How to Turn your Natural Strengths into your Greatest Allies
Our Strengths don't work in silos, they’re a balancing act. I see this truth play out in what I've heard from many of my Coaching clients as well — that their transition during this pandemic runs the gamut from challenging days to moments of settling in and working on embracing the positives.
When we intentionally use our Strengths, we improve our well-being. Our Strengths enable us to apply our natural advantages, which energize us and help us focus on the tasks at hand. This is especially true and even more beneficial during high-stress times like the ones we're facing now. Now that we've identified this powerful nugget of knowledge, let's use it to our advantage and leverage our automatic responses to their greatest capacity.
Turning Strengths into Actions
CliftonStrengths are grouped into four domains based on how the themes work together to accomplish goals. To help you tap into your natural Strengths, below are a few action items to help you leverage your Strengths in each domain along with bonus challenges to bring your Strengths to your team.
Executing Domain — "How do you make things happen?"
Getting Organized & Completing Tasks
Your to-do list might be overwhelming since your home and work responsibilities are currently folded into each other. There are a few ways to regain a sense of control according to your Strength.
Achievers, categorize your one long list or multiple lists into clear cut and manageable goals. Everything can’t get done at once so create direction.
Arrangers, utilize your flexibility to realign your priorities in these constantly shifting times. Your agile approach is an asset during this time so be sure to use it.
For those with Focus, take a look at your list and assign priority rankings to the items remembering that not everything can be number one.
Those with Consistency or Discipline, channel your efforts into putting a new structure together for your work/home responsibilities. Creating order comes naturally to you and it’s something we all need right now.
Restorative should create concrete priorities around the need to fix everything since as we all know, in these times, it can feel like everything needs to be fixed.
Those with Responsibility should reach out to others to share the burden of to-do lists and workloads. This will free up the mind for new initiatives and priorities.
With Belief, confirm your work priorities are aligned with the organization's values, which could be off track during this confusing time.
Those with Deliberative take serious care in making decisions and choices, allow yourself the time to make these assessments and gain those valuable insights.
Bonus: Lend an Executing hand to those on your team —- If you know someone on your team who is struggling with organization, prioritization, timelines and due dates, offer your Executing talents and help them implement solutions and accomplish goals.
Influencing Domain — "How do you influence others?"
Speaking Up & Taking Charge
Your team members may be feeling especially overwhelmed or hesitant about speaking up right now and might appreciate having someone help them express themselves. For all those Strengths in the Influencing Domain, here’s how to activate them now.
Activators, you are catalysts for action for those who feel traumatized or stuck. While you’re checking in with others, be sure to do that with yourself as well.
Communication talents are all about being understood and that understanding and can help to craft the right narrative, especially now.
Maximizers, who are all about sorting for excellence, can determine the best direction. Maintain that positivity and drive even now as you navigate these uncertain times.
Those with Self Assurance have confidence that can generate enthusiasm. Lean into that and you can be your sense of stability in these ever-changing times.
Significance can think about the biggest and best impact, a vital tool for sorting out the noise of today’s chaotic world and focusing on what’s important.
Command individuals, rally the team with your bold presence, you’ve got the power to make something happen!
WOOers thrive at engaging with others and crave that interaction. Seek out virtual opportunities, whether personal or professional, and flex your WOO muscle.
For Competition, you succeed at visualizing your goals and infusing them with the energy to come to life. Lean on that ability especially now and watch what happens.
Bonus: Lend an influencing hand when you see someone needs an advocate whether that’s helping them use their voice or speaking up for the team.
Relationship Building Domain — "How do you build and nurture strong relationships?
Connecting
Social distancing doesn't mean emotional distancing. This is the time to let down your vulnerability cloak and just check-in with others. Whether it's someone on your team, vendors, current/former clients, or industry partners, leaning into your Relationship Building talents is critical, necessary, and will be deeply appreciated.
Empathy is a powerful tool, capable of hearing the unasked questions and seeing the needs of others, so don’t hold back on using it now.
Those with Positivity can find the bright light and lean into positive affirmations that may be helpful during this time.
Relators are magnets for 1:1 conversations, why not make it over voice/video rather than an email or text to maximize the positive effects?
If Harmony is your talent, use it to make sure everyone is comfortable with the direction to stay ahead of unhealthy conflict and tap into Includers, who can make sure no one feels left out.
Those with Adaptability have a knack of going with the flow, a behavior that helps take the pressure off during these high-stress times.
Since Developers gain satisfaction in helping others, they should put this in full throttle.
Those with Connectedness, look into all your connections beyond just your immediate team. Your natural big picture thinking will help sort out the noise.
Those with Individualization can help to customize the approach that's needed. Many situations do not call for a one size fits all approach and this is when Individualization shines.
Bonus: Lend a Relationship Building hand to those on your Team - You may have team members who are so embedded in the tactical weeds they forget the important checks-ins. The reminder will be welcome.
Strategic Thinking Domain — "How do you absorb, think about, and analyze information and situations?"
Thinking Post-pandemic
Who would have thought our world would be turned upside down and all those new projects, business projections, acquisitions, or plans for expansion would get sidelined? Despite the curveball, it’s important to determine the right time to move from crisis management into planning for the future and thinking about “what next?” There are so many times we tend to stifle or limit these types of conversations because we are so busy with our tactical agenda. Now’s the time to sit in the Strategic Thinking space.
Calling all Learners and Input talents — read, learn, discover, and share all this knowledge you are uncovering. It’s the perfect time to feel inspired.
Ideation thinkers have a wonderful capacity for innovative thinking and that will serve them now more than ever as they navigate a changing world.
Those with Strategic Thinking love to look at patterns and potential roadblocks so keep using your "what if we did it this way or that way" thinking and make a point to think out loud.
Those with Futuristic, use your lens to look at the potential future possibilities without boundaries to create the world you want to re-enter.
Context thinkers, take your historic lens to identify patterns and hacks for navigating any situation.
Analytical, crunch your data and think deeply to come across the insights you need.
Intellection, after these meetings — do whatever you need to do that allows you to process, maybe even kick off the next meeting with your thoughts.
Bonus: Lend a Strategic Thinking hand to those on your Team. Brainstorming is fun, creative, innovative, energizing — maybe this is just what the team needs right now so don't be afraid to dedicate time for just ideating!
Despite any uncertainty or pressure around the coronavirus crisis, each one of us has the tools to make this period the least stressful and most comfortable for ourselves as it can be. That process starts with knowledge and action steps to change the way you move through your day, interact with others, and take back your power during these intense times. I hope you’ll tap into the tips above and for everything else, I’m always a phone call away.