Victor Seet 4/27/17 Victor Seet 4/27/17

Do my CliftonStrengths Themes Change Over Time?

"Do Strengths change over time?" This is a common question asked by many during workshops and coaching sessions. In this short video clip, Singapore CliftonStrengths Coach Victor Seet shares his personal opinion.

TRANSCRIPT: Hi, my name is Victor. I'm in Hong Kong right now doing a workshop. Just today, someone asked me (in fact I hear this asked a lot of times): "Do strengths change over time?" My response to them is simply: If someone has Empathy, now do you think 10 years later the person will not be able to feel and put their feelings aside?

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi, my name is Victor. I'm in Hong Kong right now doing a workshop. Just today, someone asked me (in fact I hear this asked a lot of times): "Do strengths change over time?" My response to them is simply: If someone has Empathy, now do you think 10 years later the person will not be able to feel and put their feelings aside? Or if someone has Deliberative, is it possible that 10 years down the road, this person decides not to think of the worst case scenario? Now, a simple answer is: strengths do not really change over time. As you mature, it grows in intensity as some of the possible changes. But when you have Empathy, it doesn't become suddenly a strength that disappears. It remains. If you're Deliberative, you'll continue to use your Deliberative talent and you use that and you engage that productively. Strengths, to me, do not change over time.

The purpose of this video is to answer some of the most frequently asked questions during our CliftonStrengths® workshops and coaching sessions. Please feel free to let me know some of the questions you may have about strengths. You can comment or leave an enquiry and I'll be more than happy to respond to your query.

Victor Seet 4/27/17 Victor Seet 4/27/17

Difference between a Talent and a Strength

What is the difference between a talent and a strength? In this short clip, Singapore CliftonStrengths Coach Victor Seet answers this question in a simple concise way.

TRANSCRIPT: Hi, this is Victor from Strengths School. We often do workshop for our clients and we do coaching, and one of the most frequently asked question is "what is the difference between a talent and a strength?"

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi, this is Victor from Strengths School. We often do workshops for our clients and we do coaching, and one of the most frequently asked question is "what is the difference between a talent and a strength?" Now, a talent is a natural recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior and a strength, a strength is the ability to provide, consistently near-perfect performance. Are these two different? Let me give you an analogy, a talent is like a seed and a strength is like a fruit, it grows from infancy to maturity. Sometimes, in our workshop, we use these two words interchangeably. Why? Because we do believe that it is a strengths journey and we grow, but it is the same core essence. We want people to grow from that talent which is the potential and grow into the strength, into maturity, into their performance that they can give. This is what value-adds to their organisation, to their team. So what is the difference? Really, it is about their maturity, that talent which is able to bring to that strength requires investment. So we do coaching and we do workshops to bring people that understanding, to help people to grow into their strength. Thank you.

The purpose of this video is to answer some of the most frequently asked questions during workshops and coaching sessions. Pls. feel free to let me know some of the questions you may have about strengths.

Victor Seet 1/14/17 Victor Seet 1/14/17

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Strategic: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Youth video on Strategic and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

The Strategic CliftonStrengths (former StrengthsFinder) theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path — your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic CliftonStrengths theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.

The genius of Strategic talents is found in your ability to quickly weigh various alternative paths and determine the one that will work best and most efficiently. Sometimes you think backwards — visualizing the outcome you want and then generating multiple ways of reaching that goal.

The genius of your Strategic CliftonStrengths theme involves the way you think and generate alternatives. When faced with a problem or a dilemma you can quickly generate multiple alternatives to circumvent obstacles that prevent your progress. Sometimes you think in a backwards manner by first visualizing the outcome you want to produce and then generating multiple alternative paths to get to that objective. But the genius of your Strategic theme doesn’t simply begin and end with generating alternatives. The real genius of this strength is found in the way that you can quickly sort through the various alternative paths and determine the one that will work best and most efficiently.

Victor Seet 12/11/16 Victor Seet 12/11/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Maximizer: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Youth video on Maximizer and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or someone else’s, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps — all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well-rounded. You don’t want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It’s more fun. It’s more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.

The genius of Maximizer talents is in your natural discrimination toward better and your preference for working with and toward the best.

