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Gallup CliftonStrengths

CliftonStrengths is an online assessment tool used to discover and develop your greatest talents. Operated by Gallup, the well-known global analytics and advice firm, this 177-question assessment measures your natural patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving and categorizes them into the 34 CliftonStrengths themes.

Thank you for visiting and your interest in CliftonStrengths at NC State. As we work to build out this site, please contact Adam Culley (alculley@ncsu.edu) with any questions.

CliftonStrengths

“What will happen when we think about what is right with people rather than fixating on what is wrong with them?”
– Don Clifton | 1924-2003

Our office, along with multiple other units on campus, uses CliftonStrengths as a tool to complement many of our programs, giving us a common language to help students and others better understand themselves and maximize their potential.

Student Resources

talent x investment = strength

Weekly Opportunity to Dive Deeper in to all 34 CliftonStrengths Themes

Imagine a space where you are celebrated and appreciated for those unique talents that you bring to the table. Now, imagine that you can recognize unique talents in others.

Nourishing Greatness is a weekly opportunity to focus on the 34 CliftonStrengths. These are not workshops or presentations, they are engaging conversations with others to learn about your strengths and that of others.

What are the unique characteristics of each of them, and how do they interact and show up for those who claim these Strengths? How can we utilize the Strengths in ourselves and others to thrive academically, professionally, and personally?

We invite you to join CliftonStrengths coaches and enthusiasts each week throughout the fall semester as we dive deeper into the 34 Strengths. All are welcome!

DateTime Theme 1Theme 2Theme 3Add to Calendar
September 412-1 p.m. ZoomAchiever
Achiever – 1 Minute Video
Significance
Significance – 1 Minute Video
Responsibility
Responsibility – 1 Minute Video
September 1112-1 p.m. ZoomActivator
Activator – 1 Minute Video
Strategic
Strategic – 1 Minute Video
Focus
Focus – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
September 1812-1 p.m. ZoomAdaptability
Adaptability – 1 Minute Video
Empathy
Empathy – 1 Minute Video
Positivity
Positivity – 1 Minute Video
November 20
September 2512-1 p.m. ZoomAnalytical
Analytical – 1 Minute Video
Arranger
Arranger – 1 Minute Video
Connectedness
Connectedness – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
October 212-1 p.m. ZoomIntellection
Intellection – 1 Minute Video
Learner
Learner – 1 Minute Video
Input
Input – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
October 912-1 p.m. ZoomBelief
Belief – 1 Minute Video
Developer
Developer – 1 Minute Video
Context
Context – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
October 1612-1 p.m. ZoomCommand
Command – 1 Minute Video
Self-Assurance
Self-Assurance – 1 Minute Video
Discipline
Discipline – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
October 2312-1 p.m. ZoomCommunication
Communication – 1 Minute Video
WOO
WOO – 1 Minute Video
Relator
Relator – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
October 3012-1 p.m. ZoomCompetition
Competition – 1 Minute Video
Maximizer
Maximizer – 1 Minute Video
Deliberative
Deliberative – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
November 612-1 p.m. ZoomFuturistic
Futuristic – 1 Minute Video
Ideation
Ideation – 1 Minute Video
Restorative
Restorative – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
November 1312-1 p.m. ZoomConsistency
Consistency – 1 Minute Video
Harmony
Harmony – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar
Nobember 2012-1 p.m. ZoomIndividualization
Individualization – 1 Minute Video
Includer
Includer – 1 Minute Video
Add to Calendar

For Advisors and those who work closely with students

Building Strengths-Based Teams

If you are a student organization, executive board, student affairs/academic department (or any team), these are additional activities and conversations you can request to go deeper into CliftonStrengths. It will be important to have a good foundation and understanding of CliftonStrengths before requesting.

A team’s success ultimately depends on its ability to perform and achieve its goals. Some teams function efficiently, while others require coaching. Your success as a manager, team leader or team strengths coach depends on how you move the team toward improved outcomes and performance.

When team members are aware of one another’s talents, they are more likely to understand how each person naturally thinks, feels and acts. This awareness helps the team navigate issues. Team members realize how the team can best work together to accomplish its goals and performance objectives.

Using the common language of CliftonStrengths changes a team’s conversations, helping team members communicate and collaborate more effectively. Using strengths language creates a positive dialogue that boosts the team’s engagement and performance.

Contact Adam Culley (alculley@ncsu.edu) with any questions and we can connect you with a coach for further conversation. Request Form coming soon!

30-45 minutes

The purpose of this conversation is to get team members to think about what they do well and how they use their strengths to be successful.

You can also use this when discussing the difference between a strengths-based approach to development and the conventional weakness-fixing approach to development.

30-45 minutes

A picture is worth a thousand words. The purpose of this activity is to help team members learn how to appreciate applying their top themes in the real world.

Team members select an image that best represents how they use their dominant themes to create meaningful outcomes in their role

30-45 minutes

This activity will help you discuss important characteristics of partnerships by exploring effective partnerships. Partnerships form for various reasons such as to:

  1. Make up for a lesser talent. For example, people with lesser talents in the Strategic theme could partner with someone with higher talent in this area when creating a strategy for achieving a specific objective on a short timeline. In this way, one person makes the most of the other’s talents to accomplish the objective.
  2. Take over where one person leaves off. For example, in a car dealership, one person will help you decide which car to buy, and another person will write up the purchase agreement. Both people contribute something unique and important to the purchase of your car.
  3. Enhance what one person already possesses. For example, a person high in Focus could partner with someone high in Achiever when it is crunch time on a specific project. In doing so, both people bring the best of who they are, and the results can be extraordinary.

