“Friend, you’re… you’re… you’re metarelational,” a close friend told me one day as we sat chatting. When I looked at her with one eyebrow raised, she said, “Do you know what metacommunication is?” I told her I had remembered learning about it in sociolinguistics, but I couldn’t recall just what it meant. “It’s communicating about communication. You’re metarelational – you relate about your relationships.”
As we laughed together about the new word she had invented, I had to admit it: I am a relational person.
I hadn’t ever considered myself particularly relational because I’m not a “social” person or an extrovert. I always thought about my close relationships as a factor of my life, perhaps part of my personality or interests. But, until last September, I had never considered my way of relating to be a “strength.”
I had heard lots of people talk about the “Strengthsfinder 2.0” evaluation and it caught my attention. I’m a self-analyzer. I love to discover who I am and learn about the way I’m made. (I’ve always enjoyed things like personality tests.) I was at a bookstore with some friends and I saw the book (required in order to take the online test) and decided to go for it.
I learned so much about myself taking the Strengthsfinder test. Not only did I get a list of my “top five” strength themes, but I got a full report that talks about each strength in light of the others.
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As I read an almost-scarily-accurate description of myself, I began to understand why I’ve excelled in some areas and had a difficult time in others. I understood why I’ve connected so easily with some people and not so easily with others.
But, I couldn’t leave it there: I did more research into my “top five” and discovered how I interact on a team, as a leader, and in conflict. It made so much sense.
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One of the most interesting things about the Strengthsfinder 2.0 evaluation is that at the end of each description in the book, there are some points on “How to get along with an Activator” or whichever theme it’s discussing. This makes the evaluation incredibly useful within teams and groups.
I’m grateful for useful tools like this evaluation – they help me discover how I can best use my time and resources.
Have you taken Strengthsfinder 2.0? What were your top strength themes?