How to Use Your StrengthsFinder Results for Career Advancement

1. Understanding Your StrengthsFinder Results

To begin using your StrengthsFinder results for career advancement, it's essential to first understand what the assessment reveals about you. The StrengthsFinder test identifies your dominant talent themes across four domains: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking. These results highlight your natural abilities, allowing you to focus on your strengths rather than trying to fix perceived weaknesses.

Your top five strengths, as revealed by the assessment, are the foundation for developing a strengths-based career strategy. Here are some key points to consider:

• Self-awareness: Knowing your strengths gives you a clear understanding of how you naturally perform in different situations. This self-awareness is the first step toward making informed career decisions.
• Role fit: Identifying your strengths allows you to find roles where your natural abilities align with job requirements, leading to better job satisfaction and performance.
• Development potential: By understanding your top strengths, you can focus on areas where you have the most potential to develop expertise, enabling you to advance more rapidly in your career.

2. Aligning Your Career Goals with Your Strengths

Once you have a clear understanding of your strengths, the next step is to align your career goals with them. This involves identifying the roles, industries, and work environments where your strengths will be most effective. For example:

• Executing Strengths (e.g., Achiever, Focus, Responsibility): If you have strong Executing talents, you may thrive in roles that require you to deliver results, manage projects, or oversee operations. Consider pursuing career paths such as project management, operations, or team leadership.
• Influencing Strengths (e.g., Activator, Communication, Command): People with Influencing strengths excel in environments that require leadership, persuasion, and the ability to motivate others. These talents are well-suited for sales, marketing, public speaking, and leadership roles.
• Relationship Building Strengths (e.g., Empathy, Developer, Harmony): If your strengths lie in Relationship Building, you are likely to excel in roles that require interpersonal skills, collaboration, and team dynamics. Careers in human resources, counseling, teaching, or customer service could be a great fit.
• Strategic Thinking Strengths (e.g., Analytical, Ideation, Strategic): Strategic thinkers excel in problem-solving, planning, and innovation. These individuals can thrive in roles related to research, strategy, analysis, and innovation, where critical thinking and long-term planning are required.

3. Leveraging Your Strengths for Career Advancement

To advance your career, it’s important to leverage your StrengthsFinder results in your daily work. Here are a few strategies to help you use your strengths to climb the career ladder:

Focus on Projects That Utilize Your Strengths

By selecting projects that align with your top strengths, you can maximize your impact and demonstrate your value to your employer. For example, if you have high Executing strengths, take on high-priority projects that require you to take charge and deliver results. If you have a strong ability in Influencing, consider leading presentations or team meetings where you can motivate and guide others.

Seek Out Mentorship and Development Opportunities

Strengths-based career development doesn’t just happen on its own; you need to actively seek opportunities to grow and refine your abilities. Find mentors who possess complementary strengths and ask for guidance in areas where you want to improve. For instance, a mentor with strong Strategic Thinking can help you develop a clearer vision for your career path, while someone with strong Relationship Building abilities can offer advice on networking and building valuable professional relationships.

Build a Strengths-Based Personal Brand

Use your strengths to shape your personal brand in the workplace. Whether through your resume, LinkedIn profile, or day-to-day interactions, highlight your unique strengths and how they contribute to your success. For example, if you have a dominant Influencing strength, emphasize your ability to inspire and lead teams. If you are strong in Executing, highlight your ability to turn ideas into action.

Contribute to Team Success

Your strengths can also play a critical role in the success of the teams you work with. By recognizing your own strengths and those of your colleagues, you can contribute to a more cohesive and effective team dynamic. If you are a Relationship Builder, you can serve as the glue that holds the team together. If you possess Strategic Thinking strengths, you can guide the team in making long-term, data-driven decisions.

4. Overcoming Challenges Using Your Strengths

Every career journey has its challenges. However, leveraging your strengths can help you navigate obstacles more effectively. Here are some strategies to overcome common career challenges using your StrengthsFinder results:

Managing Stress and Burnout

When you are working in roles or environments that don’t align with your strengths, stress and burnout are more likely to occur. To prevent this, regularly assess whether your work aligns with your top strengths. If not, consider how you can delegate tasks or adjust your responsibilities to better match your natural talents.

Dealing with Conflict

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, but understanding your strengths can help you navigate it more effectively. For instance, if you have a strong Relationship Building strength, you are likely to be empathetic and can help mediate conflicts by understanding both sides of the issue. Similarly, if you have Influencing strengths, you can use your persuasive abilities to facilitate resolution.

5. Measuring Career Progression Based on Your Strengths

As you continue to apply your StrengthsFinder results to your career, it’s important to measure your progress and ensure you are moving toward your goals. Regularly reflect on the following:

• Are you consistently being recognized for using your strengths?
• Have you been able to take on more challenging projects that align with your strengths?
• Have you received positive feedback from peers and managers regarding your strengths?
• Are you pursuing career development opportunities that build on your natural talents?

By consistently leveraging your strengths, you will be able to advance your career with greater ease, achieve your professional goals, and create a more fulfilling work life.