Strengths Profile (CliftonStrengths) Assessment

What It Measures

The Strengths Profile, formerly known as CliftonStrengths and StrengthsFinder, identifies your Top 5 signature talent themes from 34 possible themes. It focuses on innate patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that can be productively applied - your natural talents that, when invested with time and effort, become strengths.

What are Strengths?

Talent: Natural recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior Investment: Time spent practicing, developing skills, and building knowledge base Strength: The ability to provide consistent, near-perfect performance

Formula: Talent × Investment = Strength

The 34 Talent Themes

Strategic Thinking Domain

Themes that help you absorb and analyze information to make better decisions.

1. Analytical - Search for reasons and causes; ability to think about factors
2. Context - Look back to understand the present; learn from the past
3. Futuristic - Inspired by the future and what could be; energize others with visions
4. Ideation - Fascinated by ideas; able to find connections between disparate phenomena
5. Input - Craving to know more; collect and archive information
6. Intellection - Characterized by intellectual activity; introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions
7. Learner - Great desire to learn and continuously improve; energized by learning process
8. Strategic - Create alternative ways to proceed; able to see patterns and issues

Relationship Building Domain

Themes that help you build strong relationships and hold teams together.

9. Adaptability - Prefer to go with the flow; live in the moment and discover the future
10. Developer - Recognize and cultivate potential in others; see small improvements
11. Connectedness - Believe things happen for a reason; faith in links between all things
12. Empathy - Sense the feelings of others; imagine yourself in others' lives
13. Harmony - Look for consensus; seek areas of agreement
14. Includer - Accept others; aware of those who feel left out
15. Individualization - Intrigued by unique qualities of each person; draw out the best in people
16. Positivity - Enthusiastic and upbeat; able to get others excited
17. Relator - Enjoy close relationships; find deep satisfaction in working with friends

Influencing Domain

Themes that help you take charge, speak up, and make sure others are heard.

18. Activator - Turn thoughts into action; want to do things now rather than talk about them
19. Command - Take control; presence felt; say what needs to be said
20. Communication - Good at putting thoughts into words; conversationalist and presenter
21. Competition - Measure progress against others; strive to win first place
22. Maximizer - Focus on strengths as way to stimulate excellence; transform something strong into superb
23. Self-Assurance - Confident in ability to manage own life; inner compass provides direction
24. Significance - Want to be recognized; independent and prioritize projects based on importance
25. Woo (Winning Others Over) - Love challenge of meeting new people and winning them over

Executing Domain

Themes that help you make things happen and get things done.

26. Achiever - Work hard and possess stamina; take immense satisfaction from being busy and productive
27. Arranger - Organize and figure out how all pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity
28. Belief - Have certain core values that are unchanging; define life's meaning
29. Consistency - Keenly aware of need to treat people the same; balance with clear rules
30. Deliberative - Best described by serious care; vigilant and private
31. Discipline - Enjoy routine and structure; world best described by the order you create
32. Focus - Take direction, follow through, make corrections to stay on track; prioritize and act
33. Responsibility - Take psychological ownership of commitments; emotionally bound to follow through
34. Restorative - Adept at dealing with problems; good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it

History & Research Foundation

• Creator: Dr. Donald O. Clifton, "Father of Strengths Psychology"
• Research: Based on 40+ years of Gallup research interviewing millions
• Development: Studied excellence across hundreds of roles worldwide
• First Publication: StrengthsFinder 1.0 (2001) with Marcus Buckingham
• Evolution: Updated to StrengthsFinder 2.0 (2007), renamed CliftonStrengths (2015)
• Recognition: Dr. Clifton received American Psychological Association Presidential Commendation (2002)

Scientific Validity

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highest Rating

• Research Base: Millions of assessments and decades of research
• Reliability: High test-retest reliability and internal consistency
• Validity: Strong predictive validity for workplace performance and engagement
• Practical Application: Used by Fortune 500 companies and organizations worldwide
• Outcomes: Proven impact on engagement, performance, and retention

Key Research Findings

Workplace Impact

• Engagement: Teams focusing on strengths have 12.5% higher productivity
• Performance: People using strengths daily are 3x more likely to have excellent quality of life
• Turnover: Strength-based management reduces turnover by up to 72%
• Profitability: Strengths-focused teams show 14-29% increased profit

Personal Benefits

• People who focus on strengths are:
  • 6x more engaged at work
  • 3x more likely to have excellent quality of life
  • 6x more likely to be engaged in their work
  • More confident and productive

Development Philosophy

• Investing in strengths yields far greater return than fixing weaknesses
• Excellence comes from building on talents, not fixing deficiencies
• Understanding weaknesses helps manage them, but strengths drive performance

Understanding Your Top 5

Signature Themes

Your Top 5 represent your greatest talents - where you have most potential for strength development.

Why Top 5?

