A Comparison of the Strengths Profile to the CliftonStrengths Assessment

by Adam Hickman and Mary Claire Evans

Strengths Profile

The Strengths Profile (originally branded the Realise2) was developed by the CAPP research team that included: Drs. Alex Linley, Janet Willars, Robert Biswas-Diener, Martin Stairs and Nicky Garcea, among others. The Strengths Profile, like CliftonStrengths, is theoretically rooted in positive psychology; its primary focus is on identifying strengths to aid in employee development. According to the former, strengths can be conceptualized as “the things that we are good at and that give us energy when we are using them.” Moreover, Strengths Profile asserts that strengths are sets of behavioral adaptations that individuals have developed in order to meet the demands of their environments. 

The authors go on to say that strengths consist of three essential elements: energy, performance and use. Their model of strengths was developed by studying high-performing employees and what they do well at work. They argue that high individual performers manage their energy by using their energizing strengths to stay motived and perform better. Altogether, the CAPP team has identified 60 strengths that fall under five higher-order strength families.

Mastery Monday: Productive Aiming -- Responsibility (2018)

By Albert L. Winseman, D.Min.

In “The Empire Strikes Back,” the second film of the original “Star Wars” trilogy, Luke Skywalker is learning the ways of the Jedi from Yoda. Luke is getting discouraged with his training, and at one point tells Yoda, “All right, I’ll give it a try.” Yoda responds, “No. Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no ‘try.’” Those with Responsibility in their mix of Signature Themes understand: For them, there is only “do, or do not.” When they take on a task, they don’t say, “I’ll try to get this done for you.” They don’t try -- they do. They are dependable, trustworthy, productive, reliable -- they own their commitments. Responsibility is one of the themes most likely to show up in the Top 5 of the more than 20 million individuals who have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment, which means there are a lot of people out there for whom follow-through, getting it right and doing it on time are core values. Those with strong Responsibility talents have a reputation for keeping their commitments -- 100% of the time. Utterly dependable is the brand of Responsibility.

Doing the Impossible: An Expert Looks at How You Build -- Gallup Called to Coach BP10: Vint Cerf (S6E51)

On a recent Called to Coach, we spoke with Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, who is known as one of the fathers of the internet and is a Gallup Senior Scientist. We discussed Gallup's BP10, what it takes to be a builder, and the three "key players" in the development of any organization: Expert, Conductor and Rainmaker. Vint added some insights on AI and technology to close out the interview.

Our host was Todd Johnson, Senior Global Channel Leader, Entrepreneurship and Job Creation at Gallup. 

Below is a summary of the conversation. Full audio and video are posted above.

Todd Johnson: From Born to Build:

As an Expert, you primarily focus on product development and research for your venture. … Whether you invent something new or improve a product or service through several iterations, you focus on finding solutions to the issue your customers face. … Highly independent, you constantly push beyond current thinking, never accept the status quo and reimagine new possibilities. You are not simply a dreamer but a discerning and sophisticated thinker. … With your endless persistence and unbridled determination, quitting is not an option. You fully dedicate yourself to improving a product or service. … You are part artist and part scientist -- and comfortable working at the intersection of both. Operating a business does not really interest you, so you are happy to delegate the mundane tasks of business management to others.

Vint Cerf: I think that’s a pretty good way of capturing who Experts are and how they think. I would add one small bit of flavor to that summary: People who make things happen are always a little (or a lot) discontented with the status quo. It is this discontent that drives innovation. So I’m always looking for people who are a little dissatisfied. 

The best Experts are really good at thinking differently than others do about solutions to problems. This kind of rethinking of how to solve a problem is what I find attractive. We see this in people at Google (where I work) and Gallup.

Managers Must Care About Their B-Players as Much as Their All-Stars

By Adam Hickman

LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer to join the Los Angeles Lakers. I’m a native Ohioan and, like many of my neighbors, I have opinions about LeBron’s decision. Unlike some of them, mine are printable. And chief among my opinions is this: LeBron’s new managers need to care about their B-players as much as their star.

This is true for all managers of all teams -- though it may sound counterproductive. After all, decades of Gallup research prove that the highly talented outperform the less talented in every metric, including productivity, profitability, retention, well-being -- and even safety and shrinkage. Managers get more ROI on time spent with their best performers than with others.

That’s why Gallup analytics and advice always say that hiring for talent is essential. Companies that select the top 20% of candidates have realized 30% higher profitability and 10% higher productivity -- and we’d never advise ignoring that.

But … LeBron can't take on another team all by himself. Someone has to pass him the ball and get out of the way. Likewise, someone has to set up star salespeople, nurses, executives or teachers for success. Success in any endeavor depends on a group of people working together. So no matter how super the superstar, a team’s B-players need to do their part and do it well. 

Mastery Monday: Productive Aiming -- Relator (2018)

By Albert L. Winseman, D.Min.

I keep my friends as misers do their treasure, because, of all the things granted us by wisdom, none is greater or better than friendship. 

