CliftonStrengths® reveals the Signature Themes that guide your behavior throughout your life without being specific to one particular career, role, or job. It’s a strengths-based developmental tool that describes what you naturally do best. When you invest in your talents, they become strengths, much like a raw talent in sports may go “pro.”
BP10™ is a compilation of 10 talents specific to the role of a builder. It measures how you are successful in business; in other words, it’s a selection tool to identify your talents as a builder and have strong, statistically significant linkages to specific outcomes.
Gallup® designed both assessments for personal development and growth by helping individuals focus on areas of strength in their life. [Source]
So what does that all mean?
What if hiring talents has nothing to do with whether you’re nice or have degrees? Sure, in some business areas, it’s crucial, but what if you were to start a business or are in sales? Do you have what it takes?
Who do you invest in? So often, we determine it based on previous experiences without looking at whether there was a talent for the person’s job. Some of us end up in professions we never really thought about; others are focused and targeted.
Can you transfer skills and talents to other industries?
I’d say yes, and it all comes down to the talents needed for that business. Some talents may be important independent of business, aka product; it comes down to what you need from each person you hire.
Let’s say you’re in sales, were scoring high in “Selling” (BP10™), or even #1 would be ideal as people high in Selling influence in different ways, and that’s where your other talents and CliftonStrengths® come in.
Different industries have different needs, too–selling dental implants, which is the industry I’ve been in, requires a long-term relationship approach with repeat sales and deep knowledge of the product and the customer’s needs. Other products, like selling clothing or cosmetics, may need a slightly different set of talents vs. cars, life insurance, and investments.
What talents are needed for my business?
Ultimately, it comes down to you selecting the talents that are the most important for your industry and the personality that fits with your company’s brand and products.
I see salespeople, for one, as builders and brand ambassadors of the business. The salesperson is the face of the company, and while employed, they are still helping build the company, whether from scratch or in other phases of the business.
Every stage of the business requires slightly different talents. In a startup, there’s definitely a need to have salespeople, and staff, for that matter, that have more of an entrepreneurial mindset and talent pool. It’s kind of like having your own business but with benefits, paychecks, and commissions for those that perform.
When you’re in a startup or small business, having the right people on your team is crucial. While the 80/20 rule seems to apply in most areas of life, talent identification can help you create more predictable results.
Who do you invest in?
The draft pick that is a star already, the one with the most potential, or the nice one that you know will work super hard, need guidance and support but not necessarily perform as well?
Do you value the players that bring it no matter what, or do you look at the resume and determine who to hire based on the degrees?
Once again, Gallup’s data is blowing my mind. I found some missing pieces through a fellow coach & his partners who had connected the dots [shoutout to Jeff @ Prism Perspective Coaching]. You see, there are ways to read the report where you can determine the intensity of talent. You also have the ability to get a report via your coach that shows the actual score; for some, that’s awesome and for others, confronting.
I’ve taken the BP10™ twice as the report changed. The order and scores of some changed, and while my #4 at the time now is #10, with just a few points less, the intensity changed. What I found interesting was that while 5 out of the 10 were dominant talents = on par with the top builders in the world, the rest were in “tier 2,” even where the scores were high. The line has to go somewhere, right, and in this case, you’re measured against the top builders in the world where as little as one point difference can mean the difference between having a dominant vs. less intense talents.
Whether you have one, five, or ten dominant talents, what’s relevant is what the talents are and what business area you’re applying your talents to if you’re using them and investing in them.
One sign of talent. You are energized.
If you’re drained, you’re not operating in your strengths zone or in a work environment that isn’t nurturing for you. Why that is can vary.
Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to make choices that nurture you, invest in your growth and talents, and be your best.
These two assessments change lives in a good way, quickly and powerfully. If CliftonStrengths® and BP10™ are offered at your workplace, then you’re one of the lucky ones. 😉
Are you curious about what your talents might be? CLICK HERE for more information about the CliftonStrengths® Assessment or HERE for the BP10™ Assessment.
Lastly, visit Gallup’s YouTube channel for more information HERE.
