Author: Jan Peters

CliftonStrength Deliberative and Blindspots

10th April 2025

Some of us love to get going. We’re off! It’s almost like we aren’t worried by what lays ahead. That is the excitement, the fun. We know in our hearts that we are equipped with the ability to stop when needed, look up, and adjust. Our colleagues with the CliftonStrength Deliberative might frustrate us. In fact, they can be our greatest partners—and us theirs. For this to happen, some awareness, communication, and adjustment to how we collaborate are needed.

Knowing you need to manage your Deliberative theme helps you be a great memebr of the team. It’s an executing theme and at the end of the day it wants to get things done. But it wants to get things right even more. You can be in danger of dragging your own mood down as well as others’. The converse is true when you move forward with commitment, you can celebrate twice.

Understanding Deliberative

The CliftonStrength Deliberative theme is characterized by careful and vigilant decision-making. Individuals with this strength are known for their ability to think things through, anticipate obstacles, and weigh risks before taking action. This cautious approach can be incredibly valuable in the engineering sector, where precision, safety, and foresight are crucial. This article explores the CliftonStrength Deliberative and its blindspots.

To explore more how to manage your interactions with other CliftonStrengths, read the Katalytik Whitepaper on Conflict and Communication and access our insights to how you can interact more effectively with some CliftonStrengths when you understand their drivers and style. A useful reference on blindspots can be found here

Common Blindspots for Deliberative

While the Deliberative theme has many strengths, it also comes with potential blind spots that can hinder effectiveness if not managed properly. Here are some common blind spots, particularly relevant to engineering: If your Deliberative really takes over you can become Hypervigilant.

Blindspot 1 Overthinking and analysis paralysis

Engineers (anyone!) with the Deliberative theme may spend excessive time analyzing options, leading to delays in decision-making. This can result in missed project deadlines, inaction and frustration among team members who are waiting for decisions to be made.

Address this by setting clear deadlines by when decisions are required to prevent overthinking and analysis paralysis. Try using Use project management and tools like force-field analysis to track progress and ensure that decisions are made within the set timeframe.

Blindspot 2 Risk aversion

Your innate style is likely to focus on potential risks. your need to avoid risk can stifle innovation and prevent the team (or even your family) from exploring new and potentially beneficial solutions or experiences.

Address this by trying a balanced approach that helps you take small risks and move forward. Using a risk matrix (likelihood of it happening and the impact of it happening This can help you evaluate the severity and likelihood of risks and inform rather than delay a decision. It can also release you from the stress of the decision-making process.

Blindspot 3 Perceived negativity

Others may perceive you as someone who always focuses on the negative. and is a pessimist. You may not realise it but you could bring the mood of the whole team down and drain those of a more innovative mindset.

Recognise your tendency and using frames or tools can help you construct a more positive mindset and look at what needs to be done to foster a positive outcome. Look beyond the problem. Work with your colleagues or find a strategy to help you celebrate when you notice you focusing on the negative. Give yourself positive reinforcements that you have saved time by crafting such a great approach to decision-making. Shift from focusing on what could go wrong to what could go right.

BlindSpot 4 Speed of decisions

You are thorough and cautious, but this can impact speed, and in fast paced environments can be problematic, especially in meeting deadlines or production areas.

Working on this with your colleagues might help others and not just you.

Decision-making exercises and simulations can help grow your repertoire of experience to draw on, so when things are pressured you have a memory bank to work with.

Communication with colleagues can also help to stop this becoming an issue, and you can then be certain that your colleagues can come to value your perspective and your risk-averse perspective can be leveraged at the right time.

Partner with other CliftonStrengths

Partnering with people who possess different CliftonStrengths can help mitigate the blindspots of the Deliberative theme and enhance overall team performance. Here are some illustrations:

Activator

Activators are known for their ability to turn thoughts into action quickly. They are energetic and eager to get things moving.

How it helps:

Speeding Up Decision-Making: Activators can help Deliberative individuals overcome analysis paralysis by encouraging quicker decisions and actions.
Balancing Caution with Action: The Activator’s enthusiasm can balance the Deliberative person’s cautious approach, ensuring that the team doesn’t miss out on opportunities due to excessive deliberation.

Strategic

Individuals with the Strategic theme excel at seeing patterns and possibilities. They can quickly spot the best route forward and are adept at planning.

How it helps:

Enhancing Decision-Making: Strategic thinkers can complement the Deliberative theme by providing a clear vision and direction, helping to streamline the decision-making process. The power of these themes together and a whiteboard or post-it notes brings creativity to the decision.
Identifying Opportunities: While Deliberative individuals focus on risks, Strategic partners can highlight potential opportunities, ensuring a balanced perspective. Magic in action!

Positivity

Those with the Positivity theme are upbeat and can generate enthusiasm and optimism within the team.

How it helps:

Boosting morale: Positivity can counteract the perceived negativity of the Deliberative theme, fostering a more positive and supportive team environment.
Encouraging solutions: Positive individuals can help shift the focus from problems to solutions, encouraging a proactive approach to challenges.

Analytical

Analytical individuals are skilled at examining data and uncovering insights. They are logical and fact-driven.

How it helps:

Supporting thorough analysis: Analytical partners can support the Deliberative theme’s need for thorough analysis by providing data-driven insights, ensuring decisions are well-informed. Maybe creating great graphs and projections!
Validating risks: Analytical thinkers can help validate the risks identified by Deliberative individuals, providing a solid foundation for cautious decision-making.

Communication

Those with the Communication theme excel at expressing ideas clearly and engaging others.

