After hearing much about the StrengthsFinder 2.0 and buying the book of the same name in August 2013, I finally read it and took the online assessment about two months ago. I have found it to be an interesting, helpful tool which should work well with the Myers - Briggs Type Indicator(R) personality inventory.
Yes, despite its title StrengthsFinder 2.0 actually measures not strengths but talents which can eventually be built into strengths (my emphasis, p.17). The last sentence of the Introduction on p. 31 states that "...StrengthsFinder 2.0...simply helps you find the areas where you have the greatest potential to develop strengths." It describes 34 themes, of which each person who takes the assessment will learn his or her top five. The 174 - page, 5 1/4" x 7 1/4" book can be read at one sitting and consists mainly of descriptions of each theme, quotes from people who are strong in each theme to show what the themes sound like, ideas for action, and suggestions for working with others who are strong in each theme. A few examples of the themes, which are arranged alphabetically in a dictionary format, are Achiever, Communication, Context, Ideation, and Woo.
My favorite part of the book is the very fascinating Introduction, which includes the history of the assessment, the research behind it, how the second version expands upon the first, and a description of the reports included with the online assessment. Even more interesting to me is the whole premise of the book and assessment: that our society puts too much emphasis on fixing what's broken in people rather than on developing their strengths. According to the author this misguided focus leads to many negative consequences in schools and workplaces. "At its fundamentally flawed core, the aim of almost any learning program is to help us become who we are not....This is quite apparent in the way we create icons out of people who struggle to overcome a lack of natural talent (p.3)."
Rath then gives an example of a real underdog who became the protagonist of a movie, and explains how our admiration of this type of hero shows that our culture is focused on overcoming deficits.
And this leads us to celebrate those who triumph over their lack of natural ability even more than we recognize those who capitalize on their innate talents. As a result, millions of people see these heroes as being the epitome of the American Dream and set their sights on conquering major challenges. Unfortunately, this is taking the path of most resistance (p. 5).
Access to the online assessment is gained through purchase of the book, which contains an access code to be used on www.strengthsfinder.com. The list price of the book is $24.95, but it is available for about half of that in www.strengthsfinder.com's online store.
The online store can be visited by clicking on the StrengthsFinder 2.0 Website on the left side of the strengthsfinder.com home page, then clicking on Purchase. It may be visited without an access code, as may many other parts of the site containing information about StrengthsFinder 2.0 and other books. The online store has links to the Gallup Store, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, where StrengthsFinder 2,0 is available in a variety of formats at different prices.
Once the book is obtained, instructions on taking the assessment can be found in the Introduction. Typing the access code on www.strengthsfinder.com takes the reader to the assessment, which requires at least 30 minutes to complete as it is timed at 20 seconds per question.
Respondents receive a wealth of free, personalized reports and resources once they have completed the StrengthsFinder 2.0. These include a top five theme report, 50 Ideas for Action, a review of the assessment's technical foundations, discussion guides for home and work, a certificate creator, a very nice screensaver, etc., and are listed beginning on p. 26 of the book.
Additional resources, including the opportunity to become a Gallup - Certified Strengths Coach, are also available through a link on the right side of the www.strengthsfinder.com home page, or at the bottom of the Purchase page, to the Gallup Strengths Center. For even more resources, there is a link to the Gallup Store under the description of the book How Full is Your Bucket? on the Purchase page. This store is divided into Books, Strengths, Engagement, Recognition, Education, Faith, and Custom Items (such as mugs, magnets, lanyard inserts, and framed strengths certificates) and is full of items that have the mission "...to make a positive difference in your personal development and at your workplace."
While reading through the 34 themes, I saw several similarities to the preference dichotomies described by the MBTI(R) tool. For example, the description of my top theme, Intellection, says "You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective (p. 129)." That sounds like Introversion, for which I have a preference, doesn't it? Strategic, also in my top five, sounds similar to Intuition, for which I also have a preference. I saw all eight preferences and perhaps even whole types reflected in various themes while reading the book.
Although many of the themes seem to represent not only talents but also single or combined personality preferences as described by the MBTI tool, I question whether Rath really understands how the MBTI instrument works. I assume that is what he's referring to when he writes on p. 174, "With more than 33 million unique combinations of top five themes, StrengthsFinder is very different from basic personality tests that classify you, for example, as either an extrovert or an introvert."
This comment shows lack of awareness not only that the MBTI personality assessment is a preference indicator and not a test, but that type practitioners realize that all people both introvert and extravert at different times. Practitioners do, however, want people to recognize that we all prefer one of these ways of becoming energized over the other. Practitioners inform clients who've taken the MBTI tool of what their preferences seem to be and then let the client verify those preferences, ideally never pigeonholing anyone by saying "You are an Introvert", Extravert, or any other type preference.
I also get the impression that Rath is not aware of the MBTI Step II(TM) assessment, the manual for which was copyrighted in 2001, well before StrengthsFinder 2.0. This assessment reveals five different facets, plus a midzone, of each preference dichotomy. Its complexity allows for many differences between people who come out as the same type code. I think it's fair to say that individuality is as much a hallmark of the MBTI tool as it is of the StrengthsFinder 2.0.
But perhaps the most significant correlation between these two assessments is their purpose or goal. While the MBTI instrument doesn't measure talent, isn't the point of learning our type preferences to improve the quality of our lives? Isn't it to help us discover which types of educational, work, social and other situations will be most energizing and natural for us, the equivalent of the "strengths zone" discussed starting on p. 11 of the book?
Isn't the point of the Murphy - Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children(R) to identify children's preferred learning styles and to give them the opportunity to learn in these preferred styles or "strengths zones"? Forcing a Sensing child to learn in an Intuitive way, for example, is wasteful and frustrating, just as much so as Rath says it is to force a child to spend hours studying the subjects at which he's weakest rather than those he's best at and finds most interesting.
The StrengthsFinder 2.0 and the MBTI tool seem to have much in common, including their descriptions of personality preferences (even though they use different terms for them), their focus on individuality, and a common goal of helping people be and do their best at school, work, and home. I'm glad I finally got acquainted with the StrengthsFinder 2.0, a most worthy companion to the MBTI tool.