Thoughts on my Strengths Profile
It has been a while since I made a blog post. To say that the fall has been a busy time would be an understatement. But I am drawn to write again after recently completing the CliftonStrengths survey by Gallup.
I returned to school at the start of the pandemic to achieve a Master of Nonprofit Management from DePaul University. I had some great classes, professors, classmates, and experiences. For one class on leadership, I was required to purchase the Clifton Strengths book, which gave me access to the test.
Well, I dropped that class due to a schedule conflict. I kept the book because I was really interested in seeing where I scored. I've taken a number of personality, leadership, and communication assessments over the years. I find these really fascinating and even try to be unpredictable when answering the questions.
That never seems to work. My scores usually end up as a very close summary of who I am, how I communicate, and how I prefer to work.
Last week, I finally opened the book and opened the envelope for the access code. It was suggested that it would take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Each question is timed for responding, and you can't go back. The assessment is meant to evaluate your instinctive responses.
I grabbed a pop (or soda, if you aren't from the Midwest), sat next to my little dog, and got comfortable with my laptop. I tried not to be too skeptical and took a deep breath. I told myself to be open to the questions and react quickly.
I did not take notes on questions - I only had 20 seconds to answer each one! What I can tell you is that the choices are not easy. I found many times trying to decide whether I was more of one thing or another that I felt described me or my thoughts. This was more challenging than I thought it would be!
Once I completed the assessment, the score was provided almost immediately. In addition, you get a more detailed report on your scores and an opportunity to purchase additional reports. I stuck with the free one at this point.
So, here are my top five strength themes, in order:
Intellection
Learner
Responsibility
Relator
Achiever
Ok, I FELT that result. Those themes are very similar to other results of other assessments I've taken in the past.
So, now I need to dive deep into each one. I may even break down and purchase a more detailed report (see: Learner).
I hope you will join me as I take the time to break down each theme.
If you have had the same reaction or experience, I'd love to hear more about it in the comments.
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