Can I Use StrengthsFinder to Make Hiring Decisions?

By Louisa Warren, Senior Practice Consultant, Gallup Wouldn’t life be simple if we could just treat the Clifton StrengthsFinder as a wonderful menu, from which to pick and choose our new recruits -- to work with, to be our friends or even our life partners? Surely it would be better to have a “reading” of someone’s strengths before we take a risk on getting to know them? Well, yes, it would -- but there are serious and dangerous pitfalls if we mistakenly use the Clifton StrengthsFinder as a selection tool.  


A Developmental Tool: Talent Is Raw

Tempting as it is, we have to remember that the Clifton StrengthsFinder is a developmental tool; it gives a broad picture of someone’s talents, and only they can develop them into real strengths. This happens through dialogue with others and over time. We can never pick up someone’s StrengthsFinder profile and claim that we know that they have a talent for X and therefore it means Y. Now, clearly, common sense tells us that certain themes do make people more likely to be good in certain areas, but each person must have the right to describe what their own talents look like -- uniquely -- and how they would react in a certain role. Never assume, never presume.  


Recruiting Managers: No Dream Themes

Imagine you were looking for someone who would be a good manager. You might think someone with Learner and Developer has to be a good bet -- don’t they? In reality, someone having strong Learner talent may mean that a person is only interested in their own progress and learning; it tells us nothing about their capacity to share that learning with others. Even someone with Developer may be a person who is a broadly helpful and encouraging, but they might not be right for a manager role. What if they have no knack for communicating these ideas to others or considering implications of actions beyond development? You see how complicated it can get. Your dream candidate may reach specific outcomes, but will likely get there based on his or her unique set of talents, not the prescribed “best way” you attempt to define by searching for specific combination of themes.  


Predicting Success: Strengths Tell Us How, Not What we Do

Gallup has structured interviews that are developed through the careful study of excellence in a role, and these interviews are rigorously tested to make sure they predict the potential for high performance on the job. These interviews tend to measure a restricted number of attributes, with proven links to the role. Whereas Clifton StrengthsFinder has thirty-four themes and sometimes behaviors overlap. Imagine if you decided to look for someone who is ”well-organized.” Looking at the themes, you might pick Discipline. Yes, that person is likely to be good at organizing their own time. But can they organize others’ too? An Arranger, whilst retaining flexibility, can also be an excellent organizer -- they move the plan around, but they still get things done, often with and through others. Someone with Focus may structure their week (rather than their day) and, to the casual observer, look “organized.” As might a Maximizer -- efficiency is often their watchword, so this will drive them to be very organized when they want to be sure to get as much done as they can in the day. Even Achievers often make lists, so they have the satisfaction of ticking off each task as they achieve it. But picture someone with high Achiever and low Discipline -- they might start the day with a list, but as they get more and more involved in their work, they are getting a lot done, but oh dear, where did they leave that list? If you had chosen someone for a position because they had Achiever and you thought, “They get a lot done so they must be organized,” you might be disappointed when you find that certain details got overlooked in their push for high productivity in other areas. When it comes to selecting the right person for a role, certainly talent plays a part. We should always keep it to broad discussions about the type of role and, above all, the key is that the person themselves must be a part of that discussion. Legal, Ethical and Fair: Development and Selection Are different Arts in a Similar Science


When you find yourself tempted to use StrengthsFinder for recruitment, ask yourself, “Can I defend my decision if someone challenges me and says, ‘How do you know someone with that strength [or combination of strengths] is more productive in the role?’ How objective am I really being? Have I even allowed the individual to have a say in how their strengths work for them? Am I truly being fair?”

Even if you think the answer to some of these questions is “yes,” one thing remains indisputable: the StrengthsFinder tool has not been validated as a predictive measure of success in a given role. It has amazing potential when it comes to starting conversations about strengths and helping people to achieve excellence in their roles -- once a fair and objective assessment system has been used to put them there in the first place.
 
Gallup’s work in talent-based hiring is grounded in more than 40 years of research.  

