When it comes to teamwork and leadership, there are plenty of test, quizzes and diagnostic tools that help you get to know yourself better, discover what strengths you have as a team member and/or leader. And knowing yourself is a very important asset today both in a professional and personal level.
As part of the MDes06 course at Ravensbourne, we have tried two diagnostic tools. The The VIA Character Strengths Survey and the Me in the World - My Changemaker 'Stick Person'.
I took the VIA Character Strengths Survey at the beginning of the school year and recently, six months apart. The Survey identified and ranked my character strengths and ranked them according to their importance to me at the time of taking of the survey.
Character Strengths are the positive parts of your personality that impact how you think, feel and behave. Scientists have identified 24 character strengths that you have the capacity to express. By taking the VIA Survey you will discover your unique profile of strengths. Knowing and applying your highest character strengths is the key to you being your best self.
The results of the first survey The results of the second survey
Love of learning Love of learning
Appreciation of excellence and beauty Appreciation of excellence and beauty
Gratitude Judgement
Surprisingly, the results of the two tests matched by 2/3. I questioned whether this meant if I did not change as a person in the six months between the two tests. It might be the case, but it might also mean that the two top skills are really the core of my personality. Funnily enough, the last character strength in the ranking was and remained the same - humility. While the test results are organised to show to top character strengths, I think it is important to look at the results at the bottom of the list and ask yourself if any of those characteristics should be trained and enhanced to help with any difficulties one might experience at the moment.
Another tool used to diagnose yourself in terms of your character was the Changemaker 'Stick Person' exercise, which makes you examine the goals and resourced you have as a person and, potentially, leader such as:
1. What institutions am I part of?
2. What are my ambitions? What do I want to achieve?
3. What concerns me? What are my fears or worries about my community, society, the world?
4. What I am up to? What drives me? What am I angry about?
5. What are my key relationships in work and life?
6. What are my defining moments?
7. Who are the people who have shaped my values?
8. What do I spend my time, energy & money on?
To me, this exercise was about checking whether the goals I set for myself were actually the things I spent my resources (time, money and energy) on. I discovered that I had spent a lot of resources on the activities that meant little a lot to me but were not helping me to progress in my big goals.
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