Stength Finder-GallupReport- Katherine Ong

StrengthsFinder 2.0 Report

© 2000, 2006-2012 GALLUP, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Strengths Insight and Action-Planning GuideSURVEY COMPLETION DATE: 08-23-2014

katherine ong

Your Top 5 Themes

StrategicSignificanceCompetitionIdeationSelf-Assurance

What's in This Guide?

Section I: Awareness

A brief Shared Theme Description for each of your top five themes

Your Personalized Strengths Insights, which describe what makes you stand out from otherswith the same theme in their top five

Questions for you to answer to increase your awareness of your talentsSection II: Application

10 Ideas for Action for each of your top five themes

Questions for you to answer to help you apply your talentsSection III: Achievement

Examples of what each of your top five themes "sounds like" -- real quotes from people whoalso have the theme in their top five

Steps for you to take to help you leverage your talents for achievement

612315260 (katherine ong)© 2000, 2006-2012 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Section I: Awareness

StrategicShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Facedwith any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Instinctively, you select the right combination of words to convey your ideas or feelings. In the middleof discussions, your vocabulary provides you with precise phrases and terminology. You probablyexpress yourself with ease and grace. Chances are good that you customarily pinpoint the coreproblems and identify the best solutions. You artfully and skillfully eliminate distractions. This helpspeople gain a clear understanding of what is happening and why it is happening. You frequentlyidentify ways to transform an obstacle into an opportunity. Because of your strengths, you areinnovative, inventive, original, and resourceful. Your mind allows you to venture beyond thecommonplace, the familiar, or the obvious. You entertain ideas about the best ways to reach a goal,increase productivity, or solve a problem. First, you think of alternatives. Then you choose the bestoption. It’s very likely that you analyze the lessons of the past to find clues for handling futuresituations. Piecing together the causes and effects of historical events allows you to discover alternateroutes to your goal. You are seldom taken by surprise. Why? You probably have studied your optionsand crafted innovative solutions. Driven by your talents, you might easily detect unusualconfigurations or spot new trends in data or factual information. Devising options appeals to you. Youhave little interest in simply repeating what worked in the past.

Questions

1. As you read your personalized strengths insights, what words, phrases, or lines stand out toyou?

2. Out of all the talents in this insight, what would you like for others to see most in you?


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SignificanceShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes ofothers. They are independent and want to be recognized.



Driven by your talents, you devote yourself to understanding cause-and-effect relationships. Youderive satisfaction from sharing what you know. You have a reputation for finding the right answers.This motivates you to examine why things function the way they do. You are equally interested indiscovering why other things fail to operate properly. Chances are good that you want people to listenattentively to you. You expect them to take seriously what you say. By nature, you provide theimpetus — that is, the driving force or motivation — people need to reach their goals and excel. It’svery likely that you understand the proverb “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Instead of choosingthe easy and obvious path, you challenge yourself to overreach your goals. With courage andperseverance, you dare to produce exceptional results. You seldom ask for guarantees of success.Instead, you boldly forge ahead toward your desired goals. Instinctively, you scrutinize yourself fromthe perspective of an outsider looking in. Aware of your public persona — that is, the person youpresent yourself as — you strive to appear confident and polished. Being perceived asknowledgeable, trustworthy, and accomplished is an intentional undertaking for you.

Questions




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CompetitionShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Competition theme measure their progress against theperformance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.



Instinctively, you may be eager to test your talents, broaden your knowledge, or expand your skillswhen comparisons are made between you and your opponents. Sometimes your rivalries are public.Sometimes they are known only to you. Either way, you might be determined to be victorious bycapturing the top prize, finishing in first place, or being declared the best. Because of your strengths,you occasionally attribute your first-place victories to having a good work ethic. Perhaps your drive tobe the best motivates you to excel regardless of whether scores, ratings, or rankings determine thewinner. Driven by your talents, you yearn to lead a big organization. You want to be the person whomakes major decisions. You like the idea of being “number one.” It’s very likely that you might feelmore enthusiastic about your life when you can compare your results to those of others. Perhaps youare motivated by the image of yourself standing in the victory circle and being hailed as “the verybest.” By nature, you occasionally intimidate people by comparing your performance to theirs.Perhaps they grow a bit edgy as your drive to be the best becomes evident to them. Maybe you takeadvantage of your rivals’ timidity — that is, lack of boldness and determination — to earn the bestscore, rating, or ranking.

Questions




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IdeationShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able tofind connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.