How it helps:

Improving perception: Communication partners can help articulate the rationale behind the Deliberative theme’s cautious approach, improving team understanding and acceptance.
Facilitating collaboration: Effective communicators can bridge gaps between different team members, ensuring that diverse perspectives are heard and integrated into decision-making.

Woo (Winning Others Over)

Woo individuals are skilled at building rapport and connecting with others. They are persuasive and can win people over.

How it helps::

Building consensus: Woo partners can help build consensus around decisions, ensuring that the team is aligned and supportive of the cautious approach.
Encouraging collaboration: Woo individuals can foster a collaborative environment, helping Deliberative individuals to work effectively with others and gain buy-in for their ideas.

Conclusion

The Deliberative theme, when the person is self-aware and can notice when it is stopping progress, can be a powerful asset in any (engineering) team, where careful planning and risk management are essential. By recognizing and addressing the potential blind spots, individuals with this strength can ensure that their cautious approach enhances rather than hinders their effectiveness. Implementing strategies to balance risk assessment with action, fostering a positive mindset, and collaborating with others can help keep the Deliberative theme on the right track.

Never forget that Deliberative is an executing theme – you thrive on getting stuff done. So when you become paralysed by fear of the future or risk, you will suffer a double dip of energy.

CliftonStrength Context and its blindspots go to the darkside

27th February 2025

There’s nothing I like better walking in a forest than seeing key historical events marked on an old fallen trunk. Between these events, there are markers for extreme weather events: drought and flood years.

Like the rings of the tree, people with Context have a vast knowledge bank of stories and invaluable information. Don’t miss it!

Blindspots of CliftonStrength Context

This article explores the CliftonStrength Context and its blindspots. Context is all about understanding the past to make sense of the present. People with strong Context talents enjoy looking back, they can be seen as historians or archivists, valuing the lessons learned from history. However, like all strengths people with Context can have blind spots when overused or misapplied.

To explore more how to manage your interactions with other CliftonStrengths, read the Katalytik Whitepaper on Conflict and Communication and access our insights to how you can interact more effectively with some CliftonStrengths when you understand their drivers and style.

A useful reference on blindspots can be found here

What is Context?

The CliftonStrengths Context theme is an asset for those whose role needs them to be curious about the past of people, organizations, or processes. Simply because they excel at understanding and leveraging the past to inform present and future decisions. Those with the Context strength have a deep appreciation for history and the lessons it offers. They innately draw insights from previous experiences and apply them to current situations. This strength allows them to identify patterns, avoid past mistakes, and build on successful strategies. In engineering team settings, individuals with Context provide a sense of continuity and stability, helping others understand the reasons behind current practices and decisions. Their ability to connect past events with present challenges makes them invaluable in strategic planning and problem-solving. Their very presence ensures decisions are well-informed and grounded in historical knowledge. This perspective fosters a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

At times people can have so many thinking and executing themes at the top of their profile they may appear to have no time for people. Yet one such leader I met, was still connected to all the people he had worked with and saw his Context as his way of getting to know people.

Understanding the Context Theme

Taking time to ask people who have high Context what they think, have observed, or if they have seen anything like this before, makes them an amazing asset to your team. This strength allows them to make informed decisions and avoid past mistakes. They can help you appreciate the journey that has led to the current moment. Their role helps ensure valuable lessons are not forgotten. Make time to listen to them, especially in times of change.

Common Blindspots for Context in Engineering

If you have Context high, be aware of the blind spots it might give you! Others might see these characteristics in you, so be sure to notice them and take action to own them! Use your historical knowledge to benefit the team. Offer to take on tasks that require a deep understanding of past events, such as creating training materials, documenting processes, or conducting retrospectives.

Blindspot 1 Over-Reliance on Historical Data:

Engineers with the Context strength may sometimes rely too heavily on past data and experiences, potentially overlooking new and innovative approaches. This might make you slow to move forward and could frustrate your colleagues keen to get the project going.

How to Address It:

Set time aside to indulge your desire and love of historical analysis and reflection inside and outside of work. Find frameworks and models (try mindtools.com) to support you in problem-solving discussions to look forward and reflect back. This might help you be a net contributor to using your vast knowledge to inform better decision-making.

Blindspot 2 Looking backwards and resistant to change:

A strong focus on the past can mean you resist new methodologies or change. This can be a blindspot for you in a rapidly evolving field like engineering.

How to Address It:

Flexibility and fast response might not be your natural mode of operation, but at times you need to be able to adapt. Work with your colleagues to ensure that your knowledge is a part of the team culture and a crucial part of informing progress. But practice being able to discard past ways of doing things. Make sure you engage in conversations about change so that it doesn’t come as a shock.

Blindspot 3 Slow to make decisions:

There is a risk of you becoming too focused on historical details, which can limit your ability to see the bigger picture or future possibilities.

How to Address It:

Working with colleagues, partners or managers can help you set clear goals that help you look to a future that is informed by the past. Practice working out which decision is important and which can be deferred. Again, use frameworks to help your decision-making and capture the information you have.

How to block the dark side of this wonderful CliftonStrength

To make sure you can reach your full potential try to balance your thoughts about the past with plans for the future. Don’t get stuck in reflection mode. The following strategies may be worth thinking about. While you may also have Futuristic or Strategic, think about partnering with these as complementary strengths

To balance your Context theme and prevent it from going to the “dark side,” leverage other strengths of your own, or someone else. Here are some complementary strengths and how they can help:

1. Futuristic: Can help balance your focus on the past with a vision for the future. Futuristic thinkers can inspire and motivate you to look ahead and embrace new possibilities.