How your natural talents affect the way you engage in conflict: The Executing Strengths

By Dries Lombaard; Director: Strategic Engagement - Strengths Institute South Africa

(This article is a follow-up on a previous post which you should read first as an introduction to the topic of "Conflict")


As explained in the previous article, each one of us has a unique approach towards conflict.  When we view this through the lens of your natural Strengths, it provides even more clarity on how you would most naturally engage in conflict.

First of all, an understanding of the alignment between the four Talent Domains and the five Conflict Styles should be observed. 

A simplified understanding of the four Talent Domains:

Executing Domain:  a natural energy and need for tangible results and realities.
Influencing Domain: a natural energy and need for response and reaction from others.
Relational Domain:  a natural energy and need for relationships and reassurance.
Thinking Domain:  a natural energy and need for reasoning and reflection.  

A simplified understanding of the five Conflict Styles:

Avoidance:  a predominant need not to engage in conflict at all.
Competition:  a predominant need to win when engaging in conflict.
Compromise:  a predominant need to let go and follow the trend when engaging in conflict.
Accommodation:  a predominant need to listen and create a solution for others when engaging in conflict.
Collaboration:  a predominant need to work together towards the best outcome possible when engaging in conflict.

Alignment between Executing Talents and the Conflict Styles:

When we study the needs of different talents, we see that not all Talent Themes will directly gravitate towards a single Conflict Style.  There is no exact scientific way to connect this.  The other, even more important factor, to keep in mind is that we have a unique mix of talents within our dominant needs (as translated well in the Top 5 to 10 talent theme sequence of the Clifton StrengthsFinder Report).  To know which combination of talent themes in your dominant mix will direct the need towards a specific Conflict Style can only accurately be determined through a Coaching discussion with someone.  One should never try to predict a persons approach by simply and exclusively using the StrengthsFinder sequence. (Read here for more clarity). 

Based on my own research and Strengths Coaching experience, I do see certain patterns within specific talent themes playing out in conflict engagement - and the observations I make on that is what I explain below.

Within the Executing Domain of talent, we see a need for results and reality which will influence the engagement in conflict. Let us observe the different Executing Themes from this perspective. (It may also be helpful to click on the specific Talent name which will direct you to a page where some specific challenges of managing the energy and need of that theme is explained.)

Achiever:  The theme of Achiever is all about a clinical drivenness towards reaching goals and achieving objectives. Achiever-emotions are directly linked towards the frustration of not being able to reach a goal or objective within a pre-set time frame, or the elation when goals and objectives are met accordingly.
This will give Achievers the tendency to gravitate more towards the Conflict Styles of Competition or Collaboration, simply because it is most hands-on and will lead to the achievement of goals.

How best to approach them in conflict:  Collaborate or Compete.

Arranger:  Arrangers need to stay busy, work on many things at once and create results in an organized manner.  Their emotions are linked to the frustration that may come from not having many things on their plate at once, or not having the resources to get things done.  Their fulfillment and joy is also directly linked towards a "well-executed plan" where things are working and progress are made over the total project perspective.  Therefor I have seen Arrangers to gravitate towards Accommodation, Compromise and Collaboration styles of conflict depending on which one will be most productive in the broader scheme of things. 

How best to approach them in conflict:  Collaborate or Compromise.

Belief:  The theme of Belief is a talent that acts and executes from strong conviction.  I like to call it a "conditional" talent as its execution will be conditional according to values, beliefs and conviction.  They can become extremely upset and completely disengage when things are going against their values or beliefs - and will be just as committed if it aligns with what they believe in.
I experience people with this talent to alternate between the Conflict Styles of Competition and Avoidance - depending on their convictions.  Expect strong, emotional push-back when they stand up for their convictions!

How best to approach them in conflict: Accommodate.

Consistency:  A very clinical and clear-cut approach to execution. People with Consistency will tend to follow the rules, the policies, the procedures and the regulations.  Some may see this as a "Black-and-White" approach.  Consistency have a sense for right and wrong that they simply back up with the rules or policies, and can therefor be extremely difficult to persuade to go beyond it.
The Conflict Styles that aligns with Consistency best will also be Competition and Avoidance - very much in the same way as Belief, but much more clinical and backed with rules and regulations.

