Arranger: Ticket to Ride

Arrangers get the right people in the right seats on their "bus" 

Long before I became an evangelist for StrengthsFinder, I read the book Good to Great by Jim Collins.  At its core, this popular business book instructs readers to expect the best from workers.  When you expect the best from team members, you can get it.  When excellence is an option, why accept anything less? 

I recall (and quote) the “people on the bus” parable which is used effectively in the book.  At first, the author believed the way to take a company from good to great was to have leadership set a clear vision and strategy and then get every employee aligned behind the new direction. 

In fact, what great leaders did first was to get the right people in the right seats “on the bus” and then figure out where to drive it.  With the right people on the bus in the right seats – and the wrong people off the bus – teams can figure out a way to travel to someplace amazing. 

Starting with a talent (people on the bus) and aligning talent to key objectives (seats on the bus) is the winning formula for going from good to great.

Each of us has talents.  When practiced and combined with knowledge, they can become strengths.  To earn your ticket to ride on “the bus”, you must be aware of your natural abilities and demonstrate an eagerness to apply your unique talents for the good of the team. 

All of the 34 StrengthsFinder Talent Themes are sorted into four Leadership Domains; Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Influencing and Executing.  Think of these domains as seats on “the bus”.  Leaders can transform their teams from good to great by aligning dominant talents with  primary objectives and  responsibilities – in short, placing people in the right seats based on talent and having a good balance of the talent domains.

People with the natural ability to get the right people in the right seats on their "bus" are blessed with the StrengthsFinder Talent Theme Arranger.  This executing talent allows people to manage resources, align them, realign them and arrange them into the most productive configuration possible.  Arrangers are at their best in complex and dynamic situations.  Confronted with the unexpected, they lean into the confusion, devise new options, hunt for new paths and figure out new partnerships - because, after all, there might just be a better way.

So if you are planning a road trip towards future greatness, consider partnering with an Arranger as a tour guide to assist you with the manifest and seating arrangements.  Enjoy the journey!      




To optimize the talents of Arrangers, consider the following; 

* People with Arranger thrive in complex and dynamic work environments.  Ask for their input to align resources for optimal efficiency and productivity.  

* People with Arranger are happiest when they are part of a team.  They have a natural sense of organization which can be applied in many workplace settings - for example organizing the details of team or client events. 

* If changes are planned in the workplace, tap into the talents of Arrangers early-on to maximize the end results. 


Dan is currently serving 20 years to life as the Sr. Director of Destination Experiences at Universal Orlando Resort.  He prefers white-water rapids over data lakes and lists Ideation, Futuristic and Positivity amongst his signature talents.    Find him on Twitter @dpddonovan 



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