Descubra Seus Pontos Fortes 2.0

by Tom Rath, Instituto Gallup, Livia de Almeida (Translator)

SEUS TALENTOS MERECEM SER DESCOBERTOS E DESENVOLVIDOS!
Descubra seus pontos fortes 2.0 é uma nova e melhorada versão do livro Descubra seus pontos fortes, que já ajudou mais de 6 milhões de pessoas a descobrir seus principais talentos.

“Tom Rath e seus colegas do Gallup se destacam pela inabalável crença de que as pessoas devem se concentrar em tirar o máximo proveito de seus pontos fortes, e não em ficar tentando consertar os próprios defeitos.” — Forbes

“Este livro traz lições importantes para empreendedores e gestores que desejam entender os pontos fortes de sua equipe e convertê-los em benefícios à organização.” — The Economic Times

VOCÊ TEM A OPORTUNIDADE DE FAZER TODOS OS DIAS O SEU MELHOR? É PROVÁVEL QUE NÃO. MAS ESSE É O CAMINHO MAIS CURTO PARA O SUCESSO.
Em vez de trabalhar ativamente para aprimorar o que temos de melhor, devotamos tempo e esforço para consertar nosso desempenho nas áreas em que não nos saímos muito bem. Não existe receita mais certeira para a frustração e a mediocridade do que passar a vida nos dedicando ao que fazemos de pior. Para mudar essa cultura, Donald O. Clifton se baseou em pesquisas do Instituto Gallup com mais de 2 milhões de pessoas e criou o teste CliftonStrengths – Descubra seus pontos fortes, uma ferramenta para você se conhecer melhor e desenvolver suas maiores habilidades. Na versão atualizada desse programa, você vai descobrir seus cinco maiores talentos entre os 34 temas apresentados no livro e aprender como o desenvolvimento dos pontos fortes pode contribuir para o crescimento de todos à sua volta. O foco em suas aptidões é fundamental para uma vida com mais propósito, produtividade e bem-estar. Com este guia de referência e o teste Descubra seus pontos fortes 2.0, você vai ter acesso a:
• Seus cinco principais pontos fortes.
• Ideias para ação, com exemplos e dicas exclusivas de como colocar seus maiores talentos em prática.
• Um relatório personalizado sobre o que faz você se destacar pessoal e profissionalmente.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Self Help, Leadership, Personal Development, Psychology, Professional Development

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Tom Rath is an author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and well-being. He has two books slated for publication in 2020, Life's Great Question: Discover How You Best Contribute to the World and It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life, published in partnership with Amazon Original Stories.

In total, Tom's 10 books have sold more than 10 million copies and made hundreds of appearances on global bestseller lists.

Connect with Tom at:

- www.tomrath.org
- Twitter.com/TomCRath
- Facebook.com/AuthorTomRath
- Google.com/+TomRath
- Linkedin.com/in/trath/

Reviews

[Eric Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to books that include a passcode to go online and take a test to unlock the book's powerful content, there are no better books than this one and Emotional Intelligence Habits by Travis Bradberry. Love them both and they work well together to help you get a complete understanding of what makes you tick.

The Strengthsfinder test will measure your strengths, which are ultimately aspects of your personality. Since personality is fixed at an early age it's critical to understand your strengths so that you can make the most of what you've got.

After a brief summary of the latest Gallup research in the workplace, the book teaches you about the 34 strengths measured by the Strengthsfinder. They are:

Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Belief
Command
Communication
Competition
Consistency
Context
Deliberative
Connectedness
Developer
Discipline
Empathy
Focus
Futuristic
Harmony
Ideation
Includer
Individualization
Input
Intellection
Learner
Maximizer
Positivity
Relator
Responsibility
Restorative
Self-Assurance
Significance
Strategic
Woo

Once you understand these strengths and how to make the most of them, you'll begin to see them in yourself and others and you'll understand people better.

[Jean Tessier · Rating 1 out of 5]

Starts with a cool idea: instead of spending time trying to get better at things you have no talent for, why not work at being great at things you have a natural affinity for? Each of us has things they tend to be good at (talents), and things they tend to not be good at (let's call them handicaps). Why should we spend time and energy overcoming our handicaps, at the expense of our talents? At most, we'll be average at them for a lot of effort. Instead, we should spend our efforts in line with our talents and become really great at them.

The book outlines 34 themes, or areas of strength that Gallup has identified after looking at millions of profiles. It also gives you access to an online assessment that will magically tell you your top five strengths. Each theme has a nice description that makes you warm and fuzzy inside. Each also has activities to help you develop it. It's kinda like astrology, really: the descriptions are so fuzzy and use such powerful words that no matter which one you happen to read, you'll find that it matches you at some level and will sound like something you'd want to get better at. Luckily, there's the online assessment to make sure you only bother with five of them so you don't get too confused.

Of course, you cannot take the assessment without first purchasing the book. The entire intro reads like a pressure sales pitch for a psychic hotline. I'm very suspicious of opaque claims supported by pseudo-science with made-up names that come complete with a dead founder with a ludicrous made-up title that must be repeated in full every single time: Father of Strengths Psychology, Dr. Donald O. Clifton.

