Periodic Table of Strengths

Harmony

• Look for consensus
• Don't enjoy conflict; rather they seek areas of agreement

• I am calm, even-keeled
• I will seek to eliminate the waste of emotional energy
• I bring a peace-loving, conflict-resistant approach
• I need areas of agreement, common ground
• I love the sacrifice of personal agendas to facilitate group performance
• I hate negative effects of friction
• Metaphor/Image: smoothing ruffled feathers
• Barrier Label: afraid of conflict

Christian, Ashley

Achiever

• Have a great deal of stamina and hard work
• Take great satisfaction from being busy and productive

• I am a hard worker.
• I will set the pace for production
• I bring intensity and stamina of effort
• I need freedom to work at my own pace
• I love completing tasks
• I hate a lack of diligence
• Metaphor/image: completing a race, getting to the finish line
• Barrier Label: Work is more important than people

Kat, Josh, Taylor

Input

• Have a craving to know more
• Like to collect and archive all kinds of information

• I am a utilitarian resource collector
• I will hang on to things that could be helpful resources for others later
• I bring tangible tools that can facilitate growth and performance
• I need space to store the resources I naturally acquire
• I love to provide relevant and tangible help
• I hate not having things that would be useful to others
• Metaphor/Image: sponge - absorbent (input) and dispenser (output)
• Barrier Label: packrat with too much lying around

Discipline

• Enjoy routine and structure
• Their world is best described by the order they create

• I am an efficient manager of limited resources
• I will plan in advance and then follow the plan
• I bring precision and detail orientation
• I need a structured and organized environment
• I love things that are organized and orderly
• I hate chaos and confusion, flying by the seat of one's pants
• Metaphor/Image: having their ducks in a row
• Barrier Label: may be resistant to change

Adaptability

• Prefer to "go with the flow"
• Tend to be "now" people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time

• I am a here-and-now person
• I will react with immediacy to the immediate
• I bring a willingness to follow the lead of change
• I need present pressure that demands an immediate response
• I love spontaneity
• I hate predictability
• Metaphor/Image: like a river, go with the flow
• Barrier Label: directionless

Ashley

Arranger

• Can organize, but also have a flexibility that complements this ability
• Like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity

• I am comfortable with lots of moving parts
• I will work effectively and efficiently through others
• I bring flexibility and interactivity
• I need a dynamic environment
• I love initiating and managing necessary change
• I hate resistance to necessary change
• Metaphor/Image: a maestro, a coordinator
• Barrier Label: difficult to follow because of frequent rearrangements

Includer

• Accepting of others
• Show awareness of those who feel left out and make an effort to include them

• I am aware of exclusion and understand its repercussions
• I will shrink the gap between the haves and the have-nots
• I bring a high level of tolerance with and acceptance of diversity
• I need room for everyone
• I love assimilation and integration
• I hate cliques
• Metaphor/Image: cliques are breeding grounds for cliched thinking
• Barrier Label: Indiscriminate

Taylor

Analytical

• Search for reasons and causes
• Ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation

• I am logical and objective in approach
• I will find simplicity in the midst of complexity
• I bring dispassionate thinking to emotional issues
• I need time to think
• I love data and facts
• I hate things that are not or cannot be proven
• Metaphor/Image: a reduction - boiling down to essence
• Barrier Label: paralysis by analysis

Kat

Intellection

• Characterized by their intellectual ability
• Introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions

• I am conceptual, deep, solitary
• I will see thinking as synonymous with doing
• I bring depth of understanding and wisdom
• I need time for reflection and meditation
• I love the theoretical because it is the precursor to the practical
• I hate a thoughtless approach to anything
• Metaphor/Image: drilling deep, plumbing the depths
• Barrier Label: isolated and aloof

Competition

• Measure progress against the performance of others
• Strive to win first place
• Revel in contests

• I am aware of my competitors
• I will strive to win
• I bring an aspiration to be the best
• I need peers for comparison and motivation
• I love a chance to go against the best
• I have coming in second
• Metaphor/Image: no consolation prize - the gold medal is the only medal
• Barrier Label: sore loser

Christian

Context

• Enjoy thinking about the past
• Understand the present by researching its history

• I am appreciative of my predecessors and prior events
• I will remember important history
• I bring accurate memories and valuable memorabilia
• I need relevant background for discussions/decisions
• I love the retrospective
• I hate when the past is forgotten
• Metaphor/Image: rear-view mirror is essential for safe driving
• Barrier Label: stuck in the past

Activator

• Make things happen by turning thoughts into action
• Once a decision is made, they want to act quickly

• I am impatient with inactivity
• I will create momentum
• I bring a catalytic sense of urgency
• I need less discussion, more action
• I love initiation, instigation
• I hate waiting, wasting time
• Metaphor/Image: getting out of the blocks quickly
• Barrier Label: leaps before looking

Focus

• Can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track.
• Prioritize, then act.

