There has been numerous different theories on people's strengths and how it relates to leadership. We looked at the StrengthsFinder that asked us a large amount of questions to fit us in 5 of 34 themes to find our strengths. This was the first "strengths" test I have every taken so it was a very new experience where I was able to learn about myself. Have you ever taken a "strengths" test before? I think it is very interesting to see how the results differ from what we actually perceive of strengths to be. Did your themes differ from what you believed your own strengths to be?
After reflecting in class about our results and learning from each other I found it very beneficial on how we can learn from each others' strengths and how when forming our groups, we need to pick a diverse group so that we can work the most efficiently. Do you think that employers should be allowed to run these types of tests when looking for potential employees for a job? Do you think that this would give the company a better chance to see if this employee would "fit in". I think that with greater research these tests can be very beneficial to form and to maximize your work force.
A final topic that I would bring up with these strength finder tests would be to potential show our last 5 themes. Obviously these would not be our "strengths" but I think it could show what we tested low in and could also show us ways to improve in these areas. I am not sure if this would be a good idea because we should be proud of our strengths and not focus on our weakness. We should be able to adapt and lean on others to counter act our weaknesses. Do you agree? Do you think that just focusing on our strengths would be effective? Or do you think working at our weaknesses to improve them would be a route to take?
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First of all, $ D Money $ I love your name.
ReplyDeleteWhile I've taken the Myers Briggs, and have unofficially done a few other related tests, this was my first time doing a StrengthsQuest. I agree that it is very interesting, especially as someone who tends to focus on my weaknesses and what I should and could be doing better. It was great to find strengths, but also know that in order for them to be strengths we need to fine tune and control them. Going into the test, I really didn't think much about what I thought my strengths would be, and they surprised me to an extent, but they also made sense when looking at the things I do well. It is a great way to look at what we do well, because it seems easier to improve on what we already do well (or have strengths in) than on a weakness.
I always find the Myers Briggs interesting when talking about groups, and using this as a way to form a strong team seems even more interesting because there are so many different strengths to bring out. It really shows that each person can really bring a unique set of strengths to the group. I don't think that I would allow employers to use this when looking for employers, because I believe that it would lead to employers discriminating based on (this sounds silly) the particular strengths. They may decide you don't have the strengths they are looking for, or you have strengths similar to someone else already in the group. While we would hope that it would not be a deciding factor, I think it would be better used in staff development than for hiring purposes. They should use it to see the strengths of their team, and learn how to work well with each other. I do agree that these tests could be used to make groups that really work as teams, but they need to be used the right way.
I could see a little benefit to knowing weaknesses. I think that it's nice for us to for once look at our strengths, but we are a society that looks a lot at weaknesses so it would be interesting to see those last 5 strengths with ways to work on them. I think we could work on both...but it might be more important to focus on strengths because as I said at the beginning of this post, it would be easier to work on strengths than weaknesses. But I do believe there is value to also knowing, understanding and improving weaknesses.
In general I tend to find these tests really interesting especially when you can find a legitimate one I haven't done before because then I know the chances are more likely that I'll get truthful results. I think that I can really benefit from knowing my strengths and knowing that I have to make sure to use them as strengths and not let them become weaknesses.
Thanks Dan!
No, I have never taken a strengths test before other than the Myers Briggs. I think this Strengthsquest quiz was a lot more helpful in finding out exactly what I'm good at. After reading the results I, like nicole, noticed that the strengths found in the quiz were the same strengths that family members and close friends have told me I am good at.
ReplyDeleteI think using the results from the Strenghtsquest quiz could help in forming groups a lot because we can see where we have weaknesses and find group members that can fill in those gaps. When it comes to using the Strenghtsquest results for potential employees, I do not believe that it would be right to choose employees based on their strenghts, but if an employer did use this method I believe nothing negative would come of it. All the results would be positives about the person, which would be explained in the interview process anyway. Like I said before, I believe the best way to use the quiz would be to form the best groups to work together the most efficiently.
When it comes to the possibility of showing a person's weaknesses, I believe that is not needed. People seem much more aware of their weaknesses than their strengths and I think there is value in changing to focus toward strengths only. People do not focus enough on what they are good at and how to use those skills because they are focusing too much on what needs to be improved.
See you guys Friday!
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ReplyDeleteDan ($ D Money $) haha-
ReplyDeleteThe following posts respond to the questions your presented in your initial blog posting.
