The problem with most of the type indicators in use is that they
are so venerable, says Philip J. Stone, a
Harvard psychology
professor. "Carl Jung was a great guy, but his concepts are far
removed from the modern workplace," says Stone.
More recent initiatives, such as the positive psychology movement
led by Martin Seligman of
the University of Pennsylvania, have had
limited influence, however, on what Buckingham and Clifton describe
as a pervasive emphasis on fixing what's wrong with people. Their
studies found that, around the world, people and societies are
obsessed with remedying weaknesses but discount talents as unworthy
of attention. Many people, in fact, don't have any idea what their
strengths might be, though they're painfully aware of their
failings, Buckingham reports. "The bottom line is, we live in a
remedial world," he says.
Fascination with failings, Buckingham adds, combines with an
unfortunate but strong corporate tendency toward the Peter
Principle - promoting people into jobs where they are incompetent.
The result? The longer people are in their jobs, the less likely
they are to be doing what they do best.
Finding a New Approach
The Gallup Organization has been tracking employee strengths for
the last 30 years, while interviewing some 2 million employees,
including 80,000 managers. In talking with employees whose
companies consistently exceed expectations with noticeably low
turnover, as well as employees of companies with rapid turnover,
the researchers uncovered 34 themes of human talent - those
naturally occurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior.
Combined with knowledge (the facts and lessons learned) and skills
(the steps of an activity), these become an individual's strengths.
And, the interviews made clear, drawing on strengths has positive
effects for both the individual and the employer. In Now, Discover
Your Strengths, Buckingham and Clifton show how these discoveries
can be applied within corporations.