1. Includer- Relationship Building
"“Stretch the circle wider.” This is the philosophy around which you orient your life. You want to include
people and make them feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to
exclusive groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude others. You want to expand the group
so that as many people as possible can benefit from its support. You hate the sight of someone on the
outside looking in. You want to draw them in so that they can feel the warmth of the group. You are an
instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast
few judgments. Judgments can hurt a person’s feelings. Why do that if you don’t have to? Your
accepting nature does not necessarily rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should
respect these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same.
We are all equally important. Thus, no one should be ignored. Each of us should be included. It is the
least we all deserve."
When I work in teams the includer comes out in my because I understand what it feels like to not have my ideas shared. So normally I push people to talk share their ideas.
When I work in teams the includer comes out in my because I understand what it feels like to not have my ideas shared. So normally I push people to talk share their ideas.
2. Achiever- Executing
"Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement.
You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in
order to feel good about yourself. And by “every day” you mean every single day—workdays,
weekends, vacations. No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes
without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each
accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing
you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It
might not even be focused. But it will always be with you. As an Achiever you must learn to live with
this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need to work long
hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks, new
challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity
for your work group. It is the theme that keeps you moving"
When I work in groups I will always try to outdo the others in my group. I like to "go for the gold". And I push others to do the same.
When I work in groups I will always try to outdo the others in my group. I like to "go for the gold". And I push others to do the same.
3. Learner- Strategic Thinking
"You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes
and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The
process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the
steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early
efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is
the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning
experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work
environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a
lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This
Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that
you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome
of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”"
Learning is one of my passions. I like to know facts and figures just in order to show my knowledge to other people.
Learning is one of my passions. I like to know facts and figures just in order to show my knowledge to other people.
4. Harmony- Relationship Building
"You look for areas of agreement. In your view there is little to be gained from conflict and friction, so
you seek to hold them to a minimum. When you know that the people around you hold differing views,
you try to find the common ground. You try to steer them away from confrontation and toward
harmony. In fact, harmony is one of your guiding values. You can’t quite believe how much time is
wasted by people trying to impose their views on others. Wouldn’t we all be more productive if we
kept our opinions in check and instead looked for consensus and support? You believe we would, and
you live by that belief. When others are sounding off about their goals, their claims, and their fervently
held opinions, you hold your peace. When others strike out in a direction, you will willingly, in the
service of harmony, modify your own objectives to merge with theirs (as long as their basic values do
not clash with yours). When others start to argue about their pet theory or concept, you steer clear of
the debate, preferring to talk about practical, down-to-earth matters on which you can all agree. In
your view we are all in the same boat, and we need this boat to get where we are going. It is a good
boat. There is no need to rock it just to show that you can."
When I work with a diverse group of people I will always strive to find middle ground. Being the middle child of my two siblings I am typically known for trying to keep the peace between the family and with groups.
When I work with a diverse group of people I will always strive to find middle ground. Being the middle child of my two siblings I am typically known for trying to keep the peace between the family and with groups.
5. Discipline- Executing
"Your world needs to be predictable. It needs to be ordered and planned. So you instinctively impose
structure on your world. You set up routines. You focus on timelines and deadlines. You break long-
term projects into a series of specific short-term plans, and you work through each plan diligently. You are not necessarily neat and clean, but you do need precision. Faced with the inherent messiness of
life, you want to feel in control. The routines, the timelines, the structure, all of these help create this
feeling of control. Lacking this theme of Discipline, others may sometimes resent your need for order,
but there need not be conflict. You must understand that not everyone feels your urge for
predictability; they have other ways of getting things done. Likewise, you can help them understand
and even appreciate your need for structure. Your dislike of surprises, your impatience with errors,
your routines, and your detail orientation don’t need to be misinterpreted as controlling behaviors that
box people in. Rather, these behaviors can be understood as your instinctive method for maintaining
your progress and your productivity in the face of life’s many distractions."
Of course while working in a group I like to make a timeline or encourage organization. Deadlines are important to the success of a project and to maintain a client.
Of course while working in a group I like to make a timeline or encourage organization. Deadlines are important to the success of a project and to maintain a client.
Friday Activity:
One of the major points I learned on Friday was the ability to grow in my strengths rather than improve upon my weaknesses. My "aha" moment with Mrs. Knight was when I read the descriptions of my strengths. Which sounds like an easy step but I did not have the time to understand what the "includer" or "harmony" strength and how it really described me.
Impact:
The impact this activity had on me was that I now understand how to approach group projects better. And also how to view others differently and better with the understanding the strengths of others when working with them and come into a project more open minded now that I understand that not everyone is disciplined like I am or an achiever like me.
Description of strengths provided by:
Gallup Strength Center
Description of strengths provided by:
Gallup Strength Center