30-45 minutes

We know that successful partnerships draw out the best in both people. The purpose of this coaching activity is to have partners consider how they are similar and different and how their top five themes complement each other.

The best partnerships happen when two people join forces and focus on a single goal. They accomplish together what they could not do separately. This type of collaboration is more than doubling up — it is understanding each person’s talents and strengths and recognizing how to join forces to get better results. For example:

  • People with dominant Communication talents can help you connect with others in meaningful ways.
  • People with dominant Individualization talents can help you customize your approach to others’ needs.

45-60 minutes

The purpose of this coaching activity is to help team members identify positive aspects of past team experiences. By looking at past experiences, team members can more effectively determine how their current team can expand its partnerships both within the team and throughout the rest of the organization.

The easiest way to talk about how to expand partnerships and teamwork is to first focus on what individuals want, need and expect from others when they start a partnership and become part of a team.

30-45 minutes

The purpose of this activity is for team members to reflect on what the Team Strengths Grid says about their team and how they work together to get work done.

There is not a perfect combination of themes. Strong, successful teams come in all shapes and sizes. Every team has strengths and gaps. The challenge is to use the strengths of the team to achieve the objectives the team must accomplish.

30-45 minutes

The purpose of this activity is for team members to reflect on what the Team Strengths Grid says about their team and how they work together to get work done.

There is not a perfect combination of themes. Strong, successful teams come in all shapes and sizes. Every team has strengths and gaps. The challenge is to use the strengths of the team to achieve the objectives the team must accomplish.

60-90 minutes

A strengths-based team is an interdependent group of imperfect but talented contributors valued for their strengths, and who need one another to realize individual and team excellence.

This model will help bring this definition to life and encourage discussion. Use this model to gain insights into the team and to enhance team effectiveness.

Common Purpose: Do we have a clear and compelling performance goal?

Connection: How do we stay connected with one another and other parts of the organization?

Communication: What is our communication structure and style?

Collaboration: How do we collaborate with people on our team and with others in the organization?

Celebration: What do we celebrate, and how do we celebrate?

45-90 minutes

Communication is the most important part of building a strengths-based team. The purpose of this activity is to encourage thoughtful discussion, comments, observations and questions about team dynamics.

45-90 minutes

Complementary partnering means combining team members’ strengths to achieve a goal. This interactive activity will help team members think about complementary partnerships as they consider their talents, barriers to overcome and contributions to the team.

60-90 Minutes

The purpose of this coaching activity is to help the team brainstorm ideas about using their strengths at work to achieve a performance goal.

Certified Coaches on Campus

Name/Email:Department:Focus Area:Top 5 ClftonStrengths
Adam CulleyStudent Leadership and EngagementStudents, Faculty, Staff – Individual Coaching, Team DevelopmentEmpathy, Harmony, Developer, Belief, Adaptability
Alicia LecceardoneWilson College of TextilesStudents, Faculty, Staff – Individual Coaching, Team DevelopmentStrategic, Ideation, Relator, Input, Achiever
Alyssa DegreeniaCALS – Agricultural InstituteStudents and open to allIncluder, Positivity, Developer, Woo, Belief
Beth BuckDASA HRFaculty, Staff, Students, Teams – openInput, Learner, Positivity, Woo, Communication
Bryan BottsUniversity HousingOpen to allAchiever, Realtor, Restorative, Learner, Self-Assurance
Darrius BarrowStudent Leadership and EngagementOpen to allStrategic, Ideation, Belief, Competition, Focus
Erin ChampionCNR/FERFaculty, Staff and Students – Individual CoachingRestorative, Input, Relator, Empathy, Achiever
Jennifer McLambPoole College of ManagementOpen to all possibilities – love to co-presentWOO, Communication, Adaptability, Maximizer, Positivity
Tiffany McLeanShelton Leadership CenterTeam Workshops Focused on Building Greater Trust and Collaboration, Student Professional DevelopmentStrategic, Communication, Woo, Achiever, Activator
Jordan McMicanCNR Advising CoordinatorOpen to allIdeation, Futuristic, Strategic, Restorative, Competition
Kimberly AllenCALS – Academic ProgramsI’m open and have a coaching psychology background.Strategic, Maximizer, Input, Ideation, Woo
Nikki KurdysCALSAnyoneRelator, Strategic, Adaptability, Activator, Responsibility
Nikki PriceCollege of SciencesStudents, Faculty, Staff – Individual Coaching, Team DevelopmentDiscipline, Developer, Empathy, Harmony, Connectedness
Rebecca DunningCALS Academic ProgramsGraduate students in CALSIndividualization, learner, strategic, analytical, achiever
Rebecca ZuvichCALSAnyone – totally open / flexibleConnectedness, Individualization, Strategic, Ideation, Arranger
Robin ClementsCALS (ARE)AnyoneHarmony, Discipline, Consistency, Learner, Significance
Sheri RennoCollege of Vet MedOpen to allResponsibility, Positivity, Individualization, Arranger, Positivity

Common Experience: New Students

NC State University operates a Common Experience among all new students each year. CliftonStrengths is the Common Experience for 2022-2023, and we are excited that students will continue to have access to this assessment tool! The New Student Programs website contains more information about the Common Experience, including workshops, videos, and more information about the assessment.

Questions regarding Gallup CliftonStrengths?

If you have any questions regarding Gallup CliftonStrengths, please use the contact below.