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StrengthsFinder Domains: A View of Your Strengths from 50,000 Feet

Looking at the big picture, let’s say the 50,000 feet view, you can’t concentrate on the details. Why?  Because you can’t see them. However, you are able to recognize overarching connections and broad concepts.

When you first learn about something, you may find it helpful to begin with the big picture. Like looking at a road map to travel across country and only later working down to a more detailed one, to find your precise destination. And by the way, that is pretty much how it works digitally as well. Details can get in the way when you’re trying to get from one place to another on the interstate. Maps of towns that are a mile off the expressway aren’t pertinent, while knowing the next exit is fourteen miles away, is.

Beginning your Strengths’ journey can be very similar. Starting with at least five of your Strengths to understand, it may be easier to look at what they tell you all together before delving into each of them, one by one. It is even possible to start this observation before you even have your Strengths’ results by figuring how you approach the world.

So, when you need to deal with something, how do you approach it? If you need to perform a task or find a solution, what is your first step? How do you move forward?

Do you immediately begin to perform some action?

Do you begin to work through the various possibilities and permutations in your head?

Do you let your emotions be your compass directing how you begin?

Do you start with the idea that you will influence others to come to a solution?

Understanding your natural way to approach most situations reveals a great deal about how you are wired and how you are motivated. Having a solid grasp of what your natural tendency is when dealing with situations, gives you the power of self-awareness. Also noting how others approach situations can help to indicate how they are wired.

The Clifton Strengths Finder assessment reveals which of 34 Strengths or talents that an individual possesses. When you take the assessment you discover the top five Strengths which predominate your approach to the world. The Strengths are ordered by how they predominate in you. The first one has greater prominence than the fifth one. (Note: Most people have between eight and 12 predominate Strengths, that can be revealed by gaining access to your full 34 Strengths).

To start effectively using them, it can be easier to start with an understanding of the Strengths in the aggregate rather than in the specific. Each of the 34 Strengths falls into one of four domains. Each domain indicates how the Strengths within the domain are applied. For instance, the Achiever™ Strength is in the Executing domain, because the natural tendency of someone with the Achiever™ Strength is to do things.

The four domains are Executing, Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building and Influencing. Understanding what your dominant domain is can make it easier to grasp the concept of the Strengths, especially for someone who is just becoming familiar with them.

• If your natural start is action, you are most likely an executing dominant person.
• If you are someone who first deals with things in your head probably the strategic thinking domain is the prominent domain.
• Relationship builders are most effective when guided (not misguided) by their keen sense of emotion and relationship.
• Influencers approach the world with a desire to influence people and bring them along to effectively deal with the world.

None of these approaches is right or wrong. They are right or wrong for you because of how you are wired.

There are a couple of interesting situations worth taking note of. You may have all of your top five Strengths in one domain. If you do, you will tend to exhibit the broad description of the domain very strongly. Alternatively, your top five may be composed of Strengths that fall in three or even all four domains. Sometimes the dominant domain may not be quite as obvious. However, most people will have a clue how they approach things, and therefore which domain is leading. A Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, like Crews Strengths LLC, can help with this.

Gaining clarity about your leading domain can help you define that big picture (50,000 ft. view) of yourself and serves as a good starting point for applying your Strengths.