Passing on news that that Gallup Press has released another title in its series of self-assessment books in collaboration with Tom Rath: Strengths Based Leadership. The new title promises to build on the results of the Strengths Finder 2.0, which is itself an extension of the popular title, Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham.
Buckingham is a business guru whose perspective has always appealed to me, on several levels. Like me, he was once a stutterer who found that his strength is actually his ability to communicate clearly and convincingly. Secondly, he has been a proponent for an intuitive and healthy attitude about personal and professional development. I think he would endorse my self-description as a career strategist, not a counselor (illness) nor a coach (no fruits and nuts). Marcus started a "Strengths Revolution," by asking what is most likely lead to the achievement of goals: building on your strengths or fixing your weaknesses?
As a career professional, I totally embrace the emphasis on strengths assessment. Many traditional psychological assessments leave the client and coach communicating through language that I call "psycho-babble." The Strengths Revolution encourages a coaching dialog that uses easy to understand terms; the terms relate to the business world, not to the theories of a psychologist. (An earlier strengths-based tool was developed by Timothy Butler, & James Waldroop; it is still available through the Harvard Business School).
The new book seeks to build on research conducted over 10 years, focusing on what it takes to be a leader. Tom Rath has collaborated with Barry Conchie to identify themes and provide specific strategies that should help you to build a stronger team. This post is not a book review, as I have only learned about the new release today. (Note that few reviewers have recommended the new book to those who have already taken the Strengths Finder 2.0; it is suggested as a substitute rather than an addition to the original assessment.)
While I am enthusiastic about all strengths-based assessments, they lack the element of anonymous feedback, offered through an innovative personal branding tool, the 360Reach Branding Assessment. In the name of full disclosure, I am one of 300 Reach certified analysts and strategists worldwide; the Reach branding tool is based on the 2007 book by Arruda and Dixon, Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building your Brand. It is true that self-assessment is a major componet in successful career development, yet I have found scholarly and anectotal evidence to prove that most clients are receptive to the anonymous input of friends, family, and colleagues as part of the career development process. While the tools developed by Butler, Rath, Conchie, and others are excellent; the availability of 360-degree feedback takes the concept to an even higher level.
All these strengths-based assessments help job seekers and those in career transition to focus on the positive, to develop specific strategies, and to think in-terms of what lies ahead rather than dwell on mistakes made in the past. Message: whether you want to confirm your five themes, your leadership style, or your personal brand, find a career professional who will help you identify the right tool for you. Assessment should lead to action; action to results.
Karen P. Katz, Career Acceleration Network (CAN), LLC
