Strength Based Mentoring

People exceptionally talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. The don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they see areas of agreement. Clifton StrengthsFinder Harmony is one of the most misunderstood strengths. Because of its name, people may think of Harmony as a state of being full of peace, love, and flowers. In reality, Harmony is all about your relation to others, not your state of being. People with Harmony have the unique talent of seeing both sides of any story. They are able to put themselves easily into someone else’s shoes in order look at all situations. Unlike someone with Empathy who may do this same thing to feel what others feel, or someone with Individualization who may do this to understand how someone ticks, those with Harmony do this to seek consensus. By seeing all sides of a situation, those with Harmony can easily see what is in agreement among people with the goal of working towards that. One of the common ways to describe people with Harmony is they d...

People exceptionally talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussion. Clifton StrengthsFinder People with high Intellection like to think- think deeply and thoroughly. While some people may come to a quick conclusion, people with Intellection muse through all the processes and elements before coming to a conclusion. If we were to describe this in terms of kitchen appliances, people with high Intellection would be the crock pot; their thoughts need time to stew, soak, and combined before anything is verbalized or catalyzed. As a result, those with Intellection may often be seen as introverted or less open about their thoughts and opinions; this is not because those with Intellection aren’t “people” people, but rather, they naturally are introspective, and process life internally. For those with high Intellection, their brain never has down time. They are constantly thinkin...

People exceptionally talented in the Achiever theme work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive. Clifton StrengthsFinder We are excited to hear from Stephanie Pravecek about Achiever this week. Steph is the Events Coordinator for TeamMates and leads with Achiever, Responsibility, Discipline, Consistency, and Relator. People with high Achiever are hard workers, list makers, and doers. It is very difficult for Achievers to take a break when there is a task at hand that needs to be completed.  Once one task is complete it is on to the next and then the next. Achievers set out each day to accomplish at least one task but, there is much more fulfillment when multiple things are crossed off the “to-do” list for the day. This does include weekends and vacations, as REST or RELAX are not words you often hear in the vocabulary of an Achiever. As a guest blogger this week, I am going to put more of a personal...

People exceptionally talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They energize others with their visions of the future. Clifton StrengthsFinder People with high Futuristic are fascinated with what will be. They have a mind which forecasts what is to come based on what is going on now. They are naturally dreamers, and can see far into the future. They are the vision-casters; the ones who can see the destination and get the rest of us on that path. Gallup writes, “As if it were projected on a wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward until tomorrow.” While some people derive their energy from the present or revel in the past, those with Futuristic are energized about what is to come. People with high Futuristic, in general, tend to be more hopeful. Dr. Shane Lopez taught our organization so much about the power of hope. Through his research with Gallup, Shane found that hope is s...

People exceptionally talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal. Clifton StrengthsFinder Those high in Relator value close relationships. They derive their greatest energy from being close with other people. For Relators, there is no end destination to relationships; there is always more ways to grow deeper in friendship. Gallup writes, “You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk-that you might be taken advantage of-but you are willing to accept that risk.” Those high in Relator do not just enjoy deep relationships, but also enjoy when they are able to work with their friends towards a common goal.   At TeamMates’ 2016 Annual Partnership, our Keynote Speaker, Paul Thelen said, “Relationships move at the speed of trust.” For someone with Relator, this is innate to how they build relationships. Trust and loyalty are the bedrock of relationships; h...

woo There are no strangers in here, just friends you haven't yet met.  -Roald Dahl Clifton StrengthsFinder Theme Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Some people shy away from starting up conversations because they worry about running out of things to say. You don't. Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection. Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on. There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world there are no strangers, only friends y...

People exceptionally talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decision or choices. They anticipate obstacles. Clifton StrengthsFinder People will high Deliberative naturally sense the potential obstacles in any given circumstance. They can see road bumps, pit falls, and dead ends. These individuals not only see these obstacles, but are driven to point them out to others in order to steer the team away from them. Once pinpointing these potential obstacles, Deliberative individuals assess whether or not the risks outweigh the benefits. If you have a team member or leader who has high Deliberative, you can rest assured in their choices, because any risk they take has been highly calculated. When asked to describe his #1 of Deliberative, Brandon Leppke, TeamMates’ Program Director, explained that it means that he takes "as much time as possible in order to make the best decision possible." He says that somethin...