It’s very likely that you regard yourself as logical and reasonable. You spontaneously reducemechanisms, processes, proposals, ideas, or formulas to their basic parts. You figure out how thepieces interrelate. Your discoveries tell you why something does or does not function the way itshould. By nature, you often are the originator of fresh ideas for brand-new campaigns, businessventures, initiatives, or special events. Because of your strengths, you ask questions. You ponderanswers. You find the underlying causes of a situation, problem, system, mechanism, plan, regulation,or prohibition. Logical and ordered in your thinking, you study every detail, however small. You aredetermined to examine the facts. Chances are good that you favor conversations where information,facts, or data are considered objectively — that is, emotions do not distort the truth. You posequestions, evaluate answers, and figure out how things work. Reducing an idea, theory, or process toits most basic parts provides you with many insights. You are likely to archive — that is, preserve —your discoveries so you can use them later. Instinctively, you may feel more favorable about life whenyou can freely use your sophisticated vocabulary. Perhaps your enjoyment of language is multipliedwhen your choice of words stimulates the thinking of others.

Questions




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Self-AssuranceShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability tomanage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that theirdecisions are right.



By nature, you choose to associate with people who think big and think smart. Exchanging ideas,concepts, or theories with intelligent individuals exhilarates you. You pull together as many thoughtsas possible from these animated conversations. You never know when someone’s question orsuggestion will be valuable. You mentally file away or physically document these snippets — that is,small bits — of insight or wisdom for easy retrieval. Instinctively, you routinely engage in exciting andadventurous activities. You refuse to settle for a boring existence. You probably sense that you havemuch to offer individuals and groups. Purposeful challenges combined with your realized potentialimpel you to take risks others avoid. Because of your strengths, you dive into challenging situationsbecause you trust yourself. You know you have the talent to deal with hazards as you encounterthem. Launching new ventures thrills you. Tackling impossible goals energizes you. Stepping out ofyour comfort zone into unfamiliar territory stimulates you. It’s very likely that you bring an electricity —that is, a keen, contagious excitement — to conversations with old friends, long-time associates, ornew acquaintances. You can walk up to a group of people, ease into the conversation, and makethem feel glad you are there. You gravitate to individuals who talk about mind-boggling — that is,mentally exciting — concepts or innovative projects. You probably are bored by idle chitchat andgossip. Driven by your talents, you are unsentimental and not often swayed by emotional argumentsor passionate pleas. People are likely to describe you as quite realistic and practical.

Questions




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Questions

1. How does this information help you better understand your unique talents?2. How can you use this understanding to add value to your role?3. How can you apply this knowledge to add value to your team, workgroup, department, or

division?4. How will this understanding help you add value to your organization?5. What will you do differently tomorrow as a result of this report?


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Section II: Application

StrategicIdeas for Action:

Take the time to fully reflect or muse about a goal that you want to achieve until the relatedpatterns and issues emerge for you. Remember that this musing time is essential tostrategic thinking.You can see repercussions more clearly than others can. Take advantage of this ability byplanning your range of responses in detail. There is little point in knowing where events willlead if you are not ready when you get there.Find a group that you think does important work, and contribute your strategic thinking.You can be a leader with your ideas.Your strategic thinking will be necessary to keep a vivid vision from deteriorating into anordinary pipe dream. Fully consider all possible paths toward making the vision a reality.Wise forethought can remove obstacles before they appear.Make yourself known as a resource for consultation with those who are stumped by aparticular problem or hindered by a particular obstacle or barrier. By naturally seeing a waywhen others are convinced there is no way, you will lead them to success.You are likely to anticipate potential issues more easily than others. Though yourawareness of possible danger might be viewed as negativity by some, you must shareyour insights if you are going to avoid these pitfalls. To prevent misperception of yourintent, point out not only the future obstacle, but also a way to prevent or overcome it.Trust your insights, and use them to ensure the success of your efforts.Help others understand that your strategic thinking is not an attempt to belittle their ideas,but is instead a natural propensity to consider all the facets of a plan objectively. Ratherthan being a naysayer, you are actually trying to examine ways to ensure that the goal isaccomplished, come what may. Your talents will allow you to consider others’ perspectiveswhile keeping your end goal in sight.Trust your intuitive insights as often as possible. Even though you might not be able toexplain them rationally, your intuitions are created by a brain that instinctively anticipatesand projects. Have confidence in these perceptions.Partner with someone with strong Activator talents. With this person’s need for action andyour need for anticipation, you can forge a powerful partnership.Make sure that you are involved in the front end of new initiatives or enterprises. Yourinnovative yet procedural approach will be critical to the genesis of a new venture becauseit will keep its creators from developing deadly tunnel vision.