How best to approach them in conflict:  Collaborate.

Deliberative:  As a natural investigator and extremely risk averse, the theme of Deliberative is naturally cautious and skeptical. They are brilliant at asking tough questions and exploring the risks and dangers.  They have a strong need to be heard, rather than to make the final decision.  If they feel they are not being heard, they simply withdraw.  If the engage, expect meticulous criticism.
With this in mind, the Deliberative theme will be most comfortable in the Competition, Avoidance or the Collaboration styles - the latter especially when they feel they are taken seriously and being heard.

How best to approach them in conflict: Collaborate or Compromise.

Discipline:  This is the talent of "structure".  People with this talent will have a calm, orderly, structured and routinized approach towards conflict.  They tend to also think very structured and even possess structured and calm emotions.  With them you know what to expect...they are in a way refreshingly predictable.
This structured approach and even-keeled interaction will tend to make them gravitate towards Collaboration, Compromise and Accommodation styles of conflict - unless it means they have to collaborate with chaos, accommodate unstructured behaviour consistently or compromise towards unplanned change all the time. 

How best to approach them in conflict:  Collaborate or Compromise.

Focus:   When I think of this talent I think of a Sniper:  tenacious, accurate and meticulous in execution. They are single minded, focused and always have a specific outcome in mind. You can see them as Achievers with exact coordinates. 
This may have the effect in conflict of them being focused on very specific details of the argument, addressing it point-by-point before moving on.  They will most probably have a tendency towards the styles of Competition and Collaboration.   

How best to approach them in conflict:  Collaborate or Compete. 

Responsibility: The talent of Responsibility can be seen as Achiever with strong emotion towards taking their work or results personal.  The absolutely need to deliver, and if possible they prefer to deliver to a person - not just complete a task.  This talent often need very strong management of their energy as it could easily hijack the owner with it's sense of ownership and responsibility.  
People with this strong talent may choose the conflict styles of Collaboration, Competition or Accommodation in order for them to deliver.  

How best to approach them in conflict:  Collaborate or Accommodate.

Restorative:  The fixer or healer.  Restorative people love problems and want to be actively engaged in fixing it or getting a solution.  The essence here is that the need to be actively involved in fixing - it should not be a strategic or analytical process for them only.
This energy may even cause them to see the weakness firts and engage with it.
People with this talent may tend to move towards a style of conflict that will get them to fix the issue, therefor it may most likely be Collaboration, Competition or, if it will fix the issue, even Compromise.

How best to approach them in conflict:  Collaborate, Accommodate or Compromise.


In the next post I will unpack the talents that most probably love conflcit most of all, the Influencing Talent Themes, and their approach towards conflict. 



Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strengths Institute South Africa, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade.  He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator. 

If you are true to living your Strengths, expect these emotions...

by Dries Lombaard


Emotions are a part of being alive.  We all experience very different emotions every day, to various degrees of intensity.  Without it, we will not be human.
A true challenge for maturity is being emotionally intelligent - a buzz-word in our time.  In my opinion being emotionally intelligent can be reduced to two very simple realities:

First, being aware why you feel the emotions you experience, and secondly
being able to manage your behaviour and reactions towards those feelings in an appropriate manner.

When it comes to being aware of your personal Strengths and Weaknesses (or Talents, as I like to call them), there are two very distinct emotions that comes with those two realities.

With strengths comes the feelings of energy, fulfillment, engagement or positive experience.
With weakness comes the feelings of being drained, out of control, incapable or simply weak.

This is to be expected and nothing really new.

What I did find though, especially within my work with teams and organizations, is that people are not prepared for two very specific emotions that they experience the moment that the team (or partners) decide to intentionally become more "Strengths-based" - thus allowing different Talents to flow freely in a practical and confident manner.  They actually expect it to be a wonderful place where only strong emotions of unity, admiration and validation exists.