I like the premise of pursuing your own strengths, but the execution feels more like a religious cult than an exercise in reason. I went along, just for the sake of entertainment. My top five strengths are: Input, Context, Individualization, Intellection, and Adaptability. A few of the others sounded good to me, like Futuristic, for example. But the magical assessment program did not pick it when it used a whole slew of weird questions to somehow plumb my subconscious and decide on what my top five strengths were.

The book is essentially a sales pitch for the website. It tells you precious little about anything. It's only real value is in the code to take the online assessment. The book is definitely not worth $20, and I would not pay $20 for a self-help test. To me, it's barely a step above the get-rich-quick scam where you make a video on how to get rich in which you tell people to make a video on how to get rich.

[L. · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I spent comparatively little for this copy, I'm angry now that I spent anything on it at all. I feel as if I've been suckered into a scam.

I bought this book hoping it would be useful in helping my teenagers determine their personal strengths, so they might use that knowledge when making decisions about both their future education and careers. What a waste of time and money. I made the mistake of judging by the total overall Amazon rating, rather than looking at individual reviews. Had I done the latter, I never would have bought it.

This book is nothing but an unnecessary syllabus for Gallup's online test. It includes discussion of the test, a list defining each of the 34 supposed themes and a code for taking the online test.

Just to try it out, I took the test myself, only then to discover that no one else could use the one included code. There's no way to add other profiles to your account. If I wanted my kids to be able to use Strengths Finder, I'd have to shell out more money and buy copies of the book for each of them. Are you kidding me? Why on earth would I want multiple copies of this nigh-useless book lying around?

Moreover, the test itself was exceedingly non-specific, the supposed strengths listed were just generic overviews of broad personality traits, and the "Ideas for Action" it offered were really quite vague. For example:

"Wise forethought can remove obstacles before they appear."

"Trust your insights, and use them to ensure the success of your efforts."

"Find people who like to talk about the same issues you do. Organize a discussion group
that addresses your subjects of interest."

Translation? Think before you act. Trust your instincts. Make friends with like-minded people.

Honestly, I've gotten more personal insight from fortune cookies.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Total awesomeness!

This book and the included test (be sure to buy a new copy) inspired me for months. Finding out my top 5 strengths made who I am make so much more sense. I love their approach of focusing on what you are "designed" to do, rather than trying to shore up your weaknesses. They have specific suggestions for each strength which includes which kinds of folks you should pair up with and how others will react to your strength. For instance my top one is "Ideation" - a love for and facility with ideas - and it suggests that some folks might not follow my leaping train of thought so I'll need to connect the dots for them. That's good to remember.

I love the whole mindset of it - it's a way to celebrate diversity and understand that we all have different strengths and we need to work together so we can benefit from things we don't have and vice versa. A great model for teamwork and for managers.

[Alison Law · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with the premise of this book 100%. Rath hypothesizes that instead of spending most of our time trying to improve our areas of weakness (as most of us in the U.S. public school systems learn to do), we should instead focus our energies on cultivating our areas of strength. The formula that the author uses is Talent x Investment = Strength. This is the gist of the first 28 pages.

Here comes the rub. At Page 29 you read "Parting Thoughts." This is basically where the book ends and you're pointed to a website where you must register to take a test to help you identify your strengths.

Each book contains a unique access code that can only be used by one person. Do not buy this book if you want to share it and compare what you've learned with a friend. I also thought about donating the book to my public library system since it's a hardcover copy, but I know it would be completely useless to anyone checking it out. Essentially, you're paying $24.95 to take a test, not for a book. The remaining pages of the book are merely descriptions of the 34 themes, only five of which apply to you, based on the results of the online test.

In my case, the test results seem accurate, but not revelatory. I'm not sure the action ideas are truly helpful in telling me what to do with the information about my identified strengths.

It seems like the two goals of StrengthsFinder 2.0 are to (1) collect data and (2) sell research. The author works for Gallup, so I guess I should have seen that coming.

[Scott Dinsmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I Read this Book: Knowing and living one’s natural talents and strengths is on of the keys to lasting fulfillment. This book is the answer to discovering those strengths.

Topics Covered:

* Understanding your unique strengths
* Working effectively with others
* Achieving lasting fulfillment
* Time management

Review:

This one’s short and sweet. To get 90% of the value out of this will take you about two hours. I see it more as a tool than a book, a tool to foster success, fulfillment and enjoyment. My coach recommended Strengths Finder 2.0 about a month ago and since then I have personally spread the word to about 15 of my close friends.

Have you ever been told by a boss or colleague that you could use some work in a specific department, say public speaking, research, strategic thinking or negotiating? They’ve noticed where you are weak and suggest that you work on improving those areas. So much of our go-get-em and super-achiever success-driven society is focused on doing everything as absolute best as possible. If you aren’t good at something, then go get good at it. Seems like a decent idea, right? Maybe not.

Tom Rath and Gallop, as an organization, feel differently and I couldn’t agree more. Instead of spending your time on improving what you aren’t that good at and therefore don’t usually enjoy that much, why not focus your time on the few things that you are better at than most anyone and the things that light that fire inside of you? Odds are there isn’t much more of a satisfying and fulfilling way to spend your time than to focus on your natural talents. Strengths Finder 2.0 is the latest edition in a series of books written over the years to help people discover and spend time working with their very best skills.

