The Strengths Zone

I had the pleasure of joining my peers and COMCAST & NBCU marketing leaders recently as the CMO of Universal Parks & Resorts, Alice Norsworthy, hosted a face-to-face interview with Peyton Manning.  Starting with a well-placed opening about her devotion to the University of Florida (Peyton was the QB for SEC rival Tennessee), Alice facilitated an entertaining and revealing conversation with this legendary college and NFL quarterback. Peyton Manning is as personable and likable as you think he is.    My StrengthsFinder senses perked up when Alice asked her guest about what talent he credited for his success.  One talent that Peyton Manning credited for his success was - Adaptability.     He described how his Adaptability would allow him to execute plays that would take advantage of the field he was seeing in the moment.  He was able to change strategy on the spot based on the situation he was facing.  He revealed that his infamous audible call "Omaha!"

Angelica Cole found her strengths zone within our Legal Affairs Department.   The reason I am so passionate about StrengthsFinder is the clarity it has brought to my professional career late in life.  I was first introduced to the movement in 2013 and was immediately hooked.  As a leader of a large contingent of talented entry-level professionals, I started using the strengths assessment whenever I hosted growth and development discussions with interested team members.  While the talent themes do not tell you what job you should apply for, they do inform you of your potential for excellence based on your natural abilities.  I would instruct upwardly mobile team members to make sure that the internal positions they were aiming towards had the capacity to allow them to play to their talents so they will be fulfilled, happy and successful. One of the first sessions I hosted was with a long-term team member who was a Vacation Planner at one of Universal Orlando's on-site hotels

Before I go any further with my posts covering the 34 StrengthsFinder talent themes, I think I should step back and provide some basics about this developmental tool in the form of answers to some frequently asked questions.  Here we go. 1. How did this all start? The strengths movement was founded by educational psychologist Donald Clifton who asked the question "What would happen if we studied what is right with people".  In a span of 40 years, over two million professionals in a variety of jobs were interviewed and observed.  From these interviews and observations, consistent themes emerged related to how different people became successful in their roles.  These pathways to excellence were then culled into a set of 34 talent themes which the StrengthsFinder measures.  Today, over 18 million people have taken the StrengthsFinder assessment worldwide.  2. What are the differences between talents, strengths & themes? Most people who take the assessment thin

Those with Relator talents cultivate and thrive in close-knit work groups that care for each other like a family. I recently celebrated my 20th anniversary at work.  Prior to working at Universal Orlando, I spent 11 years with an Orlando based tour operator.  Assuming I work for another 20 years or so, statistics say that over the span of a 50 year work-life, we will all spend 35% of our waking hours at work.    For as long as I can remember, I have considered work more as a place to go versus a chore to do.  I have been fortunate to have grown professionally in cultures that allowed me to apply my innate talents and lean into activities and tasks which I actually enjoy and that provide me fulfillment.  As the saying goes, do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. In addition to being able to identify and live in your strengths zone in your job, another very important contributor to a happy work life is developing authentic relationships.  I am a big belie

I committed to partaking in a daring adventure on or around my birthday.  My Achiever strength has driven me to keep this promise with myself - like, zip-lining over a pond of alligators last month! So it is Sunday night.  While many are enjoying another great PGA tourney on TV (go Phil!) and are settling in for the OSCARS, I have set a goal of having my first ever blog ready for posting tomorrow morning. Welcome to the  Achiever  theme! Achiever ranks as my #5 talent theme out of all 34 themes through StrengthsFinder.  It is also the most common strength of all of the themes, appearing in the top 5 for 35% of the 15+ million people who have taken the StrengthsFinder assessment. Given Achiever is one of the most common themes, it makes sense that I launch The Strengths Zone blog focused on it.  StrengthsFinder has been very meaningful to me personally and professionally, and I have made it a crusade to launch a "Strengths Movement" within my workplace.  The Strengt