• I am intensely and intentionally single-minded
• I will persevere until the goal is reached
• I bring clarity through concentration and direction
• I need a goal to establish priorities
• I love to begin with the end in mind
• I hate going off on misdirected tangents
• Metaphor/Image: "in the zone"
• Barrier Label: destination mentality may limit enjoyment of the journey

Josh

Individualization

• Intrigued with the unique qualities of each person
• Have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively

• I am a customizer
• I will see the potential in human diversity rather than its problem
• I bring an understanding of people that is valuable for placement
• I need individual expectations that are created to fit a person
• I love people getting to do what they do best
• I hate a one-size-fits-all approach
• Metaphor/Image: casting director - uses intelligence about people
• Barrier Label: sacrifices group need for individual needs

Katie

Belief

• Have certain core values that are unchanging
• Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life

• I am passionate, uncompromising about core values
• I will make sacrifices for things that are important
• I bring values, stability, clarity, conviction
• I need a cause or purpose for which to live
• I love altruism
• I hate anything that does not mesh/align with my beliefs
• Metaphor/Image: missionary for some idea
• Barrier Label: set in ways

Belief

• Have certain core values that are unchanging
• Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life

Carmela, Josh, Taylor

• I am passionate, uncompromising about core values
• I will make sacrifices for things that are important
• I bring values, stability, clarity, conviction
• I need a cause or purpose for which to live
• I love altruism
• I hate anything that does not mesh/align with my beliefs
• Metaphor/Image: missionary for some idea
• Barrier Label: set in ways

Connectedness

Crystal, Shelli

• Have faith in the links between all things
• Believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason

• I am incredibly aware of the borderless and timeless human family
• I will integrate parts into the whole
• I bring an appreciation of the mystery and wonder of life and all creation
• I need to be part of something bigger than myself: a family, a team, an organization, a global community, a cosmos
• I love circles of life and threads of continuity
• I hate an "us vs them" mentality
• Metaphor/Image: person as body, mind, and spirit
• Barrier Label: flaky, new-ager, not in touch with reality

Carmela

Significance

• Want to be very important in the eyes of others
• Independent and want to be recognized

• I am interested in being seen as signficant so that I can accomplish something signficant
• I will be motivated and influenced by the perceptions of others
• I bring a desire for wanting more
• I need an appreciative audience that will bring out my best
• I love associating with successful people
• I hate being invisible or ignored by others
• Metaphor/Image: natural performer who is comfortable with the visibility of center stage/bright lights
• Barrier Label: attention hound; showboat

Carmela

Developer

• Recognize and cultivate the potential in others
• Spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements

• I am patient with the inexperienced and unseasoned
• I will get satisfaction from the growth of others
• I bring a commitment to human growth
• I need someone to invest in
• I love human potential and progress
• I hate wasted or unrealized potential
• Metaphor/Image: parents' patience with a baby learning to walk
• Barrier Label: wastes time on low performance

Logan, Katie

Learner

• Have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve
• The process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them

• I am one who enjoys the experience of being a learner
• I will follow the things that interest me
• I bring a learning perspective
• I need exposure to new information and experiences
• I love to live on the frontier/the cutting edge
• I hate knowing it all and know-it-alls
• Metaphor/Image: yes to learning curves, no to learning plateaus
• Barrier Label: curiosity may lead to irrelevance or non-productivity

Kat, Logan

Futuristic

• Inspired by the future and what could be
• Inspire others with their visions of the future

• I am fascinated with tomorrow
• I will anticipate and imagine what could be or should be
• I bring previews, predictions, forecasts
• I need opportunities to talk about the foreseen future
• I love the inspiration that comes from dreaming
• I hate contentment with the status quo
• Metaphor/Image: visionary
• Barrier Label: head in the clouds

Carmela, Katie

Positivity

• Have enthusiasm that is contagious
• Are upbeat
• Can get others excited about what they are going to do

• I am optimistic, hopeful, and fun-loving
• I will lift and lighten emotional environments
• I bring contagious energy and enthusiasm
• I need freedom to experience the joy and drama of life
• I love living life to its fullest
• I hate negative people who drain the life out of others
• Metaphor/Image: glass is half full
• Barrier Label: naive

Logan

Maximizer

• Focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence
• Seek to transform something strong into something superb

• I am committed to excellence
• I will focus on what is strong and manage around what is weak
• I bring a quality orientation
• I need quality to be valued as much as quantity
• I love a maximum return on investments
• I hate an obsession with weakness fixing
• Metaphor/Image: good-to-great, good-better-best
• Barrier Label: picky, never satisfied

