The book “위대한 나의 발견, 강점혁명 (Now, Discover Your Strengths),” co-authored by Marcus Buckingham and others, is a type of self-help book.
I came across this book when I submitted documents to Eland Group in the winter of 2012 and went for the entrance exam. Applying for the “ESI 7th Internship” at Eland Group, I visited the Yeouido CCMM building for a job aptitude test, where they gave me this book before taking the exam.
Initially, I thought they were giving it as a gift for taking the aptitude test, but it was actually for a mission to register the results of the “strengths analysis” introduced in the book on the Eland website.
“Two Misconceptions in Talent Recruitment by Companies”
The book discusses talent recruitment by companies and misconceptions about “talent.” Firstly, it claims that companies fundamentally make two wrong assumptions when hiring people:
- Everyone can become competent in any field with just education.
- Everyone’s greatest potential for growth lies in their biggest weaknesses.
“Two New Elements to Assume in the Corporate Talent Recruitment Process”
However, the book argues that these two assumptions are completely wrong, and entirely new assumptions need to be made for talent recruitment, stating:
- Everyone has unique talents that never change.
- Everyone’s greatest potential for growth lies in their strengths.
Through these assumptions, the book focuses on how to discover each individual’s unique talents and how to identify and utilize those strengths. Benjamin Franklin likened wasted talents to “sundials in the shade.”
“Definition of Strengths”
To identify and analyze strengths, it’s necessary to clearly define what strengths are. The book defines strengths as:
- “The ability to consistently perform a task almost perfectly.”
Additionally, it lists three principles as the most important for a successful life:
- Strengths should be actions that one can continue to perform.
- It’s not necessary to demonstrate strengths in every role one takes on.
- Rather than fixing weaknesses, maximizing strengths alone can make one outstanding.
“Building a Life Based on Strengths”
The book introduces ways to build a life based on strengths. It presents three revolutionary tools:
The first is distinguishing between talents and skills acquired through learning. Talents refer to unconscious patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, while knowledge refers to truths and lessons learned through education and experience. Only when talents and knowledge are combined can strengths be identified.
The second is observing oneself to discover talents.
The third is the need to articulate talents. It suggests that a new language is needed to describe discoverable strengths. It was from these discussions that Gallup created the “StrengthsFinder” tool, which is the subject of the next chapter in this book.
“Definition of Talent”
The book also provides a definition of talent, stating that it refers to:
- “Repeating patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that can be productively used.”
Examples of such talents include “patience, responsibility, dyslexia,” among others. Despite dyslexia being seen as a negative, it’s considered a talent because it can lead to the development of other abilities.
“Areas of Talent Involving Synapses in the Brain”
The author suggests that talents arise due to the involvement of synapses in the brain. Synapses are the connections between brain cells for communication.
Interestingly, while the brain develops an enormous number of synapses during early childhood, it gradually prunes them like threads before the age of 16. The reason for this brain activity is that initially, the brain absorbs information unilaterally as its worldview hasn’t formed yet. Even after some growth, when all brain circuits are engaged, overwhelming signals from all directions can lead to negative outcomes. To form one’s worldview, the brain filters out some parts of this noise, a natural process.
“Methods for Discovering Talent”
The book also introduces methods for discovering talent, which can be summarized as follows:
- What was your initial unconscious reaction when faced with a situation?
- What do you admire in others?
- When did you learn something quickly?
- When did you feel satisfaction in doing something?
“Finding Strengths: Strengths Finder”
In the third chapter of the book, more specific content related to what the book aims to convey is presented. For those who purchase the book, there’s a section where they can directly test their strengths online through “StrengthsFinder.” Each person is given an ID after purchasing the book.
StrengthsFinder categorizes 34 strengths, and individuals take a test to identify which four strengths rank highest for them. After the test, in the fourth chapter of the book, individuals can find sections related to their strengths.
The 34 strengths classified by the book include:
- Developer
- Individualization
- Competition
- Empathy
- Fairness
- Relator
- Positivity
- Woo
- Context
- Command
- Futuristic
- Restorative
- Analytical
- Intellection
- Achiever
- Belief
- Deliberative
- Connectedness
- Communication
- Self-Assurance
- Adaptability
- Strategic
- Arranger
- Harmony
- Significance
- Discipline
- Ideation
- Responsibility
- Focus
- Maximizer
- Input
- Inclusiveness
- Learner
- Activator
After completing the test, I confirmed five strengths:
- Learner
- Input
- Maximizer
- Achiever
- Empathy
“Additional Explanation of StrengthsFinder”
Chapter five provides additional explanations of StrengthsFinder. In chapter six, it discusses how to manage employees in companies based on their strengths. Chapter seven explains how to build organizations based on strengths.
The key is to identify each individual’s strengths and assign them to tasks where they can use their strengths appropriately.
Weaknesses are briefly mentioned, defined as “anything that interferes with outstanding execution.” However, unless they significantly interfere with work, they can be ignored.
“The Case of Baseball Player Lee Dae-ho”
Although not mentioned in the book, reading it reminded me of baseball player Lee Dae-ho. Lee Dae-ho is a player whose strengths and weaknesses are clearly distinguishable.
With his large build, he has powerful strength and the ability to hit balls with his bat. However, his slow foot speed could be considered a weakness. If Lee Dae-ho had focused on supplementing his weakness, his slow speed, by losing weight and practicing running instead of focusing on his strengths, what kind of performance could he have achieved?
No one demands “stealing bases” from Lee Dae-ho. People would want him to contribute to the team by hitting crucial hits or home runs with his excellent contact ability and power during critical moments.
Ultimately, reading this book made me think about Lee Dae-ho, and it led me to ponder what strengths I possess. What areas can I best utilize the results of “learner, input, maximizer, achiever, empathy” obtained above?
“Now, Discover Your Strengths”
- Authors: Marcus Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton
- Publication Date: September 15, 2005
- ISBN-13: 9788935206278
- Yes24: http://app.ac/8bMpjYl83
- Gallup Strengths Analysis Website: https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/home/en-us/strengthsfinder?utm_source=strengthsfinder&utm_campaign=coming_soon&utm_medium=redirect