2. Activator: Activators are great at turning ideas into action and can help your Context move from reflection to action more quickly.

3. Adaptability: Helps with flexibility and being open to change. Adaptable people can encourage you to experiment with new methods and technologies, making it easier to navigate change.

4. Strategic: Adds value in seeing the bigger picture and identifying the best path forward. They can assist you in turning historical insights into strategic plans that drive progress.

5. Positivity: Positivity can counterbalance the potential negativity of rehashing old issues. Positive individuals can help shift the focus from your Context of problems to solutions, creating a more optimistic and forward-looking atmosphere.

Conclusion

The Context theme is a powerful strength that can provide valuable insights and stability to a team. However, it’s important to be aware of its potential blindspots and take proactive measures to manage them. By balancing reflection with action, embracing change, focusing on solutions, setting clear goals, encouraging flexibility, and leveraging their strengths, your Context theme can continue to contribute positively to your teams and organizations.

Consistency and blindspots

28th January 2025

Blindpsot Consistency blog

Navigating the Blindspots of Consistency

Exploring the Blindspots of Consistency in Engineering Teams: Strengths and Strategic Partnerships

In the world of engineering, the CliftonStrengths Consistency talent brings a critical perspective. Here we uncover the value of Consistency and its 5 potential blindspots. People with high Consistency value fairness, equality, and the establishment of stable processes. They tend not to like surprises, going to different holiday locations and prefer to find a rhythm to their life. They excel at creating dependable systems, ensuring everyone operates on a level playing field, and championing fairness in decision-making. However, like every strength, Consistency has potential blind spots. Understanding Consistency and its blindspots, and learning how to partner with complementary strengths can help engineers and their teams maximise their effectiveness.

What is the Consistency Strength?

People high in the Consistency talent thrive in environments that demand structure and fairness. They naturally seek to establish processes that ensure resources, expectations, and opportunities are distributed equitably. In engineering, this can mean creating standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring compliance with safety regulations, or building workflows that avoid favouritism. Their focus on stability and fairness can improve team morale, reduce inefficiencies, and foster a sense of order within the chaos of technical work.

However, strengths overplayed or applied rigidly can create challenges with colleagues, clients or indeed close friends or family. Let’s explore some of the key blind spots of Consistency, particularly in the context of engineering, and identify the CliftonStrengths themes that can serve as valuable partners.

To explore more how to manage your interactions with other CliftonStrengths, read the Katalytik Whitepaper on Conflict and Communication and access our insights to how you can interact more effectively with some CliftonStrengths when you understand their drivers and style.

Blind Spot 1: Resistance to Flexibility in Unique Situations

People with high Consistency prefer structured systems that apply equally to all. While this is invaluable for establishing a sense of fairness, it can lead to a rigid approach when exceptions are necessary. In engineering, where projects often present unique challenges or rapidly changing requirements, an overemphasis on uniformity can stifle creativity and adaptability. For example, a one-size-fits-all approach to problem-solving might overlook the nuances of a particularly complex or urgent issue.

How to Address It:

To overcome this blind spot, individuals with Consistency can seek out teammates with Adaptability or Ideation. Those with Adaptability thrive in dynamic, fast-moving situations and can bring the flexibility needed when processes must bend to fit unique circumstances. Similarly, Ideation talent holders can help brainstorm creative solutions that fit the immediate needs of the problem while maintaining fairness in the broader system. And Strategic as a theme can offer insights and alternative ways of doing things.

Practical Tip:

When faced with an exception, pause to assess its broader implications. Ask: Does this exception set a dangerous precedent, or is it a rare situation where deviation is justified?

Blind Spot 2: Perceived Lack of Empathy for Individual Needs

Consistency is often focused on the “big picture” of fairness, which can unintentionally overlook the unique circumstances or needs of individuals. In engineering teams, this might manifest as enforcing a rigid work schedule or workflow without fully considering personal challenges, such as someone’s need for flexible hours due to caregiving responsibilities. This perceived lack of empathy can create friction and lead to disengagement.

How to Address It:

Partnering with individuals high in Empathy or Individualisation can help bring a balanced perspective. Find a go to partner to have conversations that can help you explore this. Empathy talent holders are skilled at understanding others’ feelings and perspectives, which can help ensure that fairness doesn’t overshadow compassion. Meanwhile, Individualisation talent holders excel at tailoring solutions to fit the unique strengths and needs of each team member, creating a complementary approach to fairness.

Practical Tip:

Schedule regular one-on-one check-ins with team members to better understand their individual needs and how processes might accommodate them without compromising fairness.

Blind Spot 3: Slow Decision-Making in Ambiguous Situations

Consistency-driven individuals prefer clear rules and processes to guide their decisions. However, engineering projects often involve ambiguity and incomplete data. In such cases, the desire to wait until a system or rule is established can delay critical decision-making. This can frustrate teams that rely on agility and quick thinking, particularly in high-stakes situations like product launches or system failures.

How to Address It:

Partnering with someone high in Command or Activator can help mitigate this blind spot. Command talent holders excel at making decisive choices even in uncertain conditions, while Activators are adept at taking quick action to move projects forward. Together, they can complement Consistency’s preference for structure by bringing energy and urgency to decision-making.

Practical Tip:

When a decision needs to be made quickly, focus on the “minimum viable structure.” Define just enough process to guide the immediate decision without over-complicating or delaying action.

