How Twelve Strengths in 6 Pairings Help us Tell a Story of Talents
In the last month, we have had a variety of engagements – training Strengths Communicators, taking a company through our three-step process, and a quarterly Leadership Vision Preview to those interested in learning more about who we are, what we offer, and what differentiates us in the market.
Because we are “relational and intentional,” we value the voice of each individual present in the room. After we introduce ourselves as the team of Leadership Vision, we invite every other individual to introduce themselves using a question we provide, to begin to hear individuals’ voices and see their talents and behaviors emerge.
The prompt this last month has been “Holiday Favorite.” With the markers of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years surrounding us, we wondered how people would respond.
A Snapshot of Talents
We weren’t just asking, “What is your favorite holiday?” We invited them to share a snapshot of a moment that might shine light on the talents of their strengths. The beauty of our process is we leave the prompt open-ended to allow space for personal interpretation. Twelve strengths in 6 pairings help tell us a story of talents.
As we shared around the room, one woman declared with great exuberance, “My Halloween Party!” We wondered aloud with her, if her Input and Relator gathers amazing ideas all year to create the best kind of party where extroverts and introverts can enjoy themselves for a spooky harvest celebration.
A gentleman using his Communication and Positivity, described the smells on Thanksgiving morning and the calm before the storm of his huge family getting together. He remarked that he would start his day out with a run to create a clear and happy headspace and heart space for him to enjoy his boisterous family. We speculated that his positivity fuels his communication and that he probably enjoys others being able to fully express themselves as much as he enjoys communicating himself.
A beautiful woman with Restorative and Connectedness described the tree trimming process at Christmas. She talked about how taking out the ornaments from their dusty boxes and putting them on the tree helped her walk down a meaningful memory lane. Those with with the strength of Restorative often see things in the restored state. We wondered what amazing stories her Christmas tree held.
Another woman loves New Year’s Eve when her whole family plays sardines. She has the strengths of Focus and Strategic. We heard how her six kids are of paramount importance to her and it sounds like she plays to win. This prompted us to ponder what strengths her children might display. Nature and nurture both play into our strengths.
One woman with Maximizer and Ideation declared that the 4th of July was her favorite holiday. She loved the noise and lights associated with that day. Perhaps her talents of Ideation actually feel like generative fireworks to her everyday.
In a few concise sentences, a woman with Empathy and Developer began to speak of that moment during Easter mass when the cathedral is dark and cold, and slowly the room grows light by individuals lighting candles until the room is brightly lit by candlelight. Her emotional intelligence drew an emotional response from the crowd. As we exhaled slowly, we were grateful that she invited us into her fond moment from darkness to light.
What is your holiday favorite?
What might this tell us about your strengths? Do you like the moment when company finally leaves and your house is still and quiet again? Do you enjoy the warmth of the fireplace and the giggles of children? Do you prefer a holiday during the summer months?