They are mostly caught off guard when that is not the case at all.  And then, unfortunately, the false expectations leads many of them to blame the "Strengths-based approach" to be misfiring or even failing.

These two emotions are a given when a team becomes fluent in, and liberated to play to their strengths:

Frustration and irritation.

Yes, you read it correctly.  Frustration and irritation with your team members or partners are a given whenever strengths shows up and starts to flow.  Have no illusion about this.

The source of these two emotions is also quite clear:  as soon as others have the freedom and confidence to be exactly who they are from a strengths perspective, and choose to take up the role and responsibility to let it out in manners of making it visible, audible and practical, their difference from us shines brightly, and often that difference is something that we experience as immense frustration or irritation.

You see, up to then, in my experience, we hid our frustration and irritation behind a passive aggressive layer of making others "feel good" by simply not speaking up, showing up or acting up at every opportunity where our natural strengths need to play openly.  When we are liberated from that hindrance, we simply love it!  But, we are also confronted by others showing up with who they are and what they have to offer with energy, conviction and passion.

Also, at its core, these emotions points to specific connections:  we feel frustrated when others do not understand or "get" our strengths at play, and we feel irritated when others play to their (often misunderstood) strengths at their turn.

What to do when these emotions surface:

• First of all, understand the source.  Understand where it comes from, and that it is actually a normal validation of different talents at play, rather that a sign of something gone wrong.  As I often tell the teams I work with:  "Difference is not wrong.  Difference is strong."
• Secondly, acknowledge your own frustration and irritation as - mostly - your own lack of understanding for the contribution from someone else's talents.  This is especially necessary when you are part of a team or a partnership that has a history of not speaking up or acting up, and actually played the game of passive aggressive tolerance of difference rather than let the unique energy and need of each member flow.
• Third:  channel the emotions wisely rather than suppressing it.  Use the frustration or irritation as an indicator towards exactly those areas where you probably need help most.  Mostly, you resist it because it drains you.  Not because it is wrong.  If you see someone else through the lens of what they bring as a strong contribution rather than through your (limited) lens of your own energy and need, you will experience that you actually start to admire that difference.
• Fourthly, also differentiate between a well-managed talent at play in others and in yourself, and a miss managed talent that often causes someone or yourself to be hijacked by the natural flow of energy and need.  All frustrating and irritating behaviour in others and in yourself is not necessarily an indication of a well managed talent at play.  It may well be that someone need to adjust their behaviour.  If this is true, be gracious in your approach.  Do not belittle their talent.  Rather offer help to make it function better.  (For more on the management of each of the different talent themes, read this post.)
• Finally, help create a safe environment for strengths to play.  Some talents simply need to be heard - listen to them.  Others need to substantiate and provide proof - let them.  Some talents are focused on the emotions of others - allow them that. Some talents are fast, while others are slow.  Be aware of it.  Make room for people to bring their talent needs forward without fear of rejection or fear of being patronized.  And this starts with you.  Not with the manager.  Not with your colleague.  With you.  Show awareness of difference in a positive way, and become the student of all talents and strengths at play.

For some it is surprising that a Strengths-based team is actually a team with much more interaction, confrontation, collaboration and debate that a team where people simply show up and nod in agreement.  Becoming a Strengths-based team means you can live with the reality of different energy and need at play.  You won't fear it, block it or resist it.  You will encourage it.

A Strengths-based team or partnership allows frustrations and irritations in a mature manner, because they understand at the end it leads to celebration and affirmation.  

And such a team, or partnership, believe me, is a thing of beauty.

Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strengths Institute South Africa, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over more than a decade.  He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa and Africa as a continent, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach, Consultant and training facilitator.  

Understanding "Weakness" from a Strengths Coaching perspective

by Dries Lombaard


"Embrace your Weaknesses"

I love to see the expression on peoples faces when I make the above statement.  It is a foreign concept to most.  It is as if we have been conditioned to be ashamed of our natural weaknesses.  
To hide it, hate it, or ignore it.

Or then, in an effort not to have weakness, to spend as much energy as possible on it to try and fix it, improve it and erase it.

