Strengths Activity: The Challenge of Affirming My Strengths

CliftonStrengths talent themes are innately neutral. It is up to us to apply them in productive ways for success. While we all aim to apply our strengths productively for the world around us, I am sure we can think of times where our strengths were actually the things that got in the way of our success.

Today's activity takes a look at some of the most common challenges to affirming strengths:

• I was blind to my talents. 
• My talents threatened others. 
• I was in a position or role that did not fit my talents. 
• I was fearful of being proud or arrogant. 
• I didn't see how my talents would help me reach my goals. 

This activity comes from Gallup's Strengths Quest resources, designed for high schoolers. Gallup recommends thinking of the following questions to facilitate discussion around these challenges:

• Can you think of challenges or roadblocks we face when attempting to affirm our talents? Do our strengths take care of them? 
• Do you talents need development? How do you think we develop our talents? 
• How do we exercise our talents? 

To do this activity, have a discussion around the noted difficulties and challenges on the worksheet or those that come up in the discussion. Then, name the talents that are tied to these challenges most often and in what situations they arise. Finally, take this worksheet and recall the discussion from the questions above. Think of the ways in which you could encourage one another to develop your talents so that they may be more frequently called upon for success. 

Try this activity with your mentee and let us know how to goes!