dans gallup strengths

Strengths Discovery and Action-Planning Guide

What makes you stand out?

Copyright © 2000, 2006-2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Strengths Discovery and Action-Planning Guide

DAN GIBBS

Your Top 5 Themes

InputLearnerAchieverIntellectionIdeation

What's in This Guide?

• For each of your top five themes, you will find:• A brief Shared Theme Description• Your Personalized Strengths Insights, which describe what makes you stand

out from others with the same theme in their top five• Some examples of what the theme "sounds like" — real quotes from people

who also have the theme in their top five• 10 Ideas for Action

• A Strengths Discovery Activity to get you thinking about how your talents and yourinvestment work together to build strengths that you can apply to your work and personallife

• A Strengths-Based Action Plan for review with a friend, manager, or colleague

1

INPUT

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like tocollect and archive all kinds of information.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights


By nature, you feast on the ideas in books and other printed material. In the process of reading, youaccumulate lots of information for its own sake. During the week, you likely spend several hoursreflecting on your treasure trove of facts, data, history, or research. Often one or two of yournewfound concepts, theories, or findings consumes the majority of your thinking time. Because ofyour strengths, you thirst for new ideas and knowledge. Often you lose yourself in a book. You poreover the ideas contained on its pages for long stretches of time. Why? You want to absorb as muchinformation as you can. Chances are good that you possess the physical and mental enduranceneeded to spend hours studying, reading, or researching. The more you know, the more questionsyou have to ask. Your diligence reflects your need to work harder and longer than most people can.You set lofty goals for yourself and relentlessly pursue them. Once you have reached your objective,you direct much of your energy toward a second goal. You are self-motivated. You prefer to pushyourself rather than relax. It’s very likely that you acquire knowledge more easily when you can talkwith others about ideas, concepts, or theories. Thoughts come alive for you when questions areposed and answers are proposed. You have a delightful time thinking out loud and listening tointelligent people express themselves. You naturally document or store in your mind bits and piecesof discussions. You want to refer back to these insights or facts whenever the opportunity presentsitself. Driven by your talents, you are willing to spend time sharing your ideas with intelligentindividuals. Of course, you want them to tell you their latest thinking. Conversations that involve a lotof questions and answers stimulate your mind. You know you have spent your time wisely when youhave a number of new ideas, theories, or concepts to somehow file away or remember for future use.

Input sounds like this:

Ellen K., writer: "Even as a child, I found myself wanting to know everything. I would make a game ofmy questions. ‘What is my question today?' I would think up these outrageous questions, and then Iwould go looking for the books that would answer them. I often got in way over my head, deep intobooks that I didn't have a clue about, but I read them because they had my answer someplace. Myquestions became my tool for leading me from one piece of information to another."

John F., human resources executive: "I'm one of those people who thinks that the Internet is thegreatest thing since sliced bread. I used to feel so frustrated, but now if I want to know what the stockmarket is doing in a certain area or the rules of a certain game or what the GNP of Spain is or otherdifferent things, I just go to the computer, start looking, and eventually find it."

Kevin F., salesperson: "I'm amazed at some of the garbage that collects in my mind, and I loveplaying Jeopardy and Trivial Pursuit and anything like that. I don't mind throwing things away as longas they're material things, but I hate wasting knowledge or accumulated knowledge or not being ableto read something fully if I enjoy it."

Ideas for Action:

2

Look for jobs in which you are charged with acquiring new information each day, such asteaching, research, or journalism.Devise a system to store and easily locate information. This can be as simple as a file for allthe articles you have clipped or as sophisticated as a computer database.Partner with someone with dominant Focus or Discipline talents. This person will help youstay on track when your inquisitiveness leads you down intriguing but distracting avenues.Your mind is open and absorbent. You naturally soak up information in the same way that asponge soaks up water. But just as the primary purpose of the sponge is not to permanentlycontain what it absorbs, neither should your mind simply store information. Input withoutoutput can lead to stagnation. As you gather and absorb information, be aware of theindividuals and groups that can most benefit from your knowledge, and be intentional aboutsharing with them.You might naturally be an exceptional repository of facts, data, and ideas. If that's the case,don't be afraid to position yourself as an expert. By simply following your Input talents, youcould become known as the authority in your field.Remember that you must be more than just a collector of information. At some point, you'llneed to leverage this knowledge and turn it into action. Make a point of identifying the factsand data that would be most valuable to others, and use this information to their advantage.Identify your areas of specialization, and actively seek more information about them.Schedule time to read books and articles that stimulate you.Deliberately increase your vocabulary. Collect new words, and learn the meaning of each ofthem.Identify situations in which you can share the information you have collected with otherpeople. Also make sure to let your friends and colleagues know that you enjoy answeringtheir questions.