With a variety of the classes I selected to fulfill the leadership certification, I was able to complete a number of these “strengths” tests. The more often I was able to complete these assessments, the more likely I was to be able to select the outcomes I anticipated would match my responses. More often that not, my anticipated outcomes matched my actual outcomes, but not always. In these conflicting situations, I found I was more likely to answer with responses that I aspired to embody. For example, I often altered my answers to questions about personal organization and time management if I anticipated the outcome I was going to receive would reflect these two characteristics as weaknesses of my personality. To shield this, I would perceive my answers as different and thus attempt to control the outcomes. Most of the time, this is why the answers were different, as the examinations are constructed to prevent this from happening and in the end revealed the truth about my true personal strengths and limitations.
While it would be wrong to discriminate against persons based on the results of a potential employee’s strength’s test, it is an interesting dynamic of organizational leadership today. For example, Lean Manufacturing incorporates the idea of human capital or strengths assessments into best understanding how to promote efficiency within the manufacturing industry. By understanding where existing employees’ strengths lie, management can design company strategies that focus on enhancing and promoting these characteristics. If companies begin to assess their current employees, it may be an interesting way to craft recruitment language for future employees around this assessment to help attract employees that would fit into the existing culture.
Based on the other 34 themes, I would guess that at least one of my lowest scoring themes would be harmony. People who possess this strength “look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.“ As much as I would like to seek areas of agreement, I feel my strength’s are often highlighted and thus most effective in moments of conflict. While I by no means try to bread unrest, I interact effectively in situations that present pressure, and a certain level of stress among those involved. For me, working on the harmony trait may require me to sacrifice some of the most natural strengths I already possess. I think it is important to acknowledge weaknesses we hold, but as far as investing time in developing these traits, I think it may be more effective to utilize our own strengths, and then collaborate with others who embody the strengths we as individuals lack, to best merge these various needs for any situation.
Thanks!
Kristi
I have never taken a strengths test before. However, I have taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment multiple times. When I looked at my "Signature Themes" from the strengths quest, I was startled at how these qualities greatly overlap with the results from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)and my result is Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging (ENFJ). My first signature theme was Futuristic which is extremely similar to the Intuition category on the MBTI. Considering how much I think (and talk) about life after college, this does not surprise me at all. Another one of my signature themes was "Disciple" which coincides with "Judging" from the MBTI. Both of these categories fit in with my personality pretty much perfectly, I love to plan things and have everything I need orderly and color-coded. I was delightfully surprised that the majority of my "Signature Themes" are similar to the way I act as well as my results on the MBTI. Taking multiple tests that agree with my behavior make me believe that the personality tests are pretty close to accurate.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to working in a group, I believe that it is extremely beneficial to know the group members StrengthsQuest signature themes. Learning how to work as a team is absolutely essential and being aware of group members strengths can make that task much easier. Under the right circumstances, I believe using a personality or strengths test can be extremely beneficial to an organization looking for employees. Knowing a potential employees specific traits/strengths/weaknesses is almost always used within an interview process, so why not use a test to prove the characteristics. Hiring an employee whose traits do not go along with the company can cause a lot of tension, which could lead to a great loss of time and money. However, I do not think that a personality or strengths test should be used to exclusively decide on whether or not to hire an employee. As the previous bloggers have stated, I understand that using a strengths test to decide whether or not to hire some can be abused. This is why I believe that a personality test should be one of the last tasks in the hiring process, maybe after formally applying and several interviews. Or possibly a test could be administrated after the employee has been offered the position. In essence, a personality test should not be the exclusive decision in hiring.
I think that in order to be the most effective, one needs to balance the focus on strengths and weaknesses. Being aware of a particular weakness can allow a person to make strides toward improving upon that weakness. Moreover, knowing ones strengths can be used to overcome the weaknesses one might possess.
First off, I still hate you, Dan.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time I've taken the StrengthsQuest. I first took it a few years ago when I had Corday for Peer Leadership. Although a few qualities differed, I believe I had at least two (Maximizer and Positivity) remain on my list. When I took the Myers Briggs test two years ago, I believe I had ENFJ and I am confident that result would remain the same. With the StrengthsQuest, I thought I would have empathy or other qualities related to this, so I was a little surprised when nothing along those lines showed up in my results.
Because it is seen as a psychological test to determine personality types, if an employer were to not hire someone directly based off their test and they have a mental impairment, it would be considered discrimination. However, this is a very unlikely situation. I find it hard to believe that an employer who turns away a mentally impaired individual would say that it was because "one of their qualities was activator" or "they didn't have adaptability."
If the test actually related to a job where group work was very frequent, it would not be seen as discrimination if the individual's mental health would impair the work of the organization.
Working on weaknesses may take away from the organization, so it is best to mainly focus on strengths. Of course, I believe that weaknesses should not be ignored, but turned around so they become manageable. Being familiar with our weaknesses also provide the opportunity to cautiously approach work that might correlate with a weakness.