The genius of your Maximizer CliftonStrengthstheme starts with what you can see in people. You can see the strengths and talents, the potentials and the capabilities, and you can see the emerging abilities within people even before they can see them. But this is only the beginning of the genius of your Maximizer talent. You can literally see what people could be like if they were to fully develop and maximize the talents, potential and emerging abilities within them. This results in you having an incredible impact in the lives of others. As you hold up pictures and mirrors of what you see in others, you help them form new concepts of themselves that build hope and motivation to achieve and be what they have the capacity to be. Moreover, you are a great “coach” in moving people to their greatest potential and in moving people into roles where their potential can be lived out.

Victor Seet 11/25/16 Victor Seet 11/25/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Includer: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Includer and gain greater understanding of this talent theme through the descriptions.

“Stretch the circle wider.” This is the philosophy around which you orient your life. 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.

The genius of Includer talents lies in your sensitivity to those who are excluded and your desire and capacity to bring them into the group.

The genius of your Includer CliftonStrengths theme involves your ability to see outsiders and those who have been marginalized. You can see people who are physically on the outside, but most remarkably, you can discern who feels left out even though they may be physically in the middle of a group. But the genius of your Includer talent theme does not stop with just seeing those who are physically outside and emotionally marginalized. You take action to bring people into the group. In fact, this talent seems to give you an enormous amount of courage to reach out and actively bring the outsiders in. The beauty of your Includer talent is that you can build relationships with literally anyone. But your specialty in relationship building is with the “invisible people” and people whom others ignore. You instinctively know what to say and how to include those whom others ignore and leave out.

Victor Seet 11/15/16 Victor Seet 11/15/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Context: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Context and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

You look back. You look back because that is where the answers lie. You look back to understand the present. From your vantage point the present is unstable, a confusing clamor of competing voices. It is only by casting your mind back to an earlier time, a time when the plans were being drawn up, that the present regains its stability. The earlier time was a simpler time. It was a time of blueprints. As you look back, you begin to see these blueprints emerge. You realize what the initial intentions were. These blueprints or intentions have since become so embellished that they are almost unrecognizable, but now this Context CliftonStrengths theme reveals them again. This understanding brings you confidence. No longer disoriented, you make better decisions because you sense the underlying structure. You become a better partner because you understand how your colleagues came to be who they are. And counterintuitively you become wiser about the future because you saw its seeds being sown in the past. Faced with new people and new situations, it will take you a little time to orient yourself, but you must give yourself this time. You must discipline yourself to ask the questions and allow the blueprints to emerge because no matter what the situation, if you haven’t seen the blueprints, you will have less confidence in your decisions.

The genius of the Context talent is reflected in your unique ability to remember the past and to appreciate that the seeds of “new” are often found in the old.

The genius of your Context CliftonStrengths theme is found in the way you think about the past and use that form of thinking to learn, plan and solve problems. The present is important to you, but in your mind, the present is best understood by seeking to understand what has led up to it. Thus, your mind often goes backwards and looks for what has caused what we are experiencing today. This look to the past gives great wisdom for understanding the present and forms the basis for making informed decisions and plans in the present and for the future. The genius of your Context way of thinking provides you with the basis for making high-quality decisions and plans, and for problem-solving. In addition, as you apply the genius of your Context way of thinking when you learn, you will learn with great understanding, which results in high achievement.

Victor Seet 10/5/16 Victor Seet 10/5/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Communication: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Communication and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. This is your Communication CliftonStrengths theme at work. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so you turn events into stories and practice telling them. You take the dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. You believe that most people have a very short attention span. They are bombarded by information, but very little of it survives. You want your information — whether an idea, an event, a product’s features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson — to survive. You want to divert their attention toward you and then capture it, lock it in. This is what drives your hunt for the perfect phrase. This is what draws you toward dramatic words and powerful word combinations. This is why people like to listen to you. Your word pictures pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act.

The genius of Communication talents lies in your ability to find words for not only your own thoughts and feelings, but also those of others.

The genius of your Communication CliftonStrengths theme is found in the profound fact that you can find words for your thoughts and your feelings. Whereas many people have lots of good ideas, they often stumble in finding the words that capture and convey their good thoughts. Even more people suffer from not being able to find the words that best describe and transmit their feelings. Yet, you can do this with ease. But the genius of your Communication talent doesn’t end with your ability to find words for your thoughts and feelings. You can find words for the thoughts and feelings of others. This means that in interactions, you can help other people express their thoughts and feelings as is seen in the way that you can often complete people’s sentences or find the word that they cannot find in expressing their feelings. As a result of these aspects of the genius of your Communication talent, you can form deep, meaningful and bonded relationships and help others do the same.

