StrengthsFinder 2.0 Hardcover – February 1, 2007

I ordered a used copy of the book for a class and had two assignments based on taking the strengths assessment. New copies of the book come with an access code to be used to take a roughly 30-minute strengths assessment. Unfortunately, the access code that came with the book I ordered had already been used, which made the purchase pretty meaningless. The book gives you helpful information about your assessment results, but if you haven't taken the assessment, the book is pretty pointless.I requested and received a refund for the purchase, then ordered it on Kindle. The access code arrived separately via email almost immediately after the Kindle purchase receipt email. The code worked perfectly, I took the assessment, learned some things about myself, wrote two essays on the experience, got full credit on both assignments. Yay!The only reason to buy this book used is if you've already taken the assessment and know your top strengths. I think my strengths assessment results were pretty accurate, although it took me a while to understand that a few of my unique characteristics weren't just quirky, they could actually be considered a strength, if I simply choose to accept that perspective instead of trying to hide those odd quirks. Like any type of assessment or personality quiz, it's not perfect or always completely accurate, but it can be helpful way to learn more about yourself. Recommended (as long as you buy a NEW copy only in order to take the assessment).

I have taken quite a few similar assessments when I worked in a corporate world. I worked for an investment bank, and the obligatory week of training every year brought in an army of consultants who sliced and diced your personality like a mad chef on a 30-minute cooking show. I actually got this book for a book club reading at my last job, so it found me.I could honestly say that as I looked through the book prior to taking the assessment, I thought I had all of these strengths to some degree, and so I was curious to see what came up for me. Fundamentally, I agree with the approach that we should emphasize and play to our strengths - I think about it as not going against my nature.My top strengths came back as strategic, self-assurance, positivity, learner and activator, and I agree with all of these. The assessment is very accurate. Here's where it got even better: when I scanned through the ideas for action, I was initially too lazy to highlight the actions to take, and so I put it aside. Then, a few days ago, I was pondering a course of action to take in a difficult situation with competing priorities. I was drinking a cup of coffee in sort of a state of stupor over what I needed to do. Right in front of me, in a pile of papers on my desk, there was a page with Ideas for Action for my Strategic strength. The first item read, "Take the time to fully reflect or muse about a goal that you want to achieve until the related patterns and issues emerge for you. Remember that this musing time is essential to strategic thinking." It was right on the money. I kind of always knew it, but I'm a doer, and I feel guilty about giving my plans some time to hatch. I took notice of this, and thus my conclusion that this assessment is more useful than I originally thought, as long as I stay with it and slowly go through my Ideas for Action over a few months.Nothing struck me as inaccurate as far as the Ideas for Action are concerned, but I found it funny that my Strategic profile urged me to "partner with someone with strong Activator talents" and my Activator did the same for Strategic. (The Strategic strength is anticipation, and the Activator strength is a need for action). Since I have both, can I partner with myself? Or do I need two other people? Of course, this is harmless.If you like these sorts of tests, there a few good ones available for free as well. A friend and I have been compiling a list, which we will post on my site at [...]. Each of them puts a mirror to our face at a slightly different angle.

After lead researcher Donald Clifton left this world and Marcus Buckingham left to found his own firm, Gallup leadership must have wondered how they could milk the Now, Discover Your Strengths cash cow. It seems Strengths Finder 2.0 a "NEW & UPGRADED Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's" was their answer: a beautiful little book in a shiny white cover, with a powerful red font and the "2.0' that was all the rage in `07-'08.Since "2.0' embodies new, what's new? Well, the author: Tom Rath, Global Practice Leader for Workplace and Leadership, and author of great books we will review in time: How full is your bucket?, Strengths Based Leadership. My question to him is: what did you write in this one?Anything else? Yes. The book is a lot lighter, and unfortunately, it really is what they say on the cover: a "NEW & UPGRADED Edition of the online test"; not a new book. As far as content, you will find:* a short section explains what strengths are in Clifton/Gallup speak. Section is verbatim the first edition's.* a longer section describes one by one the 34 strengths from the Clifton StrengthsFinder. It has a lot less content. The litte additional content is already available on the website. As far as "real change":..1. Two strengths have changed name: Consistency became Fairness and Inclusiveness became Includer, but the descriptions remain the same, verbatim...2. The strengths descriptions are a little different from Now, Discover Your Strengths: the "Introduction" and "examples" remain the same; the "Ideas for action" replicate the recommendations you on the website after passing the test, and the "Working with others who have..." section is a shorter version of Now, Discover Your Strengths "Managing Strengths" section.* a passcode, the real core of the book, enables you to pass the test on Gallup site. The test is said to be shorter, but I did not notice a significant difference. It is said the insights are better, but I am not convinced I did get anything that was not in the first book.Enough for the rant. What will you get from this book?In case you would not know the Clifton Strengths Finder, it is the result of a massive study on the workplace that Gallup conducted over the course of 25 years, interviewing millions of people. One of the results, the 34 strengths are patterns that can be combined, in the spirit of architect Christopher Alexander's work The Timeless Way of Building, to create not building and communities but individuals.You will learn two key principles from this study:* "You cannot be anything you want to be.But you can be a lot more of who you already are."* Strengths (ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance) = Talent (a natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving) x Investment (time spent practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base)You will learn about the 34 strengths: Achiever, Activator, Adaptability, Analytical, Arranger, Belief, Command, Communication, Competition, Consistency, Context, Deliberative, Connectedness, Developer, Discipline, Empathy, Focus, Futuristic, Harmony, Ideation, Includer, Individualization, Input, Intellection, Learner, Maximizer, Positivity, Relator, Responsibility, Restorative, Self-Assurance, Significance, Strategic, Woo. This is a long list. You do not need to learn them or know them all.You will learn about your own strengths, how they manifest, and how you can play on them. This awareness will be a great foundation or accelerator for your personal or professional development effort.You will also be sensitized to the diversity of strengths. And you will discover ways to help others contribute as only they can and build productive interactions with them. This is important for anyone who works with others (everyone?), but is critical for a leader or manager.Is this book worth the price?A thousand times yes, if you need to pass the test! The test itself is undeniably 5 stars. It seems to hit the nail every time, and people I have offered it to and debriefed had a feeling of "yeah, that's who I am", with a little bit of pride: a good basis of awareness and self-acknowledgment. A good gift for people you want to coach or mentor. As for the book, less content really means less outcome and still means less trees. Gallup Boo.In closing, if you do not have Now, Discover Your Strengths, buy Stengths Finder 2.0, just to get a key at a lower cost, and get hold of a copy of Now, Discover Your Strengths, used or at a library, to read the insights of the final section.If you have read Now, Discover Your Strengths and would like to pass the test again to see if these have changed or if the results are consistent, by any means, get Strengths Finder 2.0. It is $10 cheaper, and the insights are worth the price.In both cases, it's just a pity to kill so many trees for so little new content.