From Observations to Conversations: 2 Steps to Practise the CliftonStrengths Language at Work

In a CliftonStrengths workshop session, our workshop coaches from StrengthsTransform, often define talent themes as “naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling or behavior. that can be productively applied.”

We often follow up with – “Behaviour is what we can see, while thoughts and feelings have to be disclosed.”

This article seeks to bring you through a two-step approach to practise the CliftonStrengths language at work. Our hope is that this might benefit those who want to continue building on the CliftonStrengths language after a workshop.

Step 1: Observing Talents in Behaviours

Step 2: Initiating Conversations

Step One: Observing Talents in Behaviours

“I can’t really describe it. You process it so fast, you can’t really tell why,” replies a workshop participant when asked about how she sees her ‘Connectedness’ talent showing up at work. Articulating how you do something that you are good at can be difficult since they often feel second nature.

Observing our talents in behaviours is a practice. This comes with a good foundational understanding of the different CliftonStrengths talent themes.

As workshop coaches, we practice by observing our participants:

1. Some talent themes are more obvious to spot – like how the room atmosphere livens up when a workshop participant, let’s call him Participant W, cracks a joke within a minute of joining the workshop, inciting laughter among the rest. We soon learn that three out of Participant W’s top five talents are from the influencing domain, including ‘Woo’, implying that he is someone who usually has an infectious energy and does not mind being in the limelight.

2. Some talent themes are subtle, like how a group of participants sitting around the table, all with the ‘Harmony’ talent, take turns to vote for an answer during a quiz segment. Individuals in this group promptly settle on a unanimous answer for the quiz without any major opposition. This behaviour is highly consistent with those with ‘Harmony’ talent theme – seek to find common ground among people who share differing views, believing that this approach reduces friction and enhances efficiency and collaboration. We can imagine that this is probably their preferred working style too in actual work meetings. In comparison, the group’s behaviour was significantly different from another table which had a single person leading and facilitating the entire quiz discussion.

3. In another instance, Participant Y is seen scribbling additional notes during the workshop, filling up empty spaces on his handout. A look at his talent themes reveals #Input among his top five, which explains his inquisitive nature and desire to collect new information. People with the Input talent often have a thirst for knowledge, always seeking to gather useful resources and insights.

What behaviours have you observed among your colleagues, managers or bosses? You can practice connecting their talent themes to their behaviours. This is a great way to better make sense of behaviours at work and their motivations. When you catch them doing something good, let them know! This is a great practice for the workplace to build a culture of affirmation and fully embrace the benefits of strengths!

The strengths descriptions by Gallup serve as a great overview of what each talent entails, guiding us in our observations. However, they are not one-size-fits-all. While behaviour is something that can be seen, thoughts and feelings need to be disclosed.

At times, you might observe certain behaviours or situations that require you to hear directly from your co-workers to truly understand them. This brings us to Step 2: Initiating Conversations.

Step Two: Initiating Conversations

At work, there are often missing conversations that we are not conscious of. Misunderstandings brew when a team functions based on assumptions without communicating one another’s needs.

Remember Participant W, the one with the Woo talent?

During the workshop, we asked him how he thinks ‘Woo’ helps him at work. He revealed that his ability to ‘win others over’ helps him build rapport with colleagues, who eventually become so comfortable around him that they volunteer information to him that they otherwise wouldn’t. This gives him an added advantage while handling personal or professional matters at work, at times allowing him to resolve workplace tensions. On hearing the response from Participant W, there were exclaims of wonder and surprise across the room as other colleagues saw the power of his Woo talent. Without the explanation, some might assume his conversations with others as mindless chit chatting with no added value to his work.

Similarly for people with the high #Harmony talent, the act of wanting to hear from everyone in a group discussion appears to make decision-making slower. From one angle, it might appear that efficiency in discussions is not valued by those with Harmony. Yet, it appears to be an unfounded assumption after we have spoken to those with Harmony. Many with Harmony talents often shared that they actually choose to look for common ground early in discussions because they believe that it causes less disagreements in the long run. This in turn leads to greater efficiency as things move along smoother. The evidence often showed that those with Harmony value efficiency as much as others!

As coaches, what is heartening to see in our workshops is the beginning of difficult but long overdue conversations. Under the guidance of our lead workshop coaches, participants start to open up to their colleagues, supervisors and managers. This includes how they use their talents for certain tasks, or how they are hindered by their blind spots. By the end of the conversations, participants often leave feeling validated and confident, with a new-found appreciation of one another’s contributions.

Keep the CliftonStrengths Language Alive at Work

There are many other ways to apply the CliftonStrengths language at work, this two-step  approach is just one of them. The end goal is the same – to transform a workplace into a safe space for important conversations to take place, with the support of a tool that seeks to bring greater understanding to how individuals think, feel and behave differently.

When we start to practise the CliftonStrengths language through observing and initiating conversations with our co-workers, we may find ourselves genuinely curious and deeply inspired by the remarkable strengths and beauty within each person!