By the end of this article, you will be able to:
Understand how to interpret the team view of CliftonStrengths®
Discover how to support teams in the areas they have inactive strengths
Incorporate information from CliftonStrengths® into a Cloverleaf SWOT
CliftonStrengths® Overview
This assessment, developed by Gallup identifies 34 strengths or talents that are consistent within individuals and teams. Each strength or talent lies in one of four domains:
Executing: How do you make things happen?
When a team is seeking goal accomplishment or to turn ideas and concepts into action, they may look to the individuals who possess strengths in this domain high up on their list.
Influencing: How do you influence others?
When a team needs their ideas, thoughts, or input amplified, leveraging people who have strengths within this domain will ensure that a team’s message is being heard. These individuals are also exceptional at helping those outside the organization understand a company’s mission, vision, and product/service benefits.
Relationship Building: How do you build and nurture strong relationships?
When a team is seeking the “glue” to hold them together or to develop latent potential in team members, they can leverage people with strengths active in this domain to help create team cohesion and make work relationships more meaningful.
Strategic Thinking: How do you absorb, think about, and analyze information and situations?
Teams seeking to innovate, grow, and expand will look to individuals with active strengths in this domain to support the design of what “could be.” Whether it’s improving processes, products, or services, these individuals will bring energy, thorough research, and vision to the table.
Applying CliftonStrengths® to teams using Cloverleaf SWOT
Active Strengths
Position as a strength
The # next to the top strengths you will see at the list of active strengths refers to the number of people on the team who have that strength in their top 5 strengths. In the example shown in this module, Achiever, a strength in the executing domain, along with Strategic from the Strategic Thinking Domain have the MOST amount of team members (7) with this strength as their top strength. In a Cloverleaf SWOT you can always use this assessment as a team strength given how it specifically calls out active talents on a team
INACTIVE STRENGTHS
Position as an opportunity for growth
At first glance it may look like no one at all can reflect the strengths on this list. What the “0s” mean is no one on the team has these strengths in their top 5. You’ll see a creative strategy for this in the module as Sarah points out how to leverage active strengths to compensate for inactive strengths. This can be an opportunity for growth for any team to notice and speak to talents and strengths they may have to get creative with in order to activate.
We hope this guide is valuable in helping you maximize your ability to lead teams through making the most of Cloverleaf!