Strengths Finder

StrengthsFinder 2.0 Report

© 2000, 2006-2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Amanda Allen

Your Top 5 Themes

ConnectednessEmpathyRestorativeIndividualizationDeveloper

What's in This Guide?

Section I: Awareness

A brief Shared Theme Description for each of your top five themes

Your Personalized Strengths Insights, which describe what makes you stand out fromothers with the same theme in their top five

Questions for you to answer to increase your awareness of your talentsSection II: Application

10 Ideas for Action for each of your top five themes

Questions for you to answer to help you apply your talentsSection III: Achievement

Examples of what each of your top five themes "sounds like" -- real quotes frompeople who also have the theme in their top five

Steps for you to take to help you leverage your talents for achievement

Strengths Insight and Action-Planning Guide

176689492 (Amanda Allen) © 2000, 2006-2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Section I: AwarenessConnectedness

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the linksbetween all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has areason.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

It’s very likely that you may derive joy from assisting your teammates. Sometimes youdiscover a couple of areas where everyone can agree. Perhaps this enables certain individualsto cooperate in ways they never would have considered if you had not become involved.Driven by your talents, you are determined to know a lot about the individuals you identify asseekers of truth. You are attracted to people who ponder weighty philosophical questionssuch as “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is beauty?” or “What constitutes wisdom?”or “Why do bad things happen to good people?” or “Why should ordinary people like meeven ask these kinds of questions?” By nature, you may enjoy establishing links betweenpeople. Perhaps this requires persistence and patience on your part. You may argue thatrelationships should be nurtured slowly, not rushed. Because of your strengths, you choose toassociate with people whose philosophical perspective gives them both balance and couragein the face of adversity. Chances are good that you might take pleasure in playing games justfor the fun of them. Winning is not an issue for you. Instead, you may be the person whohelps your teammates enjoy the experience. You discover areas where everyone can agree.Perhaps individuals cooperate with each other in ways they would not have considered if youwere not involved.

Questions

1. As you read your personalized strengths insights, what words, phrases, or lines standout to you?

2. Out of all the talents in this insight, what would you like for others to see most inyou?



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Empathy


People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of otherpeople by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.



Because of your strengths, you sometimes make an effort to cheer up your teammates.Perhaps you want them to see the good qualities in one another as well as in the situationsthey face. Few things may please you as much as resolving people’s frustration, apathy, oranger. It’s very likely that you take the time to discover each individual’s unique traits andtruly understand them. These insights enable you to listen to people’s concerns. Making nojudgments, you strive to comprehend their situations. Others sense that you know exactlyhow they are feeling. Driven by your talents, you might tune in to the feelings of people.Maybe you cheer them up when they are sad, disappointed, lonely, frustrated, or afraid. Bynature, you notice that people feel comfortable telling you their innermost thoughts andfeelings. Often you sense the moods of individuals without them having to say a word. As aresult, you can ask questions and broach — that is, bring up and introduce — topics withpeople who are naturally reserved, timid, or shy. Instinctively, you can tune in to the moodsof people. You probably have spent quality time together and shared common experiences.Because you make a point of really knowing someone, it is easy for you to accuratelyinterpret the person’s emotions in many different situations.

Questions





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Restorative


People who are especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing withproblems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.



Because of your strengths, you intentionally keep abreast of current events. You study areasof special interest to you either personally or professionally. You consistently acquire newinformation to make needed upgrades. You seek to understand things that most people do notcomprehend. You want to make things better tomorrow than they were today. Driven by yourtalents, you constantly search for ways to better yourself by making changes or corrections.By nature, you often consider what you need to do better so you can rank in the top tier ofperformers. Being “number one” is of less interest to you than making continual progress inyour personal and/or professional life. Chances are good that you gravitate to conversations inwhich intelligent, unemotional, and reasonable thoughts are freely exchanged. These give-and-take sessions inspire you to consider what you need to upgrade, perfect, or raise toexcellence. It’s very likely that you actually create opportunities to think with forward-looking people. You probably rely on their vivid imaginations to help you figure out how tofix things in your personal or professional life.

Questions





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Individualization


People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with theunique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who aredifferent can work together productively.



