Understanding Developer

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 Developer

While the Developer theme has many strengths, it also presents challenges that can lead to its “dark side”.  Common challenges are:

Over-investment in others

• Description: You may become overly invested in the growth of others, sometimes at the expense of your own needs and responsibilities.
• Impact: Burnout might be the end result if you fail to focus on personal goals and development.

Dependency creation

• Description: The constant support and guidance provided by you because of your Developer talent can create dependency among team members, hindering their ability to work independently.
• Impact: This can stifle the autonomy and confidence of team members, making them reliant on you for direction and support.

Neglecting performance metrics

• Description: your Developer talent may prioritize personal growth and development over performance metrics and outcomes.
• Impact: This can lead to a lack of accountability and a focus on development at the expense of achieving tangible results.

Difficulty in setting boundaries

• Description: When Developer is high in your profile you may struggle to set boundaries, leading to an imbalance between your supportive role and other responsibilities.
• Impact: This can result in an overwhelming workload and difficulty in managing time effectively.

Strategies to use the Developer theme effectively

To ensure that the Developer theme remains a strength for you rather than a hindrance, it’s important to recognize the challenges it can present so you have strategies in your toolkit to manage them. Here are some measures to consider, make efforts to notice if these are an issue for you, talk to your peers, family, manager or team:

1. Balance Investment in others with self-Care
   • Strategy: Ensure that the time and energy spent on developing others is balanced with personal self-care and development.
   • Implementation: Set aside dedicated time for personal growth activities and self-reflection to maintain a healthy balance.
2. Encourage independence
   • Strategy: Foster independence among team members by gradually reducing the level of support and guidance provided.
   • Implementation: Use coaching techniques that empower team members to make decisions and solve problems on their own.
3. Align development with performance metrics
   • Strategy: Integrate personal growth and development goals with performance metrics so you focus on yourself!
   • Implementation: Set clear, measurable goals that align personal development with organizational objectives and track progress regularly. This will transform your positionality at work.
4. Set clear boundaries
   • Strategy: Establish clear boundaries between playing a supportive role and other responsibilities to manage workload effectively. Notice these boundaries and be intentional about adjusting them
   • Implementation: Communicate boundaries with confidence and clarity to team members and prioritize tasks to ensure a balanced workload.

Understanding Deliberative 

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

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.