你的 strengths 是什麼？

今天去參加了一個 post-doc office 辦的 career workshop，在去之前他會要大家先上 Gallup Strength 做測試，看你的 strengths 在哪裡，因為有個理論是說，與其過份在意你的 weakness，不如好好了解你的 strengths，然後充份運用它、加強它，然後好好利用自己的 strengths，比較會在工作得到成就感和享受工作。另外有個比較有名的是 MBTI tests (費用也貴很多)，也是測試人格測驗的一種，有的公司會付費讓員工做，我妹之前的公司就有讓他們做，加拿大政府好像也有讓政府員工做，主要是讓員工能更認識自己的特質，更能有效得工作。Gallup 檢測系統歸類了 34 種 strengths，學校付費讓我們免費做測試(原價好像是 CAD$25)，可以得出你的 top 5 strengths (如果你想知道更多，例如你的全部 34 種的排列的話，則要加錢)。

Workshop 舉辦者有把所有參與者的 strengths 整理出來(如圖)，看每個 stregnth 有多少人有，有趣的是你可以看到大多數人的 strengths 都集中在兩端：executing 和 strategic thinking。有趣的點在哪？去參加這個 workshop 的都是博士後，大家的 strengths 好像很理所當然都集中在這兩樣，似乎因為有了這些特質或 strengths 所以才有辦法在博班生涯中生存下來 XD，其中有一個人的 top 5 都是紅色的，聽主講人說這種人非常罕見(但我發現其實有好幾個人有四個 strengths 都是紅色的)。另一個有趣的點是最少的是 influencing 的部分，relationship building 可能因為研究或多或少需要合作，所以這部分還是有，但跟 executing 和 strategic thinking 比起來還是少很多。



這個統計反映出了一個 .... 算是教育系統還是人才培養系統需要加強的部分嗎？你會覺得這些人應該是要對社會有某些影響力的，但是他們(包括我)最欠缺的卻是這方面的能力，當然也許不是欠缺，畢竟這只是 top 5 的分析而已，可能是相較於其他 strengths，這些是比較弱的部分。如果讓商學院或社會學的來做這些，可能大家的 strengths 都集中在中間那兩項吧。XD



Executing: Leaders with dominant strength in the Executing domain know how to make things happen. When you need someone to implement a solution, these are people who will work tireless to get it done. Leaders with a strength to execute have the ability to "catch" an idea and make it reality.

Influencing: Those who lead by influencing help their team reach a much broader audience. People with strength in this domain are always selling the team's idea inside and outside the organization. When you need someone to take charge, speak up, and make sure your group is heard, look to someone the the strength to influence.

Relationship Building: Those who lead through Relationship Building are the essential glue that holds a team together. Without these strengths on a team, in many cases, the group is simply a composite of individuals. In contrast, leaders with exceptional Relationship Building strength have the unique ability to create groups and organizations that are much greater than the sum of their parts.

Strategic Thinking: Leaders with great strategic Thinking are the ones who keep us all focused on could be. They are constantly absorbing and analyzing information and helping the team make better decisions. People with strength in this strength continually stretch our thinking for the future.