Key points to take away:

* A life spent focusing on improving our weaknesses leads to dissatisfaction and mediocrity
* Spending time doing what we love and are best at is what drives success
* We cannot be great at everything, so get over it
* Everyday should be filled doing what one believes are their true gifts
* Opposing strengths can lead to the strongest partnerships

Those of you who have heard of the Gallop Organization, know how deep and research driven their ideas are. They have data to back up most everything they do, and a ton of it. Have you ever noticed the name that comes along with most new ground breaking polls or studies? That’s Gallop. My point is they do things based on science and what they learn from many thousands of test subjects.

They took this laser-like focus and applied it to building a program dedicated to analyzing people’s strengths and finding what skills they posses and do better than anything else in their life–what springs them out of bed in the morning and drives them working until late at night in pure excitement. The result was a list of 34 unique strengths that a person can possess, five of which tend to dominate one’s talents. The majority of the book explains each strength and how it’s applied to life, however the huge value comes from the 30 minute online strengths assessment/test that comes with the book.

I don’t joke when I say this is a 30 minute test that could easily change your life. Once complete, your five top strengths will be computed along with twenty or so pages worth of tasks, ideas and suggestions on how to best lead a life and career that fully values your gifts. The road map I was provided was enlightening to say the least and happened to be right on. No surprise that it recommended I find a career that involves lots of writing, teaching, reading and interacting with people. What do you know? The suggestions were amazing. Some were obvious and others went off like a light bulb when I read them.

Imagine a world where people only spent their time doing what they are best at and enjoy? How much less stress and anger would there be? How much more productivity, excitement and passion would there be to jump out of bed and tackle today’s serving of life? This is the starting point.

And the learning does not end with yourself. Even more powerful are the synergies created when colleagues and co-workers know both their strengths and those of the people around them so they work together in a balanced and efficient way. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that if two founders of a company agree on everything then someone isn’t necessary. That’s exactly the point. Work with people with different strengths. Instead of dwelling on what you aren’t best at, find someone who’s strengths are your weaknesses and get to work on a project with them or go out and start a business. You’ll likely be unstoppable. The issue in the past is that these things are very difficult to intuitively know. Strengths Finder will guide you. I just gave a copy to my partner and co-founder today and I can’t wait to see how we can fill any voids and keep our venture rock solid. With tools like these, it’s hard to imagine a path to success without them.

As I hope many of you know by now, success only goes as far as our enjoyment, freedom and satisfaction will allow it. The sad reality is that many of us spend the majority of our time doing things we are not particularly good at and that we don’t particularly enjoy. And this is all with the goal of great success at the end of the rainbow. Seems odd, doesn’t it? But if we stop to think that success is not a destination but more so a way of life, we realize we’ve had it all backwards. We should be spending our time doing what we are best at, most enjoy and love. The first step is discovering our unique strengths and then living a life abundant in them. That is the path to fulfillment. That is success.

My top five strengths are Achiever, Maximizer, Input, Positivity and Discipline. What are yours? I look forward to hearing your top 5, so please leave it in the comments section below. Who knows, maybe we’ll be a good match for a venture some day.

~Reading for Your Success

[Angelica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This books was ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT in theory but FAILED follow up on the promise. You get the gist of the book in 10 minutes, you get the you evaluation and, voilá, book over. To some extent this feels like a scam to me.

First you pay for the book containing ONE code for ONE test only (if you're lucky and nobody stole the code). Then you read the book which contains nothing of use if not combined with the test. Then you take the test and if you want the full evaluation (including more than the top 5 strengths) you have to pay more! WAAAAAY more! You're not really paying for the book, you're paying for one sample of a personality test! (Sorry but I just can't get over the one test only thing. Bah! Books are meant for loaning and reusing etc.)
To further illustrate this, this is what I missed in the book (other than the only one test allowed):
* Ways to identify these strenghts in others.
* How to help others develop their strengths.
* What strengths compliments mine/clashes with mine.
* More practical tips in how knowing this is meant to help in everyday life
--------Example: "You respect others for learning about your family and community - give them the opportunity. " HOW AM I TO DO THAT?
* A categorical system for the strengths (to make it easier to understand as well as remember)
* A build up of the last version (then again I did not read the first version, but the foreword mentioned what the "better"-part of this book was, and that was the new online result of the test! Where in THE BOOK is the new improved information that should motivate people to buy the new instead of the old one?)


The 2 stars I gave this book are solely because of how brilliant I think the ideas that our strengths are more important to work on than our weaknesses and utilising your strengths make you happy while the opposite makes you unhappy.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the managers at my store are reading this.

And I was like, haha!, I will read this too and see what you are up to.

Yeah, this isn't that kind of book.

I've taken Myers-Briggs Personality-type tests before (I'm an ISTJ) so the evaluation tool you take at the Gallup site is pretty similar. And worth the purchase of the book because that gives you the code to take the test to find your top five strengths (check in the back of the book to make sure no one's stolen the code before you buy it). The majority of the book is the description of the 34 strengths and action goals - which are all available at the StrengthsFinder2.0 site which is a bit repetitive.