Blind Spot 4: Difficulty Embracing Innovation or Change

Consistency values stability, which can sometimes translate into resistance to change. While maintaining proven processes is often a strength, the fast-paced and evolving nature of engineering demands innovation. Over-reliance on the “way things have always been done” can hinder progress and leave teams lagging behind competitors who are more open to change.

How to Address It:

Team up with individuals who have Futuristic or Strategic talents. Futuristic talent holders are visionaries who can paint an inspiring picture of what the future could look like, helping the team see the benefits of change. Strategic, on the other hand, helps people excel at finding alternative pathways to achieve a goal, ensuring that the shift is both innovative and aligned with long-term objectives.

Practical Tip:

When faced with change, take time to map out how the new process aligns with the team’s core values and priorities. This can provide reassurance while allowing innovation to flourish.

Blind Spot 5: Overemphasis on Rules at the Expense of Relationships

In their pursuit of fairness, a rhythm or routine, people high in Consistency may come across as overly focused on the rules, potentially straining relationships within the team. For example, they might enforce policies in a way that feels impersonal, which can alienate colleagues who value a more relational or collaborative approach.

How to Address It:

Partnering with teammates who lead with Harmony or Relator can provide balance. Harmony talent holders excel at resolving conflict and fostering agreement, while Relator talent holders prioritise building close, genuine relationships. These complementary strengths can ensure that fairness doesn’t come at the cost of connection.

Practical Tip:

When enforcing rules, take time to explain the “why” behind them. Framing policies in terms of their benefit to the team or project can help build buy-in and trust.

Final Thoughts: Leveraging Partnerships to Maximise Consistency

The Consistency talent is a cornerstone of fairness and stability in engineering teams, but it’s not without its challenges. By recognising and addressing its blind spots, individuals with high Consistency can ensure their focus on equality doesn’t inadvertently hinder innovation, adaptability, or empathy.

Strategic partnerships with complementary strengths such as Adaptability, Empathy, Command, and Futuristic can help build a well-rounded approach to engineering challenges. Ultimately, it’s not about changing who you are but about leveraging your strengths in a way that maximises impact while maintaining balance. With thoughtful self-awareness and collaboration, the Consistency strength can help create engineering teams that are not only fair but also highly effective and innovative.

Three questions you should ask yourself as this year draws to a close

23rd December 2024

| News

Katalytik Dec 2024 Newsletter: 3 things to ask yourself

It’s a shock to us, if not to you, that we are a quarter way through the 21st century. As our last newsletter of 2024 we want to send good wishes for a well deserved break, and offer 3 coaching questions to help you reflect on your year:

What have you most surprised yourself with?
What are you most pleased with?
Who has made a difference to you this year? Tell them.

Our 2024

Our year has been full of celebrations, with the UCL Engineering Integrated Engineering Programme 10th anniversary early on. And it ended on a terrific high, as category winners at the Elektra Awards: best company supporting the education and training of engineers. This comes with the amazing support of our clients and positive feedback from participants in our programmes. We love that our desire to do better and adapt is met with yours, together we are better and stronger!

Highlights of 2024 include sharing our Conflict and Communication whitepaper, adding the positive intelligence Saboteur and Sage tool to our portfolio, and working to provide tools and resources for client intranet pages to help keep CliftonStrengths alive. We’ll also be running our LinkedIn Challenge in the New Year and quarterly, maybe add it to one of your targets for the year, to spruce up your profile.

Workshop sessions for clients this past quarter have included teams at Schroders, GSK and Shell – exploring Cliftonstrengths, Saboteurs and Sages, and psychological safety to improve team performance and communication. As well as supporting more undergrad and early career researchers., adding KCL Natural Sciences to our valued clients.

What’s up for Katalytik in 2025?

Highlights for the coming year will be supporting the Ingenious programme with WES members across the country, writing up the study on the lives and careers of engineers, and transforming our wellbeing in engineering work into a more accessible workshop. There will be an online briefing, and a one-day symposium, and then we’ll be offering in-house workshops for you.

Keep a look out for a date in April for our wellbeing and engineering face-to-face workshop/seminar. If you fancy hosting it do give us a call.

As we turn the heating and lights off for the break, all remains is to wish you ha happy and healthy break, and whatever your celebration (there are so many this December) enjoy your time.

PS If you’d like to catch up and hear more, or check-in for a chat just book a call

Jan (left) and Helen (right) have reflected on the past year

What have you most surprised yourself with?

Jan: I managed to dial into every session of the 17 Neurodiversity in coaching programme evening sessions.

Helen: Being able to stand on stage and introduce PhD students to CliftonStrengths

What are you most pleased with?

Jan: Seeing Helen take the stage and rock it.

Helen: Watching my daughter achieve her Masters.

Who has made a difference to you this year? Tell them.

Jan: Having Becca on the team and getting the White paper out

Helen: Seeing my coaching clients grow.

That's a wrap on 2o years!

Our 20 years trading ended well with the Elektra Award, fabulous support from new team member Becca Perl with her wonderful copy editing and attention to detail, helpng our Whitepaper see the light of day; Helen celebrates taking an increasing role in delivering workshops and growing confidence leading online learning; and Sean McWhinnie continues to provide data support and insights through his skills and love of pivot tables.

Connectedness blindspots in text and a groupf of peopel with locked arms

Connectedness - the power and the blindspots

The CliftonStrength Connectedness® is a gift in many settings. It brings a big picture persepctive and sees connections innately across many things. Being a relationship theme time spent with people is a top priority and conflict not something to relish. This months CliftonStrengths blog explores the blindspots and strategies to keep the power and edge of this fabulous strength polished and sharp.

