The Art and Science of Happiness - Solved assignment - Week 5

 

Photo credit - Freepik

Tasks for the week (Strengths)

1. What are our strengths?
2. How can we use them and in what capacities?
3. What are their limitations?
4. Complete the Strengths survey and bring the results into class
5. Write two questions about this week’s topic

Task 1 - What are our strengths?

(MIT suggested this source - StrengthsQuest Handout. What I observed is that this is for students. So I am using Strengthsfinder covering the same 34 strengths. The CliftonStrengths Technical Report is here)

The study of strengths was pioneered by educational psychologist Donald O. Clifton. The trigger for his study was a question - “What would happen if we studied what was right with people versus what’s wrong with people?” Thus emerged a philosophy of using talents as the basis for consistent achievement of excellence (around 1999).

Strength is the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific task. It is a mastery created when one’s most powerful talents are refined with practice and combined with acquired relevant skills and knowledge.

Strengths are a combination of talents with associated knowledge and skills. They have the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance. When you do a task that uses your strengths, you transcend into "Flow" (a mental state of complete absorption in an activity, where individuals are fully immersed and focused on what they are doing. Coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the concept of flow is characterized by a sense of deep concentration, heightened enjoyment, and a loss of self-awareness during the activity. When in a state of flow, individuals often experience a seamless and effortless sense of performance).

Clifton and team identified 34 unique strengths. These 34 strengths are grouped under four domains - Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking.

The whole study is an exciting material showing us what we can do with our talent DNA. 

Task 2 - How can we use our strengths and in what capacities?

Clifton, then the Chairman of Gallup, the famous opinion polls company, created an assessment tool that could be used by people to find their top five talents (Signature themes). This signature theme could help people discover what they naturally do best. 

To identify how we can use our strengths to the best of our ability, we could ask these questions to ourselves and find answers - 

• To what types of activities do I feel drawn at work and in my personal life?
• What types of skills and knowledge do I quickly and easily "pick up"?
• What types of challenges give me the most satisfaction?
• Have I ever been so engrossed in what I was doing or thinking that I completely lost track of time? If so, what was I doing?

And once you find your talents, you could take appropriate actions to utilise your talent. For example, the actions for someone whose strength is Ideation are as below -  

• Seek work in which you will be paid for your ideas, such as marketing, advertising, journalism, design, or new product development. Find work in which you will be given credit for your ideas
• Yours is the kind of mind that bores quickly, so make small changes in your work or home life. Experiment. Play mental games with yourself. All of these will help keep you stimulated.
• Schedule time to read, because the ideas and experiences of others can become your raw material for new ideas. Schedule time to think, because thinking energizes you.
• Discuss your ideas with other people. Their responses will help you keep refining your ideas.
• Partner with someone with a strong Activator theme. This person can push you to put your ideas into practice. This kind of exposure can only be good for your ideas.
• Partner with someone with a strong Analytical theme. This person will question you and challenge you, therefore strengthening your ideas.

Task 3 -  What are their limitations?

The total number of strengths identified by the Strengthsfinder researchers is only 34. There could be many many more strengths that are not observed/ noted by them.

The assessment provides a snapshot of an individual's strengths at a specific point in time. There could be changes over a period of time.

There is too much emphasis on positivity.

The assessment is based on self analysis. If someone who has not understood some questions and answers them wrongly, it could give a totally different picture of their signature theme.

Task 4 - StrengthsFinder survey

My signature theme is as below

Strength rank	Strength	Description
1	Ideation	Yours is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and so you are intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure Connection. You derive a jolt of energy whenever a new idea occurs to you. Others may label you creative or original or conceptual or even smart.
2	Woo	You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. You derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection.
3	Individualization	You are intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. You instinctively observe each person's style, each person's motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You pick your friends just the right birthday gift, why you know that one person prefers praise in public and another detests it. Because you are such a keen observer of other people's strengths, you can draw out the best in each person.
4	Input	You are inquisitive. You collect things. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. For you the world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity.
5	Connectedness	In your soul you know that we are all connected, we are part of something larger. You gain confidence from knowing that we are not isolated from one another or from the earth and the life on it. Your awareness of this creates your value system. You are considerate, caring, and accepting. You are a bridge builder for people of different cultures. You can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond our humdrum lives.

Actions suggested by Strengthsfinder - 

• Create a list of the themes that best describe you. Post it in a spot where you and your friends, family, and teachers will see it every day.
• When preparing your To Do list each day, consider your talents. For each task, think about how you can best use your talents to accomplish it. Also consider the skills and knowledge you can add to your talent to build strength.
• Use technology. If you send e-mails, list the themes that best describe you as part of your signature line. 
• Write a personal mission statement describing your purpose in life, and create a list of your values. Think about how you can use strengths to follow your values and fulfill your personal mission.
• Identify three people who are important to your personal development and fulfillment of your role. Using your top themes as a starting point, talk with them about how, as a group, you can combine your talents to create greater successes.
• Use the theme that best describes you as a conversation starter at a social gathering. You'll be surprised at how changes of environment or perspective can lead to valuable insights.

Task 5 - Write two questions about this week’s topic

How feasible is it to find a job in line with the signature theme? Isn’t it risky to leave what you have and run after something that you never tried?

What is the reliability of this tool in bringing happiness?

How does this tool take care of potential bias and cultural Sensitivity?