StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths (Hardcover)
DO YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT YOU DO BEST EVERY DAY?Chances are, you don’t. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder helped millions to discover their top five talents.In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more (see below for details). While you can read this book in one sitting, you’ll use it as a reference for decades.Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the w … >>> Save Money at Amazon.com
Strengths Finder 2.0 is the follow up to Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book includes a revamped version of the StrengthsFinder test that shows you not just what your top five strengths are, but also how you rank in the rest of the 34 strengths from Clifton’s model. The new book is light on content (very light) but the test is a substantial improvement.
Here’s how the book is set up:
StrengthsFinder: The Next Generation
(A short introduction explaining the need for the enhanced edition of the test based upon new thinking and research in strengths psychology)
I: Finding Your Strengths
(A 30-page overview of strengths psychology and how the Gallup system works)
II: Applying Your Strengths
(150 pages outlining each of the 34 themes including what people with that strength look like, how to manage them, and ideas for action if you have that strength).
The StrengthsFinder
(If you haven’t taken it before, the code to take the test is provided in a packet inside the book. You actually have to buy the book to take the test)
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is another book I really enjoyed that follows the SF 2.0 format. Obviously, that test measures emotional intelligence (EQ), but Emotional Intelligence 2.0 has a unique format where the test tells you which of the book’s 66 strategies will increase your EQ the most.
The book is a quick read and very helpful in getting one to think about one’s strengths and the potential complementary strengths to look for in others to offset one’s weaker areas, if you work in a team environment. However, once I completed the online test and obtained the resultant reports, I was shocked to learn that I would only get the Top 5 Themes, and the other 29 remain a mystery. Upon contacting the company, I learned that for an additional $550.00 I could then obtain the other 29 themes, as well as their order of ranking. It is obvious to me that this book is being used as a sales “hook” to try to get you to spend more money with the company and may also be being used as a “beachhead” sales device to penetrate into potential corporate accounts. I was not surprised or enlightened at all by the results, as I have been through a number of these types of profiling and behavioral characteristics tests over the years. However, they were “somewhat” useful to reconfirm some of my prior findings as still being current as of today. I would recommend the book and online test if you have never been through something like this before. They are quick and very easy to use. Just be aware that the top 5 themes are only a glimpse of your total “being” and the other 29 are just as important to your knowledge about yourself. However, unless you are willing to cough up another $550.00, you may end up disappointed and still a bit “in-the-dark” about your overall strengths. Good luck.
…there should be a way to purchase additional assessments online without buying another copy of the book. My wife and I don’t need two copies. Better yet…all of the information from the book could be better organized online for a fee. In an age where most people are trying to become more “green”, I am surprised that the exclusive online format did not get more consideration from Gallup or the author…
It is also worth pointing out that the book is worthless on the secondary market and there is no use checking this type of book out of the library.