Striving Talents…

Striving Talents are contained in the themes utilized to push the self toward results. Talents within these themes motivate a person to get things done, then seek greater accomplishments. Striving talents can easily generate the energy needed to successfully complete even long-term projects, and to quickly move on to the next one. Striving talents are the distinctive motivations that influence individuals to do the same task differently. These themes, called drivers, force people to get up each day and do some thing. Strivers come in all kinds of categories. Some are self-starters, while others require an outside force to motivate them to action. Some live in a state of “compressed urgency”; they are impelled to make things happen ASAP. Thriving in ever-changing environments works for others. Some find their catalyst in a noble cause, a higher calling or a core value. A number of strivers blossom in highly organized, structured or deadline-driven environments, but just as many are single-minded and seldom lose sight of their main goal. Some naturally find people or things that need fixing, updating or renovation. Others move forward because they trust themselves, while a number make progress because people acknowledge their successes, strengths, effectiveness or importance. Striving themes are the fuel that propels people to excel, take risks and set high expectations. Inaction renders them restless.

Achiever: A true Achiever harbors a deep need to accomplish something tangible in order to feel good about himself. This pushes him to do more, achieve more and get those results.

Activator: An Activator is impatient for things to happen. Her belief is that action, and only action, will make things happen.

Adaptability: Adaptability means living in the moment, even if your plans get changed without warning. Change is a friend, never a foe.

Belief: Seeing meaning and satisfaction by tapping into their core values, those with a strong theme for Belief don’t measure success by either money or prestige. Rather, yearning to be part of activities that are considered to have a positive impact on the world is much more important. Commitment to family can be invaluable. Altruism, and being true to his ethics, is a big part of this person’s makeup.

Discipline: For someone with discipline, the world needs to be predictable, ordered and planned. As a result, structure must be imposed and routines followed. Timelines and deadlines make sense because they aid in breaking down projects into specific short-term plans that can be worked on diligently.

Focus: A person with strong Focus has precisely defined goals and establishes measurable milestones to monitor her progress toward each objective. When unexpected obstacles or distractions pull her off course, as they will from time to time, the focused person quickly decides whether or not the problem warrants her attention. If it does, she will quickly deal with it. If it doesn’t, she’ll ignore it. Either way, the person with strong Focus wastes little time on activities that hinder her from concentrating on key goals.

Restorative: Excellent problem solvers, energized by problems that reduce others to tears – these are signs of the Restorative. Analyzing “symptoms,” identifying what is wrong and finding the solution is as good as life gets. Processes, plans, tactics, as well as objects, and sometimes even people – all could be made better or improved.

Self-Assurance: An aura of quiet power—of certainty about themselves and their abilities – surrounds those with this theme. A self-assured individual trusts his judgment more than the judgment of others. He makes choices that suit him rather than setting out to win the approval of others.

Significance: Getting recognition – in the fullest sense of the word – guides those with strong Significance. Being heard, standing out in the crowd, being appreciated; someone with strong Significance believes she is noteworthy. That’s why she will not associate herself with unimportant, average or mediocre organizations, activities or people. Whatever she allies with reflects upon her and she knows it.

Thinking Talents…

Thinking Talents involve the way people gather, process and make decisions with information and mental images. Gallup research has shown that people spend the majority of their time thinking in the past, the present or the future. Those who dwell in the past are reliving experiences, trying to understand them and thus plan for what will happen in the future. Individuals who think in the moment also live in it. They respond to things as they occur. And those beings who think in the future explore the possibilities of what might happen. They find the thought of what’s ahead not only challenging but also extremely energizing. In addition to thinking within a frame of time, those with these talent themes process information differently. Some take things apart in order to understand how they work. Others, like detectives, study data and search for evidence. Coordinating events, schedules and projects comes easily to many of them, while some think globally, sensing they are linked with all of humankind, past and present. Others ponder issues or ideas for hours, days or months before sharing an idea with anyone, while a number of them love to think out loud, testing their concepts or recommendations on either a friend, partner, group or stranger. Solitude, in order to do their best thinking, suits a lot of thinkers. But while many bring a consistency to their thinking that makes them utterly predictable— what they say or do today is what they have been saying and doing for weeks, months or even years—some generate innovative ideas. Looking at an opportunity, problem, person, process or thing from many angles before drawing a conclusion can be part of the process, but some gather obvious insights from conversations, experiences and books with no particular aim in mind. Thinkers can be philosophical by nature, delving deep into a problem, subject or theory. Some are possibility thinkers, tacticians or perpetual students. However they exhibit it, people’s Thinking themes definitely influence the way they view the world, treat others, interpret current events, solve problems and create opportunities. Each Thinking theme gives people a unique perspective on themselves, others and the world. Thinking contains the themes used to analyze the world. Talents within these themes drive a person to logically approach a situation, think it through and then plan accordingly. Using Thinking talents, a person “works smart” toward increased effectiveness and leads others who are impressed with such thoroughness to do the same.

Analytical: Analytical people demand proof. “Show me how what you are claiming is documented and true” is their mantra. Arranger: When faced with complex situations involving many factors, Arrangers enjoy managing the variables. They delight in aligning and realigning until they are sure they have achieved the most productive configuration possible.

Connectedness: Those with a talent for Connectedness can’t be moved from their unwavering understanding that everyone is linked. This offers enormous comfort because it confirms that people are not isolated from one another. It also means connected people sense that their words affect everyone else in some way, and vice versa.

Consistency: On the great seesaw of life, those with a strong Consistency theme try to find balance. Everyone should be treated alike, no matter what they do or who they are. The consistency will guard against giving one person an advantage over everyone else.

Context: To those driven by Context, the past provides the blueprint of cause and effect. What already took place is the guide to understanding what is happening now. Deliberative: Vigilance and being careful are the prime descriptions of the Deliberative theme. The world is an unpredictable place, so it makes sense to identify possible risks so that they can be assessed and possibly reduced.Ideation: Innovative concepts, theories and solutions are the essence of Ideation. People with strength in this talent theme find simple ways to explain most events. Where Ideation is concerned, basic concepts drive the most complicated matters. The delight is in finding that uncomplicated idea.

Input: Additional information or ideas or things pertaining to their interest is especially valuable to people with strong Input because they know that someday it will prove valuable. Being inquisitive and collecting data represents how wonderfully complex and varied the world is.

Intellection: Being alone is precious because it allows time for musing and reflection. Intellection reflects the pleasure of thinking and figuring things out.

Learner: As the name suggests, strong Learners love the process of acquiring new information and/or skills and do so throughout their lives.

Strategic: “What if?” and “Then what?” are the definers of those with a strong Strategic theme. They will generate numerous options; determine available resources, including people, time, money and materials; assess a situation factually and logically; figure out the consequences of each option; and select and implement the best choice. Sifting through clutter and finding the most direct route marks the Strategic theme. Information gathering leads to understanding the issue at hand. Patterns emerge where others see chaos.