This was the second time that I was given the opportunity to take the StrengthsFinder test. It was interesting to see that I had many of the same strengths as I did the first time around. I had the same strongest strength (WOO) on both tests. I felt that all my strengths were right on with the person that I am. I thought it was interesting how we picked apart our strengths in class. I found it to be useful coming up with a challenge that a strength of ours could present in our life. For example one of my strengths was discipline. I always thought of myself as a very organized person, but it was good to state that I can be a bit of a control freak. I made me realize how I could improve my strength even more by letting other people help when they offer assistance.
ReplyDeleteI too think that it is super useful to know each other’s strengths. If a group all had the exact same strength(s) it would be hard for them to fill the holes were their weaknesses lie. I think that taking a StrengthsFinder test or something similar to it would be beneficial in a work place. If a company was looking for a group of people who were very precise then they would look for an employee who has strengths in maximization.
I think it would be very interesting if the test could list all 34 strengths in order. I think it would show people what they could help others with (their top strengths) and what they themselves need to work on. I think that people need to focus more on their strengths than their weakness though. If we put all our energy into focusing on our weakness we can never truly utilize our strengths.
This was the first time that I have taken StrengthsQuest. My strengths seemed to be based in emotional and organizational areas. Going through all the leadership roles that I have previously held I felt that this made sense. I tend to be in positions where I plan events or maintain communication. The results also gave further affirmation in my choice to be a marketing concentration. Similarly to Kelly, I thought it was beneficial to pick apart our strengths. A common question that I feel is hard to answer in interviews is "What is your weakness?" Perhaps it would be beneficial to outline the challenge that I have with one of my strengths.
ReplyDeleteIn forming groups it is important to know who possesses what attributes. It helps in bringing different view points and talents rounding out a groups dynamic. In the hiring process many companies do require candidates to take personality tests. They are more geared towards gauging consistency. If companies began to use more strength based tests they could be able to construct questions addresses the persons particular attributes or compare the results to what the candidate says. I feel that it should not be a deciding factor but it could help to confirm thoughts about those characteristics.
I also thought that it would be interesting to be able to see what the lowest ranking themes would be. It would help in showing people where their challenges are. It would help to give a better idea as to what qualities they should seek out in others. In more fully knowing and developing our strengths we could find a way to work in harmony with our weaknesses.
This was also the first time I had taken a strengths test, however I have taken the Myers Briggs before. I found the test to be much more theoretical than the Myers Briggs and thought that the StrengthsQuest test was able to get to my strengths more effectively. I also thought that the focus on strength rather than weakness was a nice alternative to what we often find in other self-actualizing types of tests. The test was actually able to discern what my strengths were better than myself. When I had thought about what my strengths were during the test, I found myself thinking about the things I perceive as my weaknesses and what the opposites of those are, yet the outcomes that I thought I would have had were not even close to the themes that were my top 5.
ReplyDeleteEven though, I found the test to be very representative of what a persons strengths are, I think that its practical application to a career setting may be more beneficial in other areas outside of the hiring department. I think that using this as a tool to hire individuals may be hazardous to the well being of that organization. If an organization were to use this tool to participate in central planning for their management positions, they may miss out on valuable individuals who may possess vital resources and perspectives that could help maintain or sustain the well being of a group. Where this tool may be more effective is in management development. This could be utilized to recognize or simplify a leader or manager’s strengths to better hone their skills to be a more effective individual asset within the group.
Granted, as much as I enjoyed looking at my strengths and focusing on those, in a real world we have weaknesses too. Allowing the test to give us our weaknesses as well may defeat the purpose and uniqueness of this test, yet could prove beneficial in self-development. I think overall, it would be helpful, but the test results should still put more emphasis on the strength aspect.
When we were assigned the StrengthsQuest assignment, my initial reaction was Oh great another boirng survey of what I am good at. After taking the StrengthsQuest and getting my results back it was evident that it was more than that. This was my first time taking this and I found it to be beneficial. The part that helped the most was actually discussing everybody's top five strengths in class the next day. I was able to compare myself to others in the class and see where we differ. I thought it was very interesting how Katelyn and I had 4 of the same strengths. Since we are required to do a group project for class, knowing are top 5 strengths will help us know what we are good at so we work better with others. I have taken the MyersBrigs Test before to see my personality type and that help me better understand myself and how I would well within a group setting. My top 5 strengths were not really a surprise for me, just because I've taken similar test before, but I thought it was interesting how there were so many strengths that were possibilities. My top strength was Responsibility which was not a shock. I like to take charge and be a dependable person.
