Recently I was introduced to James Brook, MD of Titan Talent – see www.titantalent.com – and James is a highly impressive person. A mutual acquaintance, Kate Turner of Motivational Leadership Ltd – see www.motivationalleadership.co.uk – thought it would be good if we connected as we seem to be in parallel universes: we both have recently developed self-perception inventories, both inventories are successful, and it was curious too that in comparing sales figures they too seemed about the same.
James had done via Kate a Motivational Map and was intrigued by the result, and as a courtesy offered me the opportunity to complete his inventory: Strengthscope.
Strengthscope is not a psychometric, but instead it works out what an individual’s strengths are in the workplace, so that these can be optimised, excessive strengths can be curbed, and perhaps most critically teams can be evaluated in terms of the group’s strengths – does a team actually have the requisite strengths that would enable them to deliver? This strikes me as an important area which overlaps with what Motivational Maps do, and what psychometrics do not – although psychometrics, perhaps less appropriately, are frequently used for this purpose.
Of course, what strengths are we talking about? In this area there has to be some generic strengths that are universally applicable, and doubtless there may be debate over the exact definitions. But Strengthscope has defined 22 Strengths, and the report focuses mainly on your own top seven. The 22 are:
- Collaboration
- Common sense
- Compassion
- Courage
- Creativity
- Critical thinking
- Decisiveness
- Detail orientation
- Developing others
- Efficiency
- Emotional control
- Empathy
- Flexibility
- Initiative
- Leading
- Persuasiveness
- Relationship building
- Resilience
- Results focus
- Self-confidence
- Self-improvement
- Strategic mindedness
An interesting questions for readers of this blog might be: which are your top 7 ‘strengths’ – do you know?
Intriguingly, in completing the on-line questionnaire you are also invited to nominate up to eight individuals who know you and can independently and anonymously comment on their view of your Strengths. This is a sort of reality check on self-perception.
Naturally, because you need up to eight other people to log-in and comment on you (I actually used six from widely differing relationships with me) the report isn’t instant. However, it is extremely useful when you get it. I was fortunate in that James also kindly gave me a half hour mini-coaching/feedback session to help me address the issues that arose.
My top 7 Strengths are: Creativity, Decisiveness, Developing Others, Empathy, Leading, Persuasiveness, and Self-Confidence. This is good – but I need – we need – to consider whether a Strength is in ‘overdrive’? Hmm. And also, given the team, what is lacking? Great question. Given that list of 22 I could certainly find 7 things!
But in the anonymous feedback I found a real treasure for my self esteem – thank you whoever said: “James Sale has remarkable abilities to motivate and inspire others”. Whatever we lack, let’s focus on what we have.
So let me recommend James Brook’s Strengthscope to you – a fascinating new tool well worth a visit.
James Sale
The Mapping Motivation Series 
Strengthscope is not a psychometric, but instead it works out what an individual’s strengths are in the workplace, so that these can be optimised, excessive strengths can be curbed, and perhaps most critically teams can be evaluated in terms of the group’s strengths – does a team actually have the requisite strengths that would enable them to deliver? This strikes me as an important area which overlaps with what Motivational Maps do, and what psychometrics do not – although psychometrics, perhaps less appropriately, are frequently used for this purpose.
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