LEARNER


People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want tocontinuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.



Driven by your talents, you yearn to be inspired by your work. You want experience to be yourteacher. You need to feel enthused by your work or studies. You constantly acquire knowledge andskills. Whenever you study facts, ponder concepts, test theories, or sharpen your skills, you feel mostalive. You are inclined to avoid people and situations that prevent you from expanding your mind.Instinctively, you are excited to discover new facts about historic events and key people. Yourcommonly rely on experts who have conducted in-depth research on various periods of history. It’svery likely that you have little difficulty giving intense effort to projects, problems, or opportunities thatcapture and keep your attention. Chances are good that you prefer to work in groups. You areattracted to teams whose activities and challenges intrigue you. You usually give these matters yourundivided attention. Because of your strengths, you enjoy reflecting on what you already know and onwhat you want to know. Your concentration leads you to major and minor discoveries. You needample quiet time to critically examine new information, theories, concepts, or philosophies. Whereveryou go and whatever you do, your mind is seldom at rest. You consider what you have observed. Youpose never-before-asked questions. Thinking deeply about things is a necessity for you. It is not aluxury. It is not an option.

3

Learner sounds like this:

Annie M., managing editor: "I get antsy when I am not learning something. Last year, although I wasenjoying my work, I didn't feel as though I was learning enough. So I took up tap dancing. It soundsstrange, doesn't it? I know I am never going to perform or anything, but I enjoy focusing on thetechnical skill of tapping, getting a little better each week, and moving up from the beginners' class tothe intermediate class. That was a kick."

Miles A., operations manager: "When I was seven years old, my teachers would tell my parents,‘Miles isn't the most intelligent boy in the school, but he's a sponge for learning, and he'll probably goreally far because he will push himself and continually be grasping new things.' Right now, I am juststarting a course in business-travel Spanish. I know it is probably too ambitious to think I could learnconversational Spanish and become totally proficient in that language, but I at least want to be able totravel there and know the language."

Tim S., coach for executives: "One of my clients is so inquisitive that it drives him crazy because hecan't do everything he wants to. I'm different. I am not curious in that broad sense. I prefer to go intogreater depth with things so that I can become competent in them and then use them at work. Forexample, recently one of my clients wanted me to travel with him to Nice, France, for a businessengagement. So I started reading up on the region, buying books, and checking the Internet. It wasall interesting and I enjoyed the study, but I wouldn't have done any of it if I wasn't going to betraveling there for work."

Ideas for Action:

Refine how you learn. For example, you might learn best by teaching; if so, seek outopportunities to present to others. You might learn best through quiet reflection; if so, findthis quiet time.Develop ways to track the progress of your learning. If there are distinct levels or stages oflearning within a discipline or skill, take a moment to celebrate your progression from onelevel to the next. If no such levels exist, create them for yourself (e.g., reading five books onthe subject or making three presentations on the subject).Be a catalyst for change. Others might be intimidated by new rules, new skills, or newcircumstances. Your willingness to soak up this newness can calm their fears and spur themto action. Take this responsibility seriously.Seek roles that require some form of technical competence. You will enjoy the process ofacquiring and maintaining this expertise.As far as possible, shift your career toward a field with constantly changing technologies orregulations. You will be energized by the challenge of keeping up.Because you are not threatened by unfamiliar information, you might excel in a consultingrole (either internal or external) in which you are paid to go into new situations and pick upnew competencies or languages quickly.Research supports the link between learning and performance. When people have theopportunity to learn and grow, they are more productive and loyal. Look for ways to measurethe degree to which you and others feel that your learning needs are being met, to createindividualized learning milestones, and to reward achievements in learning.At work, take advantage of programs that subsidize your learning. Your organization may bewilling to pay for part or all of your instructional coursework or for certifications. Ask yourmanager for information about scholarships and other educational opportunities.Honor your desire to learn. Take advantage of adult educational opportunities in yourcommunity. Discipline yourself to sign up for at least one new academic or adult learningcourse each year.Time disappears and your attention intensifies when you are immersed in studying orlearning. Allow yourself to "follow the trail" by scheduling learning sessions during periods oftime that will not be interrupted by pressing engagements.

4

ACHIEVER


People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and workhard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.



