Now, Discover Your Strengths
by Donald O. Clifton, Marcus Buckingham
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Book Reviews of Now, Discover Your Strengths
Book Review: Very refreshing, decent social science
Summary: 5 Stars
The book's strength, to turn the tables a bit, is not in its length (less than average amount of words per page, about 250 pages), not in its style (written at a relatively low level), and not in its technical explanations (very little justification and explanation for the theories it proposes). The strength of the book is how it introduces a new vocabulary for identifying an individual's potential strengths and talents.The reader must go to a web site and take an assessment test rather early in the book. After the reader takes the test, Buckingham and Clifton work at unraveling old ways of looking at performance and standard practices. For example, they dare to suggest that the paradigm of improving a person's weaknesses as a strategy to implement optimum performance on the job or elsewhere is faulty. You may disagree, and you may find the test useless if you take it. In my instance, the test clearly verfied my areas of talent. So I gave the book five stars, because it's an amazing groundbreaking book - we now have a way to identify and talk about 34 different groups of human talents - and I don't care how Gallup, Buckingham, and Clifton arrived at the results they did if the results are clearly true, as in my case.
Now, Discover Your Strengths doesn't tell you how to find a career based on your top five strengths. It's a very personal decision, and also impractical, given that about 33 million combinations of five exist. Buckingham and Clifton give examples of successful people and what they chose as careers, which utilize some combination of their strengths, and other useful suggestions, such as strategies to mitigate weaknesses.
Highly recommended. I never would have known any of this had someone not suggested I read the book, and now a whole new way of looking at myself and the world is open to me. econ
Book Review: Great OD advice for business leaders
Summary: 5 Stars
As an Organizational Development professional and a business leader, my first thoughts after finishing the book are that the majority of the information and guidance in this book is great food for thought for corporate executives. In the current economy where "business as usual" is anything but, senior executives continually turn to old-school methodologies of sustaining their business viability. While the focus on individuals areas for improvement are a standard approach to ensuring corporate success, it bears little evidence that there is a direct correlation that focusing energies on individuals' weaknesses results in positive improvement in corporate morale and performance. And that is what this book is all about - no-nonsense, backed by extensive research from a notable research corporation, stick-to-your-ribs data and evaluation. Does it provide singular actions that individuals can take to leverage their strengths to overshadow their areas of weakness? The process of doing so would require individualized performance plans related to the multitude of variations in the theme combinations. Readers should not expect this book to provide step-by-step actions to take in order to give the illusion of different themes. Take heed - this book does provide the baseline guidance of which every reader can not only identify aspects of their own organization, but also identify areas of strength on which to explore further on a self journey. While corporate America continues to struggle with improving performance by focusing on the weaknesses of its employees, the light is at the end of the tunnel, awaiting to be read. I applaud Marcus Buckingham, Dr. Clifton, and the Gallup Organization in having the courage and guts to "tell it like it is" and send out a wake-up call to business leaders everywhere. Kudos!Book Review: intuit...verify what you already know...probably
Summary: 3 Stars
I am into head shampoos. You know those instruments that have been developed over time to see what makes you tick. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator and an assortment of other windows into the psyche. Anyway, this is a pretty interesting tool, i think probably for me more of a verification of my own self awareness. the key premise that comes out here is play to your strength. gee, what a concept. but there is more. i think they correctly identify the mass homogenization of training / learning in the work place...and school for that matter. one size fits all world. mass production training and learning. shore up your weaknesses. all the normal stuff we have witnessed through the years. well these guys have said what is obvious to me for years...build on your strengths...go with your talent. thank you very much. now retire the garbage that the corporate gods deem necessary for you to learn in your personal development and performance plan. i have never figured out why we think everyone should be well suited for everything. as cited in the book...there are 88 keys on piano...each strikes a different note...no one key can make all sounds...what is clever here...especially for them to create follow on revenues...is this book comes with a code that allows you to take their instrument online. it takes less than an hour. 180 paired questions...out comes a report on you. similar to the ice cream shop there are 34 flavors of strengths and they report yours instantly. there is enough of a descriptor for you to either knod or shake your head. i felf like it was pretty on track for myself. but after 3 gazillion head shampoos i have a handle on me...but with this one...it is like the final nail in the coffin...time to get more aligned in my work...and begin enjoying it more.
Book Review: Transformation in the Workplace!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Now, Discover Your Strengths" is a breath of fresh air. I can relate, as authors Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton describe in their book, to people who tend to focus on their weaknesses instead of identifying their talents and building them into strengths. Before reading this book, I used to focus on everything that I thought needed improvement instead of seeing that there were natural areas in my workplace that I excelled in. I am a loan servicer at an investment bank, and I have discovered that I am currently performing in a job that capitalizes on my strengths and my talents. My knack for organization and discipline has earned me the role of training new hires in my department. Without recognizing this talent, I may have turned down the opportunity when my supervisor suggested that I take on this responsibility. I really enjoy my work.
I've also found satisfaction with my workplace from reading books by authors Ariel & Shya Kane. Before reading their book, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation, I would complain about my job, thinking that it was just a job that paid the bills, always dreading 9:00AM on Mondays and day dreaming about 5:00PM on Fridays. My existence at my workplace was so unsatisfying that I was miserable. After reading their books, including How To Create a Magical Relationship and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, I have discovered that if I fully engage in the moment with my life, the mundane tasks in life become magical. Magical - as in fun, easy, and satisfying. Not only have I found that I have unique strengths by reading "Now, Discover Your Strengths", I have found a life of ease in my workplace, by reading the award winning books by Ariel & Shya Kane.
Book Review: Those obsessed with what is wrong will discover what is right
Summary: 4 Stars
Just when I figured I had seen it all, "Now Discover Your Strengths" comes along with a new outlook and a dynamic paradigm. A unique difference from others in its genre is the "Strengths Finder Profile" (can be interfaced on the internet). It covers many different personalities of leaders with concentration of five dominant traits. Chapter 4, page 83, does a fascinating job with detail explanations of thirty four "themes" of leadership.
If I may paraphrase Vince Lombardi (the legendary football coach): "In practice I do not worry about what other teams are doing. If we concentrate on what we do best, the game will take care of itself." I found that philosophy to be the essence of this book. Focus on your strengths instead of trying to change weaknesses.
It is amazing how many companies make this mistake with their employees. When trying to improve sales, and reduce turnover, they focus on the weakest link (the bottom) when more productivity can be realized by rewarding, emulating, and promoting the best producers.
Those who have been obsessed with what is wrong in their lives will discover a better way is to learn what works best for themselves and others. The authors' ideas are motivational, inspirational and can be implemented by anyone.
There are some revealing comparisons in the book to another prototype leader (Warren Buffett). Readers will be surprised and infinitely impressed with the key reasons for his success.
This book should be a must read for anyone in a leadership position looking to improve the bottom line. It is very well done and has no comparison. Reading it gave me strength, buy it and discover yours!
Reggie Johnson, Success-Tapes.Com