Gallup CliftonStrengths Test

Gallup CliftonStrengths test focuses on deeper understanding of specific traits and identifies prerequisites of a team member for a position. Taking the test helps the team and the individual - helps create better working teams and realize personal strengths and weaknesses.

What Is Gallup CliftonStrengths Test

CliftonStrengths test is focused on discovering individual traits and characteristics of the test-taker (in case of this test called themes). It distinguishes 34 different themes in 4 general domains - namely Executing, Influencing, Relationship building and Strategic thinking domain for which it focuses on general inclination and expertise in themes. Respondents are given 177 pairs of statements of opposite meaning and a scale to position themselves on. As a result, there are identified the top 5 themes as strengths and the bottom 5 as weaknesses. Generally speaking, each trait has complementary traits that go along synergically.

Why You Might Want to Try Gallup CliftonStrengths Test

The results of the tests show the general predisposition qualities for certain role within a team. For example the ideal set of strength themes will be different for a business analyst, a developer and completely different from the one for a consultant. Reasons to try and build on CliftonStrengths test within the team range from knowing about an individual's strengths and weaknesses, focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses to knowing whether a team member has what it takes to do well in the given position. The official organization that provides the test offers two different packages that differ in the amount of identified themes on a personal scale.

Problems It Helps to Solve

In general, the test helps to build better teams with the people within the company or help to hire the best people for the job, prerequisites-wise speaking. It is only up to the team leader what qualities they want to see in their future coworkers. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses within the team improves the performance greatly, improves communication and promotes unique approach towards every coworker which can be very well used during individual mentoring sessions. This leads to deeper understanding of the predispositions and helps to approach the future career and development better. For the last one said, it is recommended to have a specialist to explain themes, the overall list of strengths and create an actionable plan for future development of the employee. For example, top 5 strengths of a software developer should ideally have a few of the following themes - Input, Learner, Adaptability, Harmony, Activator, Achiever, Responsibility. To put it in other words, the profile of ideal developer should be made of inner will for continuous improvement of skills, focus on teamwork and consensus within the team, getting things done and standing up for their work.

Source: Elegantthemes.com: How to use the Gallup StrengthsFinder Test to Improve Your Team's Success

Common Pitfalls You Might Encounter

As for many tests, this one happens to be a generalization of many qualities that do not have to necessarily reflect the actual personality and team fit. Not to mention that for certain roles skill is much more important than for other since the rule “skill equals knowledge times experience” applies differently for different roles. Last but not least, the test was mostly conducted and shaped in a corporate environment where respondents provide responses different to the respondents in smaller companies or startups.

Resources for Gallup Test

• Unlocking the Power of the CliftonStrengths 34 Results
• The 34 CliftonStrengths Themes Explain Your Talent DNA
• 5 Benefits of Using Gallup's Strengthsfinder in Your Company
• Developing Your Team’s Natural Talents Through Strengths Based Leadership
• Top Five Weaknesses of StrengthsFinder