Strengths
Activator
"When can we start?" This is a
recurring question in your life. You are impatient for action. You may concede
that analysis has its uses or that debate and discussion can occasionally yield
some valuable insights, but deep down you know that only action is real. Only
action can make things happen. Only action leads to performance. Once a
decision is made, you cannot not act. Others may worry that "there are
still some things we don't know," but this doesn't seem to slow you. If
the decision has been made to go across town, you know that the fastest way to
get there is to go stoplight to stoplight. You are not going to sit around
waiting until all the lights have turned green. Besides, in your view, action
and thinking are not opposites. In fact, guided by your Activator theme, you
believe that action is the best device for learning. You make a decision, you
take action, you look at the result, and you learn. This learning informs your
next action and your next. How can you grow if you have nothing to react to?
Well, you believe you can't. You must put yourself out there. You must take the
next step. It is the only way to keep your thinking fresh and informed. The
bottom line is this: You know you will be judged not by what you say, not by what
you think, but by what you get done. This does not frighten you. It pleases
you.
Includer
You want to include people and make them
feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to
exclusive groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude others. You want
to expand the group so that as many people as possible can benefit from its
support. You hate the sight of someone on the outside looking in. You want to
draw them in so that they can feel the warmth of the group. You are an
instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or
personality or faith, you cast few judgments. Judgments can hurt a person's
feelings. Why do that if you don't have to? Your accepting nature does not
necessarily rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should
respect these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that
fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equally important. Thus, no one
should be ignored. Each of us should be included. It is the least we all
deserve.
Connectedness
Things happen for a reason. You are sure
of it. Yes, we are individuals, responsible for our own judgments and in
possession of our own free will, but nonetheless we are part of something
larger. Others may label it spirit or life force. But whatever your word of
choice, you gain confidence from knowing that we are not isolated from one
another. This feeling of Connectedness implies certain responsibilities. Your
awareness of these responsibilities creates your value system. You are
considerate, caring, and accepting. You
can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond our humdrum lives.
Individualization
Your Individualization theme leads you to
be intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. You are impatient with
generalizations or "types" because you don't want to obscure what is
special and distinct about each person. Instead, you focus on the differences
between individuals. You instinctively observe each person's style, each
person's motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You
hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person's life. This theme explains why
you pick your friends just the right birthday gift, why you know that one
person prefers praise in public and another detests it, and why you tailor your
teaching style to accommodate one person's need to be shown and another's
desire to "figure it out as I go." Because you are such a keen
observer of other people's strengths, you can draw out the best in each person.
This Individualization theme also helps you build productive teams. While some
search around for the perfect team "structure" or
"process," you know instinctively that the secret to great teams is
casting by individual strengths so that everyone can do a lot of what they do
well.
Arranger
When faced with a complex situation
involving many factors, you enjoy managing all of the variables, aligning and
realigning them until you are sure you have arranged them in the most
productive configuration possible. In your mind there is nothing special about
what you are doing. You are simply trying to figure out the best way to get
things done. But others, lacking this theme, will be in awe of your ability.
"How can you keep so many things in your head at once?" they will
ask. "How can you stay so flexible, so willing to shelve well-laid plans
in favor of some brand-new configuration that has just occurred to you?"
But you cannot imagine behaving in any other way. You are a shining example of
effective flexibility, whether you are changing travel schedules at the last
minute because a better fare has popped up or mulling over just the right
combination of people and resources to accomplish a new project. From the
mundane to the complex, you are always looking for the perfect configuration.
Of course, you are at your best in dynamic situations. Confronted with the
unexpected, some complain that plans devised with such care cannot be changed,
while others take refuge in the existing rules or procedures. You don't do
either. Instead, you jump into the confusion, devising new options, hunting for
new paths of least resistance, and figuring out new partnerships-because, after
all, there might just be a better way.
Activator
People strong in the Activator theme can
make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often
impatient.
Arranger
People strong 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.
Connectedness
People strong in the Connectedness theme
have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few
coincidences and that almost every event
has a reason.
Includer
People strong in the Includer theme are
accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and
make an effort to include them.
Individualization
People strong in the Individualization
theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift
for
figuring out how people who are different
can work together productively.