My Gallup report

StrengthsFinder 2.0 Report

© 2000, 2006-2012 GALLUP, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Strengths Insight and Action-Planning GuideSURVEY COMPLETION DATE: 03-23-2015

Hiroshi Tanaka

Your Top 5 Themes

IdeationIndividualizationFuturisticStrategicAchiever

What's in This Guide?

Section I: Awareness

A brief Shared Theme Description for each of your top five themes

Your Personalized Strengths Insights, which describe what makes you stand out from otherswith the same theme in their top five

Questions for you to answer to increase your awareness of your talentsSection II: Application

10 Ideas for Action for each of your top five themes

Questions for you to answer to help you apply your talentsSection III: Achievement

Examples of what each of your top five themes "sounds like" -- real quotes from people whoalso have the theme in their top five

Steps for you to take to help you leverage your talents for achievement

693579918 (Hiroshi Tanaka)© 2000, 2006-2012 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Section I: Awareness

IdeationShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able tofind connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Because of your strengths, you have a keen awareness of how others see you. Usually you aredelighted to be in the company of your admirers. Chances are good that you regard yourself as logicaland reasonable. You spontaneously reduce mechanisms, processes, proposals, ideas, or formulas totheir basic parts. You figure out how the pieces interrelate. Your discoveries tell you why somethingdoes or does not function the way it should. Instinctively, you are quite proficient — that is, you have ahigh degree of knowledge and skill — at devising different ways to perform tasks, plan events, takeadvantage of opportunities, or solve problems. Frequently you provide the creative intelligence fororiginal undertakings of a personal or professional nature. It’s very likely that you want people to seeyou as a winner, as “number one,” or as the very best in various activities. Being quite sensitive towhat others think of you probably is a powerful motivating force that usually works to your advantage.Driven by your talents, you resist being moved to tears, especially when others can see them. Youreally wish you did a better job of containing your emotions.

Questions

1. As you read your personalized strengths insights, what words, phrases, or lines stand out toyou?

2. Out of all the talents in this insight, what would you like for others to see most in you?


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IndividualizationShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the uniquequalities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can worktogether productively.



Instinctively, you regularly help members of your group discover ways to cooperate with each otherthat they never before considered. You can identify the talents, skills, knowledge, motivations, and/orof individuals. You can also pinpoint each person’s unique styles of thinking, working, and learning.It’s very likely that you understand what makes each person unique. You also know how to take apartan object or trace the steps of a process. You combine your knowledge about people with yourinsights about the inner workings of things. This explains why you can help individuals with differenttalents, experiences, expertise, and skills find ways to cooperate with one another. Because of yourstrengths, you ponder your decisions rather than react without thinking through things. You weigh thepossible ramifications, consequences, outcomes, and effects. You aim to understand the basic “whys”and “hows” of a situation, problem, or opportunity. People trust you to be cautious. They expect you toraise important issues that require further consideration. Driven by your talents, you allow people toexperience and express their feelings. Often you comprehend their unique challenges, worries, fears,hopes, or joys before they say a word. Why? You can listen to anyone, regardless of whether they areexperiencing pain, happiness, disappointment, or joy. This is one way you affirm that person’shumanity. Chances are good that you like to partner with the same people over and over again. Whenyou spend more time with your teammates, it probably is easier to pinpoint the unique talents, specialinterests, work styles, preferred forms of praise, or changing moods of each one.

Questions




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FuturisticShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what couldbe. They inspire others with their visions of the future.



Driven by your talents, you prefer to spend time with visionaries. Why? You probably enjoy listening tothem describe innovative products, labor-saving devices, medical possibilities, or new ways ofgoverning. Thinking about only the present usually bores you. By nature, you channel your mentaland physical energies toward what you can accomplish in the months, years, or decades ahead. Thequestion you must answer is this: “How far into the future can I think before my ideas start becomingvague or uninspiring?” Because of your strengths, you possess a high level of skill and/or knowledgeabout specialized issues, subjects, processes, or programs. You probably combine this expertise withyour ability to set definite goals for the coming weeks, months, years, or decades. Instinctively, youpossess a tremendous capacity for working long hours. Your mental and physical energy are seldomtotally expended. However, the same cannot be said for everyone who attempts to match your pace.Your tireless efforts are typically directed toward the goals you plan to reach in the coming months,years, or decades. It’s very likely that you intentionally take steps to be the mastermind of your ownfuture. You refuse to leave your destiny to chance. You probably resist placing it in someone else’shands. You trust your own intelligence and imagination when setting a direction for your life.

