August 13, 2015

Why You Need to Embrace your StrengthsFinder Theme Names

Recently we were working with a client, and the group had several members who were resistant to names of strength. For whatever reason, these people had difficulty accepting these names, their meaning, and how these simple names could add so much to understanding themselves and others. So I thought to myself, “What’s in a name?”

What’s in a name? Here are a few nicknames of the neighborhood friends I grew up with: Coy, Toozy, Bull Dog, Tree, Keester, Jetstream, Moose, Tank, Nap, T-Bone. Of course there are many more names because my friends and I had nicknames for everyone. As you can imagine, each of these nicknames has a story behind it; recalling an experience, personality, character or unique gifting… the same is true with the names of strengths.

We also called each other many less flattering names, but I will let those rest for now.

About the only name we did not call each other was the actual name given to us by our loving parents. In fact, there are childhood friends that I remember only by their nickname, I’ve forgotten their real name. To be fair, my nicknames all had something to do with my last name… Shooby, Skoobs, Shoe, Laces, Shoe String, Shuba, B-Smooth. My most recent nickname is Biz, affectionately bestowed upon me by my loving wife.

A lot can be said, recalled and remembered, by one’s name.

What’s in your name?

Your name, those three to four words that have identified and differentiated you your whole life. Do you know the story of your name?

And, what’s in the name of your strengths? Your strengths, those five words that identify and differentiate you. What is the story of your strengths?

Some names are passed on from generation to generation. Some parents spend months and months deciding what to name their child. While other parents await the birth of their child and decide on a name once they have met their newborn. Whichever way it happened to you, for the most part, you had nothing to do with your name.

Fortunately, or unfortunately for some, receiving your StrenghtsFinder theme names is much the same process. You had little to do with the process because these five names indicate what is already there, behaviors which have been with you all along. We have been acting from our strengths for most of our lives. But after about 30 minutes, the time it took to complete StrengthsFinder online, many people act utterly surprised and even disappointed when these five names are revealed.

What are StrengthsFinder Theme Names?

So, what is really revealed in these five names that causes such surprise and disappointment?

StrengthsFinder names our behaviors which are so common to us that we may never believe they are special or any different than anyone else. These five names encourage us to notice what is strong, beautiful, brilliant, and unique.

These five names not only do this for ourselves, but entice and encourage us to see others in the same way; as strong, beautiful, brilliant and unique. And most importantly, StrengthsFinder begins to weave itself into our narrative, shaping and reshaping our own personal story of who we are and who we are becoming, for ourselves and among others.

Like the nicknames of our youth, our strengths call out something of our personality, character or unique gifting. Strengths help us notice and understand our identity and how we find differentiation from one another. Knowing our strengths empowers us to recall experiences of life from the past, that when shared with others through story, will lead to a deeper relationship and personal connection.