me to digest to feel energized and able to continue creating!). That was really eye-opening as well, that I needed to make time for behaviors often considered low priority or time wasters (reading, watching some types of TV, researching various topics, learning new languages). I've really enjoyed the videos I have watched by you so far, too. I love that they present information in a little bit of a different way than I encountered previously, and so I have gained new insights. I really liked what you said in one video about the themes being neutral, and it's up to us to put in the work to build them into strengths.

Thank you for the detailed response, Kailandra. Clearly, you are a writer. I’m SO GLAD you’ve taken the time and interest in diving deeper into your Talent Themes. Your Learner and Input are definitely showing! And, it’s great that you went into a program that integrated Strengths-based work into a particular direction and interest. It makes so much more sense when having a path you want to move towards and using Strengths to help you on your way. I’m curious about your Command. Clearly, it came up in your Top 10 for a reason. I wonder if it’s influence is being obscured by how it mixes (and thus expresses itself) with your other Themes. 🤔 I’m glad you found my videos and are enjoying them thus far. Certainly more to come over time. Thank you again for your comments. I’m always happy to hear about others’ experiences with Strengths-based work. And let me know if ever you have questions, requests, or if there’s something I can help you with. Congratulations on your work thus far! 🎉 Thank you for supporting my channel, and I wish you success in your writing.

Thanks, Jared. Yes, everyone has different learning styles. I’m more of a hands-on learner. I need to apply what I’m learning either through a project or experience to really internalize what I’m learning. I’m so glad you like the video to share with others.

Thank you, Jared! Yes, it’s crazy how the possible combinations exceed the number of people on this planet! And yes, if we allow it and do our part, others can help us manage our Weaknesses and Blind Spots. Thanks for commenting, Jared!

Yes. Asking Why helps get clear on motivations (both others and your own) it helps to get the assumptions out in the air and then everyone’s able to put the focus back on the goal and vision (and away from each other’s differences). Thanks for commenting!

Well welcome to StrengthsFinder, Eric! 😊 Gallup (where StrengthsFinder comes from) has Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches worldwide. (I’m one of them.) There’s a directory if you want to find one. However, would you want to go straight to working with a coach or spend time learning about the concepts of StrengthsFinder first? That way your time with a coach is more focused on your questions and personal topics rather than learning concepts? Everyone is different and everyone’s learning style is different. Only you know what’s best for you. For me, I like to learn about concepts first so I can focus my time with others on resulting questions. To give others a foundational knowledge base, I created an online course that I recommend for those who want to go deep in learning the concepts and go far with this work. Feel free to email me if you have more questions or want to discuss. Commenting is tough for Q&A on lengthier responses. Again, welcome to StrengthsFinder (now renamed to CliftonStrengths)!

I’m glad you found it helpful, Ericko!

Thank you, Tina. It takes a bit to get the momentum of doing this regularly, but once you internalize and own what’s great about you - the payoff is worth it!

Thank you for leaving a comment. However, I’m not sure what you’re asking. Per the introduction and the body of the video, I discuss that “best” is subjective. So, it really depends on what you mean. I tackle the answer from a few different perspectives in the video.

I’m so glad to hear that, Rose. You certainly deserve to look deeper. Thank you for posting a comment.

Welcome to CliftonStrengths and Strengths-based Thinking! I hope you find the videos helpful and that you take the time to explore yourself through your Talent Themes and Strengths. Thank you for leaving a comment.

Thank you , David. Congratulations to both of us for you being my 600th subscriber. 🎉 Thank you for your kind words. Talents leading to Strengths is Gallup’s. They’re very specific about vocabulary. So they have their own definitions for words/terms - including Talent, Talent Theme, Strengths, and what each of the 34 Talent Theme mean. If you get a chance to see my video on the 6 Most Common Mistakes, I talk about it there. So, Talents leading to Strengths is Gallup’s. The ingredient and recipe analogy is mine. I’m so glad that you’ve discovered CliftonStrengths. I’m curious what you think and what your results turn out to be. I hope my videos will help you get more value and insight from your results. If there’s something I can do to help you get the most out of your results, let me know. Thanks again for your comment, kind words, and for subscribing!