Questions




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StrategicShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Facedwith any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.



By nature, you invent original ideas of your own. Your imagination is typically stimulated when youcollaborate — that is, team up — with future-oriented thinkers. Instinctively, you often bring animaginative game plan to your teammates’ attention. You enjoy partnering with people who rely onyou to identify critical as well as recurring sequences of events, facts, or data. Because of yourstrengths, you customarily pinpoint the core problems and identify the best solutions. You artfully andskillfully eliminate distractions. This helps people gain a clear understanding of what is happening andwhy it is happening. You frequently identify ways to transform an obstacle into an opportunity.Chances are good that you enjoy brainstorming — that is, a group problem-solving technique thatinvolves the spontaneous contribution of ideas from all participants. Because you have acquiredspecial skills and knowledge, you can suggest a number of alternative solutions. Your expertise oftenserves as a springboard for your own and others’ imaginations. This is the case when you areencouraged to think about the future. It’s very likely that you analyze the lessons of the past to findclues for handling future situations. Piecing together the causes and effects of historical events allowsyou to discover alternate routes to your goal. You are seldom taken by surprise. Why? You probablyhave studied your options and crafted innovative solutions.

Questions




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AchieverShared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and workhard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.



By nature, you set very high expectations for yourself. Typically you push yourself until you reach yourgoals. You are not content unless you deliver the best performance or produce the most outstandingresults. Driven by your talents, you are an enterprising person. You effortlessly launch new ventures.You are likely to measure your progress on a regular basis. This information probably inspires you towork even harder. It’s very likely that you channel your energy into your work or studies. You seldomcount the hours you work. Feeling fully engaged in what you do is a major source of satisfaction. Youbelieve there is always something more challenging you can pursue. Given your ability to withstandhardship, adversity, and stress, it is no surprise you love what you do. You strive to do more and moreof it each day. Because of your strengths, you probably have a reputation for applying yourself to yourwork for many hours at a time. Your teammates likely realize you are capable of working all day orthrough the night when you must complete job-related tasks, household chores, or academicassignments. Instinctively, you consistently experience success when you can apply your skills andknowledge to activities that match your talents and interests.

Questions




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Questions

1. How does this information help you better understand your unique talents?2. How can you use this understanding to add value to your role?3. How can you apply this knowledge to add value to your team, workgroup, department, or

division?4. How will this understanding help you add value to your organization?5. What will you do differently tomorrow as a result of this report?


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Section II: Application

IdeationIdeas for Action:

Seek a career in which you will be given credit for and paid for your ideas, such asmarketing, advertising, journalism, design, or new product development.You are likely to get bored quickly, so make some small changes in your work or home life.Experiment. Play mental games with yourself. All of these will help keep you stimulated.Finish your thoughts and ideas before communicating them. Lacking your Ideation talents,others might not be able to “join the dots” of an interesting but incomplete idea and thusmight dismiss it.Not all your ideas will be equally practical or serviceable. Learn to edit your ideas, or find atrusted friend or colleague who can “proof” your ideas and identify potential pitfalls.Understand the fuel for your Ideation talents: When do you get your best ideas? Whenyou’re talking with people? When you’re reading? When you’re simply listening orobserving? Take note of the circumstances that seem to produce your best ideas, andrecreate them.Schedule time to read, because the ideas and experiences of others can become your rawmaterial for new ideas. Schedule time to think, because thinking energizes you.You are a natural fit with research and development; you appreciate the mindset ofvisionaries and dreamers. Spend time with imaginative peers, and sit in on theirbrainstorming sessions.Partner with someone with strong Analytical talents. This person will question you andchallenge you, therefore strengthening your ideas.Sometimes you lose others’ interest because they cannot follow your abstract andconceptual thinking style. Make your ideas more concrete by drawing pictures, usinganalogies or metaphors, or simply explaining your concepts step by step.Feed your Ideation talents by gathering knowledge. Study fields and industries differentfrom your own. Apply ideas from outside, and link disparate ideas to generate new ones.

