Know Thyself

10 years ago  •  By  •  0 Comments

I'll be honest. This is a not a tough one to write because that is mainly copy paste work. It is a tough one to publish here out in the open. The last year I have done two "who is Mark" tests. The DISC test (Dutch) and the Gallup Strengthsfinder and I  think everybody should do these kinds of tests. They make it easier to understand yourself and others. They also enable you to explain your own behavior and maybe even adjust it a little so you become a better person.

Since I meet a lot of people, engage with them in projects and sometimes even work with them for several years at a time I feel it’s fair to share “who I am”  with you. They also give you a little insight in the difference between the tests.

This is my theme Sequence report which presents the 34 themes of talent, in the rank order revealed by my responses to StrengthsFinder. My Signature Themes, the five most dominant, are listed first.

1. Activator
People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.
2. Strategic
People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
3. Command
People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.
4. Communication
People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
5. Self-Assurance
People who are especially talented in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.


6. Focus
People who are especially talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.
7. Responsibility
People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
8. Significance
People who are especially talented in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.
9. Futuristic
People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
10. Relator
People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
11. Woo
People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
12. Achiever
People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
13. Ideation
People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
14. Positivity
People who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
15. Individualization
People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
16. Competition
People who are especially talented in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.
17. Learner
People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
18. Arranger
People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.
19. Analytical
People who are especially talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.
20. Maximizer
People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
21. Belief
People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
22. Includer
People who are especially talented in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.
23. Input
People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
24. Intellection
People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
25. Discipline
People who are especially talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.
26. Restorative
People who are especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.
27. Connectedness
People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
28. Deliberative
People who are especially talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.
29. Developer
People who are especially talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
30. Context
People who are especially talented in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.
31. Harmony
People who are especially talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
32. Consistency
People who are especially talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.
33. Empathy
People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.
34. Adaptability
People who are especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

Mark neemt creatieve ideeën en past ze op praktische wijze toe. Hij laat anderen aan het succes deelnemen en spoort hen zo tot presteren aan. Anderen herkennen de volgende eigenschappen aan Mark: georiënteerd op de toekomst, bereid zijn om de prestaties van anderen te erkennen, optimistisch zijn, rekening houden met persoonlijke doelen, neigen naar manipulatie, goed zijn in de omgang met druk, bereid zijn risico’s te nemen. Deze bereidheid tot het nemen van risico’s werkt voor anderen soms beangstigend, maar dit effect wordt door Mark’s improvisatievaardig-heid en zijn grote mate van succes in probleemsituaties weer verminderd. Hij lijkt te begrijpen hoe organisaties en mensen in elkaar zitten. Velen houden van zijn positieve manier van omgaan met negatief ingestelde mensen: hij stelt vast, waar het probleem ligt, bemoeit zich ermee en helpt hen in zichzelf en in anderen te geloven.

Alhoewel hij sterk de win-win aanpak promoot, weten vertrouwden dat hij zich concentreert op wat voor hem nuttig en voordelig is. Mark wil door veranderingen en invloed succesvol zijn. Zijn basisgedrag wordt gekenmerkt door snelheid en flexibiliteit. “Hij blijft niet op een ei zitten, dat niet uitkomt” . Wanneer iets niet werkt, gaat hij verder met iets dat meer oplevert.

Het zoeken naar zelfachting
Mark heeft een sterke onderliggende overtuiging: hij heeft zijn lot in eigen hand, maar het team heeft daarop ook invloed. Als een gevolg daarvan wordt zijn gevoel van eigenwaarde bepaald door wat hij van zichzelf vindt, maar ook door wat anderen van hem denken. Mark’s onafhankelijkheid is een belangrijk onderdeel van zijn zelfbewustzijn: veel van zijn gedrag is erop gericht om vrijheid te verkrijgen om te doen wat hij denkt dat goed is en om deze vrijheid te behouden. Wanneer zijn individuele prestaties dan ook nog door het team worden erkend, verbetert dit zijn eigenwaarde. Om de positieve steun van het team te behouden en om afgunst en jaloezie te voorkomen, deelt Mark de lof met zijn teamleden.

Omgang met goed of fout
In de omgang met goed of fout besteedt Mark iets meer energie aan zorgdragend dan aan beoordelend gedrag. Deze verdeling van energie geeft aan dat Mark waarde hecht aan officiële normen en procedures, maar dat hij de ontwikkeling van interpersoonlijke relaties toch iets belangrijker vindt. Mark houdt mensen verantwoordelijk voor hun daden, maar zijn nabijheid tot mensen maakt hem ook gewaar van hun bijzondere omstandigheden. Hij is begripvol en zorgt er tegelijkertijd voor dat het werk afgemaakt wordt met behulp van alternatieven die hij achter de hand houdt. Hij verlaat zich nooit op één enkele persoon, maar weet wie er eventueel kan inspringen. Indien nodig, neemt hij de taak zelf op zich.

Bij het nastreven van doelen
Bij het nastreven van doelen gedraagt Mark zich duidelijk meer concurrerend dan samenwerkend. Deze verdeling toont Mark’s overtuiging dat vrijheid om te handelen alleen kan bestaan wanneer men een vinger in de pap houdt. Hij probeert in harmonie met zijn medemens om te gaan en gebruikt gelijktijdig overtuigende argumenten die op andermans eigen interesse doelen. Zodra hij eenmaal zijn visie verkondigd heeft, is hij bereid te luisteren, vragen te stellen, te onderhandelen, compromissen te sluiten en de diverse wensen van anderen op elkaar af te stemmen om zo tot consensus te komen. Het team heeft wel door dat Mark niet alleen zijn eigen zin door wil zetten; hij verdient het vertrouwen en respect van de teamleden omdat hij oprecht geïnteresseerd is in ieders deelname aan het proces.


Where can you find these tests?

The Gallup’s StrengthsFinder assessments can be found at the Gallup Strengths Center. You can take it online which takes about 30 minutes and it will set you back € 89,-. After taking the assessment you’ll soon find out that the people from the Gallup Strengths Center are email fanatics so I would advice you to unsubscribe right away.

The DISC test was a gift from Karola Asche from Choices & Changes. Conversing about the results an digging a little deeper with Karola is a very valuable exercise.

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