Victor Seet 9/27/16 Victor Seet 9/27/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Significance: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Significance and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

You want to be very significant in the eyes of other people. In the truest sense of the word you want to be recognized. You want to be heard. You want to stand out. You want to be known. In particular, you want to be known and appreciated for the unique strengths you bring. You feel a need to be admired as credible, professional, and successful. Likewise, you want to associate with others who are credible, professional, and successful. And if they aren’t, you will push them to achieve until they are. Or you will move on. An independent spirit, you want your work to be a way of life rather than a job, and in that work you want to be given free rein, the leeway to do things your way. Your yearnings feel intense to you, and you honor those yearnings. And so your life is filled with goals, achievements, or qualifications that you crave. Whatever your focus — and each person is distinct — your Significance StrengthsFinder theme will keep pulling you upward, away from the mediocre toward the exceptional. It is the strength that keeps you reaching.

The genius of Significance talents begins and ends with the difference you are determined to make. You want the world to be a better place because you are in it.

The genius of your Significance CliftonStrengths theme begins and ends with the difference you are determined to make. You cannot stand the thought of living and dying and there being no difference. You are bound and determined to make a difference and you want that difference to be significant. There is great energy, power, determination, and motivation within you to make a significant and lasting difference in the world. While others may consider you egotistical, this is not your motive. You want to make a significant difference because there is a lot wrong in the world and you are trying to make the world better. At the same time, you want to be recognized for the difference you make. But the difference you make is the driving force.

Victor Seet 9/25/16 Victor Seet 9/25/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Command: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Command and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

To begin affirming Command as one of your areas of dominant talents, first take another look at the description of that StrengthsFinder theme: Command leads you to take charge. Unlike some people, you feel no discomfort with imposing your views on others. On the contrary, once your opinion is formed, you need to share it with others. Once your goal is set, you feel restless until you have aligned others with you. You are not frightened by confrontation; rather, you know that confrontation is the first step toward resolution. Whereas others may avoid facing up to life’s unpleasantness, you feel compelled to present the facts or the truth, no matter how unpleasant it may be. You need things to be clear between people and challenge them to be clear-eyed and honest. You push them to take risks. You may even intimidate them. And while some may resent this, labeling you opinionated, they often willingly hand you the reins. People are drawn toward those who take a stance and ask them to move in a certain direction. Therefore, people will be drawn to you. You have presence. You have Command.

The genius of the Command talent is in your ability to bring to light what is often avoided or unstated, so that people are able to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings.

The genius of your Command CliftonStrengths theme begins with the fact that you can and will impact others, and you will do so with great power. The genius of Command gives you great courage to boldly enter into a crisis and dangerous situations. It is as if you have even more clarity of thought about what needs to be done when there is an emergency. You have the courage to step in and take charge when people are threatened and when there are threatening circumstances. In emergencies, you have clarity and a willingness to voice your ideas. People appreciate your willingness to step up and confront dangers. In these situations, you will impact all around you. Similarly, you are willing to see the way through conflicts and misunderstandings by bringing to light what is often hidden. While some get nervous because you can be so powerful, everyone is grateful when your strength of command addresses emergencies, crises, conflicts, and danger.

Victor Seet 9/20/16 Victor Seet 9/20/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Deliberative: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Deliberative and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

You are careful. You are vigilant. You are a private person. You know that the world is an unpredictable place. Everything may seem in order, but beneath the surface you sense the many risks. Rather than denying these risks, you draw each one out into the open. Then each risk can be identified, assessed, and ultimately reduced. Thus, you are a fairly serious person who approaches life with a certain reserve. For example, you like to plan ahead so as to anticipate what might go wrong. You select your friends cautiously and keep your own counsel when the conversation turns to personal matters. You are careful not to give too much praise and recognition, lest it be misconstrued. If some people don’t like you because you are not as effusive as others, then so be it. For you, life is not a popularity contest. Life is something of a minefield. Others can run through it recklessly if they so choose, but you take a different approach. You identify the dangers, weigh their relative impact, and then place your feet deliberately. You walk with care.

The genius of Deliberative is in your ability to reduce risks and prevent problems through innate anticipation and careful thought. As a result, you tend to make outstanding decisions.