Questions

1. Which of these action items speak to you? Highlight the actions that you are most likely totake.

2. How will you commit to taking action? Write your own personalized action item that you willtake in the next 30 days.


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IndividualizationIdeas for Action:

Select a vocation in which your Individualization talents can be both used and appreciated,such as counseling, supervising, teaching, writing human interest articles, or selling. Yourability to see people as unique individuals is a special talent.Become an expert in describing your own strengths and style. For example, answerquestions such as: What is the best praise you ever received? How often do you like tocheck in with your manager? What is your best method for building relationships? How doyou learn best? Then ask your colleagues and friends these same questions. Help themplan their future by starting with their strengths, then designing a future based on whatthey do best.Help others understand that true diversity can be found in the subtle differences betweeneach individual — regardless of race, sex, or nationality.Explain that it is appropriate, just, and effective to treat each person differently. Thosewithout strong Individualization talents might not see the differences among individualsand might insist that individualization is unequal and therefore unfair. You will need todescribe your perspective in detail to be persuasive.Figure out what every person on your team does best. Then help them capitalize on theirtalents, skills, and knowledge. You may need to explain your rationale and your philosophyso people understand that you have their best interests in mind.You have an awareness and appreciation of others’ likes and dislikes and an ability topersonalize. This puts you in a unique position. Use your Individualization talents to helpidentify areas where one size does not fit all.Make your colleagues and friends aware of each person’s unique needs. Soon people willlook to you to explain other people’s motivations and actions.Your presentations and speaking opportunities will be most engaging when you relate yourtopic to the experiences of individuals in the audience. Use your Individualization talents togather and share real-life stories that will make your points much better than would genericinformation or theories.You move comfortably among a broad range of styles and cultures, and you intuitivelypersonalize your interactions. Consciously and proactively make full use of these talentsby leading diversity and community efforts.Your Individualization talents can help you take a different approach to interpreting data.While others are looking for similarities, make a point of identifying distinctiveness. Yourinterpretations will add a valuable perspective.

Questions




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FuturisticIdeas for Action:

Choose roles in which you can contribute your ideas about the future. For example, youmight excel in entrepreneurial or start-up situations.Take time to think about the future. The more time you spend considering your ideas aboutthe future, the more vivid your ideas will become. The more vivid your ideas, the morepersuasive you will be.Seek audiences who appreciate your ideas for the future. They will expect you to makethese ideas a reality, and these expectations will motivate you.Find a friend or colleague who also has powerful Futuristic talents. Set aside an hour eachmonth for “future” discussions. You can push each other to greater heights of creativityand vividness.Partner with someone with strong Activator talents. This person can remind you that youdo not discover the future, you create it with the actions you take today.You inspire others with your images of the future, yet your thinking may be too expansivefor them to comprehend. When you articulate your vision, be sure to describe the future indetail with vivid words and metaphors. Make your ideas and strategies more concrete viasketches, step-by-step action plans, or mock-up models so that others can readily graspyour intent.Surround yourself with people who are eager to put your vision into motion. They will feelexhilarated by your Futuristic talents, and you can harness their energy to propel the visiontoward reality.Be prepared to provide logical support for your futuristic thinking. Your exciting visions offuture success will be best received when rooted in real possibility.Your Futuristic talents could equip you to be a guide or coach for others. Unlike you, theymight not be able to easily see over the horizon. If you catch a vision of what someonecould be or do, don’t assume that he or she is aware of that potential. Share what you seeas vividly as you can. In doing so, you may inspire someone to move forward.Musing about the future comes naturally to you. Read articles about technology, science,and research to gain knowledge that will fuel your imagination.

Questions




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StrategicIdeas for Action:

Take the time to fully reflect or muse about a goal that you want to achieve until the relatedpatterns and issues emerge for you. Remember that this musing time is essential tostrategic thinking.You can see repercussions more clearly than others can. Take advantage of this ability byplanning your range of responses in detail. There is little point in knowing where events willlead if you are not ready when you get there.Find a group that you think does important work, and contribute your strategic thinking.You can be a leader with your ideas.Your strategic thinking will be necessary to keep a vivid vision from deteriorating into anordinary pipe dream. Fully consider all possible paths toward making the vision a reality.Wise forethought can remove obstacles before they appear.Make yourself known as a resource for consultation with those who are stumped by aparticular problem or hindered by a particular obstacle or barrier. By naturally seeing a waywhen others are convinced there is no way, you will lead them to success.You are likely to anticipate potential issues more easily than others. Though yourawareness of possible danger might be viewed as negativity by some, you must shareyour insights if you are going to avoid these pitfalls. To prevent misperception of yourintent, point out not only the future obstacle, but also a way to prevent or overcome it.Trust your insights, and use them to ensure the success of your efforts.Help others understand that your strategic thinking is not an attempt to belittle their ideas,but is instead a natural propensity to consider all the facets of a plan objectively. Ratherthan being a naysayer, you are actually trying to examine ways to ensure that the goal isaccomplished, come what may. Your talents will allow you to consider others’ perspectiveswhile keeping your end goal in sight.Trust your intuitive insights as often as possible. Even though you might not be able toexplain them rationally, your intuitions are created by a brain that instinctively anticipatesand projects. Have confidence in these perceptions.Partner with someone with strong Activator talents. With this person’s need for action andyour need for anticipation, you can forge a powerful partnership.Make sure that you are involved in the front end of new initiatives or enterprises. Yourinnovative yet procedural approach will be critical to the genesis of a new venture becauseit will keep its creators from developing deadly tunnel vision.

