Comments on: Go Put Your Strengths to Work

By: Mark Howell

Mark Howell — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:31:58 +0000

I’m still early in the book. Working on developing a strength statement for each of my strengths. I’ll let you know how it goes!
mark

By: Todd McKeever

Todd McKeever — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:23:28 +0000

I did all the exercises in “Go” and they just did not do anything for me.
For me they were just the typical exercises and I knew where they were going and knew the results. I held out until the end for that possible new shedding of light, it just didn’t happen for me.
Again, let me say that I do enjoy Buckingham’s writing.

By: Mark Howell

Mark Howell — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:29:25 +0000

Todd, I hear you on Buckingham’s work. The idea is interesting to me…but not easy to apply or grow as a result. Did you work through the exercises in Go? I’m wondering if I’ll see an uptick in understanding after working through his questions.
By the way, I’m with you on True North and Know How. Great promise, but neither really delivered what I had hoped.

By: Todd McKeever

Todd McKeever — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:13:43 +0000

Here is my two quick cents only because you asked.
I read the book by Buckingham, “Go put your strengths to work” and “Discover your strengths” and for me they did not shed any new light for me and did not result in me changing anything. I do enjoy Buckinghams writings though.
I also happened to glance over at this time and see your list of books you are reading and would like to say I really enjoyed the book, “What Got you here won’t get you there” and it has resulted in me making a few adjustments. The books True North, and Know how, were not high on my list once I finished them.

By: Mark Howell

Mark Howell — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:26:28 +0000

Thanks for jumping in Brian! I caught a line or two at the tail end of Trombone Player Wanted that raised the idea that you could begin to work this out even without formal encouragement from the organization. Have you been able to do that in your company?
mark

By: E. Brian Hutchinson

E. Brian Hutchinson — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:18:41 +0000

“Have you read Now, Discover Your Strengths?”
I’ve read this and Tom Rath’s “StrengthsFinder 2.0.” When choosing between “2.0″ and Buckingham’s new “Go Put Your Strengths to Work,” I opted for the former. Buckingham’s work is amazing, but this book didn’t seem to add much new information. Rath’s book didn’t seem to add that much new information either, but it did seem to link my top five strengths together in a way the first “Now Discover” book didn’t.
“How did you use the information? Did it change the way you operated or what you focused on?”
Reading “Now Discover” was an amazing, eye-opening experience. Sure, I knew some of those things about myself, but StrengthsFinder described my strengths better than I could have done and added examples to boot. With this knowledge – clarified by words and examples – I’m more confident about acting from a position of strength. And I allow myself to punt when faced with a situation that doesn’t utilize my strengths.
What’s been hard for me is to find a job where I can put my strengths to work (Maximizer, Learner, Ideation, Individualization, Intellection) and shine. Even though StrengthsFinder provides words to desribe strengths, it’s hard for me to approach people at networking events and say, “I’m looking for a position that requires learning and connecting new ideas to achieve excellence.” Doesn’t every job require that?
Missing from StrengthsFinder and Buckingham’s book, in my opinion, is practical advice on finding specific careers that leverage strengths. That said, I’d still rather know my strengths and look for ways to use them even if it’s a long term, unknown process.
Brian