The genius of your Deliberative CliftonStrengths theme is found in the quality of your decisions, choices, values, and the directions you decide to pursue. Your Deliberative StrengthsFinder theme involves thinking and the fact that you will take multiple things into consideration every time you make a decision or a plan. The genius of your Deliberative talent allows you to look at an issue from multiple sides. You will “play the devil’s advocate” as you think through alternatives, values, and propositions, and you will look at multiple sides as you are learning. You will slow down the process whenever you are learning, planning or deciding. But this does not mean you are “slow minded.” Quite the opposite. This is part of your genius and results in very high-quality decisions and a depth of understanding.

Victor Seet 9/17/16 Victor Seet 9/17/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Connectedness: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Connectedness and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

Things happen for a reason. You are sure of it. You are sure of it because in your soul you know that we are all connected. 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. Some may call it the collective unconscious. 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 or from the earth and the life on it. This feeling of Connectedness implies certain responsibilities. If we are all part of a larger picture, then we must not harm others because we will be harming ourselves. We must not exploit because we will be exploiting ourselves. Your awareness of these responsibilities creates your value system. You are considerate, caring, and accepting. Certain of the unity of humankind, you are a bridge builder for people of different cultures. Sensitive to the invisible hand, you can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond our humdrum lives. The exact articles of your faith will depend on your upbringing and your culture, but your faith is strong. It sustains you and your close friends in the face of life’s mysteries.

The genius of Connectedness talents lies in the ability to “connect the dots” between the past, present, and future in a way that gives you and others hope.

The genius of your Connectedness CliftonStrengths theme provides you with a very unique way of seeing events, people, and the world. To you there are no accidents. Your way of seeing events is to recognize that everything that happens is caused by something or someone. Likewise, what is happening right now will have a “ripple” effect into the future. Similarly, you see people in terms of the cumulative events and interactions that formed them and moved them to this moment. Accordingly, this moment and the attitudes that people take to their circumstances will form their future. Extending this way of seeing to the world in general, you see the past, present and future as connected and you see that there is a “master plan” or “Master’s plan” at work at all times. Your genius talent of Connectedness provides a way of “making sense of the nonsense” around us and generating meaning and purpose for yourself. When you share what you can see with the genius of your Connectedness talent, you help others gain hope as you help them see the past and “connect the dots” of their past in a more meaningful way. In like manner, you help people see possibilities for the future by making choices now that build a positive future.

Victor Seet 9/14/16 Victor Seet 9/14/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Input: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Input and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information — words, facts, books, and quotations — or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

The genius of Input talents is in your active and resourceful curiosity, which leads you to become a storehouse of knowledge.

The genius of your Input CliftonStrengths theme is based on your curiosity. It is as if your curiosity knows no limits. You want to know about everything. Question after question propels you to learn more and more. You want facts, information, concepts, and principles. You become excited by your own questions and even more excited when you find answers to your questions. Sometimes you turn your curiosity to people and want to learn as much as possible about them, but for the most part you are driven to learn in general and in specialized areas of knowledge. As you learn, you try to keep your acquired facts organized, but this is a challenge since you continue to collect more and more information, and there is simply much to learn. Finally, the genius of your Input talent wants to share what you have learned. You can be a great communicator of what you have learned, and you get really excited about telling others about the latest thing you have learned.

Victor Seet 9/11/16 Victor Seet 9/11/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Discipline: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Discipline and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

Your world needs to be predictable. It needs to be ordered and planned. So you instinctively impose structure on your world. You set up routines. You focus on timelines and deadlines. You break long-term projects into a series of specific short-term plans, and you work through each plan diligently. You are not necessarily neat and clean, but you do need precision. Faced with the inherent messiness of life, you want to feel in control. The routines, the timelines, the structure -- all of these help create this feeling of control. Lacking this CliftonStrengths theme of Discipline, others may sometimes resent your need for order, but there need not be conflict. You must understand that not everyone feels your urge for predictability; they have other ways of getting things done. Likewise, you can help them understand and even appreciate your need for structure. Your dislike of surprises, your impatience with errors, your routines, and your detail orientation don’t need to be misinterpreted as controlling behaviors that box people in. Rather, these behaviors can be understood as your instinctive method for maintaining your progress and your productivity in the face of life’s many distractions.

The genius of the Discipline talent is in your ordered and structured approach, which brings predictability to your work and life.

