Focus: Start with the End in Mind

People exceptionally talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the correction necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.

Clifton StrengthsFinder

People with Focus have the innate talent of zoning distractions out. They have a one-track mind that allows them to walk through life a bit like they are wearing blinders. Focus is an executing theme; While some people may be productive by managing multiple things at a time, those with Focus are productive because they have the ability to zero in on one task at a time. They are highly productive because of their one track mind.

Because of their ability to zero in on one track, those with Focus have specific requirements. They need clear goals, expectations, and outcome measurements. Those with Focus need to know the end goal, because by starting with the end in mind, they can trim down all that does not aid in that goal. By clarifying the end goal for someone with Focus, you open the door for them to give their greatest contribution: their high productivity.

5.9% of our mentors and 3.2% of our mentees have Focus in their Top 5. If your mentee has focus in their top 5, honor their Focus by setting goals, expectations, and boundaries for your relationship. Look towards their dreams and aspirations for the future, and take steps to move towards that. If your mentee is in High School, spend some time planning which schools they may apply to and which scholarships they are going to look into. If your mentee is younger, spend time making smaller goals, like learning a new skill or talent. If you have Focus in your top 5, you may feel like playing board games with your mentee each week is not accomplishing much. Consider spending time reading through the mentoring research to see just how significant of an impact showing up each week is for your mentee. Have the clear goal of your mentee reaching their full potential through post secondary planning in your mind with each session, so you can if not explicitly then implicitly, work to cultivate dreams and visions into your mentee.

-Tess

(Image Credit: https://assets.entrepreneur.com/content/16x9/822/20150408183930-focus-distance-view-startup-marketing.jpeg)

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