Are Your Talents Disguised as a Weakness?

talents

There are a couple of reliable reactions when someone takes the CliftonStrengths® Assessment.  The first is “oh, I knew that about myself.”  It is an easy first reaction and the one I hear most often when I ask about the assessment.

The second reaction takes time for people to share and understandably so.  “I thought this was a weakness” comes later in a workshop or private coaching session as individuals grapple with the realization that a trait they viewed as unsavory could actually be one of their greatest strengths.

Encouraging on one hand and a complete mind-shift on the other, it takes effort to get these newly identified talents aimed at the goals you want to achieve.  And that applies even if “I knew that about myself.’’

If talents are innate, then why do we misunderstand them as weaknesses or not use them to our advantage?  Although it is called the CliftonStrengths® assessment, the assessment does not identify strengths in the true sense of the word.  According to the body of work around the assessment, a strength is the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance.  Strengths derive from talent, which is a natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving.

The assessment measures the presence of talent.  It does not measure whether you are utilizing the talent or not.  It indicates the presence of talent, information you can use to develop a talent into a strength.

How do you move from talent to strength?  There’s a formula for that.

TALENT x  INVESTMENT = STRENGTH

The investment is the combination of your experience, skills, training and time spent practicing, developing, and refining your talents.

Will you do something with your natural talents?  Or will they simply lie latent?  Taking the CliftonStrengths® assessment is the first step.  Doing something with the knowledge you gain is where the magic happens.  Contact me to find out how.

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