StrengthsQuest

Today, I took a StrengthsQuest, a test for students and staff to identify and apply talents for teamwork and career success. StrengthsQuest has a good reputation and has always produced accurate results, and I was very impressed after taking it last summer. My strengths after these results were:

Communication

Focus

Woo (Win others over)

Responsibility

Individualization

And all of the descriptions were fitting. But today I received an access code to take the exam for an organization I'm involved in at school and received pretty different results. Drastic in my mind, but still very relative.

My 5 strengths in order were:

Learner

Input

Arranger

Responsibility

Achiever

Note: Only one of these is the same. I guess I'm no more or less responsible than I was a year ago. Kidding, but glad responsibility is a trait that I've maintained.

But analyzing the results and reading the personalized descriptions, I realize that my strengths have changed in part due to my experience in the past year- specifically studying abroad in Argentina. My sophomore year was a big one- I solidified my college friendships, became vice president of my sorority, gained positions on numerous committees, traveled and decided to graduate a year early. Studying abroad was after all of that, and living in one of the world's biggest cities and working my first internship are probably other things that contributed to a development in my strengths and weaknesses. Taking 12 credit hours in 10 weeks really did make me a learner, my need for productivity and continuous improvement does make me an arranger and my desire to get a word into everything does in fact fit with input. A need for achievement outlines a competitive sense. Below are the five 'strengths' and some descriptions. Reading them might teach you what you might be!

Learner

People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want

to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome,

excites them. By nature, you occasionally promise yourself to do certain things better in the future. Perhaps

you study the linkages between final outcomes and the factors leading up to them. As a result,

you may identify a few enhancements you need to make in yourself, in someone else, in a

process, or in a plan. Instinctively, you probably started asking people questions as a child

and continue to do so today. Others quickly notice you are genuinely interested in what they

say. Your inquiries turn tense frowns into relaxed smiles. The warmth of your presence can

transform a timid person into a talkative one. You intentionally offer compliments. Few

things delight you as much as hearing a stranger say, “I really like you — and I’ve just met

you!” It’s very likely that you may ponder options rather than react without thinking through

things. Sometimes you weigh the ramifications, consequences, outcomes, or effects.

Sometimes you aim to understand the basic “whys” and “hows” of a situation, problem, or

opportunity. Individuals might trust you to be cautious. They might expect you to raise

important issues that require further consideration. Driven by your talents, you have the extra

energy to work hard whenever you are acquiring information to broaden your base of

knowledge. You desire to deepen your understanding of various topics, opportunities,

problems, solutions, situations, events, or people. Chances are good that you thirst for new

ideas and knowledge. Often you lose yourself in a book. You pore over the ideas contained

on its pages for long stretches of time. Why? You want to absorb as much information as you

can.

Input

People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often

they like to collect and archive all kinds of information. By nature, you can simplify the most complex, convoluted, or intricate procedure. People usually rely on you to offer clear and easy-to-comprehend explanations. Driven by your

talents, you may impress others as well-versed in a certain subject. Maybe you have invested

time acquiring the sophisticated or technical vocabulary used by experts. When your

teammates hear you speak or read your writing, some assume you know more than they do.

Occasionally this is the case. Specific people may allow you to run meetings, make decisions,

or solve problems. Sometimes they just step back and let you take charge. It’s very likely that

you sometimes use academic-sounding words to talk about your ideas or areas of expertise.

Perhaps you have invested time in broadening your vocabulary by looking up words in the

dictionary and committing their meanings to memory. Chances are good that you are

determined to push for changes that will benefit humankind or Earth itself. Your desire to

have an impact motivates you to enter into conversations with intelligent people. Drawing on

their wealth of knowledge and ideas as well as sharing your treasure trove of wisdom is

exciting. These discussions frequently cause you to think in new ways and to reexamine your

purpose in life. Because of your strengths, you like systems or rules because they produce

uniform, consistent, and predictable results every time. This is especially useful when

individuals must perform the same task in the same way over and over again. Being an

organized thinker, you are apt to lead others through step-by-step presentations about

processes or regulations.

Arranger

People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a

flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and

resources can be arranged for maximum productivity. Instinctively, you may gravitate to activities that require teamwork or collaboration to get the job done. Perhaps you enjoy coordinating the schedule or managing available human and material resources. You sometimes enjoy immersing yourself in your work or studies. By

nature, you are impelled to deliver on all of your commitments. You are determined to meet

all of your obligations. Doing so is your badge of honor. It is one reason why people describe

you as trustworthy and dependable. Because of your strengths, you exhibit a heightened

awareness of your talents. One of your top priorities is building upon these natural abilities to

create strengths. You undoubtedly find opportunities to practice using your talents in new and

different ways. Chances are good that you are aware of what you do naturally and well. You

prefer to leverage your talents rather than spend time trying to overcome your shortcomings.

You expect excellence from yourself and others. Being average at best and mediocre at worst

is unacceptable to you. Driven by your talents, you might derive pleasure from being on

certain teams. Why? Sometimes you just want to help your partners figure out what they can

contribute to the project. Sometimes you lend a hand coordinating human and material

resources. Sometimes you step into situations where one more pair of hands means the

difference between success and failure.

Responsibility

People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership

of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and

loyalty. By nature, you do much more than just try to live up to your commitments. You persist

working until you can deliver on your promises. This certainly enhances your reputation for

being trustworthy, reliable, and dependable. Driven by your talents, you are naturally open

and honest about who you are, what you have done, what you can do, and what you cannot

do. Your straightforward explanations and stories help listeners see you as you see yourself.

You reveal your strengths and limitations. You are forthright and plainspoken. People

generally seek your company and want to work with you. Many are impelled to move into

action by your words and examples. Instinctively, you yearn to be given additional duties.

You expect to be held accountable for your productivity, profit, behavior, comments, and

actions. It’s very likely that you may enjoy hearing people describe you as more serious than

some of your colleagues, classmates, teammates, friends, or coworkers. Because of your

strengths, you might shoulder your obligations and duties with relative ease. You might be

motivated to behave in ways that cause individuals to say you are dependable.

Achiever

People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and

work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive. Instinctively, you might expend more physical or mental energy doing your job or pursuing your studies than some of your peers do. Perhaps you need to make measurable progress toward one or two goals each day to feel successful as a human being. Because of your

strengths, you possess the physical and mental endurance to withstand hardships as well as

stress. Characteristically you work harder and longer than most people are capable of doing.

Driven by your talents, you regularly dedicate your energy and personal time to various

issues, causes, or projects. You harbor a deep-seated desire to have a good influence on the

planet and its people. Your goal is simple: “I want to leave the world in a lot better shape than

I found it.” By nature, you tend to be a very good adviser to many individuals. When offering

suggestions or asking questions, you probably are much more engaged, intense, and involved

than usual. Chances are good that you repeatedly go out of your way to support, inspire,

motivate, or embolden various individuals. You likely regard this task as worthy of your

effort and time.