Many of you know that the brand strategy work I do is about differentiation and how that is key to how a product or service is positioned in the market. So I took some of my own counsel and looked to dig deeper into what makes ME unique. The Gallup Clifton Strengths® Finder was suggested as a way to get out of the usual “resume and experience” history and get into my “talent zone” in a different way and discover what I do naturally and do best.
I’ve worked for many incredible organizations with great success - but I wanted a clearer understanding of why? The Strengths Finder® tool helped me understand what makes me tick and how that translates into the value I bring to any organization. The assessment measures your natural patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.
How does StrengthsFinder® work?
In a nutshell - the assessment is approx 40 mins long. You answer a series of 117 questions. There are 34 strengths that you are evaluated against. At the end of the answering the questions you receive a report with your “Top Five” or your “Signature Themes”.
My “Top Five” are (with their definitions):
Activator - Make things happen by turning thoughts into action.
Strategic - Create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, I can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Responsibility - Take psychological ownership of what I will say I will do. I am committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
Ideation - Fascinated by ideas. Able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
Communication - Find it easy to put thoughts into words. I am a good conversationalist and presenter.
Whoa! After spending some more time with the results on my own, I consulted my good friend and colleague Jennifer Jacobson, a leadership and executive coach who utilizes the Strengths Finder tool for her clients. She helped me dig a bit deeper on applying the strengths to my business directly. Here’s what I’ve landed on for now...
So Now What?!
This year I’ve gotten a lot of requests to help jump-start marketing plans and help business owners get their marketing organized - literally. My clients have ideas everywhere and don’t know where or how to begin. Hence I created a 1:1 workshop format to help do this. And now it’s no wonder why workshops have been so much fun for me and the clients involved. Lots of deep strategic thinking and tons of activation and ideas around their businesses. Clients have dug into their marketing; launched new books; pivoted their businesses and grown their audience(s).
Brand Strategy and developing a culture with your organization of what your business is about is the first place to start - no matter where you are in your business’ lifecycle. Especially in times where doubt creeps in given what social algorithms change or programming shifts happen.
Are you ready to start cultivating for 2019? Here’s how:
Learn about - The Organized Brand ® Brand Strategy Framework (this is my strategic, responsibility and ideation side)
Take a walk down self-discovery for your business by talking with your customers via a survey I create and analyze (this is my strategic and activator side)
Jumpstart that project or product launch with an Organized Brand® Workshop and get your team on the same page and create “brand ambassadors”. (this is my ideation, strategic and communication side)
