Gallup Strengths Test

This behavioural assessment has undergone several name changes over the past few years.  Initially known as Gallup’s StrengthsFinder Assessment, then StrengthsFinder 2.0, then Clifton StrengthsFinder; the assessment is now called CliftonStrengths.  The CliftonStrengths Assessment is named for Dr. Donald O. Clifton who has spent over 50 years researching various strengths that people share.  In 2002, the American Psychological Association awarded Dr. Clifton the Presidential Commendation and recognized him as the Father of Strengths-Based Psychology.  Over the years, more than 10 million people have identified which of the 34 strengths (or themes) they possess, and have used this information to become more effective in their careers, and in their lives in general.  The themes are a combination of knowledge, skills and talents.

What is the CliftonStrengths Test Like?

This is not a test you can prepare for in a traditional sense, but it is helpful to know what to expect when you walk into the testing site.  The CliftonStrengths test, also known as the Gallup StrengthsFinder (GSF), is taken on a computer.  You will be presented with 177 sentence pairs.  Some of the sentence pairs are opposites, some are similar, and some have no apparent relationship.  You will choose the sentence in each pair that best describes your thoughts, feelings, or behaviour.  You need to be able to complete three sentence pairs in a minute in order to accurately complete the test.  For this reason, building your familiarity with the test format by taking some practice tests is a good idea.  When you complete the test, you will be shown your top five qualities, or themes.  It is up to you, and possibly your employer, to use these CliftonStrengths to be productive in the workplace.

Why Are the Results Important?

Knowing what strengths their employees bring to the table enables employers to place their people in appropriate positions.  If a job needs to be done quickly and efficiently, someone with an Activator or Command theme will save the day, but in a brain storming session, someone with Ideation or Strategic themes might be a better fit.  Employers also use test results to provide training for employees who do not naturally have the strengths that are needed for a specific job.

Understanding your own themes helps you understand how you see the world, and how you view work and the people around you.  Knowing your themes can lead you to a profession where you will be satisfied in your job.  A doctor with a strong Discipline theme will be much happier in general surgery than in the Emergency Room where potential chaos lies in wait with every ambulance call, the ER is the perfect setting for a doctor with a strong Restorative theme.

Having an understanding of the themes also helps create a more positive corporate culture.  As people with different themes work together, they can appreciate the qualities co-workers are bringing to the team.  Instead of seeing someone as bull headed and bossy, that person can be recognized for having a need to get a job done in an efficient and orderly manner.  In turn, he/she can recognize a co-worker’s need to explore different avenues before committing to the one that best fits the project at hand.

What are the Clifton Strengths?

Achiever – Someone who is very driven, and looks for measurable achievement at the end of every day – even on vacation! 

Activator– Someone who is always ready to make things happen. 

Adaptability – Someone who lives in the moment and who believes in creating his/her own future. 

Analytical – Someone who wants proof for everything. 

Arranger – Someone who enjoys concocting different scenarios based on provided information. 

Belief – Someone who has strong core values. 

Command – Someone who enjoys taking charge. 

Communication – Someone who loves to use words to inspire and bring ideas to life. 

Competition –  Someone who is always comparing his/her progress and success to others. 

Consistency –  Someone who believes rules should be applied equally to everyone. 

Context – Someone who looks to the past to explain the present. 

Deliberative – Someone who sees the world as an unpredictable place. 

Developer – Someone who sees potential in all people and events. 

Discipline –  Someone who thrives on structure and routines.  

Empathy – Someone who can see the world through the perspective of others. 

Focus – Someone who is frustrated without a clear goal or destination. 

Futuristic – Someone who is fascinated with the future

Harmony – Someone who is always looking for common ground. 

Ideation – Someone who is fascinated by ideas. 

Includer – Someone who believes people are fundamentally all the same. 

Individualization – Someone who doesn’t like generalizations because he/she is intrigued by the unique qualities of individuals. 

Input – Someone who loves to collect… information, ideas, stuff. 

Intellection – Someone who likes to always be thinking about something, even if it’s nothing important. 

Learner – Someone who enjoys learning for the sake of learning. 

Maximizer – Someone who always wants to have the best product or outcome for any situation. 

Positivity – Someone who is always looking for the positive. 

Relator – Someone who is comfortable with intimate relationships. 

Responsibility – Someone who takes ownership of commitments and sees them all the way through. 

Restorative – Someone who is a problem solver. 

Self-Assurance – Someone who makes all his/her own decisions. 

Significance – Someone who wants to be recognized, known, and appreciated. 

Strategic – Someone who has a unique way of seeing the world. 

Woo – Someone who is a natural at winning others over. 

These are very brief descriptions of the themes in the Clifton StrengthsFinder Test.  In order to find out the specific themes that make up your personality, you’ll need to take the test yourself.  Be sure to answer the questions truthfully, based on your actual thoughts and experiences, not an idealized version of yourself.  After taking the assessment, you will be given an in-depth report on the themes in your personality as well as materials and tools to apply your strengths to your career and life.  Millions of people have experienced a richer life as a result of knowing their personal combination of themes.  Will you be one of them?