We come together every day to create a strong community that works toward the mission of improving health through education, research and patient care. And each of us has a unique perspective and set of talents that help us fulfill our purpose.
To support our campus community’s journey, WVU partnered with Gallup to provide the CliftonStrengths assessment and learning sessions for students, faculty and staff. Based on a 40-year study of human strengths, the CliftonStrengths assessment helps you discover and describe your talents through 34 themes.
Our Health Sciences leadership team completed a coaching session with Julie Lockman, a Health Sciences academic leader and certified CliftonStrengths coach. Working as a team, it was interesting to learn how we each contribute to building a strong community and how we are motivated and energized. My report identified strengths in the strategic, adaptability, connectedness, positivity and maximizer themes. I thrive in a fluid and ever-changing environment and value the opportunity to make mid-course corrections based on the big picture. I recognize that I am part of something bigger than myself, and I very much enjoy the relationships that I get to build and grow with you and the many members of our Health Sciences family.
The CliftonStrengths session was insightful, and we want to make sure that all of our students, faculty and staff have the opportunity to participate. Once you take the assessment, there are several workshops and coaching sessions available. I encourage each of you to lean into your strengths as you pursue your greatest potential.
Clay Marsh, M.D.
Chancellor and Executive Dean
WVU Health Sciences
/ Explore Your Strengths
To utilize CliftonStrengths on your journey, contact the Purpose Center to take the assessment and meet with a Strengths Coach. The online assessment takes about 30-60 minutes and is provided at no charge for WVU students, faculty and staff.
If you’ve already taken your Strengths assessment or are interested in learning more, there are many coaching and workshop opportunities available to continue using Strengths as a tool to explore what you're good at and the impact you can have both as an individual and on a team. Much like purpose, Strengths show up holistically and we can invest in them through academics, careers, wellness and social interactions.
Note: You must have a WVU email address to complete the assessment free of charge. The free assessment will be available for WVU Medicine employees in the future.
/ Q&A with Julie Lockman
What is the CliftonStrengths assessment?
“The CliftonStrengths assessment is a tool built on decades of research on human attributes and talents. The answers to the assessment questions reflect how one may initially think, behave and respond in given situations. The results of the assessment are provided in a sequenced order of 34 talent themes, all of which are positive characteristics of the individual. The dominant talent themes (usually reflected in #1-10, give or take) reflect the talents that come most naturally to that individual, often providing insight into their initial response or approach to things. I refer to this as the lens through which they see the world. Most importantly, CliftonStrengths represents the uniqueness of humanity and how everyone has value and something great to offer this world.”
How can the results of the CliftonStrengths assessment help people in work, school and day-to-day life?
“The assessment results are a gold mine if you take the time to understand them and then apply them. So often, we take for granted what we are already good at, moving in the world on autopilot in those areas, while focusing our time and energy on improving our perceived weaknesses. Sometimes we have no choice but to work hard to improve certain gaps or weaknesses, but much of the time, we can be best served by leaning into the development and utilization of our strengths. The first and most important step is to learn more about your dominant talent themes, understanding how they show up in your daily life, and then taking that next step to further develop them. Talent x Investment = Strength. If you can reach the point of honest self-reflection and then understanding and developing your dominant talent themes, you will see many opportunities to leverage them in you daily life. Some examples would be in building relationships, being thoughtful, strategic and productive and impacting and influencing others. This holds true whether you are an undergraduate student or a senior leader at the University. The CliftonStrengths language and framework cuts across all ages and stages.
“There is not one formula for being a successful individual. In fact, through the CliftonStrengths framework, all 34 talent themes contribute to one’s success and the impact is not based upon which themes you have, rather it is self-awareness and owning your unique combination of talents and finding a way to polish them like diamonds in the rough. One thing I have learned along the way is that your strengths are not the opposite of your weaknesses. In fact, sometimes your strengths can be your weaknesses. That is why working with a knowledgeable strengths coach or adviser can help you to understand the biases you might have because of your talent themes (your lens) and also the way you may be perceived by others if you are overusing or misusing certain talents.”
How can people lean on their individual strengths when they’re part of a team with assigned roles?
“When you are working as part of a team with assigned roles, it is important that the group have a common purpose and then to consider the different roles and actions involved in fulfilling that purpose. Building a Team Grid that illustrates each team member’s Top 5 talent themes can be a very effective way to view the power of the talent within the team, to identify areas where the team might not thrive and why, and to recognize opportunities for complementary partnerships. The language of Clifton Strengths helps us to see extraordinary value in our differences and how we can partner to maximize our success, rather than having to be all things to all people as individuals. We also begin to see each other more positively in challenging situations when we have a better understanding of our team members natural tendencies, motivators, and demotivators. To fully leverage strengths within a team, the group needs to be a bit nimble to adjust roles and responsibilities in response to understanding individual talents and not solely focused on the written job description. Data show that strengths-based workplaces have more highly engaged employees compared with those that do not provide people the opportunity to leverage their strengths daily doing what they do best. In turn, employee engagement can have an extraordinary impact on the culture of an organization as well as the outcomes.”
What if you are not happy with your results?
“Theme envy is real. It is common for people to feel that certain talents are more desirable, more interesting or equated with more chances for success. Not true! Talent themes are essentially neutral in that they all have a high point where they provide an advantage to you, but also a downside where they can get in your way, if you don’t manage them correctly. You are a unique combination of talents and the chances of another individual sharing the same Top 5 dominant themes with you is 1 in 33 million. You bring a unique perspective and approach things in your own unique way. Don’t dwell on the themes at the bottom of your list (30-34). Those talent themes represent things that just don’t come as naturally to you. You can still do them, but just not as intuitively as your Top 5. The key is to know your dominant themes, learn how you can use them as often as possible and be fully you—because no one else can! As Don Clifton said, ‘What would happen if we studied what is right with people instead of focusing on what is wrong with them?’”
Julie Lockman, assistant vice president for graduate education and director of faculty affairs, culture and inclusion for WVU Health Sciences, is a certified CliftonStrengths Coach. Follow her Instagram account, @strengthsforscientists, where she shares info and highlights WVU students and faculty and their strengths.