Chances are good that you occasionally search for plans, ideas, or techniques that haveproved to be successful. You may be eager to share your practical insights with certain typesof people, especially those who are at odds — that is, opposing or quarreling — with oneanother. Perhaps you can help a few of them move from a position of confrontation to one ofgeneral agreement. You might continue to look for ways to create calm or peace within somegroups of people or between particular individuals. Because of your strengths, you can standin another person’s place and view what is going on from his or her unique perspective. Yourhave an ability to become well-acquainted with individuals. This magnifies your capacity tofeel their joys and sorrows as well as their successes and failures. Instinctively, you mightenjoy assisting certain groups by sharing your innovative thoughts with them. Perhaps peoplerely on you to present more creative proposals or solutions than anyone else. By nature, youfrequently promise yourself to do something better than you did it the last time. As youexamine the consequences of your words and deeds, you usually recognize ways you couldperform a similar task or problem the next time with a higher degree of knowledge or skill.Simply put: You are determined to gain insights from your mistakes so you do not repeatthem. Driven by your talents, you may update certain individuals about current events.Sometimes you are the person who obtains the latest information about school-relatedactivities, changes in the organization, or breaking news from around the world.

Questions





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08/10/2010

Developer


People who are especially talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate thepotential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfactionfrom these improvements.



Because of your strengths, you regard the opportunity to understand everything you can aboutsomeone as a gift beyond price. Each insight into a human being brings you great joy. Youwant to know people on an up-close and personal basis. You probably refuse to think ofanyone in terms of stereotypes. You rail against these oversimplified categories or labels.You often argue they deprive all humanity of a person’s unique talents, knowledge, skills,and ideas. Driven by your talents, you may enjoy teamwork because you can occasionallyshare your ideas or experiences with others. Sometimes you gain fresh perspectives or refineyour thinking when you process your thoughts out loud to the group. By nature, youunderstand there is more to life than the acquisition of material possessions. Typically youfind purpose and meaning in the simple things money cannot buy. Instinctively, you maycrave to know more about certain subjects or issues. Perhaps reading is a pleasurable activityfor you rather than a burden. You might accumulate new ideas from books, publications,documents, or correspondence. Maybe you welcome the opportunity to talk with particularpeople about your latest discoveries. Listeners’ questions or comments might pique — that is,excite or inspire — your curiosity. Periodically this motivates you to read even more. It’svery likely that you experience pure delight when others welcome you into their group andencourage you to join in their activities. Financial security means little when you have no onewith whom to share it. Being accepted for who you are and as you are is one of life’s truetreasures, in your opinion. Because it is priceless, you know it is very precious.

Questions





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Questions

1. How does this information help you better understand your unique talents?2. How can you use this understanding to add value to your role?3. How can you apply this knowledge to add value to your team, workgroup,

department, or division?4. How will this understanding help you add value to your organization?5. What will you do differently tomorrow as a result of this report?



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Section II: ApplicationConnectedness

Ideas for Action:

Consider roles in which you listen and counsel. You can become adept at helping otherpeople see connection and purpose in everyday occurrences.Explore specific ways to expand your sense of connection, such as starting a book club,attending a retreat, or joining an organization that puts Connectedness into practice.Within your organization, help your colleagues understand how their efforts fit in thelarger picture. You can be a leader in building teams and helping people feel important.You are aware of the boundaries and borders created within organizations andcommunities, but you treat these as seamless and fluid. Use your Connectedness talentsto break down silos that prevent shared knowledge.Help people see the connections among their talents, their actions, their mission, andtheir successes. When people believe in what they are doing and feel like they are partof something bigger, commitment to achievement is enhanced.Partner with someone with strong Communication talents. This person can help youwith the words you need to describe vivid examples of connection in the real world.Don’t spend too much time attempting to persuade others to see the world as a linkedweb. Be aware that your sense of connection is intuitive. If others don’t share yourintuition, rational argument will not persuade them.Your philosophy of life compels you to move beyond your own self-interests and theinterests of your immediate constituency and sphere of influence. As such, you see thebroader implications for your community and the world. Explore ways to communicatethese insights to others.Seek out global or cross-cultural responsibilities that capitalize on your understanding ofthe commonalities inherent in humanity. Build universal capability, and change themindset of those who think in terms of “us” and “them.”Connectedness talents can help you look past the outer shell of a person to embrace hisor her humanity. Be particularly aware of this when you work with someone whosebackground is very different from yours. You can naturally look past the labels andfocus on his or her essential needs.