Unfortunately none of the above strategies have the results you hope for.  Your weaknesses are a reality just like your strengths.  No person is without it. 

It is essential to understand the meaning of Weakness just like we explained the meaning of Strength in Part 1 of this Blog. So let's unpack some of it's characteristics.

1. Weakness is a severe lack of energy

• The biggest misconception out there, is that weakness and lack of skill is the same thing.  Not so.  You can be the most skilled person in the room, and still be building on a weakness.  How do you know?  Skill won't energise you.  Talent does.  When you add knowledge, skill and experience to natural talent, you have a strength.
• It is important to keep in mind that weakness is not lack of ability.  Weakness is the lack of sustainability.  You may operate pretty well in some of your weaknesses, especially if you rely on skill to do so.  But be very sure:  it is not sustainable.  Just like playing a shot from the bunker in golf, you can play a brilliant shot. But should I ask you to play it again, and again....you will probably find it more and more difficult to repeat your success from relying on your skill alone.  
• In the same way as we are wired with sustainable energy within certain areas of talent, we have a lack of energy for other areas.  This reality cause us to feel weak, drained or demotivated when we have to engage with specific thoughts, emotions or behaviours.  

2. Weakness cause resistance

• Weakness is not alone a lack of energy towards specific thoughts, emotions or behaviour.  It is is actual resistance towards it. You will - consciously or sub-consciously - resist certain ways of doing things, certain patterns of thinking or certain emotional expressions or interactions.  That in itself is normal, and just as part of who you are as your energy and needs allow you to be.

3. You should manage your weaknesses and your exposure to them

• Sometimes I explain the effect of your Non Patterns (weaknesses) have on you by comparing it to the effect Kryptonite has on Superman. It steals his super-powers.  It makes him feel weak.  Eventually it has the ability to kill him.  Now, operating within your weaknesses won't kill you like Kryptonite does Superman!  But it will have a very specific negative effect on you if you are consistently exposed to it. A draining, weakening effect.  
• Because of this you need to do the same to your weaknesses as you would do with the bunkers on a golf course.  Avoid them.  Play around them, or over them.  Intentionally try as hard as you can to not having to rely on your natural weaknesses.  This is exactly why you should know what your natural weaknesses are, and how they manifest in different areas or situations of you life.  If you know that, you know what to avoid.
• You cannot always avoid being in a specific situation, among specific people or faced with a specific challenge.  When life takes you places you do not prefer to go, you need to be able and skilled to handle the roads.  This is exactly why there is no such thing as "ignore your weaknesses".  You cannot ignore them.  You need to embrace them.  But, you should not invest more in them than the absolute minimum time and effort you need in order for it NOT to be a detriment to your Strengths. 
• An important part of you managing your weakness is being open to yourself and to others when it comes to the expectations and realities you - and they - will face when you are functioning within your Non Patterns, or your "weakness space" if I can call it that.  Do not try to hide your weaknesses.  Communicate them openly - not as an excuse but as a reality.  Simply make others aware that they will not get the same energy, results or performance from you when you play from your Non Patterns, as they will when you play from your Dominant Themes.  In most cases people wo live or work with you will in any case know that even better than you do, as they often observe how you struggle better than you think.  So, embracing your weaknesses means you stop hiding them or stop covering them up with excuses.  

