MORE ABOUT ME

The aim of my website is to provide a window – for those who don't know me or haven't worked with me – into who I am personally and professionally! I figured that one of the best ways to objectively describe myself is through sharing my results from the Gallup Strengths Insight Guide via Don Clifton's StrengthsFinder 2.0 – it proved to be an introspective exercise that I recommend to anyone who is curious about identifying and harnessing their top 5 talents. My top 5 talent themes (helpful quotes from the assessment included) are: 

• Harmony – "You look for areas of agreement... When you know that the people around you hold differing views, you try to find the common ground. You try to steer them away from confrontation and toward harmony... You usually create a hospitable environment for all your teammates. Chances are good that you may detect impending conflict sooner than some people do. Perhaps this awareness can be attributed to your insights into what specific individuals think or feel."

• Includer – "You are an instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast few judgements... Your accepting nature does not necessarily rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should respect those differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equally important... By nature, you feel a natural affection for humankind."

• Restorative – "You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. You create opportunities for yourself to acquire skills and knowledge in areas that do not come to you naturally or easily. Instinctively, you constantly search for ways to better yourself by making changes or corrections."

• Competition – "You like measurement because it facilitates comparison. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they produce a winner... Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you don't compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win... Chances are good that you are typically enthused about what you can accomplish in the coming months, years, or decades. Your ability to think about the future naturally feeds your desire to be the very best."

• Adaptability – "Unlike some, you don't resent sudden requests or unforeseen detours. You expect them. They are inevitable... You are, at heart, a very flexible person who can stay productive when the demands of work are pulling you in many different directions at once... You understand the wisdom of long distance runners who set a pace that suits their body, mind and spirit... By nature, you traditionally decide all is well in your life when you allow each day to unfold on its own terms."

 

The best part about this exercise was that it revealed strengths that weren't inherently obvious to me (restorative, adaptability), and for the ones that I could easily identify (harmony, competitive) it provided me with a new way of thinking about these traits, how to utilize them in the workplace, and how I've used them in past projects.

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