The genius of your Discipline CliftonStrengths theme involves your level of personal productivity and the accuracy with which you produce things. Your level of productivity and your level of accuracy stem from the way you can structure tasks and your environment. This ability to structure is key to you being productive and to your accuracy. You can take complex tasks with multiple stages and identify the steps needed to complete the tasks. Next, you structure the environment and organize the actions needed to complete the tasks. Finally, you begin organizing, re-organizing and structuring each action step that must be completed in order to produce things accurately. Finally, the genius of your Discipline CliftonStrengths theme identifies the fastest and most efficient methods while maintaining the highest quality.

Victor Seet 9/8/16 Victor Seet 9/8/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Restorative: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Restorative and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. You may prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal ones. You may seek out specific kinds of problems that you have met many times before and that you are confident you can fix. Or you may feel the greatest push when faced with complex and unfamiliar problems. Your exact preferences are determined by your other talents and experiences. But what is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life. It is a wonderful feeling to identify the undermining factor(s), eradicate them, and restore something to its true glory. Intuitively, you know that without your intervention, this thing — this machine, this technique, this person, this company — might have ceased to function. You fixed it, resuscitated it, rekindled its vitality. Phrasing it the way you might, you saved it.

The genius of Restorative talents is in your love of problems. While others shy away, your solution-oriented mind naturally gravitates toward these challenges.

The genius of your Restorative CliftonStrengths theme is found in the way you can think and fix things. This is key to all problem solving. But your ability to fix goes beyond patching things together. The way you restore things involves bringing them back to life. Accordingly, you can have a restorative effect on relationships and in fact, entire organizations. The genius of your Restorative strength is that you are so good at figuring out what is not working, resolving that, and then guiding people to a way of being healthy and highly functional.

Victor Seet 9/5/16 Victor Seet 9/5/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Individualization: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Individualization and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

Your Individualization CliftonStrengths 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 StrengthsFinder 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 StrengthsFinder 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.

The genius of Individualization talents is in your ability to notice and appreciate the unique characteristics of each person, and to customize your approach accordingly.

The genius of your Individualization CliftonStrengths theme is that you see each and every person and a one-of-a-kind, distinct individual. But more than that, you see the particular factors, qualities, characteristics, thoughts, and perceptions that make each person distinct. You see each person as a mosaic of highly individual factors, each of which contribute to a person’s distinctiveness. This includes both personal qualities and past events that have formed the person. You are curious about their individual characteristics and you find yourself thinking and asking questions about what makes each person so distinct. This results in people feeling special and prized by your attention. But all of this simply lays a foundation for the genius of your Individualization. Your genius is that armed with all of this thinking and question-asking, you attempt to interact with each person based on their individual qualities. This leads to meaningful and very helpful relationships.

Victor Seet 9/3/16 Victor Seet 9/3/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Arranger: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Arranger and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

You are a conductor. 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 CliftonStrengths 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.

The genius of Arranger talents lies in your ability to orchestrate people and resources for maximum effectiveness.

The genius of your Arranger CliftonStrengths theme begins with what you can see and perceive. You can see patterns and perceive how things go together or could go together. Whereas most people only see things as isolated items, you see groupings and connections. The genius of your Arranger perception comes to light in that you can take many different items, bits of information, factors, people, and/or events and then see patterns among and between them. This enables and empowers you to arrange items, facts and information, people, and the many things that must come together for successful events and activities. You are a genius at coordinating people and events because of your Arranger talent. Accordingly you can “multi-task” like few others. You can deal with chaotic situations by seeing how to combine and coordinate as you will see connections and linkages. But the ultimate genius of your Arranger talent is seen in what you do after you have completed a project. You go back and arrange and rearrange in your mind what you did. This results in increased effectiveness and efficiency each time you use your Arranger talent.

Victor Seet 9/1/16 Victor Seet 9/1/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Focus: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Focus and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

“Where am I headed?” you ask yourself. You ask this question every day. Guided by this CliftonStrengths theme of Focus, you need a clear destination. Lacking one, your life and your work can quickly become frustrating. And so each year, each month, and even each week you set goals. These goals then serve as your compass, helping you determine priorities and make the necessary corrections to get back on course. Your Focus is powerful because it forces you to filter; you instinctively evaluate whether or not a particular action will help you move toward your goal. Those that don’t are ignored. In the end, then, your Focus forces you to be efficient. Naturally, the flip side of this is that it causes you to become impatient with delays, obstacles, and even tangents, no matter how intriguing they appear to be. This makes you an extremely valuable team member. When others start to wander down other avenues, you bring them back to the main road. Your Focus reminds everyone that if something is not helping you move toward your destination, then it is not important. And if it is not important, then it is not worth your time. You keep everyone on point.

