StrengthsFinder Strengths vs. Talent Themes

Time: 12:25 minutes

The most common mistake that people make about their StrengthsFinder results is that they think that their results are their Strengths.

They get their results and they think: "Hmmm… So words like Achiever, Strategic, Restorative or Woo must be my Strengths."

And I get it, the name is misleading. You say "CliftonStrengths" or "StrengthsFinder" and you think, well, this tool found my Strengths. It totally makes sense!

But it's not quite right.

So let’s talk about:

1. Where StrengthsFinder Talent Theme and Strength terms come from,
2. An analogy for StrengthsFinder Talent Themes and Strengths (which is why I’m in my kitchen),
3. Some examples of StrengthsFinder Talent Themes and Strengths, and
   • Example 1: Empathy
   • Example 2: Ideation
4. Points to emphasize about StrengthsFinder Talent Themes and Strengths, and
5. Why differentiating Talent Themes and Strengths should matter to you.

Where StrengthsFinder Talent Theme and Strength terms come from

In designing the StrengthsFinder Assessment over their decades of interviews and research, Gallup discovered thousands of individual Talents.  But that was way too much.

To simplify, they categorized those Talents into 34 groupings called Talent Themes.  So, your results tell you your predominant Talent Themes.

And what Gallup says is that “to finish with a Strength, you start with a Talent.”

OK, so: What does that mean?

Gallup defines a Strength as: "The ability to consistently produce a positive outcome through near-perfect performance in a specific task".

In layman’s terms: A Strength is what you do well consistently, and it energizes you in the process.  It’s a strength because you do it well and you feel good while doing it too.

Note: Don’t confuse a Strength as just something you do well.  That could just be Performance.

By Gallup’s meaning of Strength, it’s got to be something that fuels you in the process too.  Otherwise you’ll eventually lose your steam in doing it over time.

Gallup defines a Talent as: "A naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied."

So because your Talents are your naturally recurring patterns, they’re easy for you.  You feel good using them.  They make you want to do more of it… learn more, grow more in that direction.

I’m sure you can easily see how starting with a Talent points you in the direction of your Strengths

An analogy for StrengthsFinder Talent Themes and Strengths

Think of Talent as raw material used to develop a Strength.  Or in this case, let’s take an egg.

If the egg is a Talent, a Strength is what you do well with it.  It could be a recipe or something else altogether.

So let’s start with this egg.

The first things that come to mind are things like: Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, or poached eggs.

How about if we think like a chef or baker?

What if we mix the eggs with other ingredients or (Talent Themes), what can we come up with?  Omelets?  Soups?  Fried Rice?  Cookies, Cakes, Pastries, Custards, Desserts? Mayonnaise?

And that’s just using the yolk or egg whites.  What if we use the shells or even the whole egg?

Can we use the eggs decoratively – not food related at all?  I’ve even heard of eggs being used as fertilizer, or in face masks or hair conditioner.  I’m sure there are uses I haven’t even heard of.

The same is true for your Talents and Strengths.

Some Examples of StrengthsFinder Talent Themes and Strengths

Example 1: Empathy

Let’s say someone has the Empathy Talent Theme.

Gallup describes the Empathy Talent Theme as: "People exceptionally talented in the Empathy theme can sense other people’s feelings by imagining themselves in others’ lives or situations".

Some possible Strengths could be:

• Being an attentive listener
• Being consoling when someone else is in distress
• Conscientious caregiver

What about a not-so-obvious Strength like:

• Being Relentless at investigating something

Maybe that person is using their Empathy Talent Theme to drive them to solve a case or problem for someone they see as a victim or suffering.  Maybe someone like a detective or even a doctor or nurse.

Example 2: Ideation

What about someone who has the Ideation Talent Theme?

Gallup describes the Ideation Talent Theme as: "People exceptionally talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seeming disparate phenomena".

Some possible Strengths could be:

• Enthusiastic at Brainstorming
• Adept at identifying untapped resources
• Innovative Risk-taker, Willing to try new things

What about a not-so-obvious Strength like:

• Inspiring Speaker – maybe that person is using their Ideation to inspire others with new Possibility

3 Points to emphasize about StrengthsFinder Talent Themes and Strengths

There are three main points that I want to stress regarding your Talents and Strengths:

1. Your Talent Themes (those raw ingredients) flavor how you do something. 
   • They can be front and center when it comes to your Strengths or they can mix in with other Talent Themes (which is called Theme Dynamics).
   • When your Talents mix with others, they may be hard to see at first glance, but they may be influencing your motivations or what drives your Strength.
2. Your Talent Theme combination is rare, and it’s so natural to who you are that you may not see it and may even undervalue it.
   
   • You may do the same activities as other people, but no one is going to see or do things the way you do.
   • Your Power is in your Individuality, and that can take you in different directions and even farther than others.  Embrace that.
3. Explore your Talent Themes to identify your Strengths.
   • Remember your results are not your Strengths, they’re your Talent Themes.
     They’re clues pointing you in the direction of your Strengths.
   • In fact you may have the same Talent Themes as someone else but have completely different Strengths as them.
   • How you express your Talents is individual to you.

Why differentiating Talent Themes and Strengths should matter to you

You could identify your Strengths and see how they tie back to your Talents (that is, your raw ingredients).

But I encourage you to take time to think about HOW you use your Talents in different arenas of your life: examples – problem-solving, getting things done, talking through ideas, relationships.  You may find Strengths you didn’t know were there.  Or, you may find language to describe HOW you do something.

Imagine your next big interview or getting-to-know-you discussion.  There’s a significant difference between saying "I’m good at solving problems" or "I’m good at solving problems because… I focus on the details, or I’m able to bring people from opposing groups to collaborate constructively, or I’m driven to solve problems because…"

Can you see the difference between an answer, and an answer with more depth that describes the value you add?  How you do differentiate yourself in HOW you do things?

Your CliftonStrengths results are a starting point for further exploration, but I see it as a cheat sheet too.  It’s powerful and helps you take a lot of direct, shorter routes.