Anyone Done the Strengthsfinder Test?

Well I guess the Gallup folks call their tool "CliftonStrengths" now. Tons of people have it administered to them at their workplaces, but I found a free code in a book at Goodwill, so that's why I happened to take it.

The MBTI is the best tool I have found so far for understanding personality dynamics, and when I was younger, naively thought that was the only lens I would need. Well, many tools are useful in their own ways, surprise surprise, and I have gotten a lot of helpful insight from "strengths" measurement, and wanted to hear from others if they have, too.

All of the personality-typing, strengths-finding, etc. seems to me very much a part of the human side of Permaculture. I love looking for patterns everywhere, so thank goodness they are everywhere to be found!

I took it long time ago, so did my brother. It's not not-useful but the results were extremely predictable and obvious. It is sufficient just to got through each description and see which describes your aptitude and interests better. It is not a match or compatibility matrix, just a modality reference so you can dial up those tendencies and outsource everything else.

MBTI is not considered a scientific or research based tool, or a valid methodology for anything even in pop-phycology. Even KWLM personality compatibility style is more useful than MBTI.

The only industrial-strength solid compatibility methodology I know of is KOLBE. But it's not a retail or cheap test. However, it is very useful in building solid, successful entrepreneurial  teams.

It is not that I was surprised by finding my strengths with that tool--I know my strengths by their various names in many various systems very well by now. However, what was eye-opening to me was an insight that came from the grouping of strengths/traits that the Strengthsfinder does.

Their four groups are Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Influencing, and Executing. I am a HIGHLY theoretical person that basically lives completely holed up in her own mind, so I have three top-5 strengths in "Strategic Thinking". No wonder I don't get a whole lot done in the real world each day! But there are some things I  do, and sometimes I have wondered why ( ).  

Ah, my other two Top-5s are mysteriously in Executing : Belief and Responsibility. In other words, the only thing that gets me out of my head is my sense of duty/responsibility, which is also heavily tied in with my strong religious sense.  That made a lot of sense when I looked back over the choices and decisions of my life. It was the sorting of strengths into these categories which highlighted the reasons behind why I do what I do!

I am of a different breed and typically blow off tests, but twice in my life I was asked to really apply myself while taking them, and the results surprised the people who asked me.

The second time was for government funded retraining after having cancer and after the results came back the guy said I was an odd duck and did well on all categories. He said because of it I was eligible for whatever I wanted to do.

It was actually saddening as I was hoping to figure out where to focus my life after retiring from homesteading. It was still a roundabout way, but I got into renewable energy and really like it now.

Good pay
Not overly physical
Good balance of new challenges
Good benefits

And it gets renewable power to the citizens on the grid