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Strengths Write-Up Caitlin Godfrey East Carolina University

March 17, 2014

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Strengths Finder 2.0 Summary Every child has probably heard "practice makes perfect" and "you can be whatever you want to be with practice" at some point during his or her life. Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath questions the view of practicing your weaknesses to become the best you can be. Instead, Strengths Finder 2.0 is all about practicing your talents to make them your strengths. By practicing one's talents, he or she can truly find out his or her potential strength. The Strengths Finder 2.0 assessment uses a variety of questions that are timed. The time limit on the questions makes one go with his or her instinct, which will more accurately describe the person. The results of the assessment are your top five areas of potential strength out of 34 total areas. The assessment will also produce a customized report that is based off of one's personality on how to better incorporate these strengths into daily life, also known as an "action plan". My Assessment Results After taking the assessment, I found that my top five areas of strength are: Deliberative I found that deliberative is my top strength. Being deliberative means that I am a private person and I would rather have others start conversations. I also think about how I can improve and prefect the things I have done. A job in counseling or providing advice to others is a good job for a strong deliberative person. Also, pairing with a command, self-assurance, or activator strength person will help in strong decision making.

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Relator As a relator, I value close relationships with others. I am always the one to listen and then provide insight. I can explain and help solve complicated situations. With this strength, one needs to make time for friends and family. Also, one should look for workplaces in which close relationships are encouraged. Finally, take the time to learn the most one can about others. Restorative My third strength was restorative. A person who is strong in this area wants to figure out what went wrong and to recognize weaknesses. Once these areas are recognized, then it becomes his or her responsibility to improve these shortcomings, whether the shortcomings are personal, job related, object related, etc. A person strong in the restorative talent needs to find a job solving problems. Also, one needs to be sure to not be overly self-critical and focus this energy elsewhere. Analytical A person who is strong in analytical area is an independent thinker and usually takes on solo projects. Also, every situation is viewed as a cause-and-effect problem. An analytical person needs a job in which he or she can analyze data and find patterns. Also, if paired with an activator, the process of analyzing and then moving to an action stage will be sped up. Responsibility With responsibility as a strength, I take ownership of what I say. The strength of responsibility is characterized by loyalty and dependability.

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One strong in responsibility should volunteer their time and also ask for some freedom at work in order to take more ownership of their work. However, one needs to make sure that occasionally they are able to tell someone that they are not able to take on a job in order to not become overloaded. What I Learned Through Strengths Finder 2.0, I learned that focusing on one's strengths could help one succeed in life. I also learned that the assessment is surprisingly accurate. When reading the descriptions of my top five areas of strength, I knew that those words were accurate descriptions of me. Also, through the provided action plans, I will know how to better focus on my strengths. My major of study in general business and my current career as an accounting clerk are good areas in which I can improve my strengths. When I advance to a leadership role in my current place of work, I would mainly be working independently and only overseeing the work of a few others. Also, I currently work in internal auditing which allows me to focus on finding patterns, analyzing data, and solving problems. In this area of work and leadership I will be able to strengthen all 5 of my talents of deliberative, relator, restorative, analytical, and responsibility. A challenge I could potentially have at advancing to a leadership position is not being outspoken. This can get taken as being insecure or thinking I am better than others. Also, being overloaded or being overly critical can hinder my work performance. I can overcome these challenges by being aware of them, and making sure that they will not hold me back from achieving a leadership position.

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Strengths Finder 2.0 has taught me that focusing on weaknesses is not always the best method of improvement. Also, through the assessment, I have found my strengths and I have found that my career path helps me strength my talents. I have also learned ways to practice my talents because practicing talents make them your strengths.

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References Rath, T. (2007). Strength Finder 2.0. Location: New York, NY.