Connecting Strengths and Project Management
Strengths Themes as Used in Project Management*
*All theme names are trademarked by Gallup, Inc.
Achiever®
You must accomplish something every day. You have great stamina and internal motivation. When you finish one task, you quickly want to work on another so you can complete milestones. You manage proactively by setting plans, working to achieve them, and asking people to report progress.
Activator®
You want to make decisions and start quickly. Results of early actions will provide input into following decisions and actions. You want to be judged by your actions and results. You encourage others to action and help them overcome obstacles. You create a sense of urgency and energy when needed.
Adaptability®
You live in the moment. Decisions made now create the future. You keep making progress in the face of unknowns. You balance conflicting demands of tasks and people, of various stakeholders, of risks, and of proposed changes. You understand reality, bring emotional stability, and do not need to control everything.
You are objective, search for reasons, and want to see proof. You ask questions, research intensively, and then develop logical explanations. In ambiguous situations, you simplify concepts, recognize patterns, understand limits, describe causes and effects, and establish order. You fearlessly make honest decisions based upon facts.
Arranger®
You are organized, yet flexible. You have defined values and priorities. You arrange people and other resources, improving work processes to best achieve your primary objectives. You thrive on cooperation and collaboration in complex settings. You depend on honest, timely, and transparent information to make rapid adjustments.
Belief®
You possess enduring core values that guide and energize your behavior. You walk the talk as a dependable and trustworthy sounding board. You are committed to work and people, encouraging your team to display high ethics and to help others.
Command®
You take charge, directly sharing your opinions and aligning people to your goals. You challenge others and lead forcefully when necessary. You thrive in crisis, making rapid decisions and encouraging others to take risks.
Communication®
You speak and write clearly. You place high value on human interaction, talking with—not to—people. You tell stories to enliven your ideas, gain commitment, and maintain enthusiasm. You ask good questions, listen well, and help others express their feelings. You “think out loud” and encourage collaboration.
You want to outperform everyone either individually or as a team. This invigorates you and helps you achieve your ambitions. You define, measure, and ensure progress. You select contests you believe you can win and then celebrate your successes.
Connectedness®
You believe everything happens for a reason and is part of something larger. Your thinking extends beyond your self-interests. You see no boundaries and celebrate when people find common ground around shared meaning. Your hopefulness helps you achieve personal and organizational goals.
Consistency®
You treat everyone the same, with clear rules based upon values. You create a predictable and calm environment. You value loyalty and routines and accurately document requirements.
Context®
You look back to understand the original purpose and past actions that shaped the present. You share stories to connect with people. You ask questions and take time to understand root causes. This perspective gives you confidence to decide what is enduring and what can change, inspiring confidence in followers.
Deliberative®
You are a private person who identifies and analyzes risks, plans carefully, avoids problems, trusts your instincts, and makes no hasty decisions. You help others consider all factors in sensitive decisions. You have a few close friends in whom you confide. You only praise when it is well deserved.
You see potential and small improvements in people. You enjoy observing, advising, encouraging, challenging, and improving inexperienced people. You encourage teams to try, fail, and try again, helping them set appropriate expectations and celebrate success. By mentoring individuals, you develop effective teams.
Discipline®
The world can be chaotic, but you create predictability with plans, priorities, routines, timelines, and structures. Through your attention to detailed planning and consistent execution, you create order and deliver effective and timely results. You carefully monitor progress, adhere to uncompromising standards, and celebrate excellence.
Empathy®
You are highly instinctive and feel the emotions of others so strongly, it is as if they were your own. You do not necessarily agree with others’ choices, but you understand. You respect everyone’s feelings and help them express them. People trust your discretion and you help resolve conflict.
Focus®
You work best when you know what is important and have a clear end goal. You define outcomes, determine priorities, set intermediate goals, follow through, make mid-course corrections, and deliver results. You concentrate deeply and are impatient with delays. You help others set goals and concentrate on critical issues.
Futuristic®
You are intrigued by the future and enjoy describing your conceptions of it. Your emotional yet realistic contemplations help others to understand how supporting your project helps them accomplish their goals.
You look for a common ground to find agreement. You value expert perspectives, perhaps merging ideas as long as you retain your basic values and shared sense of purpose. You have a calm, facilitating manner, avoid confrontation, bring practical knowledge, and strive for consensus.
Ideation®
You are energized by finding new perspectives on familiar situations. You are innovative and creative, love to brainstorm, and strive to make things better. You take calculated risks and share excitement. You create useful plans, overcoming resource limits and risks.
Includer®
You feel the pain of those who are left out and understand the power of a larger team of active and unified participants in which all voices are heard. You are accepting, as you feel we are all equally important. You ensure information and decision making are widely shared.
Individualization®
You perceive differences in how people think, feel, and behave. You bring out the best in each person and foster effective, diverse teams in which everyone is encouraged to do what they do best. As a mentor and leader, you treat each person according to their unique needs and dreams.
Input®
Your curiosity enables you to be a great researcher. You enjoy being up to date and gathering and sharing information. You view whatever you collect—ideas or tangible items—as resources. You may be an expert or good at making concepts seem real.
You enjoy taking quiet time to read and think. While your thoughts may be focused or diverse, you often generate wisdom and clarity. You help your team make better decisions by asking great questions, giving your honest opinions, and engaging in deep conversations.
Learner®
You are energized by the process of learning and considering possibilities. You excel on short project assignments and as a change agent where you need to learn quickly. As you continuously study and improve, you gain confidence. You help your team improve by co-learning with them and tracking lessons learned.
Maximizer®
Your greatest joy is taking good performance of your own, of another individual, or of a team to a higher level. You prefer to capitalize upon raw talent. You strive for quality and excellence.
Positivity®
You always see and communicate the good. You lift others with your enthusiasm. Life and work are fun. You give people frequent praise and focus on making progress no matter the situation. Your hope for the future, good humor, and eagerness to celebrate make you a valued team member.
Relator®
You enjoy being around your close friends, learning about their feelings and goals. You derive satisfaction from working hard with these friends. You honor trust and show respect.
You enjoy volunteering, and when you commit, no one needs to check your progress. You have the highest ethics, usually fulfilling your many obligations, and making amends when you cannot. You are a serious, dedicated role model. You may feel overwhelmed, but you are satisfied when you complete commitments.
Restorative™
You diagnose problems, determine root causes, and implement solutions. Bad news with no sugar coating motivates you, whether it concerns people or things. You can identify risks and devise contingency plans in advance.
Self-Assurance®
Your confidence inspires others. You research issues and listen to experts, but then make up your own mind and act decisively. You completely commit to critical challenges not because you have no fear, but because you know someone needs to lead and you are bold and resolute.
Significance®
You want to make a lasting difference in this world and be known for it. You dream big dreams, need affirmation, fear failure, but are comfortable with risk and public scrutiny. You champion others’ needs and achievements. You want to associate with other top performers.
Strategic®
You plan backward from goals to various means of accomplishing them. You see patterns where others see chaos. You research alternatives and select one—often avoiding potential problems. You see the big picture and are flexible concerning how to achieve it.
You enjoy meeting new people and discovering common interests or other connections. The thrill of meeting a new person may be greater than developing a deep relationship. You naturally put people at ease and facilitate interchange of ideas. You ask questions and get others to support your goals.
Source: From Kloppenborg. Contemporary Project Management, 3E. © 2015 South-Western, a part of Cengage, Inc. Reproduced by permission.
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