Driven by your talents, you probably work diligently, persevering to the very end. You are gratifiedwhen people tell others you are a competent, trustworthy, and accomplished individual. Instinctively,you exhibit the physical and mental endurance needed to continuously toil long after others havestopped working. You are hardwired to pursue goals until they are reached. When obstacles arise,you become even more determined to succeed. Chances are good that you are no stranger to longhours of work. You very much enjoy teaming up with friends. Why? They, like you, probably expendmental and physical energy for as long as it takes to reach the goal. Because of your strengths, youearnestly evaluate problems by identifying the basics facts. You normally let reason rather thanemotion guide you to the proper solution or the correct conclusion. By nature, you periodically leapinto the middle of difficult tasks. Perhaps you take over projects that must be done meticulously andaccurately. Occasionally you feel you are the only person who can produce the right outcomes. Why?You likely set high standards of excellence for yourself and others. Often you trust only yourself toreach them.

Achiever sounds like this:

Melanie K., ER nurse: "I have to rack up points every day to feel successful. Today I've been hereonly half an hour, but I've probably racked up thirty points already. I ordered equipment for the ER, Ihad equipment repaired, I had a meeting with my charge nurse, and I brainstormed with my secretaryabout improving our computerized logbook. So on my list of ninety things, I have thirty done already.I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now."

Ted S., salesperson: "Last year I was salesperson of the year out of my company's three hundredsalespeople. It felt good for a day, but sure enough, later that week, it was as if it never happened. Iwas back at zero again. Sometimes I wish I wasn't an achiever because it can lead me away from abalanced life and toward obsession. I used to think I could change myself, but now I know I am justwired this way. This theme is truly a double-edged sword. It helps me achieve my goals, but on theother hand, I wish I could just turn it off and on at will. But, hey, I can't. I can manage it and avoidwork obsession by focusing on achieving in all parts of my life, not just work."

Sara L., writer: "This theme is a weird one. First, it's good because you live in pursuit of the perpetualchallenge. But in the second place, you never feel as though you've reached your goal. It can keepyou running uphill at seventy miles an hour for your whole life. You never rest because there's alwaysmore to do. But, on balance, I think I would rather have it than not. I call it my ‘divine restlessness,'and if it makes me feel as if I owe the present everything I have, then so be it. I can live with that."

Ideas for Action:

Select jobs that allow you to have the leeway to work as hard as you want and in which youare encouraged to measure your own productivity. You will feel challenged and alive inthese environments.

5

As an achiever, you relish the feeling of being busy, yet you also need to know when youare "done." Attach timelines and measurement to goals so that effort leads to definedprogress and tangible outcomes.Remember to build celebration and recognition into your life. Achievers tend to move on tothe next challenge without acknowledging their successes. Counter this impulse by creatingregular opportunities to enjoy your progress and accomplishments.Your drive for action might cause you to find meetings a bit boring. If that's the case, appealto your Achiever talents by learning the objectives of each meeting ahead of time and bytaking notes about progress toward those objectives during the meeting. You can helpensure that meetings are productive and efficient.Continue your education by attaining certifications in your area or specialty in addition toattending conferences and other programs. This will give you even more goals to achieveand will push your existing boundaries of accomplishment.You do not require much motivation from others. Take advantage of your self-motivation bysetting challenging goals. Set a more demanding goal every time you finish a project.Partner with other hard workers. Share your goals with them so they can help you to getmore done.Count personal achievements in your scoring "system." This will help you direct yourAchiever talents toward family and friends as well as toward work.More work excites you. The prospect of what lies ahead is infinitely more motivating thanwhat has been completed. Launch initiatives and new projects. Your seemingly endlessreserve of energy will create enthusiasm and momentum.Make sure that in your eagerness to do more at work, you do not skimp on quality. Createmeasurable outcome standards to guarantee that increased productivity is matched byenhanced quality.

INTELLECTION


People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectualactivity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.



It’s very likely that you derive much pleasure from pondering things deeply. After much forethought,you customarily reach conclusions, offer new ideas, suggest different ways of looking at situations, orask probing questions. Chances are good that you tend to be earnest, businesslike, and dignified inwhat you say and do. Understandably, the books and publications you read are apt to reflect yourno-nonsense approach to life. You aim to accumulate knowledge whenever you peruse -- that is,studiously examine -- the printed word. Instinctively, you have kept conversations centered on ideassince childhood. As a child, you likely listened carefully to discussions among adults. This approachallowed you to join in without rocking the boat -- that is, without causing trouble where none waswelcome. Today, you continue to listen intently to collect information before adding your ideas,contributing your insights, offering your suggestions, or asking your questions. Driven by your talents,you eagerly welcome opportunities to think out loud about ideas, theories, or philosophies. You derivepleasure from conversations that force you to ponder matters that exist only in the realm of thought,not in reality. By nature, you probably acquired a fascination for reading as a child. During yourformative years, becoming totally engrossed in a book is likely to have been your means of "stayingout of the way" to avoid upsetting some adults or youngsters who were your age. Besides keeping thepeace and being absorbed into the group, you commonly collected information about fictionalcharacters, human nature, geography, historic events, other cultures, or science.

