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Marcus Buckingham ‘Now, Discover Your Strengths’

I found this book very helpful in focusing more on what I AM GOOD AT, and developing those skills further, rather than always trying to improve at my ‘weaknesses’.

The following are my five top strengths:

Achiever

  • Has a great deal of stamina
  • Works hard
  • Takes great satisfaction from being busy and productive
  • Driven to achieve
  • MUST achieve something tangiable by the end of the day, needs to measure cumulative production.
  • “Every day” includes weekends/holidays - feels driven to achieve
  • Has to learn to live with the ‘whisper of discontent’ which accompanies the relentless need for achievement - it drives you, it gives you stamina for long hours, inspires you to start new challenges, keeps you moving.
  • Likes recognition for past achievement and the setting of new goals.

Ideation

  • Fascinated by ideas, able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena
  • An idea is a a new perspective on a familiar challenge, or a concept, which offers the best explanation of MOST events. It is delightful to find below a complex surface a simple explanation for WHY things are the way they are.
  • The mind is always looking for connections, however obscure.
  • Revels in taking the world we know, turning it around and viewing it from a strange or enlightening angle.
  • Others label you as creative, original, conceptual or smart, you are particularly effective as a designer.
  • All ideas are thrilling, for whatever reason. Need these ideas to be valued.
  • Uses ideas already written within focus of the organisation to generate new insights and discoveries.
  • Enjoys words - especially when they perfectly capture a concept/idea/pattern.
  • Needs to understand how things fit togehter, and any exceptions pointed out.

Learner

  • Thrives on learning and continual self-development, this keeps the motivation going - wants to continuously improve.
  • The PROCESS of learning, rather than the outcome is exciting. Enjoys developing a growing confidence as skills are mastered.
  • Engages in adult-learning experiences. Subject matter of interest depends upon other themes (listed here) and past experiences.
  • Energised by the steady/deliberate journey from ignorance to competence.
  • Learns by teaching others, through presentations, etc.
  • Thrives in a dynamic work environment, where are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the subject matter in a short period of time, then move onto the next one. Generally not seeking to become an expert - the outcome is less significant than ‘getting there’.
  • Good to work with someone who will push you to achieve more.
  • Needs to have learning recognised through certificates, etc.
  • Needs to celebrate milestones, which have been pre-identified.
  • Needs to stay current in a fast-changing field.

Arranger

  • Can organise, but this organisation is accompanied by a flexibility.
  • Likes to figure out how all the pieces/resources can be arranged for maxiumu productivity.
  • Enjoys managing the variables - aligning/re-aligning until are sure has the best configuration possible. See this as nothing special, just the best way of getting things done. Is very resourceful.
  • Effectively flexible - changes quickly for a better deal; mulling over the combination of people/resources to accomplish a project.
  • Thrives with many things going on at the same time.
  • At best in dynamic situations - the unexpected has you diving in, devising new options, looking for the path of least resistence because there MIGHT be a better way.
  • Thrives on responsibility, like to make a good manager, seeing how the team works together, especially through trust & relationships.

WOO

  • Loves the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. A good person to be the contact for the outside world, needs to refine a system for remembering names, etc.
  • Derives satisfaction from breaking the ice, making a connection with the other.
  • Strangers are not intimidating to you, you want to learn about them, ask questions, find common ground so can strike up a conversation/build a rapport.
  • Rarely at a loss for words.
  • Once the connection is made, are happy to wrap it up and move onto the next connection. Not so good at building close relationships, prefers to meet & move on.
  • In the world, there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet.
  • A good person to build good will in your community.
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By admin

Dr Bex Lewis is passionate about helping people engage with the digital world in a positive way, where she has more than 20 years’ experience. She is Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University and Visiting Research Fellow at St John’s College, Durham University, with a particular interest in digital culture, persuasion and attitudinal change, especially how this affects the third sector, including faith organisations, and, after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, has started to research social media and cancer. Trained as a mass communications historian, she has written the original history of the poster Keep Calm and Carry On: The Truth Behind the Poster (Imperial War Museum, 2017), drawing upon her PhD research. She is Director of social media consultancy Digital Fingerprint, and author of Raising Children in a Digital Age: Enjoying the Best, Avoiding the Worst (Lion Hudson, 2014; second edition in process) as well as a number of book chapters, and regularly judges digital awards. She has a strong media presence, with her expertise featured in a wide range of publications and programmes, including national, international and specialist TV, radio and press, and can be found all over social media, typically as @drbexl.

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