Questions




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AchieverIdeas for Action:

Select jobs that allow you to have the leeway to work as hard as you want and in whichyou are encouraged to measure your own productivity. You will feel challenged and alivein these environments.As an achiever, you relish the feeling of being busy, yet you also need to know when youare “done.” Attach timelines and measurement to goals so that effort leads to definedprogress and tangible outcomes.Remember to build celebration and recognition into your life. Achievers tend to move on tothe next challenge without acknowledging their successes. Counter this impulse bycreating regular opportunities to enjoy your progress and accomplishments.Your drive for action might cause you to find meetings a bit boring. If that’s the case,appeal to your Achiever talents by learning the objectives of each meeting ahead of timeand by taking notes about progress toward those objectives during the meeting. You canhelp ensure that meetings are productive and efficient.Continue your education by attaining certifications in your area or specialty in addition toattending conferences and other programs. This will give you even more goals to achieveand will push your existing boundaries of accomplishment.You do not require much motivation from others. Take advantage of your self-motivationby setting challenging goals. Set a more demanding goal every time you finish a project.Partner with other hard workers. Share your goals with them so they can help you to getmore done.Count personal achievements in your scoring “system.” This will help you direct yourAchiever talents toward family and friends as well as toward work.More work excites you. The prospect of what lies ahead is infinitely more motivating thanwhat has been completed. Launch initiatives and new projects. Your seemingly endlessreserve of energy will create enthusiasm and momentum.Make sure that in your eagerness to do more at work, you do not skimp on quality. Createmeasurable outcome standards to guarantee that increased productivity is matched byenhanced quality.

Questions




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Section III: Achievement

Look for signs of achievement as you read these real quotes from people who share your top fivethemes.Ideation sounds like this:

Mark B., writer: “My mind works by finding connections between things. When I was hunting down theMona Lisa in the Louvre museum, I turned a corner and was blinded by the flashing of a thousandcameras snapping the tiny picture. For some reason, I stored that visual image away. Then I noticed a‘No Flash Photography’ sign, and I stored that away too. I thought it was odd because I rememberedreading that flash photography can harm paintings. Then about six months later, I read that the MonaLisa has been stolen at least twice in this century. And suddenly I put it all together. The onlyexplanation for all these facts is that the real Mona Lisa is not on display in the Louvre. The real MonaLisa has been stolen, and the museum, afraid to admit their carelessness, has installed a fake. I don’tknow if it’s true, of course, but what a great story.”

Andrea H., interior designer: “I have the kind of mind where everything has to fit together or I start tofeel very odd. For me, every piece of furniture represents an idea. It serves a discrete function bothindependently and in concert with every other piece. The ‘idea’ of each piece is so powerful in mymind, it must be obeyed. If I am sitting in a room where the chairs are somehow not fulfilling theirdiscrete function — they’re the wrong kind of chairs or they’re facing the wrong way or they're pushedup too close to the coffee table — I find myself getting physically uncomfortable and mentallydistracted. Later, I won’t be able to get it out of my mind. I’ll find myself awake at 3:00 a.m., and I walkthrough the person’s house in my mind’s eye, rearranging the furniture and repainting the walls. Thisstarted happening when I was very young, say seven years old.”


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Individualization sounds like this:

Les T., hospitality manager: “Carl is one of our best performers, but he still has to see me every week.He just wants a little encouragement and to check in, and he gets fired up a little bit after that meeting.Greg doesn’t like to meet very often, so there’s no need for me to bother him. And when we do meet,it’s really for me, not for him.”

Marsha D., publishing executive: “Sometimes I would walk out of my office and — you know howcartoon characters have those balloons over their head? I would see these little balloons overeveryone’s head telling me what was in their minds. It sounds weird, doesn’t it? But it happens all thetime.”

Andrea H., interior designer: “When you ask people what their style is, they find it hard to describe, soI just ask them, ‘What is your favorite spot in the house?’ And when I ask that, their faces light up, andthey know just where to take me. From that one spot, I can begin to piece together the kind of peoplethey are and what their style is.”