Pietro Aretino, 16th Century Italian Poet

Those with Relator among their Top 5 themes of talent resonate with the truth of this sentiment -- and they understand the rarity and value of true friendship. Relator is selective, tending to be slow and cautious in establishing relationships. There is an authenticity about those strong in Relator talents that draws others to them -- that makes others want to trust them. This is a paradoxical attribute of Relator: People tend to want to open up to those high in Relator -- far more so than those with high Relator want to open up to them until they get to know them. Genuine, authentic relationships take time, and those high in Relator willingly and often enthusiastically invest time and energy into deepening their most important relationships. Because true relating takes so much time and emotional investment, Relators can’t form deep relationships with everyone they meet. Sure, they have acquaintances and colleagues, and they may truly enjoy meeting new people and making a connection. But there are just a few that “make the cut” and become part of the trusted inner circle. Transparency, intimacy and trust are the hallmarks of Relator.

Call It a Career: Strengths, Time Management and Your Life's Work -- Gallup Called to Coach: Kishore Yasarapu (S6E50)

On a recent Called to Coach, we spoke with Kishore Yasarapu (prefers to be called YK), founder and CEO of NeoStrategy, a coaching and consulting firm. YK has had two decades of IT consulting experience globally, working in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, in various roles that include sales to innovation lead. YK is a Certified Gallup Strengths Coach who is looking to pursue full-time strengths coaching and consulting, and is based in Hyderabad, India. 

Below is a summary of the conversation. Full audio and video are posted above.

Our host was Pooja Luthra, Advanced Consultant and Practice Expert with Gallup India.

YK: After receiving training about 2 ½ years ago, I looked at my strengths report. It gave me some ideas about my strengths in the areas of Input and Intellection. The report said I had a lot of ideas, and that I should start writing and sharing my ideas with others. Before that, I had the idea that I wanted to write but never did anything about that.

On May 1, 2017, Labor Day in India, I went to Facebook and decided to do some blogging, based on Gallup telling me that I should share my ideas and thoughts. Since then, I have written 200 blogs. It all started with the one or two lines in the strengths report that said I had something I should start sharing with others.

Mastery Monday: Productive Aiming -- Positivity (2018)

By Albert L. Winseman, D.Min.

In the classic Disney film “Mary Poppins,” Mary and Bert and the Banks children visit Uncle Albert. In the scene, Uncle Albert and then Bert and the others sing, “I love to laugh! Loud and long and clear … The more I laugh, the more I’m filled with glee! And the more the glee, the more I’m a merrier me!” While that scene may be a bit of an exaggerated description of the Positivity theme, it certainly strikes the right chord: Positivity sees the bright side, celebrates the win, rallies the troops. Individuals with Positivity in their Top 5 are quick to smile, laugh, give praise. It isn’t that people strong in the Positivity theme are unrealistic about the negativity and problems that exist in their lives and in the world. It’s that they see attitude as a choice, and they choose to have a positive attitude in the face of adversity. Individuals with Positivity in their Top 5 choose to be happy, choose to see the upside, choose to find the silver lining. They have an infectious enthusiasm that makes them attractive to others, and their positive outlook forms the foundation of all their relationships.

Mastery Monday: Productive Aiming -- Maximizer (2018)

By Albert L. Winseman, D.Min.

In 1981, in response to the influx of higher-quality Japanese cars into the U.S. market, Ford Motor Company unveiled its new advertising slogan, “Quality Is Job 1.” Those with Maximizer in their Top 5 strengths or Signature Themes can resonate with this sentiment, because it is vital to the way they live their lives. A decade later, Toyota brand Lexus unveiled its new slogan, “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection,” which sums up the Maximizer perspective even more accurately -- because, while quality is important, perfection is the real goal. Maximizers want to take something great and make it superb. And the best way to do that, according to Maximizer thinking, is to focus on developing talents into strengths. 

Individualization at Work: Gift Like The Grinch

by Dan Donovan

Every December, leaders in many organizations face the task of deciding on a small token of appreciation to give their direct reports for the holidays. Cynics might call it the price we pay for taking another step up the corporate ladder. What gesture can you provide to your team members who have been so darn nice this past year? How about a bottle of wine or a gift card? Of course, anything would be appreciated. But as The Grinch himself discovered, Christmas doesn’t have to come from a store. And when it doesn’t, it always means a whole lot more.

I remember my first foray into gift-buying for my team after I became a manager with several direct reports. I decided the best way to show my appreciation that year was to give each team member a set of 3 miniature Yankee Candles. Who doesn’t love the smell of “Luscious Plum” for the holidays? I left the sets on their desks with a card. But their response, as I recall, was like a Silent Night. 

Woo -- Socially Aware and Awake -- Theme Thursday Season 4

In this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Woo. 

The talent theme of Woo is all about making fast social connections, turning strangers into friends, and creating a space of social comfort for others. Those especially talented in this theme can quickly turn strangers into acquaintances. They don’t just break the ice—they melt it through warmth and hospitality. They are charming and open.