My strengths are:
1. Input
2. Learner
3. Consistency
4. Intellection
5. Responsibility

Pretty spot on. But what about the next five or ten strengths? And how do these interact with one another?

Oh, snap. You have to pay for a coaching session (about $550) to get the 6-34 list.

So I read the 29 strengths and found ten that resonated with me so it's safe to assume they rank as the 6-15 crowd. But there's nothing in the assessment spit out by the website or anywhere in the book about how your strengths interact with one another. No "If you've got these two strong strengths be careful you don't come across as a severe hardass" or "Manage your time so people don't think you're a lazybones" type material.

So I'm not sure what this will get the managers. Because I don't see how this will improve one manager's ability to slack off, take extra breaks, and "pretend" to work when we all know she's dickering around calling her grown children. Or another manager's propensity to treat the booksellers like dirt because of his own issues.

Maybe they'll have to read Strengths-Based Leadership to figure that out.

[Tameca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to show my former boss that I was willing to work with her in her efforts to find out how all of her "beans'" strengths could mesh (which could only happen after everyone knew what strengths they had to contribute and when each bean had shared his/her strengths with the rest of the team). By the way, I worked at Starbucks.

I like the organization of the book, the detailed information about strengths, and even the online test you take to find out what strengths you have. I believe the test is thorough and accurate. However,while I am happy that I got results and found out more about myself, what kind of persons I should collaborate with (as far as strengths go)I resent having to buy the book to complete the test online.

This is a very quick read and sharable, apart from the one time use online Strengths Finder test.

[Ulana Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find this book fascinating. Hit the nail on the head in revealing the strengths of myself and my peers. If you haven’t already, you might want to try this out!

You take an assessment, receive the results, and get insights on how to apply your strengths. StrengthsFinder is now CliftonStrengths, so FYI.

Along with descriptors from the website, these are my top five strengths and my comments in italics 😀:

Achiever: Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for attainment. You feel as if each day starts at zero. By the day's end, you must achieve something tangible to feel good about yourself. And by "every day," you mean every single day -- workdays, weekends, and vacations. That totally sums up my days. Every day is a new reset. I never stop. Good and bad! 😀

It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks and challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your workgroup. It is the theme that keeps you moving. Yes, I’ve had days (nights) working til’ 4AM. If I hit a stride, forget about it. 😂

Futuristic: "Wouldn't it be great if ... " You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow. While the exact content of the picture will depend on your other strengths and interests -- a better product, a better team, a better life, or a better world -- it will always be inspirational to you. That is me! Obsessed with the future! With work, with health, with life! 🚀

Learner: You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. Always! That’s why I love books so much! 📕

The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered -- this is the process that entices you. Yes! I read, learn, and implement new skills every day. Positive growth! 💻

It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. I love it! 👍

Strategic: The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. One of my super skills! 💪

This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well, what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. This is my day. I always have a million scenarios in my head, but I can find the most effective path to reach an end result. And I like to be 10 steps ahead at all times. 👣

Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path -- your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: "What if?" Select. Strike. Me! I do this all day long. 😉

Woo: Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. So very true! I love meeting new people! 👋

On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Some people shy away from starting up conversations because they worry about running out of things to say. You don’t. Yes, I love conversing with new people. Just fascinating and you can learn so much! 😄

Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection. Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on. There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. It never stops! 😀

In your world, there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met yet -- lots of them. YES! ❤️

I’m talking to you, Goodreads community!! ❤️

[Kerri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started off skeptical of this book, but willing to give it a chance, especially as it was recommended to me by a friend. It starts off pretty good - why do we put so much effort in things we are not good at while letting our natural strengths go to waste? Not that I think it is healthy to ignore our weaknesses completely as this theory seems to imply, but we do live in a society and world where weaknesses are Way over-analyzed and flaws are the main focus. So sweet, something new - learn how to recognize your strengths. But then it tells me that people are most likely to like their jobs if they get positive feedback instead of being ignored or always told what they do wrong. Um, ok, this took a lot of research to learn? But whatever, most theories have these common-sense-seeming findings backed up by Research because that makes it Legit! So let's go learn our strengths so we can grow as a person and be our best selves!

But uh-oh! The only way to learn your strengths is to buy this book (make sure it's not pre-used or else that code in the back is useless to you!) and then take a sketchy test that gives you a randomly generated analysis with Magic 8 Ball answers mixed with fortune cookie sayings dressed up with business jargon. Seriously, the test is pretty bogus. Rate yourself between the following two phrases: "I like happiness" or "I like joy". There were quite a few questions that I felt were basically on that level, but how you rate yourself on the scale determines your answers (which one do you strongly agree with? You can only choose one!). Hmm. It does not inspire me with confidence. And then you are saddled with 5 strengths out of 34 - no which ones follow, no scale of how they compare, just assigned 5 Traits.

So let's look at these results, your Supposed Strengths. Like other people have said, the descriptions are vague and horoscope-like, although there are some I most definitely am Not (Maximizer? No way, not for me). I read through them all, thinking that maybe it would be fun to try to see hints of these traits in the people around me because I'm an optimist like that, but all of it is basically the same. And then I started thinking about these traits in the extreme and it just became unbearable. Please do not develop these traits to the exclusion of all else - that makes you insufferable in many different ways.

