I’ve always been known for getting “stuff” done. So much so that I even thought about listing “GSD” (“Get ‘you-know-what’ done”) somewhere on my resume. I just assumed everyone had this knack – until I discovered they didn’t.
So why does turning ideas into quick action come so easily to me, and not to many others? And why does it matter that I know this about myself? Just like I know to steer clear of roles and projects that require tying up every loose end (my fastest route to disengagement).
Because people who use their (Clifton)Strengths every day are 6x more likely to be engaged at work and 3x more likely to report an excellent quality of life. Which sounds perhaps made-up, but I can assure you the data and research is solid.
And who doesn’t want to be more engaged and experience a higher quality of life?
What is CliftonStrengths?
“What would happen if we studied what was right with people versus what’s wrong with people?” ~Donald Clifton (Father of Strengths Psychology & Inventor of CliftonStrengths)
CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) is a talent assessment developed by Gallup that helps you pinpoint your unique strengths – also known as talent themes. It breaks down your natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving into 4 domains and 34 themes.
Want a quick 5-min video overview? Here you go!
But What About Weaknesses?
CliftonStrengths primarily focuses on building strengths, not weaknesses, because the belief is that investing in and developing natural talents leads to significantly higher performance and engagement than trying to fix or compensate for weaknesses.
In a world that often emphasizes what’s missing, focusing on weaknesses can hinder mindset. A strengths-based approach uses positive psychology to challenge the biases that keep us stuck, underperforming, or simply not thriving.
What Will CliftonStrengths Tell Me?
Your CliftonStrengths themes are your talent DNA. And your customized report is uniquely tailored to you, since the odds of someone having the same Top 5, in the same order, as you is one in 33 million!
The CliftonStrengths 34 Report details your complete talent profile, ranking all 34 CliftonStrengths themes and providing insights into how to leverage them for success, including understanding your top 10 strengths and navigating ‘lesser talents’ (yes, aka weaknesses).
The CliftonStrengths for Leaders report helps leaders at any level learn how to make the most of their own talents, lead others to success and create a thriving culture for their organization.
Curious what the report looks like? Here’s a Sample.
Tell Me More About the 34 Talent Themes (aka Strengths)
Developed from decades of research led by Don Clifton, these talent themes (aka Strengths) are are grouped into four broad domains:
- Executing
- Influencing
- Relationship Building
- Strategic Thinking
Each strength offers a way to understand what you naturally do best—or where you might need a helping hand. You can find more on each of the 34 here.
For example: my ‘get stuff done’ skill comes from my Activator talent where my report tells me (quite correctly I might add) that “You are a catalyst. You naturally know how to turn ideas into action, and you make things happen. Your energy can be contagious and engaging”.
The Science (and Data) Behind Clifton Strengths
If you love the data and research behind things, this section is for you. And you’ll want to check out the reports and meta-analysis here too. But for everyone else who just wants the coles notes…
Traditionally, psychology focused on fixing what was wrong. Don Clifton saw a different opportunity—one that builds on what’s right with people. By studying human behavior, he noticed common threads in hundreds of positive traits. This research led to the creation of the 34 talent themes we know today.
Clifton’s work lays the foundation for strengths science—a method that asks, “What’s right with people?” rather than focusing on weaknesses. In simple terms, a talent becomes a strength when you invest in it.
That’s the Strengths Formula: Talent multiplied by Investment equals a Strength
Does Knowing Your Strengths Actually Make a Difference?
Being a jack-of-all-trades rarely leads to top performance – you truly excel when you focus on what you naturally do best. To really benefit from your CliftonStrengths, you need to not only know them but also work on developing them.
Research finds that people who use their CliftonStrengths:
- are more engaged and productive at work
- achieve their goals
- are happier and healthier
- have greater confidence, self-awareness and energy
- are less likely to experience negative emotions like worry, sadness and stress
The benefits of understanding your strengths are many, including:
- Self-Awareness: A clear understanding of your innate skills and natural way of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
- Career Development: Making smarter decisions about your career path, job search, and professional growth.
- Performance Enhancement: Boosting your performance at work and in other areas of your life.
- Goal Achievement: Focusing your efforts where you naturally excel to reach your goals.
- Increased Confidence and Happiness: Leveraging your strengths to feel more confident, engaged, and satisfied.
Why a Strengths-Based Approach Matters for Organizations & Leaders
“More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies have used CliftonStrengths to bring the power of strengths-based development to their workplace culture.”
CliftonStrengths helps organizations get the best out of their people, driving business strategies and creating an inclusive, collaborative, and fulfilling work experience. How? It not only helps individuals discover their unique talents but also provides a common language to describe and understand these strengths quickly.
When you and your team use the CliftonStrengths assessment to discover what you do best, you’ll have:
- Stronger team dynamics
- Better conversations
- Increased Collaboration
Teams focused on strengths perform better than teams that don’t. And the numbers back it up:
- 29% more likely employees will stay with their company for the next year
- 42% more likely employees will remain with their current employer for their entire career
- 23% higher employee engagement
- 18% increased performance
- 73% lower attrition
Strengths Curious?
By discovering and investing in your natural talents, you can work smarter, lead better, and enjoy a higher quality of life. A strengths-based approach not only drives individual success but also builds stronger, more engaged teams that perform at their best.
Maybe it’s time to see how your unique talents can help you get “stuff” done in your own way.
This blog was written by Tiffany Baker, an accomplished HR professional, Certified Coach, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and MBA Career Coach and Educator. Her 15-year HR journey crosses multiple sectors – including private, public, not-for-profit, and academic – and encompasses a broad scope of leadership roles in operations, HR communications management, and advising on diverse people and leadership topics. Tiffany leverages this comprehensive background to drive her thriving coaching practice, which centers on empowering individuals to discover, lean into, and own what makes them unique on their professional journey.
Ready to find out what makes you uniquely great at getting stuff done?
Discovering your CliftonStrengths can help you unlock your highest potential, increase your engagement, and transform how you show up at work (and life!).
Let’s get started – contact Upskill Consulting Inc. today for your personalized CliftonStrengths assessment and see what’s possible when you invest in your natural talents.
Throughout Sofia's career she has engaged in various functions of HR, always with a mindset of translating business strategy into systematic HR initiatives. Her HR experience has involved overseeing day-to-day operations, developing HR strategies, leading organizational changes and partnering with leadership to drive and deliver on HR principles and business strategies.
Her specialization in HR includes training and capability development, performance management, employee engagement, change management and organizational development.
Sofia has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Simon Fraser University,a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Human Resources Management from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and holds her Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation.
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