Monday, November 18, 2013

StrengthsQuest and Personal Growth

First off, I know not all of my readers are well-versed in the world of StrengthsQuest. So I will briefly explain it.

What is StrengthsQuest:
So basically, you take this really in-depth test that's about 160-175 questions long. It takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. It asks questions such as, "I would much rather take charge in a situation than sit back and observe." Then it calculates your answers to some fancy unknown algorithm. and out of 34 different possible strengths, it tells you your top 5.

It was created because many professionals and career fields are often driven by the thought of needing to improve their weaknesses to remain competitive. According to researchers, this notion goes against the reality of what we're able to do. The fact is, our weaknesses are just that. They will always remain that way, and that's okay, we're human! Sure, we can work to improve, but they will remain inferior to our stengths.

What the test does is highlight those strengths and provide some tools for us to highlight those Strengths in our everyday life. Whether it be school, work, families, etc, we can be better people and more productive in our lives when we know what we can do well. It's an amazing tool and is slowly becoming the norm in colleges and universities alike.

My Strengths:
I originally took a StrengthsFinder test for RA training needs in the summer of 2010. Back then, my results were:
1.) Consistency
2.) Positivity
3.) Harmony
4.) Developer
5.) Communication

(I won't go into depth with these because they're old. But I just wanted to show for comparative purposes.)

For my new job, we were required to inform our supervisor(s) of our strengths. I didn't think my old strengths reflected my personality today, so I decided to take it - three years later, and this is what I got:
1.) Connectedness
2.) Maximizer
3.) Communication
4.) Developer
5.) Individualization

When I saw the new results, I was surprised initially. But after a few moments of reflection, it made a lot of sense. With just eight words, I saw a flash of the past three years and how I've grown as a person.

What Does It Mean:
First off, there are lengthy, in-depth definitions that I could provide, but then you would be reading forever. So I will say what I think/feel about each one. I've also provided the link if you want more information on what all 34 Strengths are/mean.

Connectedness: It means I'm a believer. I believe that everyone and everything in our world is intertwined together in some sort of fashion. I believe that everything has a purpose and everything happens for a reason, great or small. I take this as a very philosophical-based concept, and that's how I base my entire life. So, it makes sense for it to be my number one.

Maximizer: This one is my favorite. When I first read that this was in my top 5, I was upset. I thought, "Oh great, I've just been labeled as a perfectionist..." No one wants to be labeled as that. But after these past few months of me taking the time to appropriately reflect on what it means, I LOVE IT! This terms says that I make things better. I find a process, product, thought, or idea, and improve it. I seek out the strengths in individuals and help them highlight their own abilities. How great is that?!

Communication: This one has been in my top five both times, which means it holds a lot of strength for me. Also, seeing that it's gone up in the list means saying that I value communication in real life actually holds true. "Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them,
to make them exciting and vivid." It's so true.

Developer: I think this one is perfect and goes hand in hand with Maximizer. This is also something that has been of constant value of mine through the years. Basically, it says I love bringing the best out of people and working to develop them as an individual. (I think this also means I'm in the right profession.) Which brings me to my next and final Strength.

Individualization: I hate labeling people and can see unique qualities in each and every person. It also says I'm a great gift giver (even though I find it to be one of the most stressful things for me). I love that I have this Strength, because I really think it ties all of my Strengths together. I love people, and even though I often say that I can't stand them, I don't. I truly love people, and I think there's beauty in everyone - some are just more difficult to find than others.

Why Share All of This:
Long story short? Comparing my current Strengths with ones from three years ago, I can see in an instant the amount of growth that has occurred in me as a person. I can see my motivation, my drive, how I want to develop myself even further in the next couple of years while I'm still in graduate school. When I become a true professional in the field. I use my Strengths everyday at work, in my personal life, and I've seen them come to fruition throughout my class work this semester.

My Challenge to You:
Whether you've taken the test or not, take some time to evaluate your Strengths. Do you know what you're good at? Do you take advantage of them?

If you're a professional, did you take the test, think about them until the day after, and let them gather dust in the back of your mind? Or do you take the time to implement your Strengths in your everyday work? If you're a strategic thinker, and you're sitting in a meeting not saying anything, unhappy, maybe you should utilize that amazing quality within yourself and contribute! Ask questions! I promise you'll be a lot happier. A lot more satisfied. You'll feel useful, valuable, important.

You are those things. You just need to feel it yourself. Everyone else already does. Utilize your strengths. Stop focusing on the 'I can't's,' and more so on the 'I can's!"

I dare you.

Thanks for reading,
<3 Tawny

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