Wellbeing through Connectedness

We continue exploring CliftonStrengths focusing on wellbeing for one of the 34 themes each month – now it’s time for Connectedness® to be explored through the five elements, defined in Gallup’s research. Today, helping you unravel how to manage your wellbeing through the lens of your Connectedness®

Wellbeing through CliftonStrengths

We continue exploring CliftonStrengths focusing on wellbeing for one of the 34 themes each month - now it's time for Connectedness® to be explored through the five elements, defined in Gallup's research. Today, helping you unravel how to manage your wellbeing through the lens of your Connectedness®

Career wellbeing

When you look at your world or work your power to conenct everyone to the team's goal and help them see the intersection is of huge value. Question: How is your team organised How do you help your colleagues see how they fit? Action: Take time to talk to colleagues and check in with how their role fits and how you compleement each other. How can you help colleague's align their strengths to tasks and goals.

Social wellbeing

You can bring a calm during times of chaos and uncertainty because you see the whole as greater than its parts. Question: How have you helped a friend to get through tough times? Action: Reflect on how you can help others to see how you can help friends, family, and colleagues make peace with the past and have faith in what is to come. Find time to locate tools or activities to support you in this.

Financial wellbeing

You understand that no financial decision exists in isolation. Question: How have your buying (or investing) choices impacted your finances? Action: Reflect on how the tiniest choice you make is connected to the larger whole. Review your finances and check with how your plannng meets this strengths need.

Physical wellbeing

You may feel you are "at one" with nature and humanity and feel pulled to the outdoors. Question: What type of activity gives you the most energy? Do you need to do it alone or with others? Action: Consider spending more time outdoors hiking or running, connecting to your inner self and the world around you. Try yoga or martial arts.

Community wellbeing

When the world is suffering, you feel a heightened sense of duty to bring people together and help them see that everything happens for a reason. Question: How can you bring others together? Action: Help others see that everything happens for a reason. Remind them their ability to unite generates more commitment to serious societal issues.

The power and edge of Connectedness

20th December 2024

Navigating the Blindspots of the Connectedness Theme

In the dynamic world of engineering, collaboration and an holistic view are so important. This is where the CliftonStrength Connectedness theme shines brightly. Those with this strength excel at seeing patterns, fostering unity, and enhancing teamwork. However, like all strengths, Connectedness has its blindspots. Recognizing and managing these can transform potential pitfalls into powerful growth opportunities. And, in a world where logic and facts have such high value, it helps you understand how Connectedness can be perceived.

The Connectedness theme is a powerful asset in the sector, offering a unique ability to see the bigger picture and foster collaboration. By recognizing and managing its blindspots, individuals and teams can leverage this strength to its fullest potential. Encourage your team to embrace constructive conflict, seek evidence-based connections, balance group and individual focus, and simplify decision-making processes. With these strategies, the Connectedness theme can truly shine, driving innovation and unity in your projects.

The Power of Connectedness

Connectedness is a strength that allows individuals to see the bigger picture. It’s about understanding that everything happens for a reason and that all things are interconnected. In the engineering sector, this can translate to a profound ability to integrate diverse elements of a project, ensuring that all parts work harmoniously together. This strength fosters a sense of unity and purpose, driving teams towards common goals and enhancing collaboration.

Identifying the Blindspots

Despite its many advantages, the Connectedness theme can lead to several blindspots if not carefully managed. Taking time to tune-in to this theme means you really can leverage its power and edge. These blindspots can manifest in various ways. For instance, a project team might avoid necessary confrontations to maintain harmony, leading to unresolved technical issues. Similarly, an engineer might make assumptions about system failures based on perceived patterns, without sufficient data to back up these assumptions. Finding a partner with other talent themes might be the answer for you, see some suggestions later. Four common blindspots stand out, which ones can you notice that ‘trip you up’?

1. Overemphasis on harmony

Individuals with strong Connectedness may avoid conflict to maintain harmony. While this can create a peaceful work environment, it can also lead to unresolved issues that fester over time. For example: A project team might avoid necessary confrontations to maintain harmony, leading to unresolved technical issues that could escalate over time. This avoidance can result in critical problems being ignored until they become unmanageable.

2. Overgeneralization

The tendency to see connections everywhere can sometimes lead to making assumptions without sufficient evidence. This can result in misguided decisions based on perceived patterns rather than facts. For example: An engineer might make assumptions about system failures based on perceived patterns without sufficient data to back up these assumptions. This can lead to misguided troubleshooting efforts and wasted resources.

3. Neglecting individual needs

A focus on the collective can sometimes overshadow individual contributions and needs. This can lead to your team colleagues feeling undervalued or overlooked. For example: in a team setting, focusing too much on the collective can overshadow individual contributions and needs. Team members might feel undervalued or overlooked, leading to decreased morale, lower productivity, and or engagement.

4. Difficulty in decision-making

Seeing too many interconnected factors can make decision-making challenging. The complexity of weighing all these things can lead to indecision or delayed action. For example a Connectedness engineer might struggle to prioritize tasks or make timely decisions, resulting in project delays.

Measures to notice and interrupt the blindspots

To harness the full potential of the Connectedness theme while mitigating its blindspots, consider the following strategies:

Don’t shy away from constructive conflict

Don’t be afraid of disagreement and conflict. Be part of a culture where healthy debate is valued. Encourage your team to voice their concerns and ideas openly. Structured conflict resolution techniques can be generative and even lead to innovation.

