Strengths Finder

My husband’s been teaching me new things. Well, not him exactly, but the books he brings home from work. He’s been devouring all sorts of marketing and management books in his attempt to “take over the world.”  The newest one I read is called “Strengths Finder” by Tom Rath. It takes all of my incessant and irritating needs for routine and predictability and calls them “strengths.”  After a short online test I discovered that my top strengths are Harmony (apparently I want everyone to just get along), Consistency (aka boring- actually it means I want all people treated equally), Empathy (I feel for people), Discipline (uptight), and Developer (really? I don’t even really like people that much).

I was surprised by some of the explanations of the strengths but others fit me to a T. Like Empathy “you can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own.” Sometimes when I’m checking out at Target and the teenage employee has downcast eyes in her red and khakis, I feel bad for even assuming that she’s going to bag my groceries. This “strength” has always been irritating to me. I continually feel bad asking anything of anyone because they may have had a bad day.

On the other hand, I think the Lord gives me insight into people that I wouldn’t naturally have. At church the other night one of our regular attenders walked in with his shoulders a little bit heavier and he seemed to be carrying a burden he didn’t have in previous weeks. I talked with him during the break in the service and after a little probing he shared that he had just retired.  Instead of being happy he was overwhelmed with discovering a new identity for himself as a retired person. I was glad that he shared that with me and was honored to be able to give that request when the prayer team met the following week.

Perhaps the best discovery in giving a name to my “strengths” was that in 4 of my top 5 strengths, it’s recommended that I partner with someone like my husband. His strengths compliment my own.

For instance, in the description of Harmony, it says “Partner with someone especially talented in Command or Activator” because they can help me resolve conflicts. Chaz is an Activator, which means he is exceptionally “impatient for action” and has fantastic and creative ideas of how to resolve problems.

Overall “Strengths Finder” is an excellent book, whether you work in a corporate environment or with a bunch of screaming kids all day. It’s neat to give a name to the core characteristics of how you work and know that there are others out there that share your crazy quirks.