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Futuristic sounds like this:

Dan F., school administrator: “In any situation, I am the guy who says, ‘Did you ever think about . . . ?I wonder if we could . . . I don’t believe it can’t be done. It’s just that nobody has done it yet. Let’sfigure out how we can.’ I am always looking for options, for ways not to be mired by the status quo. Infact, there is no such thing as the status quo. You are either moving forward, or you are movingbackward. That’s the reality of life, at least from my perspective. And right now, I believe that myprofession is moving backward. State schools are being out-serviced by private schools, charterschools, home schools, Internet schools. We need to free ourselves from our traditions and create anew future.”

Jan K., internist: “Here at the Mayo Clinic, we are launching a group called the Hospitalists. Ratherthan having patients handed off from one doctor to another during their stay in the hospital, I envisiona family of providers. I envision fifteen to twenty MDs, of various genders and races, with twenty totwenty-five nurse practitioners. There will be four to five new hospital services, most of which will workwith surgeons and will provide para-operative care as well as care for the hospitalized elderly. We areredefining the model of care here. We don’t just take care of the patients when they are in thehospital. If a patient comes in for a knee replacement, a member of the Hospitalist team would seehim before the surgery, follow him from the day of surgery through the days of hospitalization, andthen see him when he comes in six weeks later for his postoperative check. We will provide patientswith a complete episode of care so that they don’t get lost in the handoffs. And to get the funding, Ijust saw the detailed picture in my head and kept describing this picture to the department chair. Iguess I made it seem so real that they had no choice but to grant me the funds.”


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Strategic sounds like this:

Liam C., manufacturing plant manager: “It seems as if I can always see the consequences beforeanyone else can. I have to say to people, ‘Lift up your eyes; look down the road a ways. Let’s talkabout where we are going to be next year so that when we get to this time next year, we don’t havethe same problems.’ It seems obvious to me, but some people are just too focused on this month’snumbers, and everything is driven by that.”

Vivian T., television producer: “I used to love logic problems when I was a kid — you know, the oneswhere ‘if A implies B, and B equals C, does A equal C?’ Still today, I am always playing outrepercussions, seeing where things lead. I think it makes me a great interviewer. I know that nothingis an accident; every sign, every word, every tone of voice has significance. So I watch for these cluesand play them out in my head, see where they lead, and then plan my questions to take advantage ofwhat I have seen in my head.”

Simon T., human resources executive: “We really needed to take the union on at some stage, and Isaw an opportunity — a very good issue to take them on. I could see that they were going in adirection that would lead them into all kinds of trouble if they continued following it. Lo and behold,they did continue following it, and when they arrived, there I was, ready and waiting. I suppose it justcomes naturally to me to predict what someone else is going to do. And then when that person reacts,I can respond immediately because I have sat down and said, ‘Okay, if they do this, we’ll do this. Ifthey do that, then we’ll do this other thing.’ It’s like when you tack in a sailboat. You head in onedirection, but you jinx one way, then another, planning and reacting, planning and reacting.”


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Achiever sounds like this:

Melanie K., ER nurse: “I have to rack up points every day to feel successful. Today I’ve been hereonly half an hour, but I’ve probably racked up thirty points already. I ordered equipment for the ER, Ihad equipment repaired, I had a meeting with my charge nurse, and I brainstormed with my secretaryabout improving our computerized logbook. So on my list of ninety things, I have thirty done already.I’m feeling pretty good about myself right now.”

Ted S., salesperson: “Last year I was salesperson of the year out of my company’s three hundredsalespeople. It felt good for a day, but sure enough, later that week, it was as if it never happened. Iwas back at zero again. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t an achiever because it can lead me away from abalanced life and toward obsession. I used to think I could change myself, but now I know I am justwired this way. This theme is truly a double-edged sword. It helps me achieve my goals, but on theother hand, I wish I could just turn it off and on at will. But, hey, I can’t. I can manage it and avoid workobsession by focusing on achieving in all parts of my life, not just work.”

Sara L., writer: “This theme is a weird one. First, it’s good because you live in pursuit of the perpetualchallenge. But in the second place, you never feel as though you’ve reached your goal. It can keepyou running uphill at seventy miles an hour for your whole life. You never rest because there’s alwaysmore to do. But, on balance, I think I would rather have it than not. I call it my ‘divine restlessness,’and if it makes me feel as if I owe the present everything I have, then so be it. I can live with that.”


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Questions

1. Talk to friends or coworkers to hear how they have used their talents to achieve.

2. How will you use your talents to achieve?


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