Questions

1. Which of these action items speak to you? Highlight the actions that you are most likely totake.

2. How will you commit to taking action? Write your own personalized action item that you willtake in the next 30 days.


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SignificanceIdeas for Action:

Choose jobs or positions in which you can determine your own tasks and actions. You willenjoy the exposure that comes with independence.Your reputation is important to you, so decide what it should be and tend to it in thesmallest detail. For example, identify and earn a designation that will add to yourcredibility, write an article that will give you visibility, or volunteer to speak in front of agroup who will admire your achievements.Share your dreams and goals with your family or closest friends and colleagues. Theirexpectations will keep you reaching.Stay focused on performance. Your Significance talents will drive you to claim outstandinggoals. Your performance had better match those goals, or others might label you as a bigtalker.You will perform best when your performance is visible. Look for opportunities that put youon center stage. Stay away from roles that hide you behind the scenes.Leading crucial teams or significant projects brings out your best. Your greatest motivationmay come when the stakes are at their highest. Let others know that when the game is onthe line, you want the ball.Make a list of the goals, achievements, and qualifications you crave, and post them whereyou will see them every day. Use this list to inspire yourself.Identify your best moment of recognition or praise. What was it for? Who gave it to you?Who was the audience? What do you have to do to recreate that moment?Unless you also possess dominant Self-Assurance talents, accept that you might fearfailure. Don’t let this fear prevent you from staking claims to excellence. Instead, use it tofocus on ensuring that your performance matches your claims.You might have a natural awareness of what other people think of you. You may have aspecific audience that you want to like you, and you will do whatever it takes to win theirapproval and applause. Be aware that while reliance on the approval of others could beproblematic, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be liked or admired by the key peoplein your life.

Questions




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CompetitionIdeas for Action:

Select work environments in which you can measure your achievements. You might not beable to discover how good you can be without competing.List the performance scores that help you know where you stand every day. What scoresshould you pay attention to?Identify a high-achieving person against whom you can measure your own achievement. Ifthere is more than one, list all the people with whom you currently compete. Withoutmeasurement, how will you know if you won?Try to turn ordinary tasks into competitive games. You will get more done this way.When you win, take the time to investigate why you won. You can learn a great deal morefrom a victory than from a loss.Let people know that being competitive does not equate with putting others down. Explainthat you derive satisfaction from pitting yourself against good, strong competitors andwinning.Develop a “balanced metric” — a measurement system that will monitor all aspects of yourperformance. Even if you are competing against your own previous numbers, thismeasurement will help you give proper attention to all aspects of your performance.When competing with others, create development opportunities by choosing to compareyourself to someone who is slightly above your current level of expertise. Your competitionwill push you to refine your skills and knowledge to exceed those of that person. Look oneor two levels above you for a role model who will push you to improve.Take the time to celebrate your wins. In your world, there is no victory without celebration.Design some mental strategies that can help you deal with a loss. Armed with thesestrategies, you will be able to move on to the next challenge much more quickly.

Questions




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IdeationIdeas for Action:

Seek a career in which you will be given credit for and paid for your ideas, such asmarketing, advertising, journalism, design, or new product development.You are likely to get bored quickly, so make some small changes in your work or home life.Experiment. Play mental games with yourself. All of these will help keep you stimulated.Finish your thoughts and ideas before communicating them. Lacking your Ideation talents,others might not be able to “join the dots” of an interesting but incomplete idea and thusmight dismiss it.Not all your ideas will be equally practical or serviceable. Learn to edit your ideas, or find atrusted friend or colleague who can “proof” your ideas and identify potential pitfalls.Understand the fuel for your Ideation talents: When do you get your best ideas? Whenyou’re talking with people? When you’re reading? When you’re simply listening orobserving? Take note of the circumstances that seem to produce your best ideas, andrecreate them.Schedule time to read, because the ideas and experiences of others can become your rawmaterial for new ideas. Schedule time to think, because thinking energizes you.You are a natural fit with research and development; you appreciate the mindset ofvisionaries and dreamers. Spend time with imaginative peers, and sit in on theirbrainstorming sessions.Partner with someone with strong Analytical talents. This person will question you andchallenge you, therefore strengthening your ideas.Sometimes you lose others’ interest because they cannot follow your abstract andconceptual thinking style. Make your ideas more concrete by drawing pictures, usinganalogies or metaphors, or simply explaining your concepts step by step.Feed your Ideation talents by gathering knowledge. Study fields and industries differentfrom your own. Apply ideas from outside, and link disparate ideas to generate new ones.