4. Making up for your Weaknesses

• You should develop the knowledge and skill to make up for your natural weakness, as life will take you there if you choose to or not.  You cannot tell your boss "Sorry, I am not wired to hand in reports", or tell you friends "I am actually not naturally supportive at all."  Well, actually you can do it. But the result will be defining to your career and relationships - in a negative way.  As human beings we are able to acquire an amazing array of skills. Yes, you probably can do anything you want to in life - but as I often tell my children, the fact that you can does not mean that you should.  Choose the places where you invest your energy in carefully.  But when it comes to the draining effect of Weakness on us, obtaining the knowledge, skill and experience to at least "keep the vehicle on the road" is essential. We call that, in many cases, life skills.  These are the skills teenagers and young people lack - and you can observe it in the results of their actions and decisions.  
• When making up for weakness with skill you should understand that it is sometimes "soft skills" and other times "hard skills".  In order to understand and operate in my business I had to obtain the hard skills of using and understanding spreadsheets and budgets.  I hate every moment of working with it.  But obtaining the skills (even very basic) made all the difference in me managing it.  I also constantly have to obtain certain emotional skills in my life.  It does not come natural to me.  But, as I choose to manage my emotions I handle my weaknesses in that area with a lot more grace and efficiency. These weaknesses is not a detriment to me any longer, as I developed the skills to at the very least "keep the vehicle on the road during a storm." 
• Another way to make up for the draining effect of your weakness is to work in a team or partnership with someone who is strong where you are weak.  Somebody who loves the stuff you hate.  Who get energised by the exact things that drains the life out of you.  Actually, I find that in most life partnerships, we tend to gravitate towards a partner or spouse that is completely opposite than we are.  What a team!  But in business and other areas of life we need to be very intentional in doing exactly this.  Find out who sits up straight when your shoulders drop, who smile when you frown, who picks up speed when you slow down, who makes the call when you hesitate, who brings the intuition when you bring the facts, who finishes well if you start well....those are your true partners who will make the team work and win with you.  Study the best teams or best partnerships.  You will see how it is in their difference that they are strong.

5. The myth of "My Strength is my Weakness"

• Your natural Strengths will never be your weakness, simply because it will never weaken you.  It is your ability to manage the energy that comes with that talent that makes you experience it as a weakness.  But, it is actually a detriment. Just like the super power of a Super Hero character cause them detriment
• Yes, the result of an overused Strength can cause detriment.  But detriment is different than weakness.  Detriment can be changed into advantage. Weakness cannot be changed into Strength.  (Do not confuse talent and skill in this point!)
• What drains and weakens you, will always have that effect of you.  You can mitigate and manage the effect by adding knowledge and skill, and you should. But is stays a weakness - not sustainable and not a good investment of time and energy.  

"A well manage talent becomes a Strength. A miss managed talent becomes a detriment."   

So, the effect of your talent is determined by how you manage it.  If you don't manage the energy and need well, it will become an obstacle to yourself and others.  

Don't play towards your weaknesses. Avoid the bunkers.  

But when you do get stuck in them, do not be overwhelmed or paralysed.  Play to the situation as best you can.  Learn from every move.  

Then - get out of there as soon as you can.

The challenge of life is to play the whole field.  We have 34 Talent Themes. Some strong. Others weak.  But there is nothing we cannot do.

The right question is:  What should you be doing?

Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strategic Leadership Institute and NeuWorx, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade.  He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator.  

Understanding "Strength" from a Strengths Coaching perspective

By Dries Lombaard



"Focus on your Strengths".

You must have heard this often before.  Still, how many of us understand what it really means?

What do you reply when asked in a job interview to elaborate on your "Strengths" and "Weaknesses"?  

I can tell you what the most common answers are to this question:

"I am a hard worker."

"I am very reliable."

"I am good with people."

"I get things done."

Serious. That seems to be the depth of our general understanding of what strengthens us.

And when asked about weaknesses, we do not do much better:

"I am a perfectionist."

"I take on too much."

"I say what I think."

"I dream too big."

Oh my word....

Through my interaction with people during the past decade as a Strengths Consultant, and in more than 7000 hours of Strengths-interaction with individuals and teams, I realized that one huge mistake is to assume that people understand what "Strength" and "Weakness" really mean.

Most often, they understand a Strength to be either a virtue, or a skill.  

It is neither.

As for weakness, in almost all cases they understand a weakness to be the detriment they experience when their Strengths play too strong.

So, let me explain the meaning of Strength and Weakness, from a Strengths Coaching perspective.

1. Strengths align with natural Talent.

In order to understand where your true strength is located, you first have to understand your natural talent.  With talent I do not refer to physical talent like athleticism or being musical. I refer to the natural wiring you have within your emotional, intellectual and physical sustainability.  Still too vague?  OK, let me unpack it like this:

•   Talent is natural energy.