Seek evidence-based connections

Embrace critical thinking and data analysis. Validate your assumptions with empirical evidence to ensure connections are based on facts rather than perceptions. This will also raise your value in the eyes of others.

Balance group and individual focus

Recognizing and celebrating others’ contributions within your team context validates varied contributions. Oftentimes colleagues with lots of Executing strengths can be so focused on getting things done, that they forget to acknowledge progress and growth. Ensuring that individual needs are met and that everyone feels valued for their unique input grows a sense of belonging and raises engagement.

Simplify decision-making processes

Use decision-making frameworks to manage complexity. Prioritize key factors and make informed choices, even when faced with numerous interconnected elements. Even use AI tools to offer you frameworks to try.

Actions to stay on top

Engage in regular reflection and feedback

Try to embark on regular self-reflection and peer feedback. Use the self-reflection framework in the Katalytik Library. Tools like 360-degree feedback can provide valuable insights into how Connectedness is being perceived and utilized. Read up on the Johari Window and ask for feedback.

Training and development

Take time to read around, maybe take a training course, and practice different strategies for conflict navigation. The Katalytik Whitepaper reviews conflict and communication through the lens of CliftonStrengths. You might consider a training course on conflict resolution, critical thinking, and decision-making strategies. Workshops and seminars can equip you with the skills you need to manage your strengths effectively.

Create a supportive environment

Be part of creating an environment where your fellow team members feel safe to express their concerns and ideas – psychological safety. Promoting such a culture of continuous improvement and learning, means blindspots are seen as opportunities for growth. Choose to read books that explore Radical Candour (Kim Scott, 2017, ISBN 9781529038347) and Crucial Conversations (Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny, 2021) for example – or contact Katalytik to discuss a workshop.

Explore complementary CliftonStrengths

Your CliftonStrengths reports suggest potential strengths with which to partner. Indeed, you may even have these in the top of your profile. If so, congratulations, you can do some of this lifting yourself. We’ve picked out a few to focus on to balance your Connectedness theme:

Analytical: Helps ground the intuitive connections of Connectedness with data and evidence, ensuring decisions are based on solid analysis.

Deliberative: Adds a cautious and careful approach to decision-making, helping to avoid overgeneralization and hasty conclusions.

Individualization: Focuses on recognizing and valuing individual contributions, balancing the collective focus of Connectedness.

Command: Brings a decisive and assertive approach, countering the potential indecisiveness of Connectedness.

Focus: Helps prioritize tasks and maintain direction, ensuring that the broader connections seen by Connectedness are translated into actionable steps.

Restorative: Adds a problem-solving mindset, helping to address issues head-on rather than avoiding conflict for the sake of harmony.

Conclusion

The Connectedness theme is a powerful asset in the engineering sector, offering a unique ability to see the bigger picture and foster collaboration. By recognizing and managing its blindspots, you and your team will benefit and start to leverage this strength to its fullest potential. Encourage your team to embrace constructive conflict, seek evidence-based connections, balance group and individual focus, and simplify decision-making processes. With these strategies, the Connectedness theme can truly shine, driving innovation and unity in your projects.

And why not book Katalytik to facilitate a workshop?

Katalytik can share ways to introduce crucial conversations and deep listening with your team.

Why not book a free call?

Curios about our high-performing team sessions can be found here

Book a call

Connectedness blindspots

27th November 2024

November 2024 News

It’s a shock to us, if not to you, that we are a quarter way through the 21st century. As our penultimate newsletter of 2024 we want to share our passion for group coaching and the importance that everyone deserves and needs a coach, see Jan’s LinkedIn post) and that the essence of a high performing team is about communication.

It’s now 5 years since we launched our conversations on inclusion. And in 2025 we want to grow the engagement with this approach.: to help stop the preaching about EDI and to enable and empower each person to do one thing.

This month we’re exploring

The CliftonStrength, Competition – scroll to the bottom
The benefit of getting a coach , early in your career, and especially for PhD/Postdocs. Also, how group coaching is a cost effective and powerful choice.
Helping to get things done with the FREE graphic summary of the 4 disciplines of execution
Notice of our December Strengths Jam end of year party. 4 December at 11am

We hope you will be rooting for us at the Elektra Awards, for a company supporting the education and training of engineers on 10th December.

We continue to love, love, love, facilitating workshops and create action plans for a diverse range of inclusion programmes with corporates, professional societies, and universities including renewing for Athena Swan.

This year in the office we are enjoying the sunny days, knowing that all our energy for heat, light, and PCs is coming from the sun! 100% solar.

In the meantime we hope your Movember is a good one.

Jan and the Katalytik team

PS If you’d like to catch up and hear more, or check-in for a chat just book a call

PPS don’t forget to sign up to our GDPR compliant news letter at the top of the page to get this direct to your inbox.

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We are excited to have been shortlisted for the Elektra Award, for companies supporting engineering education. Since we led the Set to Lead project at UCL in 2010 we have proivded input to the UKSPEC and AHEP, three times! gone on to embed inclusive thinking into the award winning Integrated Engineering Programme at UCL, and from the symposia in 2016 and 2018 written the report Designing inclusive engineering education. Our learning has led to our Engineering Inclusion Forum – training trainers to tweak their programmes, supporting doctoral students and academics, and working to measure progress.

We’re not all blessed with ‘executing themes’ high in our CliftonStrengths profile. But we probably all get caught up in the vortex of work and life. This months ‘must read’ and your free download is the summary of the book “The 4 disciplines of execution” by Chesney, Covey, and Huling.

If you find yourself in a vortex, are stuck, and feel like you just aren’t getting things done, see if this helps. And then read Atomic Habits!