The genius of Focus talents is in your intense concentration on one task. Your single-mindedness enhances the speed and quality of your performance.

The genius of your Focus CliftonStrengths theme begins with what you can do with your mind. You can focus your attention to an unusual level of concentration. That concentration enables you to amass facts and information, read with clarity of understanding, and solve problems with great precision. You can concentrate to the extent that people may come into a room you are in, and you may not hear or see them. While others pride themselves on their ability to multi-task, you know that for you, you are most productive when you concentrate on one thing at a time. Your focusing talent results in prolonged concentration to address and solve complex problems and planning processes. You learn in great depth, and because of your focusing, when you learn, plan, and solve problems, your recall is remarkable.

Victor Seet 9/1/16 Victor Seet 9/1/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths Competition: Video and Description

Watch this Singapore CliftonStrengths Youth video on Competition and gain greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

Competition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people’s performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions were, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hollow. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You like measurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce a winner. You particularly like contests where you know you have the inside track to be the winner. Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you don’t compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win. Over time you will come to avoid contests where winning seems unlikely.

The genius of the Competition talents lies in their ability to stimulate themselves and others to higher levels of performance.

The genius of your Competition CliftonStrengths theme begins with the tremendous energy, drive and determination within you. You want to succeed. You demand success for yourself and you measure that success in terms of where you stand in comparison to others. For you, second place is sometimes seen as another word for “loser.” But the drive to win, succeed and achieve isn’t focused on you alone. This can be a basis for leadership and impacting the lives of others. First, your “win attitude” is a model for others. Second, your Competition is often turned into a source of inspiration for others. And finally, you can use your Competition talent to stimulate others to strive for higher levels of performance and productivity. You are someone who grabs the attention of others and they begin to believe that they too can achieve.

Victor Seet 8/30/16 Victor Seet 8/30/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Belief Theme: Video and Description

Watch this CliftonStrengths video on Belief and gain a greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

If you possess a strong Belief CliftonStrengths theme, you have certain core values that are enduring. These values vary from one person to another, but ordinarily your Belief StrengthsFinder theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics — both in yourself and others. These core values affect your behavior in many ways. They give your life meaning and satisfaction; in your view, success is more than money and prestige. They provide you with direction, guiding you through the temptations and distractions of life toward a consistent set of priorities. This consistency is the foundation for all your relationships. Your friends call you dependable. “I know where you stand,” they say. Your Belief makes you easy to trust. It also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. And guided by your Belief StrengthsFinder theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out your values.

The genius of the Belief talent is found in the tremendous power of your foundational values. They are sources of powerful drive and direction.

The genius of your Belief CliftonStrengths theme starts with the fact that you have some very deeply-held beliefs about what is true, what is unchanging, and what can be, and always will be, dependable. These beliefs go very deep. They provide personal power to stand strong no matter what. This is central to your character. But the genius of your Belief strength is what results from those beliefs. From your beliefs, you generate meaning, purpose and direction for your life and all you do. This meaning, purpose and direction translate into a tremendous amount of power, drive and motivation within you. So long as you revolve your life around your deepest values and beliefs, you will experience motivation, drive, and determination to make monumental impacts in the lives of individuals as well as groups and organizations.

Victor Seet 8/29/16 Victor Seet 8/29/16

Singapore CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Activator Theme: Video and Description

Watch this CliftonStrengths Singapore Youth video on Activator and gain a greater understanding of this theme through the descriptions.

“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 CliftonStrengths 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.

The genius of Activator talents is in your natural ability to initiate the transformation of ideas into actions, programs, and services.

The genius of your Activator CliftonStrengths theme begins with the concept of action. You want action and you can make things happen. Most of all, the genius of your activator talent gives you the ability to see how to make things happen. Whereas others have ideas that only swim around in their minds, you can quickly see how to turn ideas into actions, programs, and services. This points to the greatest aspect of the genius of your Activator talent. You are creative and very innovative. Finally, you have a tremendous amount of motivation, energy and personal power when it comes to taking an idea and then putting it into action. You are particularly motivated to be innovative in turning your ideas into action, programs, and services. You are a dynamo in turning ideas into actions that generate revolutionary changes.