Questions




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Self-AssuranceIdeas for Action:

Look for start-up situations for which no rulebook exists. You will be at your best when youare asked to make many decisions.Seek roles in which you convince people to see your point of view. Your Self-Assurancetalents (especially when combined with Command or Activator talents) can be extremelypersuasive. Leadership, sales, legal, or entrepreneurial roles might suit you.Let your self-confidence show. It can be contagious and will help the people around yougrow.Realize that sometimes you will find it hard to put your certainty or intuition into words,possibly leading others to see you as self-righteous. Explain that your confidence does notmean that they should withhold their opinions. It might not seem like it to them, but you dowant to hear their ideas. Your conviction doesn’t mean that you are unwilling to listen tothem.Your independent streak can leave you standing alone. If this happens, make sure you areout in front, or partner with someone who can help others see how they can benefit fromfollowing you.Partner with someone with strong Strategic, Deliberative, or Futuristic talents. This personcan help you assess the goals to which you commit. You need this help because once youset your sights on a goal, you are likely to stay with it until you achieve it.Your exceptionally hard work and long hours are natural products of the passion andconfidence you feel about your work. Don’t assume that others are similarly wired.You can be decisive, even when things get dynamic and distracting. When there is chaosaround you, intentionally display and share the calm and certainty within you. This will giveothers comfort and security.Set ambitious goals. Don’t hesitate to reach for what others see as impractical andimpossible, but what you see as merely bold and exciting — and most importantly —achievable with some heroics and a little luck. Your Self-Assurance talents can lead toachievements that you may not have otherwise even imagined.You don’t have a great need for direction and support from others. This could make youparticularly effective in situations that require independent thinking and action. Recognizeand actively contribute the value of your Self-Assurance talents when confidence and self-control are crucial.

Questions




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Section III: Achievement

Look for signs of achievement as you read these real quotes from people who share your top fivethemes.Strategic sounds like this:

Liam C., manufacturing plant manager: “It seems as if I can always see the consequences beforeanyone else can. I have to say to people, ‘Lift up your eyes; look down the road a ways. Let’s talkabout where we are going to be next year so that when we get to this time next year, we don’t havethe same problems.’ It seems obvious to me, but some people are just too focused on this month’snumbers, and everything is driven by that.”

Vivian T., television producer: “I used to love logic problems when I was a kid — you know, the oneswhere ‘if A implies B, and B equals C, does A equal C?’ Still today, I am always playing outrepercussions, seeing where things lead. I think it makes me a great interviewer. I know that nothingis an accident; every sign, every word, every tone of voice has significance. So I watch for these cluesand play them out in my head, see where they lead, and then plan my questions to take advantage ofwhat I have seen in my head.”

Simon T., human resources executive: “We really needed to take the union on at some stage, and Isaw an opportunity — a very good issue to take them on. I could see that they were going in adirection that would lead them into all kinds of trouble if they continued following it. Lo and behold,they did continue following it, and when they arrived, there I was, ready and waiting. I suppose it justcomes naturally to me to predict what someone else is going to do. And then when that person reacts,I can respond immediately because I have sat down and said, ‘Okay, if they do this, we’ll do this. Ifthey do that, then we’ll do this other thing.’ It’s like when you tack in a sailboat. You head in onedirection, but you jinx one way, then another, planning and reacting, planning and reacting.”


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Significance sounds like this:

Mary P., healthcare executive: “Women are told almost from day one, ‘Don’t be too proud. Don’t standtall.’ That kind of thing. But I’ve learned that it’s okay to have power, it’s okay to have pride, and it’sokay to have a big ego — and also that I need to manage it and drive it in the right directions.”

Kathie J., partner in a law firm: “Ever since I can remember, I have had the feeling that I was special,that I could take charge and make things happen. Back in the ‘60s, I was the first woman partner inmy firm, and I can still recall walking into boardroom after boardroom and being the only woman. It’sstrange, thinking back. It was tough, but I actually think I enjoyed the pressure of standing out. Ienjoyed being the ‘woman’ partner. Why? Because I knew that I would be very hard to forget. I kneweveryone would notice me and pay attention to me.”