My supposed strengths were:
Adaptability (I go with the flow)
Connectedness (everything is connected - no coincidences! We're all in this together!)
Positivity (everything is awesome)
Developer (see potential in everything)
Belief (strong core values determine everything)

And while I can be like, sure, I can go with those, I feel that there are others that should have been stronger.

All in all, while this book has a few mildly interesting points, in the end game it is a money-making scam. If these people were truly interested in starting "a global conversation about what's right with people" (p. i), they would make their test and results a Lot more accessible. But I'm pretty ok with this test getting buried under all of the buzzfeed, playbuzz, zimbio, and 50 million-sh other sites that are pretty much all Free! And a lot more fun. Go to any of those other options; don't waste your time here.

[LTJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath was a great read to not only find my unique strengths as a worker but also know the path towards developing each one specifically. I was asked to read this book for my job (Editorial Director at FanSided) as a team-building exercise and I remember taking the original StrengthsFinder 1.0 many years ago when I used to work in retail electronics (Operations Supervisor at Best Buy).

What I enjoyed the most about StrengthsFinder 2.0 was how regardless of both of these different professions, it was a great read for someone like me who is heavily work-oriented and in leadership positions. It doesn’t matter what profession you’re in, you will undoubtedly find your unique strengths in this book and focus on developing them towards focused results in the future.

I give StrengthsFinder 2.0 a 4/5 only because the flow of reading this book is easy but you’ll find some strengths that are definitely not you in which you can skip for the most part since it’s that unrelatable. That’s what I enjoyed the most, digging deep to find my unique strengths, taking the assessment, and truly understanding to stop focusing on my weaknesses but more on developing my unique strengths. I highly recommend this book for those that truly want to take their respective careers to the next level. Even if your company doesn’t require you to read this book and take the assessment, after you’ve done both, you’ll be a better employee because of it. Guaranteed!

[Finn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like so many of the books in its genre, StrengthsFinder wastes a ridiculous number of (small, double-spaced, large-print) pages restating its fundamental principle in a variety of different ways. This tedium is compounded by the author's irritatingly self-satisfied tone.

The real meat of the book is actually online, where the assessment instrument itself resides. The instrument's engaging enough, but it's got one glaring flaw: it gave me a result that doesn't fit me well, and it offers no recourse. The site doesn't explain how it arrived at this particular result. It doesn't allow me to take the assessment again. All I can do is go back to the book and hunt through the various strengths to find one that fits better.

What's the point of an assessment instrument that's less accurate than a self-directed review of all the possible outcomes? Beats me. The strengths themselves are worth a read for pure intellectual value, I suppose, but only if you can get the book for free.

[Ashraf Bashir · Rating 1 out of 5]

The whole message of the book is: "You are not good in X, awesome, then don't try to improve! Accept it, and focus on what you are good in!" ... wtf?! What kind of book is this?!!

This is a recipe for failure! When I count my huge list of improvement points, over the last five years, and then see my progress in each, I become really amazed! Running back to comfort zone won't solve the problem, in fact, it will make one's life worse!

Instead, confront your weakness, work on improving your weak areas, try to improve. Fail! yeah, it is not the end of the world, keep failing, and you will keep learning! You don't have to be the best, take small steps, small steps over a long time lead to a huge difference.

And do not forget to throw such kinds of books, which are telling you to run away from your weakness points, in the nearest trash!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally helpful and intriguing but the book on its own didn't entirely sell me. The more personalized test came a little closer.
Slightly skeptical that my number one strength came up as strategy.
Also, strengths aren't supposed to shift but I took the test twice and within a year four of my top five strengths changed. Granted, I went through a lot this past year. But still, doesn't that seem rather dramatic considering this test purports to measure your generally unchanging personality?
BUT critiques aside, a useful test that I appreciated and will use going forward.

[Pat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whilst the ideas in the book may be great - brilliant even, I think the whole book is a scam!
It had come up as a recommendation on Amazon and the initial blurb interested me as I do believe we tend to live up to whatever label we are given. So I read some of the inside pages - and added the book to my order. No where was I given the impression that for the book to of any use at all I would have to register with a website to take a test.

the book arrived and I started reading First a short chapter extolling the value of understanding your strengths briefly mentioning the online test. Then an introduction, which seemed to me to the slightly longer version of the the first chapter. Then the rest was useless information without the test. I had read this in half an hour.

The access code for the online was a one time use so cannot be used for my husband. (If you are buying this make sure you have a new printed version apparently it's not in the kindle version.)

So then the test - takes about 30mins but you have to register on the site first - so yet another password, like I need more of those. There is a demographic section for which I failed to see much relevance at all but they now know where I was born, what year and where I live now. Not real happy about needing to do that and wouldn't have bothered with the book had I realised that.

The test I thought had some pretty loaded questions and I don't think they were that well considered. eg Do I spend lot of time alone. Not whether I liked to do that but do I?

At the end there is a detailed report and also a pdf version of the bulk of the book to download.

