Strengths finder results
In January, 2023, I took a Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment for managers, resulting in a top 10 list of themes, and how I can apply it in my role as a manager, as well as how each one can backfire. I present to you my top 10 themes. Enjoy.
1. Harmony
I am desperate for consensus and common purpose. To help team members navigate conflicts and difficult emotions, I let each person share their concerns and ensure team members are on the same page. It's important to me that folks feel that they are heard, regardless of the eventual decision we make.
The risk in my style is that I may make suboptimal business decisions for the sake of prioritizing team harmony. I invite you to call me out if you suspect I am doing this.
2. Developer
I deeply believe in and cultivate the potential in the people I work with. I help others understand their opportunities for continued development, and derive satisfaction in evidence of progress.
On the flip side, because I see the best in everybody, the level of accountability I hold for each individual's performance may be imbalanced on the team. I'm open to feedback if you suspect a lack of fairness or equity on the team.
3. Restorative
I am addicted to solving problems. Once presented with a problem, either with tech, a project, process, product, an idea, or a person, I devote energy into seeking resolution to the problem with the team. I enjoy using the SOON funnel to crisp up the team's problem solving muscle.
One problem with my addiction is that the team and I can become overwhelmed by many little problems that don't need solving. It's critical for me to regularly step back and evaluate what's really important to solve.
4. Discipline
I enjoy routine and structure. If you point me at ambiguity, I will do my best to disambiguate and clarify any expectations around a problem. I understand timelines and expectations need to be realistic, and so the team needs to set their own expectations. Once set, I will advocate for the team when it comes to those expectations.
We may go overboard with too much rigidity in structure and expectations, and may not be as agile and resilient to setbacks as we could be. It's important to me that each piece of structure has an understood spirit behind it, as well as flexibility to be changed or removed if no longer serving its purpose.
5. Responsibility
I take psychological ownership over what I say I'll do, as well as the team's performance and each individual's well-being. For me, honesty, trust, and dependability are foundational to a well-functioning team's success.
I tend to take on too much psychological responsibility, make myself a bottleneck, and overwhelm myself. It's important for me to take breaks and trust the team can operate well without me.
6. Empathy
Emotional connectedness and intelligence are important to me. I'm earnestly curious when I ask "how are you feeling?" I am energized when I feel connected with team members at a deeper level, even talking through and listening to difficult emotions. I believe that external events can have huge impacts on our psyche and thus our presence and performance at work. I believe it is healing and unlocks productive discussion when we are honest with each other emotionally.
Decisions tend to take a lot of my energy since I try to anticipate how those who would be affected will feel about the decision.
7. Connectedness
I have faith that day-to-day activity is and must be connected to the larger picture, inside and outside of work. It's important to me that one's activities have some meaning.
I tend to connect random events to the team, assume that they impact the team, and try to be helpful by acting preemptively. This can be a confusing experience when I am wrong.
8. Analytical
In making an engineering decision, it's important to me that ideas are concrete and fleshed out with logic and objectivity. I appreciate when I can trust all that can factor in a decision have been accounted for. I love seeing tradeoff analyses, alternatives considered, and how the proposed solution was chosen.
Once a plan is set, I tend to move quickly and decisively for the sake of efficiency, leaving those who were not part of the decision-making process confused or resentful of the decision. Bringing others along is an opportunity for improvement for me.
9. Consistency
I crave clear rules and code of conduct on how the team wants to work with each other. Fairness and equity in the way I treat each employee is important to me, and so I tend toward codifying our work rituals and values.
Not everyone shares my values, which could make rigid cultural declarations problematic for those with conflicting values. My hope is that we can collaborate toward shared values, else I fear feeling lost when applying a fair set of expectations on the team.
10. Intellection
I tend toward introspection and appreciate intellectual discussions. I am critical of even my own thoughts as I think deeper about them, enjoying the thought of having considered every angle of a problem. Challenging concepts or ideas give me energy, as long as I am given ample time to freely consider them.
My tendency toward deep introspection and careful consideration can make decision-making meetings be less effective than they could be, with decisions deferred to asynchronous conversation or a follow-up meeting.