Christian

Responsibility

Command

• Take psychological ownership of what they say they will do
• Committed to stable values, such as honesty and loyalty

• Have presence
• Can take control of a situation and make decisions

Consistency

• I am someone others often trust to get things done
• I will keep promises and follow through on commitments
• I bring dependability and loyalty
• I need freedom to take ownership
• I love the respect of others
• I hate disappointing others and being disappointed by others
• Metaphor/Image: serious owner - not disinterested renter
• Barrier Label: can't say no or let go

• Keenly aware of the need to treat people the same
• Try to treat everyone in the world fairly by setting up clear rules and adhering to them

• I am direct and decisive
• I will push back when pushed
• I bring emotional clarity
• I need challenges and conflicts
• I love exerting control in situations that seem out of control
• I hate passivity and avoidance
• Metaphor/Image: comfortable in the driver's seat
• Barrier Label: bossy, dictator

Taylor

• I am more interested in group needs than individual wants
• I will reduce variance and increase uniformity
• I bring rules & policies that promote predictability
• I need standard operating procedures
• I love repeating things in the exact same way
• I hate unnecessary customization
• Metaphor/Image: beauty and efficiency of a consistent golf swing
• Barrier Label: rules trump relationships and results

Josh

Carmela, Christian

Communication

• Generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words
• Good conversationalists and presenters

• I am verbally expressive
• I will connect with others through words
• I bring attention to messages that must be heard
• I need a sounding board, an audience
• I love stories and storytellers
• I hate experience without expression
• Metaphor/Image: silence is not golden
• Barrier Label: blabbermouth

Woo

• Love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over
• Derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person

• I am socially fast and outgoing
• I will take the social initiative
• I bring energy to social situations
• I need social variability
• I love meeting someone that I haven't met before
• I hate a static or shrinking social network
• Metaphor/Image: hand-shaking politician building his constituency
• Barrier Label: phony, superficial

Strategic

• Create alternative ways to proceed
• Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot relevant patterns and issues

• I am willing to consider all the possibilities so the best isn't missed
• I will find the best route moving forward
• I bring creating anticipation, imagination, persistance
• I need freedom to make mid-course corrections
• I love seeing a way when others assume there is no way
• I hate doing things the way we have always done them
• Metaphor/Image: great peripheral vision - can see the whole field
• Barrier Label: always has to try something different

Josh, Katie

Ideation

• Fascinated by ideas
• Able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena

• I am unaffected by the ambiguity and risk of innovation
• I will think outside the box
• I bring new and fresh perspectives
• I need freedom to explore possibilities without restraints or limits
• I love coming up with something brand new
• I hate doing what we have always done
• Metaphor/Image: creativity of an artist, blank canvas or page, lump of clay
• Barrier Label: impractical

Logan

Relator

• Enjoy close relationships with others
• Find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal

• I am genuine and authentic
• I will get to know more about the people closest to me
• I bring social depth and transparency
• I need time and opportunities for one-on-one interactions
• I love close, caring, mutual relationships
• I hate the initial social discomfort of meeting someone new
• Metaphor/Image: knowing and being known by friends
• Barrier Label: cliquish cronyism

Logan, Ashley

Empathy

• Can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others' lives or others' situations

Restorative

• Adept at dealing with problems
• Good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it

• I am an emotional person
• I will make the visceral explanation
• I bring emotional intelligence
• I need freedom to laugh, cry, vent
• I love the gladness, sadness, madness of humanity
• I hate things that block or limit emotional expression
• Metaphor/Image: a person's affect will often determine their effect
• Barrier Label: bleeding heart

• I am not intimidated by points of pain or dysfunction
• I will look for the bug in the system, diagnose what ails
• I bring courage and creativity to problematic situations
• I need problems that must be solved
• I hate the idea that problems will disappear if ignored
• Metaphor/image: Medical model
• Barrier Label: perceived as negative because of association with problems

Christian, Katie

Kat, Ashley, Taylor

Self-Assurance

• Feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives.
• Possess and inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.

• I am internally confident in the midst of external uncertainty
• I will seek to exert influence rather than be influenced
• I bring a willingness to take necessary risks
• I need freedom to to act unilaterally and independently
• I love being in control of my own destiny
• I hate others telling me what to do
• Metaphor/image: internal compass, marches to beat of a different drum
• Barrier Label: arrogant, over-confident, self-sufficient

Deliberative

• Take serious care in making decisions or choices
• Anticipate the obstacles

• I am a vigilant observer of potential risk
• I will anticipate things that could go wrong
• I bring a thorough and conscientious approach
• I need time to listen and think before being expected to speak
• I love restraint and caution in the face of risk
• I hate a rush to judgement
• Metaphor/Image: a jury must deliberate before there is a verdict
• Barrier Label: hesitant - it's the early bird that gets the worm

Kat, Ashley