Seems to be a dishonest way to market a website paid survey! I could get a really detailed analysis for heaps of money too! Whoopee!

[Nura Yusof · Rating 1 out of 5]

Took the test and discovered the 5 strengths that I should be leveraging on. But I found the questions asked and the results a bit questionable.

The developers of the test assumes that those taking the test have complete and truthful knowledge of themselves. Several times during the test, I did wonder whether my responses were really accurate. Were they really a true reflection of me?

Another quibble is the online offerings. Yeah, I signed up to take the test. But the results and action plan available online were mere regurgitations of the book, spliced and put together according to the results! I do not see any added value of signing up on the site other than taking the test and the results and action plan to me seemed like an anti-climax.

Did the results feel accurate? In some ways, yes. I picked up this book to discover more about myself. And yet in the new learnings, I discovered that I am already doing what I'm supposed to be doing...the problem is I'm unhappy doing it.

This test tells you about your strengths but it doesn't tell you how to find happiness in your strengths.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't get this book from the library if you haven't taken the StrengthsFinder test, because each book only comes with one code. I had taken the test already and been provided with the supplementary material, so this doesn't have a lot to add except for advice on how to work with people with the strengths you don't have. I read the suggestions for my boss's strength, and I was like, "Preach!"

Other than that, I found StrengthsFinder to be far more useful and practical than older tests like the Myers-Briggs, in fact it helped me see a change I needed to make in my own career, just gave me clarity I really needed. It also pointed out what I could/should be contributing at work based on the strengths, making me want more time for reflection and reading at work. I do these things at home, but not at work!

So basically, DO buy yourself this book or talk your workplace into doing StrengthsFinder.

[Nastaran Heydari · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب رو 4 سال بود داشتم ولی تازه امسال با دیدن یه ویدئو که یه بخشیش هم راجع به استعدادیابی صحبت شده بود و این کتاب رو معرفی کرده بود دوباره رفتم سراغش و خوندمش. توی این کتاب 34 تا نقطه قوت رو آرده و توضیح داده راجع بهشون و بعد از معرفی هر کدوم یه سری مثال و پیشنهاداتی هم داده. گفته شده که هر کس توی 5 تا از این نقطه قوت ها توانایی خیلی زیادی داره و اگه بتونه 5 تا نقطه قوت برتر خودش رو شناسایی کنه میتونه شغلش رو طوری انتخاب کنه که بتونه توش از اون نقطه قوت ها استفاده کنه. و حتی با شناسایی نقاط قوتی که توشون قوی نیستیم میتونیم برنامه بریزیم که تقویتشون کنیم. کتاب خوبی بود من چند تا نقطه قوت هام رو شناختم البته بهتر بود پرسشنامه هم داشت توش که به شناخت بیشتر کمک میکرد.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for a work committee. You get to take a test which identifies your top five themes. You are then provided an action plan to use these themes to capitalize on your strengths in the workplace. I'm a Scorpio.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I pick it up often and re-discover things about myself and my peers. Essential for anyone working on interpersonal relationships, or just trying to do their jobs better.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was required reading for a Strengths Finder class I took at work. I was actually surprised after doing the survey how much was revealed about my strengths. My top 5 strengths are: Input (I collect - knowledge and stuff), Intellection (I think about stuff), Learner (I learn from all this stuff I've collected and thought about), Analytical (well, duh, that was a no brainer Ms. Number Balancer/Data Reconciler) and Consistency (wanting everything to be FAIR).

In the class, we of course compared strengths. Learned about how people work together. The end result was that we should look for a job that plays to our strengths, not necessarily waste a lot of time trying to improve our weaknesses.

When I think of new career paths, I play around with reptile pet sitter or hazmat crime scene cleaner. I will probably continue analyzing with the financial realm, though. We'll see.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

The whole point of this book is to provide a unique access code to take the online assessment. The first 31 pages are an advertisement for the assessment. The rest of the book contains a brief overview of each of the 34 "themes", which could have just been accessed on their website. This makes no sense as a book at all.

Additionally, the basis of the strengths concept comes from polls and interviews. It is not grounded in actual Psychological research (though they throw around Psychology words like DSM and Personality to try to legitimize their assertions). These 34 traits (like Intellection, Futuristic, and Arranger) are claimed to be innate characteristics that a person has and cannot develop past his or her natural capacity. All these are are a reflection of what you've already told the assessment you're good at. Save your money and just keep doing what you do well.

[Felina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright I had:

Maximizer - "Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling.' That is way me. I've always said that trying to be well rounded is a waste of time but being amazing at something should be the goal. I know what my flaws are and I simply don't care.

Relator - Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. Wow, I'm freaked out. I am totally this. I have very little interest in having a lot of friends. I am only interested in having a very small group of extremely close friends. And with those close friends I am very open.

Input - You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information - words, facts, books and quotations - or you might collect tangible objects. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. Yeah I collect books. This makes perfect sense. However, the description goes on to make this sound like a hoarder and I am not a hoarder. I throw everything away except written information. I have all my old text books.

Ideation - You are fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? And idea is a concept, the best explanation of the most events. You are delighted when you discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection. Yours is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and so you are intrigues when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure connection.
Yep. That me.

