The moment I took my first Gallup CliftonStrengths® assessment, I was hooked. More than anything, I was enamored with the underlying theory—that focusing on the good is more productive that dwelling on the bad. The moment I read StrengthsFinder 2.0 (I might have also been influenced by Learned Optimism, which I serendipitously read at the same time), my whole perspective shifted from concentrating on everything I did wrong to appreciating and honing what I did well.
CliftonStrengths® is a developmental tool and framework designed to help individuals identify, understand, and optimize their unique sets of natural talents. Developed by psychologist Donald O. Clifton, this approach is grounded in positive psychology and focuses on enhancing what people naturally do best.
According to Gallup, a strength is consistent, near-perfect performance in an activity. It often develops from a talent, or a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior. From a neuroscience perspective, the development of synaptic connections in the brain supports the idea that talents, being patterns of thought and behavior, are relatively stable over time. So our talents are assets we consistently carry with us, even while other aspects of our life—our jobs, relationships, hobbies—might change.
The CliftonStrengths® framework categorizes talents into 34 distinct themes, such as Achiever, Strategic, Empathy, and Learner. Each theme represents a potential area of strength.
Understanding your strengths helps in gaining a deeper sense of self-awareness, which is crucial for personal and professional development. In a team setting, understanding the diverse strengths of each member can lead to more effective collaboration, as team members can complement each other’s abilities. To be more specific, research highlights various significant benefits to leveraging strengths:
- Increased Employee Engagement: One Gallup study found that organizations that focus on strengths can experience lower turnover rates and higher levels of employee engagement. Teams that understand and use their strengths every day have 12.5% greater productivity (Harter, Schmidt & Hayes, 2002).
- Improved Team Performance: Another study by Gallup indicated that teams focusing on strengths every day have 8% to 18% increased productivity and 3% to 7% higher customer engagement scores (Asplund & Blacksmith, 2012).
- Reduced Burnout: A study by Harter and colleagues found that a focus on strengths in the workplace is associated with reduced burnout among employees, primarily due to increased feelings of competence and autonomy (Harter, Schmidt & Keyes, 2002).
- Enhanced Wellbeing: Research by Gallup showed that individuals who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged in their jobs and three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life (Rath, 2007).
- Positive Outcomes in Education: Lopez and Louis (2009) found that applying strengths-based interventions in educational settings led to improved student engagement and hope.
- Leadership Development: A study by Conchie (2013) revealed that leaders who understand and apply their strengths can more effectively engage their teams and drive performance.
- Career Satisfaction: A Gallup poll indicated that people who use their strengths are more likely to report having ample opportunities to do what they do best every day, leading to higher job satisfaction (Harter, Schmidt & Keyes, 2002).
These studies collectively underscore the value of the Strengths approach in enhancing engagement, team performance, wellbeing, leadership effectiveness, and career satisfaction. Looking back, I personally experienced most, if not all, of these benefits through my own Strengths work. To be honest, now I’m a bit of a groupie. I evangelize this approach whenever I can, specifically because of the personal growth it spurred for me and the value I’ve seen it create for others. Knowing your strengths is an important first step to realizing your full potential—and feeling satisfied and fulfilled along the way.
References
Asplund, J., & Blacksmith, N. (2012). Strengths-Based Development in Practice. In Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work (pp. 213-220). Oxford University Press.
Conchie, B. (2013). Strengths-Based Leadership. In Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work (pp. 221-231). Oxford University Press.
Harter, J.K., Schmidt, F.L., & Hayes, T.L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(2), 268-279.
Harter, J.K., Schmidt, F.L., & Keyes, C.L.M. (2002). Well-being in the workplace and its relationship to business outcomes: A review of the Gallup studies. In Flourishing: Positive Psychology and the Life Well-Lived (pp. 205-224). American Psychological Association.
Lopez, S.J., & Louis, M.C. (2009). The principles of strengths-based education. Journal of College and Character, 10(4), 1-8.
Rath, T. (2007). StrengthsFinder 2.0. Gallup Press.