John L., physician: “All through my life, I felt that I was onstage. I am always aware of an audience. If Iam sitting with a patient, I want the patient to see me as the best doctor he or she has ever had. If Iam teaching medical students, I want to stand out as the best medical educator they have ever had. Iwant to win the Educator of the Year award. My boss is a big audience for me. Disappointing herwould kill me. It’s scary to think that part of my self-esteem is in other people’s hands, but then again,it keeps me on my toes.”


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Competition sounds like this:

Mark L., sales executive: “I’ve played sports my entire life, and I don’t just play to have fun — let meput it that way. I like to engage in sports I am going to win and not ones I am going to lose, because ifI lose, I am outwardly gracious but inwardly infuriated.”

Harry D., general manager: “I'm not a big sailor, but I love the America’s Cup. Both boats aresupposed to be exactly the same, and both crews have top-notch athletes. But you always get awinner. One of them had some secret up their sleeves that tipped the balance and enabled them towin more often than lose. And that’s what I am looking for — that secret, that tiny edge.”

Sumner Redstone, chairman of Viacom (now known as CBS Corporation), on his efforts to acquirethat company: “I relished every minute of it because Viacom was a company worth fighting for and Ienjoyed a contest. If you get involved in a major competitive struggle, and the stress that inevitablycomes with it, you’d better derive some real sense of satisfaction and enjoyment from the ultimatevictory. Wrestling control of a company like Viacom was warfare. I believe the real lesson it taught mewas that it is not about money, it’s about the will to win.”


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Ideation sounds like this:

Mark B., writer: “My mind works by finding connections between things. When I was hunting down theMona Lisa in the Louvre museum, I turned a corner and was blinded by the flashing of a thousandcameras snapping the tiny picture. For some reason, I stored that visual image away. Then I noticed a‘No Flash Photography’ sign, and I stored that away too. I thought it was odd because I rememberedreading that flash photography can harm paintings. Then about six months later, I read that the MonaLisa has been stolen at least twice in this century. And suddenly I put it all together. The onlyexplanation for all these facts is that the real Mona Lisa is not on display in the Louvre. The real MonaLisa has been stolen, and the museum, afraid to admit their carelessness, has installed a fake. I don’tknow if it’s true, of course, but what a great story.”

Andrea H., interior designer: “I have the kind of mind where everything has to fit together or I start tofeel very odd. For me, every piece of furniture represents an idea. It serves a discrete function bothindependently and in concert with every other piece. The ‘idea’ of each piece is so powerful in mymind, it must be obeyed. If I am sitting in a room where the chairs are somehow not fulfilling theirdiscrete function — they’re the wrong kind of chairs or they’re facing the wrong way or they're pushedup too close to the coffee table — I find myself getting physically uncomfortable and mentallydistracted. Later, I won’t be able to get it out of my mind. I’ll find myself awake at 3:00 a.m., and I walkthrough the person’s house in my mind’s eye, rearranging the furniture and repainting the walls. Thisstarted happening when I was very young, say seven years old.”


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Self-Assurance sounds like this:

James K., salesman: “I never second-guess myself. Whether I am buying a birthday present or ahouse, when I make my decision, it feels to me as if I had no choice. There was only one decision tomake, and I made it. It’s easy for me to sleep at night. My gut is final, loud, and very persuasive.”

Pam D., public service executive: “I was raised on a remote farm in Idaho, and I attended a small ruralschool. One day, I returned home from school and announced to my mother that I was changingschools. Earlier in the day, my teacher had explained that our school had too many kids and that threekids would have to move to a different school. I thought about it for a moment, liked the idea ofmeeting new people, and decided I would be one of them — even though it meant getting up half anhour earlier and traveling farther on the bus. I was five years old.”

Deborah C., ER nurse: “If we have a death in the ER, people call on me to deal with the familybecause of my confidence. Just yesterday, we had a problem with a young psychotic girl who wasscreaming that the devil was inside her. The other nurses were afraid, but I knew what to do. I went inand said, ‘Kate, come on, lie back. Let’s say the Baruch. It’s a Jewish prayer. It goes like this: BaruchAtah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam.’ She responded, ‘Say it slowly so that I can say it back toyou.’ I did, and then she said it back to me slowly. She wasn’t Jewish, but this calm came over her.She dropped back against her pillow and said, ‘Thank you. That’s all I needed.’”


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Questions

1. Talk to friends or coworkers to hear how they have used their talents to achieve.

2. How will you use your talents to achieve?


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Documents

Stength Finder-GallupReport- Katherine Ong