Adaptability - You live in the moment. You don't see the future as a fixed destination. Instead, you see it as a place that you create out of the choices that you make right now. And so you discover your future one choice at a time. We share this one. I don't think the description sounds flighty and wishy-washy. But this is also me and from my 'Maximizer' side I don't see this strength as having any kind of downside. :)

I actually think this applies more to me now than it did in college.

[Viet Hung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend for everyone, who really wants to know what you are. This is a great tool for self-assessment. Furthermore, it also recommends what you do to fully bring the best out of your potential. FYI. Facebook is applying this one. See below:

Facebook hires smart people independent of available job openings. After hiring someone it likes, engineer or business operative, Facebook will ID this person's talents with something called the Clifton StrengthsFinder, and then create a job using that information.

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2...

[Allison Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, personally, loved this book. I have a tendency to focus on my weaknesses and ignore my strengths. I appreciate that this book showed me where I am strong and how I can utilize those to my benefit! I also liked how it offered my complementary workmates. I work in team environment and we read this together. I am excited to learn their strengths and for us to grow as a team!

[J.J. Garza · Rating 1 out of 5]

Una batería psicométrica disfrazada de libro con un precio de lista de treinta dólares. Menos mal que fue tarea leerlo. Una estafa

[Mahdi Nasseri · Rating 5 out of 5]

عالی. کاش ده سال پیش این کتاب رو خونده بودم.

[Sanford Chee · Rating 2 out of 5]

My top 5 themes & ideas for action:

1. Significance
1.1 Choose jobs/positions in which you can determine your own tasks & actions. You'll enjoy the exposure that comes with independence (e.g. investment management)
1.2 Your reputation is important to you, so decide what it should be (your "personal branding") and tend to it in the smallest detail e.g. earn a designation that will add to your credibility (e.g. CFA, Wharton MBA), write an article that will give you visibility, or volunteer to speak in front of a group who will admire your achievements (e.g. TED talks)
1.3 Share your dreams and goals with your family/closest friends & colleagues. Their expectations will keep you reaching. Landmark Forum: "enroll others in your having gotten"
1.4 Stay focused on performance (S.M.A.R.T. goals)
1.5 You'll perform best when your performance is visible. Stay away from roles that hide you behind the scenes.
1.6 Leading crucial teams or significant projects brings out your best. Your greatest motivation may come when the stakes are at their highest. Let others know that when the game is on the line, you want the ball.
1.7 Make a list of the goals, achievements, and qualifications you crave, and post them where you'll see them every day. Use this list to inspire yourself.
1.8 Identify your best moment of recognition or praise. What was it for? Who gave it to you? Who was the audience? What do you have to do to recreate that moment?
1.9 Unless you also possess dominant "Self-Assurance" talents, accept that you might fear failure. Don't let this fear prevent you from staking claims to excellence. Instead, use it to focus on ensuring that your performance matches your claims.
1.10 You might have a natural awareness of what other people think of you. You may have a specific audience that you want to like you, and you will do whatever it takes to win their approval and applause. Be aware that while reliance on the approval of others could be problematic, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be liked or admired by the key people in your life.

2. Competition
2.1 Select work environments in which you can measure your achievements (e.g. using $ to keep an objective score). You might not be able to discover how good you can be without competing.
2.2 List the performance scores that help you know where you stand every day. What scores should you pay attention to (KPIs, SMART Goals)?
2.3 Identify a high achieving person against whom you can measure your own achievement. If there is more than one, list all the people with whom you currently compete. Without measurement, how will you know if you won?
2.4 Try to turn ordinary tasks into competitive games. You will get more done this way.
2.5 When you win, take the time to investigate why you won. You can learn a great deal more from a victory than from a loss. But you should also learn from your losses.
2.6 Let people know that being competitive does not equate with putting others down. Explain that you derive satisfaction from pitting yourself against good, strong competitors and winning.
2.7 Develop a “balanced metric” - a measurement system that will monitor all aspects of your performance. Even if you are competing against your own previous numbers, this measurement will help you give proper attention to all aspects of your performance.
2.8 When competing with others, create development opportunities by choosing to compare yourself to someone who is slightly above your current level of expertise. Your competition will push you to refine your skills and knowledge to exceed those of that person. Look one or two levels above you for a role model who will push you to improve.
2.9 Take the time to celebrate your wins. In your world, there is no victory without celebration.
2.10 Design some mental strategies that can help you deal with a loss. Armed with these strategies, you will be able to move on to the next challenge much more quickly.

