With some of our awesome StrengthsFinder talent themes, we need to learn to dial it up or down! At times, we are either too weak or too powerful. Through talent development, we can learn how!
We can wimp out in situations where our buttons are pushed, retreating because our Empathy or Positivity can’t handle the negative sensations. Or we run like heck or back down because our Harmony gets wigged out over the conflict.
The same can be said when we come off too strong with our Maximizer or Command. Or we blow up in frustration when we do not feel heard. Our Communication may talk faster, or get louder. (Or even curse and drop a bomb!). Our Activator may charge off in a foolhardy, knee jerk reaction because we just have to MOVE!
You’re not stuck! You can learn to dial it up or down!
Living in the Outhouse
Sometimes, we misbehave and live in the Outhouse of our talent because of lack of awareness. And believe me, when that happens we STINK! This is our downfall — when our natural talents and gifts become weaknesses instead of strengths. When triggered, it can happen in an instant!
But in some areas of our lives, we DO have self-awareness and we’re attuned to what our needs are and we take responsibility for getting them met in order to be our best. I say SOME areas because for most of us, we’re still a work in progress!
Along with this self-awareness comes the ability to control our own talents. It’s as if our talents are a big dial button and we can dial it up or down.
Controlling our talents takes self-awareness.
Dial it Up or Down?
For example, someone with Harmony can sense the conflict and instead of running or backing down, they can step right into the fray to bring about peace and balance. Maybe they can dial UP their Belief because they sense the need to maintain integrity in the face of the situation. Or maybe their Maximizer sees the most excellent path and they negotiate the better way so that all get all parties move forward in harmony.
In the same vein, there are times when someone with Communication and WOO can dial DOWN their talents — quiet them, if you will. Perhaps they’re at church or in a class at the local community college. In those cases, a pastor or professor is in charge. And in order to get through the material, they need to not be about WOO-ing people or talking during the sermon! Turn those talents off for a few minutes, will ya? Perhaps they dial UP their Connectedness in those moments and quiet their mouths as they tune into their souls.
Dial it up or down, according to your circumstances!
Understanding Your Needs
It’s this delicate dialing up or dialing down of our talents that allow us to control and modify our own behavior — with intention. Of course, understanding the talents deeply is necessary so that you can learn your own needs AND your own triggers.
Do you recognize the ways you naturally dial it up or down?
To learn more about StrengthsFinder, visit the Gallup Strengths Center.
And join us in The Very Best YOU group in Facebook, where we learn new things about ourselves every day!
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