Questions

1. Which of these action items speak to you? Highlight the actions that you are mostlikely to take.

2. How will you commit to taking action? Write your own personalized action item thatyou will take in the next 30 days.



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Empathy

Ideas for Action:

Help your friends and colleagues be more aware when one of your peers is having adifficult time. Remember, most people do not have your ability to pick up on sensitivesituations.Act quickly and firmly when others behave in a way that is unhealthy for themselves orothers. Understanding someone’s emotional state does not mean that you must excusethis behavior. Be aware that when your empathy turns to sympathy, others might seeyou as a “bleeding heart.”Partner with someone with strong Command or Activator talents. This person will helpyou take needed action, even though people’s feelings might suffer as a result.Consider serving others as a confidante or mentor. Because trust is paramount to you,people are likely to feel comfortable approaching you with any need. Your discretionand desire to be genuinely helpful will be greatly valued.At times, your empathy for others may overwhelm you. Create some rituals that you canuse at the end of your day to signal that work is over. This will help buffer youremotions and prevent burnout.Identify a friend who has strong Empathy talents, and check your observations with himor her.Sensitive to the feelings of others, you readily gauge the emotional tone of a room. Useyour talents to forge a bridge of understanding and mutual support. Your empathy willbe especially important during trying times because it will demonstrate your concern,thereby building loyalty.Witnessing the happiness of others brings you pleasure. Consequently, you are likely tobe attuned to opportunities to underscore others’ successes and positively reinforce theirachievements. At each opportunity, deliver a kind word of appreciation or recognition.In doing so, you are likely to make a profound and engaging impression.Because you are observant of how others are feeling, you are likely to intuit what isabout to happen before it becomes common knowledge. Although your intuitions may attimes seem nothing more than ‘hunches’, take conscious note of them. They may turnout to be valuable assets.Sometimes empathy does not require words at all. A kind gesture may be all someoneneeds to be reassured. Use your Empathy talents to nonverbally comfort others with aglance, a smile, or a pat on the arm.

Questions





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08/10/2010

Restorative

Ideas for Action:

Seek roles in which you are paid to solve problems or in which your success depends onyour ability to restore and resolve. You might particularly enjoy roles in medicine,consulting, computer programming, or customer service.Don’t be afraid to let others know that you enjoy fixing problems. It comes naturally toyou, but many people shy away from problems. You can help.Give yourself a break. Your Restorative talents might lead you to be overly self-critical.Try to redirect this either toward things about yourself that can be fixed, such asknowledge or skill deficits, or toward external, tangible problems.Let other people solve their own problems. You might want to rush in and solve thingsfor them, but by doing that, you might hinder their learning. Watch out for this,particularly if you are in a manager, coach, teacher, or parent role.Turnaround situations activate your natural forté. Use your Restorative talents to devisea plan of attack to revitalize a flagging project, organization, business, or team.Leverage your Restorative talents not only to tackle existing problems, but also toanticipate and prevent problems before they occur. Share your foresight and yoursolutions with others, and you will prove yourself a valuable partner.Study your chosen subject closely to become adept at identifying what causes certainproblems to recur. This sort of expertise will lead you to the solution that much faster.Think about ways you can improve your skills and knowledge. Identify any gaps youhave and the courses you can take to fill them.Constant improvement is one of your hallmarks. Seek opportunities to enhance yourabilities through a demanding field, activity, or endeavor that requires exceptional skilland/or knowledge.Use your Restorative talents to think of ways to “problem proof” your work. Identifyexisting and potential issues, and design systems or processes to prevent errors in thefuture.

Questions





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08/10/2010

Individualization

Ideas for Action:

Select a vocation in which your Individualization talents can be both used andappreciated, such as counseling, supervising, teaching, writing human interest articles,or selling. Your ability to see people as unique individuals is a special talent.Become an expert in describing your own strengths and style. For example, answerquestions such as: What is the best praise you ever received? How often do you like tocheck in with your manager? What is your best method for building relationships? Howdo you learn best? Then ask your colleagues and friends these same questions. Helpthem plan their future by starting with their strengths, then designing a future based onwhat they do best.Help others understand that true diversity can be found in the subtle differences betweeneach individual — regardless of race, sex, or nationality.Explain that it is appropriate, just, and effective to treat each person differently. Thosewithout strong Individualization talents might not see the differences among individualsand might insist that individualization is unequal and therefore unfair. You will need todescribe your perspective in detail to be persuasive.Figure out what every person on your team does best. Then help them capitalize on theirtalents, skills, and knowledge. You may need to explain your rationale and yourphilosophy so people understand that you have their best interests in mind.You have an awareness and appreciation of others’ likes and dislikes and an ability topersonalize. This puts you in a unique position. Use your Individualization talents tohelp identify areas where one size does not fit all.Make your colleagues and friends aware of each person’s unique needs. Soon peoplewill look to you to explain other people’s motivations and actions.Your presentations and speaking opportunities will be most engaging when you relateyour topic to the experiences of individuals in the audience. Use your Individualizationtalents to gather and share real-life stories that will make your points much better thanwould generic information or theories.You move comfortably among a broad range of styles and cultures, and you intuitivelypersonalize your interactions. Consciously and proactively make full use of these talentsby leading diversity and community efforts.Your Individualization talents can help you take a different approach to interpretingdata. While others are looking for similarities, make a point of identifyingdistinctiveness. Your interpretations will add a valuable perspective.

Questions




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Developer

Ideas for Action:

Make a list of the people you have helped learn and grow. Look at the list often, andremind yourself of the effect you have had on the world.Seek roles in which your primary responsibilities include facilitating growth. Teaching,coaching, or managing roles might prove especially satisfying for you.Notice when others succeed, and tell them. Be specific about what you saw. Yourdetailed observations of what led to their victory will enhance their growth.Identify the mentor or mentors who recognized something special inside you. Take thetime to thank them for helping you develop, even if this means tracking down a formerschoolteacher and sending him or her a letter.Partner with someone with strong Individualization talents. This person can help you seewhere each person’s greatest talents lie. Without this help, your Developer instinctsmight lead you to encourage people to grow in areas in which they lack real talent.Carefully avoid supporting someone who is consistently struggling in his or her role. Insuch instances, the most developmental action you can take is to encourage him or her tofind a different role — a role that fits.You will always be compelled to mentor more people than is possible. To fulfill thisinner drive while maintaining a primary mentoring focus, consider the impact of being a“mentor for the moment.” Many of the most poignant and memorable developmentalmoments occur when the right words are delivered at the right time — words that clarifyunderstanding, reignite a passion, open eyes to an opportunity, and change a life course.Don’t over-invest in losing causes. Your natural inclination to see the best in people andsituations can create a blind spot that will keep you from moving on to more opportunesituations.Your Developer talents might lead you to become so invested in the growth of othersthat you ignore your own development. Remember that you cannot give what you do nothave. If you want to have a bigger impact on the well-being and growth of others, youneed to keep growing yourself. Find a mentor or coach who can invest in you.Make a list of the people you would like to help develop. Write what you wouldconsider to be each person’s strengths. Schedule time to meet with each of themregularly — even if for only 15 minutes — and make a point of discussing their goalsand their strengths.

Questions





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Section III: Achievement

Look for signs of achievement as you read these real quotes from people who share your topfive themes.

Connectedness sounds like this:

Mandy M., homemaker: “Humility is the essence of Connectedness. You have to know whoyou are and who you aren’t. I have a piece of the wisdom. I don’t have much of it, but what Ido have is real. This isn’t grandiosity. This is real humility. You have confidence in yourgifts, real confidence, but you know you don’t have all the answers. You start to feelconnected to others because you know they have wisdom that you don’t. You can’t feelconnected if you think you have everything.”

Rose T., psychologist: “Sometimes I look at my bowl of cereal in the morning and thinkabout those hundreds of people who were involved in bringing me my bowl of cereal: thefarmers in the field, the biochemists who made the pesticides, the warehouse workers at thefood preparation plants, even the marketers who somehow persuaded me to buy this box ofcereal and not a different one sitting next to it on the shelf. I know it sounds strange, but Igive thanks to these people, and just doing that makes me feel more involved with life, moreconnected to things, less alone.”

Chuck M., teacher: “I tend to be very black and white about things, but when it comes tounderstanding the mysteries of life, for some reason, I am much more open. I have a biginterest in learning about all different religions. I am reading a book right now that talks aboutJudaism versus Christianity versus the religion of the Canaanites. Buddhism, Greekmythology — it’s really interesting how all of these tie together in some way.”



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Empathy sounds like this:

Alyce J., administrator: “Recently, I was in a meeting of trustees where one of the individualswas presenting a new idea that was critical to her and to the life of this group. When she wasfinished, no one heard her opinion, no one really heard her. It was a powerfully demoralizingmoment for her. I could see it in her face, and she wasn’t herself for a day or two afterward. Ifinally raised the issue with her and used words that helped describe how she was feeling. Isaid, ‘Something’s wrong,’ and she started to talk. I said, ‘I really understand. I know howimportant this was for you, and you don’t seem like yourself,’ and so on. And she finally gavewords to what was going on inside her. She said, ‘You’re the only one who heard me andwho has said one word to me about it.’”

Brian H., administrator: “When my team is making decisions, what I like to do is say, ‘Okay,what will this person say about this? What will that person say about it?’ In other words, putyourself in their position. Let’s think about the arguments from their perspective so that wecan all be more persuasive.”

Janet P., schoolteacher: “I never played basketball because they didn’t have it for womenwhen I was a kid, but I believe I can tell at a basketball game when the momentum ischanging, and I want to go to the coach and say, ‘Get them revved up. You are losing them.’Empathy also works in large groups; you can feel the crowd.”



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Restorative sounds like this:

Nigel L., software designer: “I have these vivid memories of my childhood woodworkingbench with hammers and nails and wood. I used to love fixing things and putting thingstogether and making everything just so. And now with computer programs, it’s the samething. You write the program, and if it doesn’t work, you have to go back and redo it and fixit until it works.”

Jan K., internist: “This theme plays in my life in so many ways. For example, my first lovewas surgery. I love trauma, love being in the OR, love sewing. I just love fixing things in theOR. Then again, some of my best moments have been sitting at the bedside of a dying patient,just talking together. It is incredibly rewarding to watch someone make the transition fromanger to acceptance about grief, to tie up loose ends with family members, and to pass withdignity. And then with my kids, this theme fires every day. When I see my three-year-oldbuttoning her sweater for the first time and she buttons it crooked, I feel this powerful urge towalk up and rebutton the sweater. I have to resist, of course, because she has to learn, but,boy, it’s really hard.”

Marie T., television producer: “Producing a morning TV program is a fundamentally clumsyprocess. If I didn’t like solving problems, this job would drive me up the wall. Every day,something serious goes wrong, and I have to find the problem, fix it, and move on to the nextone. If I can do that well, I feel rejuvenated. On the other hand, if I go home and a problemremains unsolved, then I feel the opposite. I feel defeated.”



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Individualization sounds like this:

Les T., hospitality manager: “Carl is one of our best performers, but he still has to see meevery week. He just wants a little encouragement and to check in, and he gets fired up a littlebit after that meeting. Greg doesn’t like to meet very often, so there’s no need for me tobother him. And when we do meet, it’s really for me, not for him.”

Marsha D., publishing executive: “Sometimes I would walk out of my office and — youknow how cartoon characters have those balloons over their head? I would see these littleballoons over everyone’s head telling me what was in their minds. It sounds weird, doesn’t it?But it happens all the time.”

Andrea H., interior designer: “When you ask people what their style is, they find it hard todescribe, so I just ask them, ‘What is your favorite spot in the house?’ And when I ask that,their faces light up, and they know just where to take me. From that one spot, I can begin topiece together the kind of people they are and what their style is.”



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Developer sounds like this:

Marilyn K., college president: “At graduation time when a nursing student walks across thestage and gets her diploma, and about 18 rows back some little kid is standing on a chair witha group yelling, ‘Yeah, Mom!’ — I love that. I cry every time.”

John M., advertising executive: “I’m not a lawyer, doctor, or candlestick maker. My skills areof a different type. They have to do with understanding people and motives, and the pleasureI get is from watching people discover themselves in ways they never thought possible andfrom finding people who bring to the table talents that I don’t have.”

Anna G., nurse: “I had a patient, a young woman, with lung damage so bad that she will haveto be on oxygen forever. She will never have the energy or the strength to live a normal life,and I walk in and she’s desperate. She doesn’t know if she is short of breath because she isanxious or anxious because she is short of breath. And she’s talking suicide because she can’twork, can’t support her husband. So I got her thinking about what she could do rather thanwhat she couldn’t. It turns out that she is very creative with arts and crafts, so I told her,‘Look, there are things you can do, and if those things bring you pleasure, then do them. It’s aplace to start.’ And she cried and said, ‘I have the energy to wash only one bowl.’ I said,‘That’s today. Tomorrow you can wash two.’ And by Christmas, she was making all kinds ofthings and selling them too.”



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Questions

1. Talk to friends or coworkers to hear how they have used their talents to achieve.

2. How will you use your talents to achieve?



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Strengths Finder

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