3. Learner
3.1 Refine how you learn. For example, you might learn best by teaching; if so, seek out opportunities to coach others. You might learn best through quiet reflection; if so, find this quiet time.
3.2 Develop ways to track the progress of your learning. If there are distinct levels or stages of learning within a discipline or skill, take a moment to celebrate your progression from one level to the next. If no such levels exist, create them for yourself (e.g., reading five books on the subject or making three presentations on the subject).
3.3 Be a catalyst for change. Others might be intimidated by new rules, new skills, or new circumstances. Your willingness to soak up this newness can calm their fears and spur them to action. Take this responsibility seriously.
3.4 Seek roles that require some form of technical competence. You will enjoy the process of acquiring and maintaining this expertise.
3.5 As far as possible, shift your career toward a field with constantly changing technologies or regulations. You will be energized by the challenge of keeping up.
3.6 Because you are not threatened by unfamiliar information, you might excel in a consulting role (either internal or external) in which you are paid to go into new situations and pick up new competencies or languages quickly.
3.7 When people have the opportunity to learn and grow, they are more productive and loyal. Look for ways to measure the degree to which you and others feel that your learning needs are being met, to create individualized learning milestones, and to reward achievements in learning.
3.8 At work, take advantage of programs that subsidize your learning. Your organization may be willing to pay for part or all of your instructional coursework or for certifications. Ask your manager for information about scholarships and other educational opportunities.
3.9 Honor your desire to learn. Take advantage of adult educational opportunities in your community. Discipline yourself to sign up for at least one new academic or adult learning course each year. Learn online via Coursera
https://www.coursera.org

3.10 Time disappears and your attention intensifies when you are immersed in studying or learning. Allow yourself to “follow the trail” by scheduling learning sessions during periods of time that will not be interrupted by pressing engagements.

4. Responsibility
4.1 "Responsibility" as branding e.g. Hang Lung’s motto “we do things right".
4.2 Step up: keep volunteering for more responsibility than your experience seems to warrant. You thrive on responsibility, and you can deal with it very effectively.
4.3 Align yourself with others who share your sense of responsibility. You will flourish when working with people who share your determination to get things done.
4.4 Tell your manager/client/partner that you work best when given the freedom to follow through on your commitments—that you don’t need to check in during a project, just at the end. You can be trusted to get it done.
4.5 Push yourself to say no. Because you are instinctively responsible, it might sometimes be difficult to refuse opportunities. For this reason, you must be selective. Ask for more responsibility in only the areas that matter most to you.
4.6 Delegate. You naturally take ownership of every project you are involved in. Make sure that your capacity to own does not keep you from sharing responsibility. Allow others the opportunity to experience the challenges of ownership. In doing so, you will contribute to their growth and development.
4.7 Consider whether you really are the person who should be handling a particular issue. Defer to your existing responsibilities and goals before undertaking additional burdens, as you may end up skimping on quality if you have too many tasks or competing demands.
4.8 Partner with someone especially talented in Discipline or Focus. This person can help you stay on track and prevent you from becoming overloaded.
4.9 Working with a like-minded, responsible colleague is satisfying for you. Be sure to clarify expectations and boundaries so that each person can feel ownership for his or her particular tasks without stepping on each other’s toes.
4.10 Responsible individuals like to know they have “delivered” on their commitments, so create metrics and goals to gauge how effectively you meet your obligations. Also, make sure you have explicit and concrete expectations so that there is no question regarding quality outcomes and so that you can hit the mark as promised.

5. Achiever
5.1 Select jobs that allow you to have the leeway to work as hard as you want and in which you are encouraged to measure your own productivity. You will feel challenged and alive in these environments.
5.2 As an achiever, you relish the feeling of being busy, yet you also need to know when you are “done.” Attach timelines and measurement to goals so that effort leads to defined progress and tangible outcomes.
5.3 Celebrate your victories. Remember to build celebration and recognition into your life. Achievers tend to move on to the next challenge without acknowledging their successes. Counter this impulse by creating regular opportunities to enjoy your progress and accomplishments.
5.4 Never walk into a meeting without an agenda. Learn the objectives of each meeting ahead of time and by taking notes about progress toward those objectives during the meeting. You can help ensure that meetings are productive and efficient.
5.5 Continue your education by attaining certifications in your area or specialty in addition to attending conferences and other programs. This will give you even more goals to achieve and will push your existing boundaries of accomplishment.
5.6 You do not require much motivation from others. Take advantage of your self-motivation by setting challenging goals. Set a more demanding goal every time you finish a project.
5.7 Partner with other hard workers. Share your goals with them so they can help you to get more done.
5.8 Count personal achievements in your scoring “system.”
5.9 Launch initiatives and new projects. Your seemingly endless reserve of energy will create enthusiasm and momentum.
5.10 Make sure that in your eagerness to do more at work, you do not skimp on quality. Create measurable outcome standards to guarantee that increased productivity is matched by enhanced quality.

Other themes: (6) Relator; (7) Connectedness; (8) Command; (9) Belief; (10) Maximiser; (11) Analytical; (12) Input; (13) Developer; (14) Futuristic; (15) Activator; (16) Discipline; (17) Ideation; (18) Positivity; (19) Self-confidence; (20) Strategic; (21) Conductor; (22) Focus; (23) Adaptability; (24) Intellection; (25) Consistency; (26) Woo; (27) Empathy; (28) Communication; (29) Restorative; (30) Individualization; (31) Harmony; (32) Context; (33) Includer; (34) Deliberative

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may write a proper review for this later, but for now, this will be a placeholder. I liked it - I had to take this "Strengths Finder" as a part of my work enhancement/assessment - ended up getting a lot out of it. For the most part, it was spot on for attributes/strengths/interests I have, though with a few caveats.