• Most people cannot effectively focus on more than 5-7 areas
• Top 5 provide enough specificity without overwhelming
• Represent your most dominant patterns
• Full 34 report available for deeper understanding

Theme Dynamics

Dominant Themes (1-5): Your signature strengths; invest most here Supporting Themes (6-10): Backup strengths; use when needed Lesser Themes (11-34): Still accessible but require more energy

Domain Balance

Your Top 5 may cluster in certain domains:

• All One Domain: Deep expertise, potential blind spots in other areas
• Balanced: Versatility across domains
• Two Domains: Common pattern, complementary capabilities
• No pattern is better: All combinations can lead to excellence

Themes in Action

Strategic Thinking Examples

• Analytical: Forensic accountant, data scientist, researcher
• Strategic: Business strategist, chess player, military planner
• Learner: Professor, journalist, continuous improvement specialist
• Ideation: Innovation consultant, brainstorming facilitator, creative director

Relationship Building Examples

• Empathy: Counselor, nurse, customer service leader
• Relator: Mentor, account manager, team builder
• Developer: Coach, teacher, HR development specialist
• Positivity: Motivational speaker, team morale booster, entertainer

Influencing Examples

• Command: Crisis manager, CEO, military officer
• Communication: Presenter, spokesperson, writer, podcaster
• Woo: Sales, networking, business development, recruiting
• Activator: Entrepreneur, project starter, change agent

Executing Examples

• Achiever: Project manager, high-volume producer, surgeon
• Responsibility: Accountant, quality controller, compliance officer
• Focus: Air traffic controller, strategic planner, productivity coach
• Discipline: Operations manager, systems analyst, organizer

Using Your Strengths

Invest in Strengths

1. Name It: Understand each of your Top 5 themes deeply
2. Claim It: Own these as your natural talents
3. Aim It: Apply them intentionally to your goals
4. Train It: Develop skills and knowledge in strength areas
5. Sustain It: Build habits and systems supporting strengths use

Manage Weaknesses

Don't ignore weaknesses, but don't invest heavily either:

• Partner: Team with people strong where you're weak
• Support System: Create structures and tools that compensate
• Moderate: Develop weakness just enough to not derail you
• Reframe: Use strengths to achieve the same outcome differently

Strength-Based Goal Setting

1. Identify goals that leverage your Top 5
2. Apply each strength to different areas of life
3. Combine strengths for powerful combinations
4. Build skills and knowledge in strength areas
5. Track impact and refine application

Use Cases

Career Development

• Choose roles that use your strengths daily
• Craft your job to maximize strength application
• Identify ideal work environments for your themes
• Navigate career transitions using strengths
• Build expertise in strength-aligned areas

Team Building

• Understand team's collective strengths
• Assign roles based on individual strengths
• Cover team blind spots through partnerships
• Appreciate diverse strength contributions
• Build complementary teams

Leadership

• Lead from your strengths, not generic leadership model
• Understand and develop direct reports' strengths
• Create strength-based culture
• Assign work to people's strengths
• Provide strength-based recognition

Personal Life

• Apply strengths to relationships, parenting, hobbies
• Choose activities that energize (use strengths) vs. drain
• Understand partner's strengths for better relationships
• Parent to each child's unique strengths
• Design lifestyle around your strengths

Education

• Choose majors and courses aligned with strengths
• Study in ways that use your strengths
• Select extracurriculars matching your themes
• Build friendships with complementary strengths
• Plan career path leveraging your talents

Theme Combinations

Certain theme combinations create powerful synergies:

Strategic + Activator: Visionary who makes things happen Achiever + Focus: Relentless execution toward goals Communication + Ideation: Articulate innovative ideas Empathy + Developer: Deeply understand and grow people Analytical + Learner: Research and master complex topics Command + Strategic: Bold leadership with clear vision

Your unique combination is YOUR formula for excellence.

Key Insights

Uniqueness: Your specific combination of Top 5 is nearly unique (1 in 33 million)

Investment Matters: Talent without development remains just potential

Context Varies: Same strength expresses differently in different contexts

No Bad Themes: All 34 themes can drive excellence in right application

Strengths Can Clash: Sometimes your own strengths can conflict (e.g., Discipline vs. Adaptability)

Common Challenges

Overusing Strengths

• Strengths overplayed become weaknesses
• Achiever becomes workaholic
• Command becomes domineering
• Empathy leads to burnout
• Solution: Develop awareness and balance

Blind Spots

• Assuming everyone thinks like you
• Not valuing different strengths
• Overrelying on strengths, ignoring necessary tasks
• Solution: Appreciate diversity, build partnerships

Weakness Obsession

• Focusing energy on fixing weaknesses
• Comparing your weaknesses to others' strengths
• Trying to be well-rounded instead of excellent
• Solution: Manage weaknesses, invest in strengths

Complementary Assessments

Pair Strengths Profile with:

• VIA Character Strengths - Understand character alongside talents
• Big Five - Add personality traits to talent themes
• Holland Code - Match strengths to career interests
• Emotional Intelligence - Develop social and emotional competencies

Practical Applications

Daily Strengths Use

• Start each day identifying which strengths you'll use
• Track energy levels - when do you feel energized?
• Reflect on strength applications at day's end
• Journal strength moments and impacts
• Share strengths with colleagues and family

Strength-Based Conversations

• Discuss strengths with team members
• Ask "What do you do best?"
• Share examples of strengths in action
• Give strength-based feedback and recognition
• Coach to strengths, not weaknesses

Career Crafting

• Volunteer for projects using your strengths
• Negotiate role adjustments toward strengths
• Build skills in areas where you have talent
• Seek positions with strength-aligned responsibilities
• Partner to cover areas where you're weak

Further Reading

• Rath, T. (2007). StrengthsFinder 2.0
• Buckingham, M., & Clifton, D. O. (2001). Now, Discover Your Strengths
• Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2008). Strengths Based Leadership
• Clifton, D. O., & Nelson, P. (1992). Soar with Your Strengths
• Gallup.com/CliftonStrengths - Official resources and research

Organizations and Development

Thousands of organizations use CliftonStrengths for:

• Hiring and talent selection
• Employee development and coaching
• Team building and collaboration
• Leadership development programs
• Performance management
• Organizational culture development

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CliftonStrengths provides a research-backed framework for identifying and investing in your natural talents, leading to excellence, engagement, and fulfillment in work and life.