The value of coaching early in one’s career is often underestimated. While coaching is often associated with senior professionals, the truth is that coaching can propel individuals towards their goals swiftly. As Eric Schmidt of Google emphasized, ‘Everyone needs a coach.’ We advocate for the impact of group coaching. It serves as a platform for peers to collaborate, learn from each other, and grow collectively. It provides an opportunity to enhance practice listening skills abilities by actively engaging in the coaching process. Read more on Jan’s LinkedIn

Helen and Jan took a day out of the office to meet with other CliftonStrengths coaches and Simon Hurry of Play Nicely to dive deeper into positive psychology and Simon’s deep thinking of how groups of CliftonStrengths are often found within one person.

Simon has framed these types into a 4×4 matrix that shape how we show up: as Guardians, Change Managers, Change Agents, and Reformers. We’re looking forward to exploring his methodology in 2025 and bringing our insights to our workshops and teams very soon. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, call for a chat.

Katalytik is excited to be the training provider for the Electric Dreams project – celebrating the innovation and passions of women from 1924 who set up the Electrical Association of Women to “free them from domestic drudgery”. And asking people to think forwards to 2054. Part of this years Ingenious fund, we are providing the training and faciliation of the project.

Funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Project Jan is excited to be the training facilitator.

Strengths Jam – 4th December 11am

A Strengths Jam Christmas Party 😊

Let’s reflect on great moments from 2024, What strengths were you using, and why are these such powerful memories? How can we bring this into the Christmas period and 2025? In true party style, you all leave with an e gift from us at Katalytik

Join us by registering here

This month’s strengths blog

The CliftonStrength Competition® is a gift in many settings. It brings an energy and push to be first. Appreciating that others are not motivated by being first, or winning at all costs, can seem surprising. Time to reflect and explore what their world is like can be an eye-opener into how you can be helpful partners.

This blog looks at the darker side of Competition and offers strategies for leveraging its power and learning how to let it be a help and not a hindrance to your success.

Read the blog

Competition blindspots

25th November 2024

Unveiling the Blindspots of the CliftonStrength Competition theme and ideas how to address them The CliftonStrengths Competition theme drives performance and excellence. However, even the most positive traits can have their blind spots. In this article, we delve into the potential pitfalls of the…

Communication – strengths or weakness?

5th November 2024

| News

Communication – a strength or weakness?

The CliftonStrengths Communication theme is a gift in many settings. But Communication can present challenges and have the opposite of the effect you expect and impact your connection to others. An integral part of our dark side blog series, we offer tips to build your strengths-based practice and live a strengths-based life.

Individuals with high Communication excel at finding the right words to express ideas vividly, share stories that stick, and engage audiences effectively. Yet, like all strengths, the Communication theme has potential blind spots—areas where over-reliance on or misapplication of this talent can lead to unintended consequences. Identifying and understanding these blind spots is vital if you are to make the most of this talent while staying grounded in authentic, constructive communication.

Understanding Communication as a Strength

Those high in Communication naturally think in words and enjoy describing, explaining, or “giving voice” to things. They typically value clarity and prefer to express themselves in a way that’s accessible to others. They also bring energy to group settings and often encourage team discussion by turning complex ideas into relatable, easily digestible messages. People with this theme can:

inspire,
motivate,
entertain, and
clarify

However, for all its potential, this talent can have limitations when not applied with balance.

Key Blind Spots of the Communication Strength

1. Talking More Than Listening

One of the most common blind spots for people with Communication is a tendency to talk more than listen. Because they’re naturally inclined to share their thoughts and elaborate on topics, they may unconsciously dominate conversations, leaving others feeling unheard. This can become a particular challenge in team environments, where shared input and collaboration are essential. Overuse of verbal expression may unintentionally crowd out other voices, which can impact trust and openness.

One of the most common blind spots for people with Communication is a tendency to talk more than listen

Overcoming This Blind Spot:
Actively practice pausing and inviting others to share your perspectives. (A must-read for you is Deep Listening by Oscar Trimboli.) Setting an intention to listen first before speaking helps balance (or, in fact, makes the conversation two-way!!) the dialogue. Inviting feedback from colleagues or friends helps you gain insight into how others perceive their own listening skills. Pausing to acknowledge others’ contributions can go a long way in building strong, trusting relationships.

2. Over-Reliance on Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool, and people with high Communication naturally leverage stories to make their points memorable and impactful. However, there’s a fine line between insightful storytelling and overwhelming others with anecdotes. If overused, storytelling can dilute the focus of a conversation, particularly in situations where a concise, straightforward answer is more appropriate. Too many stories can feel like too much embellishment and your listeners’ may lose focus or even question your credibility.

Overcoming This Blind Spot:
Learning to assess when a story is relevant to the conversation—and when it’s not—is key. Before sharing a story, pause and consider if it adds value to the topic at hand. Setting the stage for storytelling by briefly stating the main point can also help you keep the narrative concise and impactful, rather than straying into unrelated details. Asking yourself, “Is this story helping clarify the message or adding noise?” – a tip I find acts as a helpful guide.

One of the most common blind spots for people with Communication is a tendency to talk more than listen

3. Preference for Verbal Communication Over Written Communication

Talking comes naturally. Writing, however, may not always be your preferred medium, and you might struggle with long, structured written tasks that require a different level of focus. The verbal fluency that Communication talent holders exhibit doesn’t always translate seamlessly to writing, which may require precision, structure, and brevity. In workplaces or situations where clear documentation is crucial, this preference can become a limitation.

