Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsLess is more, they say. Well, not always.
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2009
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.