• Do you have the natural energy to spend time with people in an emotional setting?  That's a talent.
• Do you have the natural energy to spend time analyzing numbers, patterns or data?  That’s a talent.
• Do you have the natural energy to finish everything you start, no matter what the circumstance?  That's natural talent.
• Do you have the natural energy to come up with brand new ideas, to brainstorm and to be creative with your mind?  That's natural talent.
• Do you have the natural energy to confront challenges with vigor and with certainty?  That's natural talent.

•   Talent is natural need.

• Do you have the natural need to research, gather information, read and collect interesting stories or facts?  That's a natural talent.
• Do you have the natural need to spend time with people with potential, in order to develop them with small steps of progress and growth?  That's natural talent.
• Do you have the natural need to take risks, go it alone and do things that most people rather won't try?  That's natural talent.
• Do you have the natural need to be ordered, neat, structured and plan everything you do in detail before doing it?  That's natural talent.

•   Talent is not mere ability. Talent is sustainability.

• The fact that you can do something, even do it very well, is not a measure of talent.  That is an indication of skill. Talent is measured by your sustainable endurance to keep on engaging with aligned activities in an above average manner of performance and passion.

•   Talent do not "change" (get replaced) over time.

◦   From late puberty or early adulthood, talent is pretty much hard wired within each one of us. It was formed by both nature (our DNA) and nurture (our upbringing). Your values can change over time. Your interest can change. Your passion can change. Your ability can change. Your experience can change. Your knowledge can change. But your talents - the sustainable energy and need that feeds you from within and drives you in a specific direction of performance?  That is developed over time. Don't confuse a talent being developed with a talent being changed or replaced.

•   Talent can be clearly defined - just like knowledge or skill.

◦   The energy and need that you experience within your thought-patterns, your emotional patterns or your behavioral patterns, can be clearly defined and explained. It is not vague and mysterious,  Research over the past fourty to fifty years has contributed to a wealth of definition of human talent.

•   Talent can be measured - just like knowledge or skill.

◦   The Gallup Organization is a world leader in research and the collection of data and information.  You probably heard about them with the well known "Gallup Polls", relied upon during the American Presidential elections.  Gallup is also a leader in the research of human talent.  With the groundbreaking work started by the late Dr Donald Clifton (1924-2003) and continued to this day, Gallup developed an online assessment to measure the natural levels of your talents within a sequence of 34 defined Talent Themes, the Clifton StrengthsFinder. Ranking it from "strongest" to "weakest", it is probably the best tool available for personal awareness and development of natural talent into Strengths.  

2. Strengths must be developed - or they stagnate.

•   A well-managed talent becomes a strength. A mismanaged talent becomes a detriment.

◦   Once you understand the natural energy and need connected to your talents, you have the duty and the challenge to manage that specific energy and need well.  If you do, your energy and your need creates the sustainable fuel for you to reach new levels every day.  If you don't, that very same energy and need can become the detriment and boulder in your way towards performance and satisfaction.  This is exactly why people see some of their strongest energy - mismanaged - as a weakness, like too perfectionistic, procrastination, too driven, too soft hearted, dreaming too big or making decisions too fast.  It is not a weakness, it is mismanaged energy that causes a detriment. And you CAN manage your natural talents well, if you know how to control the energy and the need.  (This is exactly where Strengths Coaching becomes so essential and valuable!)

•   Talent + Knowledge + Skill + Experience = STRENGTH.

◦   Talent alone is mere potential.  In order to use your talent well, you need to develop it.  And developing talent is done in practice - by using it.  

◦   Talent and knowledge:  Knowledge is an essential building block of talent.  You need to have knowledge about the specific talent (awareness), but then, you need to acquire knowledge in the specific area where the relevant talent(s) provide energy and need.  Often knowledge is directed towards "passion" or "interest", and that is correct.  But once you understand your specific talent needs and energy, you can become much more specific within the knowledge you acquire in order for the talent to become a strength.