Overcoming This Blind Spot:
Practice organizing your ideas before writing, just as you would outline a story before telling it. Taking the time to develop written structure and tone can improve clarity and ensure that your message comes across as intended. Additionally, using tools like bullet points and summaries helps break down complex messages for clarity, a technique to build into your routine to strengthen your communication talent.

4. Difficulty Handling Ambiguity or Silence

Are you uncomfortable with ambiguity or silence in conversations? You may feel the need to fill the space with words, even when the situation might call for reflection or quiet. This tendency can sometimes lead to saying things without full consideration, potentially resulting in miscommunication. Inadvertently, you may also push others into feeling rushed or pressured to speak before they’re ready, which can hinder genuine sharing and problem-solving.

Overcoming This Blind Spot:
Practicing being comfortable with silence and learning to read the room are valuable skills to nurture. Always seek to remind yourself that pauses allow others time to process information, and this can lead to more thoughtful responses. Developing patience with moments of silence can also deepen interpersonal connections, as it shows openness to listening and understanding at a deeper level. Again, refer to Oscar Trimboli.

5. Appearing Superficial or Lacking Depth

Your ability to convey ideas in simple terms, because of your Communication talent means you may be perceived as being superficial. While you can make complex ideas seem easy to understand, this tendency can sometimes come across as lacking depth, especially when discussing intricate or nuanced subjects. This perception can impact your credibility, which is a great reason to stay tuned in to it especially in professional settings where expertise and detailed understanding are valued.

Overcoming This Blind Spot:
Being able to show the depth behind your ideas will help. Be ready to share additional information or acknowledge complexities that may not be fully covered in a quick summary. This can divert potential criticisms, encourage or deflect alternative perspectives to show that you’ve considered multiple sides of the topic. Asking for others’ viewpoints can also demonstrate that you value depth and are open to richer discussions.

6. Overwhelming Others with Information

Communication-oriented individuals often possess a wealth of information on various topics, which they’re eager to share. The risk of overwhelming others with excessive detail, especially if you are inclined to go off on tangents or over-explain can cause confusion, fatigue, and even frustration in listeners, particularly in fast-paced or high-stakes situations.

Overcoming This Blind Spot:
The key here is to focus on delivering information that’s relevant and concise. Practicing the art of summarization can be helpful. Always keep an eye on what the main takeaway should be and limit your message to that core point. By practicing brevity and learning to “edit” your verbal contributions, you can keep conversations productive and engaging. Some may enjoy the art of graphic recording.

Communication-oriented individuals often possess a wealth of information on various topics, which they’re eager to share.

Final Thoughts

Awareness of these blind spots allows individuals with the Communication strength to become more intentional and self-aware in their interactions. Communication is a powerful tool, but like all strengths, it’s most effective when balanced with listening, adaptability, and sensitivity to others. By developing these skills, people high in Communication can maximize their impact, create authentic connections, and truly elevate their message.

Six quick tips to stop over communicating

Action to Balance Talking with Listening

Practice Active Listening Techniques:

Start conversations by asking a question and waiting to respond until the other person finishes sharing.
Use reflective listening by summarizing what you heard before adding your thoughts. This reinforces listening and helps others feel valued.

Quick Tip: Set a timer for 1-2 minutes and let others share without interrupting. Aim to listen fully before responding.

Action to Focus Storytelling

Consider the Purpose of Your Story:

Before sharing an anecdote, ask yourself, “How does this story add to my main message?”
Practice telling stories with a time limit (e.g., 2 minutes) to hone concise storytelling skills. Aim to deliver only the most relevant details.

Quick Tip: Try to finish your story with a direct takeaway or insight, connecting it back to the topic at hand.

Action to Strengthen Written Communication

Practice Outlining Before Writing:

Before you begin writing, jot down a few bullet points to structure your thoughts. This will help you stay focused on the main points and maintain clarity.
Use editing tools (e.g., Grammarly, Hemingway) to refine your writing for brevity and readability.

Quick Tip: Write a short summary or “headline” for your written message first. This can serve as a guide for keeping your message on track.

Action to Embrace Silence in Conversations

Count to Three Before Responding:

After someone else speaks, pause and count to three before responding. This gives others a moment to add more thoughts and prevents you from filling the silence too quickly.
Practice mindfulness or breathing exercises before meetings to develop comfort with pauses and reflective moments.

Quick Tip: During team discussions, remind yourself that silence is an opportunity for deeper reflection and that you don’t need to fill every pause.

Action to Show Depth and Credibility

Prepare Key Facts or Data Points:

Before important meetings or discussions, come prepared with a few well-researched data points or examples to support your main points. This can help you convey credibility and depth.
When sharing ideas, add a brief mention of any sources or prior experiences that back your perspective.

Quick Tip: Think about adding one “supporting detail” for each main point you make to show depth without overwhelming others.

Action to Avoid Overloading Others with Information

Practice the Rule of Three:

Aim to share no more than three main points or pieces of information at a time. This can prevent your message from becoming overly detailed or complex.
Practice summarizing complex ideas into one or two sentences first, and save extra details for when they’re requested.

Quick Tip: End with a question like, “Would you like to hear more about that?” to let others decide if they want further detail.

Strengths Jam CliftonStrengths Partnership Pairs

25th September 2024

| Strengths, What We Do

Navigating strengths: Communication and Learner in the workplace Our monthly Strengths Jams are now in the fifth year and provide space for us to connect in a friendly space with people from our workshops, exploring strengths, chatting over challenges and enriching conversations from our…