I felt light-headed, my heart was beating fast and my palms were wet with sweat and anticipation.
While I'm pretty sure I looked composed, I felt completely vulnerable.
I wasn't sky-diving, giving birth or appearing on national television.
I'm almost embarrassed to tell you what had me so nervous, but I will.
I was meeting with a consultant to review my assessment results. It was 2001. My employer had asked the entire team to complete assessments.
I wasn't sure that I wanted to hear what 'this guy' (The Consultant) had to say. Luckily he was effective.
My fear turned into wonder and interest as he explained what the report said. He emphasized my strengths and revealed potential growth gaps with insight that was totally new to me. My results were accurate and helpful. They revealed "truths" about me that I'd never seen in writing. It felt ground-breaking!
"The real tragedy of life is not that each of us doesn't have enough
strengths, it's that we fail to use the ones we have."
Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham
A 'How to Activate Your Greatness' Master Class! Reading the information was empowering. My assessment was a "Master Class" in how to master me!
As someone who today, conducts assessment debriefs with 1,000's of people every year, I know that specific information about strengths and development areas allows us to be in charge of our growth and expansion.
Prior to my first assessment experience I'd been trying to speed up my development, on my own, through:
1. Trial and Error. Trial and error can be a rough and tumble time-consuming approach. It can result in positive growth, but progress can be slow.
2. Looking for Good Mentors to Learn from and Model Myself After. Mentors can speed up development but it can be hard to find effective and committed mentors. I've only had a couple of strong mentors in my career so far.
3. Thinking That Others Would See My Potential. I wanted bosses, co-workers, friends and family to take an interest in my development and to help me be the best I could be. But, unfortunately most people are better at pointing out weaknesses, not specific strengths. That tendency is prevalent in our culture.
"Globally only 20% of employees feel that their strengths are in
play every day... (this helps us) begin to understand why
8 out of 10 employees feel somewhat miscast in their role."
Now Discover Your Strengths
Assessments provide powerful insight about strengths and development areas. With this kind of information you can move forward faster, and with greater confidence. Since my first exposure to assessments, I've become an Assessment Expert. I now
certify other people, lead assessment-based
workshops and
coach leaders. I debrief Assessments with others every day! I believe in using them as a way to help everyone activate their greatness, use and own their strengths, close gaps and lead their very best most fulfilling life.
"We cannot focus on the weaknesses of another and evoke strengths.
You've got to beat the drum (of strengths),
and when you do, you'll be a strong signal of influence
that will help them reconnect with who they (really) are."
Abraham-Hicks Publications
During that first assessment experience I learned about:
My Strengths, How Others See Me, My Stressors, My Motivators, How I Like to Managed, My Ideal Environment and Specific Development Opportunities
.
The Three Best Assessments I Recommend and Use to Help Others and Myself Master and Activate Their Greatness.... I've tried, tested and taught MANY different instruments over 20 years. Today I only use and trust the
TriMetrixHD Assessment which measure three sciences and views of an individual: Communication Style, Motivation and How We Think and Make Decisions.
"Flow...(comes from) taking pleasure in using your own
skills to contribute something of value to the world."
The Psychology of Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