ReplyDeleteIn response to using this Strenghs Finder Tool in the work place, I would have to say that I do not think it would go over too well for hiring purposes. I feel that these tests are not 100 percent reliable for organizations to depend on choosing the best candidates into consideration. There are other factors that a company needs to think about when hiring someone other than just there personality and top strengths. I could see the test being helpful in situations at work within certain departments. The Marketing Department for example may be starting a new campaign group and need to select the best 4 people for the team. This StrengthsQuest may help aid in their decision.
I think that being able to recognize our weaknesses is necessary, but focusing on them may take away from our strengths. Maybe just letting us know what our lowest one was would be better than 5, that way we could concentrate on just one thing to improve on.
I have taken the StrengthsQuest quiz once before this time around. I actually accidentally signed into my 2008 version and noticed only one change in the 5 strengths. I cannot recall right now what it is, but it was pretty amazing to see how I haven't changed too much. Hopefully that's a good thing. I'm going to look at it that way (oh hey, that's one of my strengths..positivity...hmm...makes sense now). I thought the StrengthsQuest quiz was a great icebreaker for the beginning of the semester. Going around to room to not only meet people you don't really know but to also get to know their strengths/weaknesses all within the same 25-30 minutes was a great exercise. I believe it gave us a good perspective of who we would like to have a part of our semester-long group project crew. I have taken the Myers Briggs two or three times. It seems that I have a little bit more of a variation with the Myers Briggs. I usually stay put in the same "extrovert vs introvert" area ... but I can be either/or for quite a handful of them. So, when all is said and done ... I believe the StrengthsQuest quiz is much more effective than the Myers Briggs.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be beneficial for employers and employees to take a quiz similar to StrengthsQuest for hiring purposes. It helps employers know if the candidate would be a good fit for their company and also which depart he/she would work best with. It would give the potential employee and opportunity to see if they are actually fully interested in the job they're applying for. They may recognize that their skills could be better applied elsewhere. It's a win-win situation.
In my opinion, it would be a good idea to be able to acknowledge our weaknesses. It doesn't mean that we have to focus on them and being so preoccupied with trying to "fix" our struggles ... but I think it could help us focus on what we exceed at and gradually work on our weaknesses. It will also help people who work with us to know what we may struggle with. While one person may have troubles with staying on task, another person may be a great motivator who can keep everyone on track. On the other hand, that same person who struggles with staying on task may be great at keeping harmony in the group while the more "controlling" group member would need some help not getting too stressed out.
Whenever I'm asked what my strengths are, I think of hobbies I'm good at, instead of the types of things StrengthQuest shows us. I really like being able to do that test, because I can better identify what exactly they are, and the results are always very accurate. I have actually taken the StrengthsQuest test twice, and it was interesting to see that the results I received both times were quite similar. There were only 2 different strengths. I wonder if the different strengths were number 6 and 7 on either tests. Although the results differ a little bit, all of the total 7 that I received do fit, 2 of them just aren't as strong.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that this test is something that companies should rely on while hiring, but I definitely don't think it would be a bad idea to have employees take this test after hired, so other co-workers know each other's strengths and can utilize them.
I think it would be interesting to see what our weakest areas are, so at least we are aware. I think that could come in handy as well in a work place, so that co-workers can better distribute work based on what the strengths show or do not show. I don't think we should focus on our weaknesses too much, but I think it would be something we could see and possibly work on to make them our higher strengths.
Personally, I like the StrengthsQuest test better than Myers-Briggs, only because I have taken that about 4 times and rarely receive the same results. The results are similar, but usually not exactly the same. I also don't see exactly how I can utilize the results from Myers-Briggs as well I can utilize the StrenghtsQuest results.
The StrengthsQuest seems unique to me in the way that there are so many possible combinations of people- it’s actually kind of crazy. I mean I know there are no people that are exactly the same, but I guess I’ve just always thought of people as more alike than different. It seems to me it is almost an over-categorization of people. Plus I feel like it may put you into a box if employers administered this test to their employees. If a company made the choice they only wanted to hire people with a couple different strengths, once you took the test, you may never be able to break out of that mold. It seems harder to “fake” answer some of these questions to get the result you want- unlike how common we discussed it was with Myers Briggs.
ReplyDeleteSelf assessment can often be difficult and I agree that I was a little surprised at some of the strengths which came up and I have never really considered to be my strong points. The more we talk about them in class, the more I do identify with my strengths, especially after discussing the potential benefits and challenges.
I wish I did know my last five themes just because I think it is important to recognize that not all of can do well at everything. It would also be interesting if a group was determined based on trying to match peoples lowest strengths with others who had that strength in their top five. Actually now that I think about it again, I wish I knew the order of all 30 of my strengths, just because the ones in the middle or that closer to my top five, could be developed enough for them to become a top strength.