So, you’re curious about your strengths and you’ve decided to take a strengths test.

I like the way you’re thinking. You might be using my preferred tool, the CliftonStrengths finder or something else like the VIA Character Strengths or Marcus Buckingham’s ‘Standout’. Whichever tool you use, I wanted to answer three questions I am often asked by people who like you, are ready to dive into strengths.  

Do our strengths stay the same as we age, or do they change?   

A: The consensus is that our strengths stay relatively stable from around age 17. If you took the same strengths assessment every decade, your strengths profile would likely be similar each time. The order of the strengths in your report might shuffle a little, but your dominant strengths (your top 10) would be more or less the same.  

One caveat I would apply is that if you previously took a strengths test during a time of upheaval or significant stress, you may want to take another test when your life is more settled. For example, if you took the test after a relationship breakdown, loss of a loved one, or major (and unwanted or unplanned) career change, this might affect your responses.  

I always recommend to my clients that they take the CliftonStrengths assessment when they are feeling emotionally ‘even’. It’s also important to allow enough uninterrupted and unrushed time to take the assessment. These two factors will mean you will maximise the accuracy of your test results.  

Q: Is the order of my strengths on the report significant?  

A: I encourage people to think about their strengths (particularly their top 5 or 10) as a toolbox. We draw on different strengths at different times and may lean more heavily on some than others. Rather than getting too hung up on the order of your strengths, see them as a collective.   

If you choose to complete the CliftonStrengths tool and access your Full 34 report, it’s tempting to jump to the strengths at the bottom of the list and wonder why they aren’t closer to the top. There’s no such thing as a ‘best’ strengths profile, so invest your energy into appreciating YOUR strengths. Look at that gorgeous toolkit of top 5 or 10 strengths that you can tap into. Those are your personal sources of energy and power. Learn to use them skilfully and deliberately and you’ll be unstoppable.  

Q: What do I do with my strengths report when I get it?  

A: The first step is to print out your report and read it. Highlight the words or phrases that feel most like you. Perhaps give your report to one or two people who know you well. Ask them to do the highlighting activity; how do they see your strengths showing up? You may discover new information about yourself through your reflection and others’ feedback on your strengths report.   

Once you’ve done that, if you want to get the most from your strengths the real work begins. This involves knowing yourself better and learning how to consistently and deliberately apply your strengths, something I call ‘Powering Up’ strengths. In my book, I take you through the process of Powering Up.  

Information is power and your report is full of incredible information. You can take that information and build your self-awareness, self-management, and self-mastery. This three-step process will give you a serious confidence and skill boost and help you set and smash out professional and personal goals.  

Bonus tip: There is no room for strengths envy  

Along with our social programming to focus on weaknesses, we are also prone to looking at others and feeling envious. When it comes to strengths, the same can happen. We can look at our colleagues, family and friends and think, ‘I wish I had that as one of my strengths’.   

There are two excellent reasons to ditch the envy. The first is that you can use your strengths to achieve the same strength as the one you envy. In coaching, people often ask, ‘What can I do to improve what's at the bottom of my strengths list?’. I explain that for every strength in your bottom five, you have strengths in your top five that will do the same thing.  

When I read my strengths profile for the first time, I was shocked (and a bit ticked off) to learn that empathy is not a dominant strength for me, even though I am told I am an empathetic person. I use a combination of other strengths to help me relate, care, and connect with others’ experiences. I am genuinely curious about people, value deep connections, and want to learn.  My strengths of Learner, Individualisation, and Relator allow me to be empathetic.  

The second reason to ditch strengths envy is that every strength has a shadow side. For each strength you lack, you also avoid the challenges that go with it. Many empathic people find they take on other people’s emotional load. They are highly sensitive to the mood or vibe of a group when they walk into a room.  

As I don’t have empathy as a dominant strength, I don’t carry the baggage that goes with empathy and don’t tend to take on other people's emotional stuff. Rather, I use my strengths to be curious, learn and build connections with people. These are all empathetic behaviours. I simply ‘do’ empathy differently without the shadow that can weigh down highly empathetic people.   

How do your strengths make you you? How do they help you achieve your goals? How are they aligned with your values, and what is important to you? In what ways do your strengths energise and inspire you?   

Strengths are our lens for seeing the world. They are our filters for making sense of the information that comes our way. When we accept and embrace our strengths, we tell ourselves, ‘I am enough, just as I am’. We do best when we focus our energy on Powering Up our strengths rather than fighting them and trying to change them.   

By answering these three questions and reminding you to embrace your strengths, I hope you’ll get even more out of your strengths report. If you want to supercharge your strengths, check out my book. In it, you’ll find the rest of the FAQs I am often asked, as well as a whole lot more about making the most of your natural talents and turning them into a toolkit that will give you a serious edge in every area of your life.  

Ready for something more tailored and personalised? Check out my coaching and development programs for individuals and teams.