Gallup research has shown that the 34 Talent Themes (and, note that it is called "themes" for a reason) are used within specific context most of the time. The 34 different themes of predominant thinking, feeling and behaving can be divided into four clusters, namely "Executing Themes", "Influencing Themes", "Relational Building Themes" and "Strategic Thinking Themes". (You can read more about the research on this in "Strengths Based Leadership" by Tom Rath (Gallup Press). In the next series of posts I would like to elaborate on each of the four "clusterings", as I like to call them. First, the Executional Themes...
Gallup sorted the so called Executional Themes as Achiever, Arranger, Belief, Consistency, Deliberative, Discipline, Responsibility, Restorative and Focus.
The first thing to keep in mind when studying these themes as being "executional", will be to keep in mind that each one refers to a predominant pattern of thought, feeling and behaviour. Interaction and dynamics between two or more talent themes has a definite and strong impact on each theme...thereby influencing and colouring the way the specific theme is manifested and used.
Overall, the 9 Executional Themes has shown to have a definite drive towards "getting things done". You could relate it to the so called "task orientation", or, when referring to the DISC profile, towards the D and C quadrants (generally speaking, but not as simplistic). Again: this should be approach as dynamic and interdependent.
Within the drive towards getting something done - mostly something tangible - each of these themes has a specific strong element. This element can be explained as follows:
- Achiever - goal oriented; "ticking the to-do list"
- Arranger - multi tasking; organizing the bigger picture
- Belief - value driven results
- Consistency - meet the ends within fairness and boundaries
- Deliberative - questioning the outcome and facts
- Discipline - results through routine and structure
- Responsibility - driven towards results through ownership
- Restorative - the drive to fix things, make it work or restoring wholeness
- Focus - hitting the target; zooming into the details.
Should you have some of the above Executional Themes within the higher level of your Talent Profile, it is most likely that the specific talent(s) will be the dominant drive towards getting things done or you reaching specific goals. A combination of two or more of these themes - especially within the top 5 grouping of your talents, will have a definite effect of an overall pattern towards executional (task oriented) thinking, feeling and behaving.
Sometimes you get it that someone has an overwhelming mix of a specific clustering - like 4 or even 5 out of 5 within their top 5 Talent Themes. In such instance someone will be an "do-er" or executioner to the extreme... they will be very strong in getting things done, reaching goals and hitting the target.
The cluster trap
Something that one must be very careful not to do, is to fall into the trap of generalization of these clusterings. Not having specific Executional Themes high in your mix, does not mean that you cannot get things done, hit the mark, reach the goal or be responsible for executional duties. Skills can be learned. That is the edge we have of being human. But when it comes to sustainable energy, and outlasting the rest within a field, someone with strong Executional Themes will be more suited towards a situation of getting things done, in the same manner that someone with strong Relational Themes will be more suited towards a situation where people and relational interaction is predominant.
I would love to hear your views and experience on specifically the Executional Themes. If you have some of them, how do you experience them in practice? If you do not have them high, do you compensate? How? If you are a coach or Talent Guide, what is your experience of this topic? Please post your comments.
Next time I will elaborate on the so called "Influencing Themes".
- by Dries Lombaard
Founder and Owner: Africanmosaic
Visit our Website: www.africanmosaic.com