◦   Talent and skill:  You can acquire pretty much any skill you want.  Limit to skill lies in physical, emotional and intellectual ability, but still one can go very far with "hard work".  Skill is the abilities you develop.  Talent is the sustainability to keep on using skills.  Again, if you develop and acquire skills within the correct alignment of your talents, you are on a pathway to success and engagement that may surprise you!

◦   Talent and Experience:  Talent, just like skill, must be practiced.  It is a matter of "use it or lose it".  You need to become, and to stay "talent fit."  The more experience you have within your talentedness, the stronger you will play and the more value you will add to whatever you do.  Experience means most when it is gained very specifically and focused.  If experience is not aligned with talent, it is mostly only wasted time.

•   Talent development is intentional.

◦   All too often do I encounter people who believe that talent will develop and grow simply like the body does.  It probably will, but if not exercised, fed and developed with intention, your talent potential will not be reached.

◦   No matter what industry, field or discipline:  if you study people who are successful and fulfilled, and recognized as being so, they will be able to share with you a life story of intentional talent development - aligned with the acquisition of knowledge, skill and experience.

•   The development of talent is measured in TIME.

◦   Time is basically the only measurable element we cannot get back, once we have used it.  That is also the reason time is so precious.  Talent development is directly and proportionally in line with the time you spend to develop it.

◦   Many individuals and companies are not willing to make the investment of time within talent development.  The result is that they can only rely on the knowledge, skill and experience people bring - and all too often the energy lacks, and the needs of individuals are not fulfilled.  Disengagement follows.  Be willing to invest time in talent development.  The return on this investment - if done intentionally and accurately - will be beyond belief.

Next time when you are asked the question "What are your Strengths?", I hope you are able to NOT give a mundane, generic answer, based on general abilities.

I hope you clarify the question by maybe first asking "Do you mean my Strengths, or are you referring to my knowledge, skills and experience?".  That will already make them think twice about their own question....

Remember that your Strengths are a combination of what Strengthens you out of natural energy and natural need, combined with relevant and specific knowledge, skill and experience.  If I am asked the question "What are your Strengths?", I will reply in more or less the following way:

"I have a well developed Strength in moving people with high potential towards new levels of performance they did not see as possible. I know how to spot the exact potential in people, and then I have the skill and experience to help people excel from good to great faster than expected.  This is also known as the Maximizer Strength.

I have enormeous capacity for information - obtaining it, researching it, processing it and turning it into skill. New information, learning and ideas are my thing, and when I have the freedom and opportunity to use my capacity for reading, researching, writing and teaching, I have the skill to share the information in ways that help others understand, grow and excel. I obtained the skill and experience to be a brilliant facilitator, teacher and trainer.

This is also known as a combination of the Strengths of Learner, Ideation, Input and Intellection.

I also have the well developed Strength to be very responsive in the moment.  I can change direction in an instant. I love pressure and respond to new agendas, schedules and challenges with high energy. I developed the management of this energy to a degree that is became a Strength which sets me apart from most others.  You will not easily catch me off balance.  As long as it is within my field of expertise, you can bring it on without even giving me a heads-up.  I will respond, and respond brilliantly. I am flexibly and responsive to the utmost. This is also known as the Strength of Adaptability.

I bring with me also a natural radar for risk.  I need time to think things through, and if you want someone to play devils advocate and spot the risks in a planned action or direction, I am your guy. I can look at the facts and data in a very sceptical and analytical manner, and once I believe it can be done, you can rest assured that all boxes are checked. Some call it pessimism. I call it a Strength, because I can apply it well.  So if you want a Strength of careful consideration before action, built on facts and deep deliberation, I am that person. It is also known as the combined Strengths of Analytical and Deliberative.

If you can live with the above energy and needs combined, and be assured that I am very aware of the pitfalls of each, and therefor I have spent many years in developing my knowledge, skills and experience around it in order to use it best, then I am your guy.  These are my Strengths."

Next time:  Understanding Weakness from a Strength Coaching perspective

Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strategic Leadership Institute and Neuworx, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade.  He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator.