The Power of the Clifton Strengths Test - Team Connection and Learning & Development

Have you ever been curious about the secret sauce behind your spark or the special bond you share with some colleagues? Let me share a little magic trick I discovered: the Clifton Strengths Test. Have you ever been curious about the secret sauce behind your spark or the special bond you share with some colleagues?

Let me share a little magic trick I discovered: the Clifton Strengths Test. This isn't just any test; it's a gateway to unveiling your strengths and the vibrant "X factors" you add to your team's mosaic.

Why Use the Clifton Strengths Test?

In the heart of every successful team lies a deep understanding of each member's strengths. It's like having a secret recipe where each ingredient is chosen for its unique flavor. The Clifton Strengths Test helps us uncover these flavors within our teams and ourselves.

At my previous company, we had this amazing opportunity to dive into the Clifton Strengths Test with our People & Culture team. It was an eye-opener! Imagine sitting in a room, not just talking about what we're good at in terms of hard skills but also connecting on a personal level, understanding each other's soft skills and personalities. It's a fantastic way to bond and see each other in a new light. More about this later.

What is a Clifton Strength Test?

What's the Clifton Strengths Test?

• A tool to find your top strengths.
• Shows how you think, feel, and act.
• Helps use your strengths at work and in life.

What's CliftonStrengths 34?

• Ranks your talents in 34 areas.
• Shows your strongest to least strong traits.
• Helps you use your best strengths and know where you might need help.

Full strengths report

Use this report to make the most of your strongest CliftonStrengths themes, navigate the rest, and maximize your infinite potential:

Read and reflect on your results to understand what you naturally do best.

Learn how to apply your strongest CliftonStrengths every day.

Share your results with others to create stronger relationships and improve teamwork.

From this first page, I already have a pretty good view of my strengths. In the following pages, I received the description of my strengths and “watch out blind sports” for each of my top 5 skills. Let's dig deeper into a topic.

My first strength - EMPATHY

Discovering the "Taking Action" and "Blind Spots" parts of my CliftonStrengths report was a real turning point for me. It was like holding up a mirror to the parts of myself I couldn't see. The blind spots section, in particular, struck a chord. It described how I'd get lost in the emotions of a room, making it hard for me to mediate effectively between frustrated stakeholders. That revelation hit home. Since then, I've been consciously stepping into tough conversations with a new awareness, striving to maintain my role as a calm mediator amidst the storm.

How to use the Clifton Strength test?

Learning and Development

When it comes to learning and development, knowing your team's strengths (and your own) is like having a map of an unknown city. It guides you on where to invest your energy for personal growth and team development. Identifying skills gaps becomes a constructive conversation about leveraging and complementing each other's strengths, rather than focusing on shortcomings.

Team Building Workshops: Organize workshops where employees take the test and then share their top strengths. This fosters understanding and appreciation among team members, helping them see how diverse skills contribute to team success.

Personal Development Plans: Use the test results to guide employees in creating personalized development plans. Focus on enhancing their strengths and finding roles or projects that align with their natural talents.

Mentoring Pairings: Pair employees for mentoring based on complementary strengths. This way, mentors and mentees can learn from each other's strengths, filling skill gaps and promoting cross-functional learning.

Project Assignments: Assign project roles based on employees' strengths. This ensures that team members are engaged and motivated, leading to higher productivity and job satisfaction.

Leadership Development: Identify potential leaders based on their strengths, especially those with strategic thinking and relationship-building talents. Tailor leadership training to develop these strengths further.

Embarking on a Personal Discovery

My own journey with the Clifton Strengths Test started within the nurturing environment of our People & Culture team. It felt like opening a book written about me, yet discovering chapters I never knew existed. This process went beyond just pinpointing what I was good at; it was about weaving together the threads of my soft skills with the essence of who I am, showcasing a tapestry of my unique self.

Imagine, for a moment, a team coming together not just for routine meetings but to share in this journey of self-discovery. It transformed our interactions, turning everyday collaborations into opportunities to appreciate the depth and diversity each of us brings to the table.

Understand your results

My CliftonStrengths results - it's like looking into a mirror that only shows the cool parts of you.

Empathy - Been on this emotional intelligence journey for 7 years now, and empathy? That's my jam. It's like I came out of the womb ready to understand and feel with people. 🤗

Achiever + Activator + Ideation + Developer - These are my project vibes all over. Activating projects is where I shine, brainstorming with the crew about aligning with our goals. And closing a project? Best. Feeling. Ever. Even if it gives me those "butterflies in the belly" moments, it's all about employee satisfaction fueling my fire. 🔥

Futuristic - If it's about dreaming big, being creative, and pushing boundaries, I'm all in. My mind's always sprinting ahead to the 'what ifs'. 🚀

Connectedness + Individualization - For me, it's all about that deep, human connection. Every person's a unique puzzle piece, and I'm here for it. Forget finding similarities; let's celebrate what makes each of us one-of-a-kind. 🧩

Relator - This is empathy's cousin. It's not about pity, it's about being there, maybe sharing a quiet cup of tea, or just hanging out in comfortable silence. Sometimes, it's about being that boxing buddy to punch out the frustrations together. 🥊

Responsibility - When you trust me with responsibility, it's like saying, "I see you, I trust you to be human." And I take that to heart. I'm not here for just good enough; I'm here to knock it out of the park, every single time. ⚾

So, yeah, that's me in a CliftonStrengths nutshell. Every skill and every trait is a piece of my story, and I'm out here living it, learning from it, and loving it.

Finding Strength in Reflection

The Clifton Strengths Test isn't merely an evaluation; it's a reflective tool that shines a light on our inherent strengths, especially during those stormy days. When the going gets tough, and every critique feels personal, I turn to my strengths report. It serves as a gentle reminder of the resilience and unique qualities I possess, which stand firm against the tide of negativity.

This test empowers us by reaffirming that our soft skills, those personal attributes woven into our character, are treasures that remain untarnished by external challenges.

So, let's embrace this journey, not just as individuals but as a team. Understanding and valuing our strengths paves the way for a workplace that's not only more cohesive but also more supportive and empowering. Here's to lighting up the way with our unique sparks!