@@ElviraMarieChang Hello again. It’s winter here and we are sitting in front of our log fire. It’s lovely and warming. Not that we get cold weather like in parts of the USA. I haven’t completed the assessment yet. Once my book arrives I will use the code to do that. Have you taken the course to become a certified assessor with Gallup? Are you a life coach or a coach of a niche area? Would love to hear your perspective, whether here or a DM. Blessings to you and your family. David.

Hi David. Greetings from Boston. I’m not sure where in Australia you are, but isn’t it early for you? Good morning. ☀️ Yes, I’m certified through Gallup, so technically I’m a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, though I do a lot of workshops and training - not just coaching. I created a CliftonStrengths-based online course which goes really in-depth for individuals. Good for folks who want to go deep in how to use their results, or sometimes orgs use it with team members. Rather than communicating though YT comments, feel free to send me an email directly. Enjoy the warmth of the fire. And thanks again for commenting.

@@ElviraMarieChang it was 6:30 am when I emailed the first reply. I work part as a learning support Officer in a local high school. I was a pastor and I’m moving toward to becoming a coach. I already have a few clients. I want to ensure anything I do is for their best. I’ve turned 60 this year. I want to be able to a significant difference to people for my next 25 years. My simple goal, to positively and effectively influence 1Mil people for the better. Helping them find themselves and then do something super outstanding for their families, communities and themselves. Simple! LoL. I did see your free online program advertised. I just wanted get a sense of you before I sign up anything. 😀👍

Hi David. Given what you say you’ve done, I’m sure you’ve made a significant difference to many already. Congratulations on hitting 60 and continuously pushing yourself to grow and contribute. Like I said, you’re welcome to email directly (email address is in the About tab) - easier than commenting on YT. As for the free course, that’s available and gets you on my email list. I also have a much more in-depth paid course that’s over 8 hours of CliftonStrengths-based and Strengths-based content. Again, thanks for replying and for being my #600. I wish you the best as you continue to learn, grow, and serve. 😊

Thank you for your comment, Susan. I’m glad the video inspired a new way to direct your Talents. And, I’m also glad you’re still re-visiting StrengthsFinder topics a while later. Thank you again! 😎

Thanks, Jared! I love that you get that Talent Themes are neutral. So we choose how we use them and the resulting outcome. Funny that you have Input and that the example resonated with you. I feel the same way about my Talent Themes and their Balconies and Basements. I often love aspects of them and get frustrated with myself at other moments. But it’s just data gathering, right? It’s up to us to learn our patterns and shift them towards better. Thanks again, Jared!

Yes, timing was intentional. 😉 That’s a great discovery on how to better balance your Talents so you can be more effective. Thanks for commenting!

Thank you so much for your continued interest and support, Heather! I’m so glad you found the topic (and course) helpful! 😊

Thanks, Tina! The well of insight is bottomless, plus all the possible combinations. 😁 Thanks for watching, commenting, and I’m glad you already see how this can help you.

Thank you for another great unpacking of this system and the resource! It 'stirs' the fact that most people take the assessment for a surface level validation of their self-identity, or what they tell themselves about what's working. Once again, you pragmatically open up this body of work with precision and care to allow us to now choose a better way to use this model. Better self-awareness, better self-scrutiny and self-honesty along with ways to really discern the range of our talent themes and their imapcts, (because until scrutinized - they are the hammers we hit everything in life with like nails!). And in so doing, you help us pave the way towards what it truly means to invest in the right useage of our talent themes, to bolster our strengths! Awesome and valueble share, Elvira!

Thanks for your comment, Jefferson. That’s the goal - to get beyond the surface and to the true value. I appreciate that you see that. Thanks again for your attention to detail and support!

Awww… Thank you for the kind words, Nancy. I’m glad you found value in it. ☺️

Thank you so much! I’m glad that idea worked for you. 😎