February 13, 2014

Exploring the StrengthsFinder Theme of Arranger®

Linda Schubring Strengths Arranger, The 34 3

Have you ever marveled at way a person can multi-task and then she goes and juggles one more thing? Have you ever noticed a leader who can develop a strong 5-year strategy and deliver on that strategy by getting the right people together at the right time, mixing new and complex elements in a new season, and accomplishing goals that end up surpassing quotas or expectations?

That leader might have the StrengthsFinder Theme of Arranger®.

Definition of the StrengthsFinder Theme of Arranger®

The Strength of Arranger® is one of the two critical decision-making Strengths, the other is the Strength of Strategic®. Although both the Strengths of Arranger® and Strategic® are good at making decisions, they are very different in how they make those decisions. For example, Strategic® is generally a quicker, more decisive decision maker with things that are tangible. On the other hand, Arranger® is a decision maker with things that are perceived, the intangibles.

The StrengthsFinder Theme of Arranger® perceives how things work together, the patterns and the connections, and makes decisions that involve many factors and a variety of elements. The Arranger® can see how things work together, predict how elements or people will work together in the future, and then make a decision accordingly.

Someone with Arranger® makes decisions based on the groupings and connections that are taking place, these observations come to light and trigger a decision to be made. This process of perceiving, seeing, and interpreting the patterns, groupings, and connections takes time. But the genius of the Strength of Arranger® lies in this ability to arrange multiple elements together to make a comprehensive decision.

How Arranger® is Generative

The StrengthsFinder Theme of Arranger® is generative in its capacity to coordinate and combine many elements into the process of decision-making. Arranger® is generative in how it can do this again and again, over and over. When a person with the Strength of Arranger® is piecing together various elements, the forthcoming decision is life-giving in how it brings together seemingly disconnected elements.

Behavioral Examples of Arranger®

Think of a helicopter pilot and his view. What altitude is your Arranger®? Do you see and make decisions best on the ground, or up high with a birds-eye view?
Think of a conductor of an orchestra she knows how to blend the right sounds, instruments, voices, at the right time to create the finest musical performance.

I knew a person with the Strength of Arranger® who loved to put together 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzles. It was relaxing for her. She didn’t even mind if it was an ocean landscape that was mostly bright blue. She could see portions coming together, whereas others only saw blue and cardboard pieces without a home.

Another person with the StrengthsFinder Theme of Arranger® once admitted to us, “I like meetings… it is a place where I am made aware of everything that is going on. Meetings help me make better decisions.”