6

Intellection sounds like this:

Lauren H., project manager: "I suppose that most people who meet me in passing presume that I ama flaming extrovert. I do not deny the fact that I love people, but they would be amazed to know howmuch time alone, how much solitude, I need in order to function in public. I really love my owncompany. I love solitude because it gives me a chance to allow my diffused focus to simmer withsomething else. That's where my best ideas come from. My ideas need to simmer and ‘perk.' I usedthis phrase even when I was younger: ‘I have put my ideas in, and now I have to wait for them toperk.'"

Michael P., marketing executive: "It's strange, but I find that I need to have noise around me or I can'tconcentrate. I need to have parts of my brain occupied; otherwise, it goes so fast in so manydirections that I don't get anything done. If I can occupy my brain with the TV or my kids runningaround, then I find I concentrate even better."

Jorge H., factory manager and former political prisoner: "We used to get put into solitary confinementas a punishment, but I never hated it as much as the others did. You might think that you would getlonely, but I never did. I used the time to reflect on my life and sort out the kind of man I was and whatwas really important to me: my family, my values. In a weird way, solitary actually calmed me downand made me stronger."

Ideas for Action:

Consider beginning or continuing your studies in philosophy, literature, or psychology. Youwill always enjoy subjects that stimulate your thinking.List your ideas in a log or diary. These ideas will serve as grist for your mental mill, and theymight yield valuable insights.Deliberately build relationships with people you consider to be "big thinkers." Their examplewill inspire you to focus your own thinking.People may think you are aloof or disengaged when you close your door or spend timealone. Help them understand that this is simply a reflection of your thinking style, and that itresults not from a disregard for relationships, but from a desire to bring the most you can tothose relationships.You are at your best when you have the time to follow an intellectual trail and see where itleads. Get involved on the front end of projects and initiatives, rather than jumping in at theexecution stage. If you join in the latter stages, you may derail what has already beendecided, and your insights may come too late.Engaging people in intellectual and philosophical debate is one way that you make sense ofthings. This is not the case for everyone. Be sure to channel your provocative questions tothose who similarly enjoy the give and take of debate.Schedule time for thinking; it can be energizing for you. Use these occasions to muse andreflect.Take time to write. Writing might be the best way for you to crystallize and integrate yourthoughts.Find people who like to talk about the same issues you do. Organize a discussion group thataddresses your subjects of interest.Encourage people around you to use their full intellectual capital by reframing questions forthem and by engaging them in dialogue. At the same time, realize that there will be somewho find this intimidating and who need time to reflect before being put on the spot.

IDEATION

7


People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able tofind connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.



It’s very likely that you have been described as someone who reads a lot. You probably carry readingmaterial with you just in case you have to wait in line, eat alone, or sit beside a stranger. Because theprinted word feeds your mind, you frequently generate original plans, programs, designs, or activities.Instinctively, you occasionally feel a need to update, upgrade, or renovate. Perhaps few things pleaseyou more than devising original tactics, inventing new processes, designing useful tools, or proposinginnovative solutions. By nature, you probably are known for your strength in taking apart ideas,objects, processes, or data. You methodically examine how the individual parts function or fail tofunction as well as how the pieces link or fail to link to one another. Because of your strengths, youlogically think through how your team can approach its projects. You are the person who steps backto figure out how things actually work. You consider why mechanisms, processes, programs, or rulesfailed in the past. You rely on facts to decide how many people need to be deployed, how much timethey require to complete each phase of the endeavor, or what tools they need to succeed. Chancesare good that you relish conversations with people whose vocabulary is as sophisticated as theirthinking. Discussing philosophies, theories, or concepts is exhilarating. You do not have to translatethis or that word or explain the basic points of a complex thought. You love to ask questions and bereadily understood. As engaged as you are in the dialogue, you still make a point of pulling togetherinsights so you can use this knowledge later.

