As a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, we learn to love all 34 of the CliftonStrengths® themes. Considering that most of how we think, feel and behave is driven by our Top 5 Strengths Themes, it takes extra effort to become intimate with all 34. What better place to learn about the “other” themes than at the Clifton Strengths Summit, held July 18-20, 2016.
As with any journey, the experience began before I even arrived in Omaha, Nebraska, the headquarters of Gallup. Standing in line to board the plane in Houston, I hear my name called. Turning I see a face I know yet can’t place; that wonderfully awkward feeling when someone else knows your name. Fortunately, my acquaintance put forth her hand “I’m Sherri and we meet at ICF Houston Coaches.” Thank you!
We fall into an excited conversation about the learning we are anticipating at the Advanced Coaches training the next day, prior to the start of the Summit. “Sit with us on the plane. I’ll save you a seat.” Now I have companions for the flight to Omaha.
This is my first introduction to the talent theme of Includer®. The short definition is “People exceptionally talented in the Includer theme accept others. They show awareness of those who feel left out and make an effort to include them.” At that point on my journey, I am not sure I felt left out, but it was nice to be included and that experience continued to grow.
We chatted on the way up about how we work with clients and teams; my new friend and her business colleague are part of a large credit union that is strengths-based. As we prepared for landing, Sherri and I discovered we were staying at the same hotel. Did I want to go with her to the informal lunch gathering of strengths coaches? Huh? I had no clue about this event as it had come to life within the Gallup Called to Coach Facebook group.
I had not been specifically invited, given my non-participation in the Facebook group. We would be arriving late as our plane landed right as the lunch would begin. These are all the things a person with lesser talents of inclusion think, and therefore do not join a lunch late and not specifically invited. Thank goodness for my new friend.
We made it to lunch after most others had finished eating but were accepted with open seats and “sit here” by our new friends. It was a great start to an event that hadn’t even started and we found ourselves accepting an invitation to dinner that night with the group we would be studying and learning with the next day.
I fell in love with Includer that day. Instead of starting the learning experience without close friends, I had people to greet early the next day. I learned much more about other strengths, coaches, business models, and techniques for sharing strengths than I would have alone in my hotel room and for dinner. WOO™, one of my Top 5 themes, is great at breaking the ice with new people but you have to be where the people are in order to do so. Thank you my new Includer friend!
Fun facts about Includer®:
It ranks 23rd of the 34 Strengths Themes across the entire population that has taken the assessment.
It ranks 18th with females and 24th with males in the population.
It is most likely to appear with Positivity and least likely with Command, the least likely theme in the entire population.
What could you learn about yourself or your team if you knew your Top 5 Talent Themes? Might there be some hidden talent waiting to be discovered? Join us for an upcoming strengths leadership course and find out!