Strength Finders 2.0

My family spent a couple of nights at a hotel over Thanksgiving break.  As I flipped through a complimentary Wall Street Journal one morning, I noticed they had a special "best sellers" list of books focused on business.  And on the top of the list?  "Strength Finders 2.0" by Tom Rath. 

I was actually assigned to read this book a couple of months ago, but had no idea that it was such a popular book.  What it amounts to is a $25 personality inventory.  Each book comes with a sealed code that allows you to take a 30 minute questionnaire online.  What the questionnaire purports to reveal are your top five "talent themes" from among a list of 34. 

This isn't a recommendation necessarily.  But it's worth recording here what my top five talent themes appear to be (according to Strength Finders, and paraphrased by me): 

1. Context:  I analyze words and deeds through a historical perspective
2. Relator:  Others seek my advise, insights, and counsel
3. Harmony:  I follow procedures, get jobs done, and don't seek special treatment
4. Connectedness:  I pay close attention to what people think and do
5. Learner:  I am determined to broaden my knowledge and acquire new skills

I don't necessarily agree with the results entirely, especially after studying the other possible 29 talent themes.  But I think there's something insightful in the underlying philosophy of the book, that in any organization we should strive to develop people based off of the assets they bring to the table, as opposed to focusing so much on their deficits.  Strong teams are developed when members with complementing strengths are brought together.