Ideation sounds like this:

Mark B., writer: "My mind works by finding connections between things. When I was hunting down theMona Lisa in the Louvre museum, I turned a corner and was blinded by the flashing of a thousandcameras snapping the tiny picture. For some reason, I stored that visual image away. Then I noticeda ‘No Flash Photography' sign, and I stored that away too. I thought it was odd because Iremembered reading that flash photography can harm paintings. Then about six months later, I readthat the Mona Lisa has been stolen at least twice in this century. And suddenly I put it all together.The only explanation for all these facts is that the real Mona Lisa is not on display in the Louvre. Thereal Mona Lisa has been stolen, and the museum, afraid to admit their carelessness, has installed afake. I don't know if it's true, of course, but what a great story."

Andrea H., interior designer: "I have the kind of mind where everything has to fit together or I start tofeel very odd. For me, every piece of furniture represents an idea. It serves a discrete function bothindependently and in concert with every other piece. The ‘idea' of each piece is so powerful in mymind, it must be obeyed. If I am sitting in a room where the chairs are somehow not fulfilling theirdiscrete function -- they're the wrong kind of chairs or they're facing the wrong way or they're pushedup too close to the coffee table -- I find myself getting physically uncomfortable and mentallydistracted. Later, I won't be able to get it out of my mind. I'll find myself awake at 3:00 a.m., and I walkthrough the person's house in my mind's eye, rearranging the furniture and repainting the walls. Thisstarted happening when I was very young, say seven years old."

Ideas for Action:

Seek a career in which you will be given credit for and paid for your ideas, such asmarketing, advertising, journalism, design, or new product development.You are likely to get bored quickly, so make some small changes in your work or home life.Experiment. Play mental games with yourself. All of these will help keep you stimulated.

8

Finish your thoughts and ideas before communicating them. Lacking your Ideation talents,others might not be able to "join the dots" of an interesting but incomplete idea and thusmight dismiss it.Not all your ideas will be equally practical or serviceable. Learn to edit your ideas, or find atrusted friend or colleague who can "proof" your ideas and identify potential pitfalls.Understand the fuel for your Ideation talents: When do you get your best ideas? Whenyou're talking with people? When you're reading? When you're simply listening orobserving? Take note of the circumstances that seem to produce your best ideas, andrecreate them.Schedule time to read, because the ideas and experiences of others can become your rawmaterial for new ideas. Schedule time to think, because thinking energizes you.You are a natural fit with research and development; you appreciate the mindset ofvisionaries and dreamers. Spend time with imaginative peers, and sit in on theirbrainstorming sessions.Partner with someone with strong Analytical talents. This person will question you andchallenge you, therefore strengthening your ideas.Sometimes you lose others' interest because they cannot follow your abstract andconceptual thinking style. Make your ideas more concrete by drawing pictures, usinganalogies or metaphors, or simply explaining your concepts step by step.Feed your Ideation talents by gathering knowledge. Study fields and industries different fromyour own. Apply ideas from outside, and link disparate ideas to generate new ones.

9

Strengths Discovery Activity

As you begin to think about your talents, consider this equation:

Talent (a natural way of thinking, feeling, or behaving)

X Investment (time spent practicing, developing your skills, and buildingyour knowledge base)

= Strength (the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance)

Here is an example:

Talent is: Truly listening to your customers’ wants and needs

X Investment is: Researching products and keeping up-to-date on the industry

= Strength is: Consistently providing near-perfect customer service

Now, think about what you naturally do best. How can you invest in that talent to build strength?

Do your own Strengths Discovery Interview:

Your Talent is: ________________________________________________

XYour Investment is:________________________________________________

= Your Strength is: ________________________________________________

10

My Strengths-Based Action Plan

Now that you have discovered your top five themes and considered action items for development,choose 1-3 themes that describe you best, and list them below. Talk to people who know you well, andask them to describe how you embody these themes. Ask them for specific examples of times whenthey have seen you using each theme in action or how each theme manifests itself in you.

1.

2.

3.

Now, write down some specific actions that you could take in the next week, month, and year to buildand apply your strengths. Refer to your Personalized Strengths Insights and Ideas for Action if you needhelp.

In the next week, I will:

In the next month, I will:

In the next year, I will:

Next, list the name of at least one person who you will meet with to review this plan. Be sure to choosesomeone who can help you to keep these goals "top of mind" and who will help you leverage yourtalents to build strengths.

Name: Date reviewed:

Name: Date reviewed:

11

dans gallup strengths

Documents

mental endurance needed

real mona lisa

personalized strengths insights

strengths discovery activity

based action plan

mona lisa

strengths discovery

build strengths