How?
How can I start to recognize, develop, and use my strengths?
Talent is a key ingredient for developing strengths. Becoming aware of your talents, naming your talents, and seeing how your talents work in your life is an important first step toward intentionally developing and using your strengths.
What exactly are talents?
Talents are God-given natural gifts:
“Our talents are the special blessings that each of us has received from a loving Creator who prizes the diversity and abundant variety of all creation. When we volunteer … [or] help a neighbor with a difficult chore, what we have to give is much more than our time. We also give something of ourselves, those characteristics that make each of us distinctive as human beings. We call these our “talents,” those things that we’re good at or that we especially like to do. When we volunteer to help others by sharing our talents with them, we give them something far more precious than our time or money. We give them something of ourselves, an intimate sharing of “who we are” for the good of others.”
~Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, Key Concepts
You are born with talents.
Through the lens of the Gallup, Inc. CliftonStrengths Philosophy, your talents are the ways that you naturally think, feel, and behave.
Talents are like filters - the natural ways in which you see and respond to the world around you.
Think about your greatest talents as potential, a foundational ingredient for developing your strengths.
What exactly are strengths?
Strengths are "cultivated" God-given gifts.
The CliftonStrengths Philosophy defines a strength as “the ability to provide consistent, near-perfect performance in a given activity.”
Ingredients for a developing a strength include talents, skills, life experiences, knowledge, practice, and other God-given gifts.
God calls you in common and specific ways, and your strengths help you to carryout to your God-given calls.
When you want to do something really well, develop and use your strengths!
How can I be intentional about naming, cultivating, and using my talents & strengths?
There are three key steps to engaging in strengths-based talent development:
CliftonStrengths®: A good place to begin is to take the CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder®) assessment, which gives people a starting place in which to name their unique talents. After you complete CliftonStrengths, you will receive your dominant Talent Themes - Your CliftonStrengths® Signature Themes.
(Time Commitment: 45 minutes)
Strengths Education: Acquiring a good foundation of strengths philosophy and building blocks will equip you to fully engage in strengths-based talent development. Consider attending a strengths education workshop, such as Talents in Christian Discipleship© Strengths Education. Contact Martha Buelt to learn more about Talents in Christian Discipleship© Strengths Education opportunities, including TCD Learning Modules.
(Time Commitment: 3-7 hours)
Develop and Apply: After you attend a strengths education workshop, you will be equipped to dive deeper into learning about, developing, and using your specific talents and strengths throughout your lifetime.
(Time Commitment: Lifetime)
Consider attending TCD Learning Modules and/or meeting with a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, who can accompany you as you begin to dive deeper into the process of understanding, developing, and applying your dominant talents and strengths in all aspects of your life.
Is strengths-based talent development just for individuals?
Strengths philosophy starts with "me" and moves to "we." When you know your talents and strengths, a next best step is tell others about your talents and strengths and learn from others about their talents and strengths. Then as you work together toward common goals, you can maximize your own and the collective strengths of your partnerships, teams, and community.
How can my faith community offer talent & strengths development opportunities?
Learn how to bring talent and strengths development opportunities to your faith community, church, parish, and/or campus ministry group by contacting Martha Buelt.
Martha has developed Talents in Christian Discipleship© (TCD) Learning Modules for ministry settings.
Martha also trains ministry leaders and facilitators how to use the Gallup Living Your Strengths® materials, equipping leaders and facilitators to offer the Living Your Strengths ministry in their organizations.