Taking Your Influencing Strengths from Raw to Refined.

Taking Your Strategic Strengths from Raw to Refined (October 28, 2020), was the second CliftonStrengths Domain we studied going from raw to refined.  Our reason is it is crucial in your and your team’s growth to know what you are shooting for with your strengths.

Click to download your Maximize Strengths Worksheet.

This week we will look at the Influencing Domain.  According to Gallup, the eight themes in the Influencing Domain  “help their team reach a much broader audience.” People with strengths in the Influencing Domain can sometimes be characterized as people who step up, speak up, and motivate others faster.

What do we mean when we say Raw to Refined?

Raw talent is uninformed, inexperienced, more self-oriented, and unproductive. Refined talent is well informed, more practiced, more others-oriented, and highly productive.

Let’s take a look at what raw and refined looks like for each strength in the Influencing Domain, so you will know what you are aiming for.

People with the strength of Activator^® can make things happen..

Activator Raw: Pushes impulsively, impatiently & indiscriminately.

Activator Refined: Pushes intentionally, urgently & relevantly.

People with the strength of Command^® lead you to take charge.

Command Raw: Resists external authority or control.

Command Refined: Exerts authority and control in situations where they are lacking.

People with the strength of Communication^® are gifted at expressing thoughts into words.

Communication Raw:  I get into trouble for not being quiet.

Communication Refined: My words build understanding, relationships & inspiration.

People with the strength of Competition^® enjoy having their performance measured.

Competition Raw: I despise losing and the people who defeat me.

Competition Refined: Respect and learn from those who defeat me.

 Someone with the strength of Maximizer^® is committed to individual and group excellence.

Maximizer Raw: Impatient with weakness & critical of those who are weak.

Maximizer Refined: Grateful stewardship of that which is strong.

 People with the strength of Self-Assurance^® feel confident in their ability to take risks and manage their own lives.

Self-Assurance Raw: May be wrong, but I doubt it.

Self-Assurance Refined: Confidently open to being made more certain.

 People with the strength of Significance^® have a strong desire to make a big difference.

Significance Raw:  Feel good when I am seen & heard.

Significance Refined:  Do good by gaining attention for the cause.

 People with the strength of WOO^® have a likeable capacity to connect with new people.

WOO Raw: Social courage without reason or cause.

WOO Refined: Social intention that builds a supportive social infrastructure.

What is your action plan to get from raw to refined?  Remember to download your Maximize Strengths Worksheet.

What’s great about having everything listed down on one location is that it makes it easier to track progress and effectively plan things out. Planning helps you prepare for the obstacles ahead and keep you on track. And with an effective action plan, you can boost your productivity and keep yourself focused.

Now that you know what each strength looks like in its raw and refined form, you have a clear direction of where you need to go.

• Have your goals written down and planned out in steps.
• Highlight exactly what steps you need to be taken.
• Track your progress.

Start by asking yourself the following questions about your Influencing Theme strengths.

1. Which of your top 5 talents are too raw in the workplace, and why?
2. In what ways does the raw talent get you into trouble? In what context does it hinder success?
3. What knowledge, skills, and practice could make these talents more refined?

This is challenging but very rewarding work.

Are you ready to have a conversation with me about creating your action plan or how to help your team members develop their action plan?  Then schedule you free Ask Brent Anything call.

Check out my website at www.brentobannon.com for more ideas and classes that will help you on that path. Click here if you need to purchase a CliftonStrengths assessment code for you or anyone else. I am looking forward to working with you as you grow from raw to refined.