StrengthsFinder

In Short

Discover top talent themes and learn to lead with them
Best for: Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment
StrengthsFinder is a structured tool for coaching and facilitation. Discover top talent themes and learn to lead with them. It provides a repeatable framework that can be adapted to individual, team, and leadership development contexts.
Type of tool: Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment
Expected outcomes:
- Improved ability to discover top talent themes and learn to lead with them
- Improved capacity to the top five: 'When have these shown up at their best in your work?' 4
- A concrete action or development plan to take forward from the StrengthsFinder process

In Detail

StrengthsFinder is a diagnostic instrument designed to help coaches, leaders, and facilitators discover top talent themes and learn to lead with them. It sits within the category of Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment, making it particularly useful for practitioners working on capability development, team performance, and individual growth in organisational settings.

In practice, StrengthsFinder is delivered as a 6-step process. The process begins by participants complete the CliftonStrengths assessment online at gallup. The session closes by set a 90-day strengths experiment. The structured approach ensures that participants move through a consistent experience while leaving room for the facilitator to adapt pacing and depth to the group's needs.

StrengthsFinder is particularly valuable when objective data is needed to anchor a coaching conversation. Assessments reduce the risk of coaching being driven solely by the coachee's self-perception, introducing external reference points that open up new lines of inquiry and development.

How to Use

1. Participants complete the CliftonStrengths assessment online at gallup.com. 2. Receive their top 5 (or full 34) themes across four domains: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, Strategic Thinking. 3. Debrief the top five: 'When have these shown up at their best in your work?' 4. Map the team's theme profile and identify collective gaps. 5. Build role-deployment plans that play to top themes and partner with others for missing ones. 6. Set a 90-day strengths experiment.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Provides objective, data-driven insights that reduce reliance on self-perception alone Creates a concrete baseline for measuring development progress over time Gives the coachee language and evidence to discuss development needs with stakeholders	Requires validated instruments and trained practitioners to administer and interpret correctly Results can be threatening or demoralising if not framed carefully by the coach Data reflects a point-in-time snapshot and may become outdated as context changes

Created by Donald Clifton / Gallup

When to Use

This tool is suited to the following coaching and facilitation contexts:

Context	Relevant
Individual Coaching	✓
Team Coaching	✓
Leadership Development	✓
Facilitation / Workshop	✓
Online / Virtual	✓

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