Diana D. Williams
Hi. Thanks for stopping by my personal site.
This site is my way of telling visitors who I am and what I’m about. I could just describe myself as a “Learning Coach and Knowledge worker,” which is true; but that might generate more questions than answers; right? That’s why I’ve created this site.
I hope you find it somewhat interesting and perhaps informative. Most of all though, I hope you have a better idea of who I am.
“When we Learn Better, We Do Better” Coach DianaD., 2019).
I decided to begin my tour with my top 3 GALLUP Strengths, because I’ve found the GALLUP Strengths to be extremely accurate revealing about individual uniqueness — at least in my case.
MY TOP 3 GALLUP STRENGTHS
My number one talent (strength) is called “Individualization.” Being my top strength means that this is a huge part of who I am. So check it out!
#1 Individualization
It’s a big word that refers to someone who is fascinated by the individual uniqueness of each person (which is sooooo me!). When the person with this talent interacts with others, they hear and discern things that others may not; like the real person on the inside.
We are people persons. We tend to get along well with others because we understand them in unique and personal ways.
You might be thinking, how does this play out in the real world? Why is this a talent? That’s a great question!
This talent not only enables you to interact effectively with others, but it also empowers you to build good teams and work well with groups.
As I look back, it explains why I had such good success as a supervisor at a residential facility where I worked, and we had people from all walks of life, ages, and cultural backgrounds. As I got to know each person, I understood how they wanted to be talked to, what tasks they preferred being assigned to. In exchange for my respecting their uniqueness, they became great teammates for me and much more flexible. I even saw a decrease in turnover.
Knowing and working with your strengths, helps you be more effective.
#2 Input
My #2 Talent is called “input, ” a talent where people collect things. When I first read that, I thought maybe I was a hoarder (lol).
But it actually refers to someone like me, who is extremely inquisitive about certain things, and we habitually collect things about those interests. For me, I am obsessed with organizational dynamics which involve people, so I collect tons of research about things like culture, behavior, talent, leadership, teams, etc.
What about the practical benefits of Input? I think it has to do with the quality of materials in my collections. If I’m working on a project , I just go to my large library with hundreds of books, and I usually find exactly what I need. My library supports my interests.
Input may also be about the quality of knowledge — at least for me. We’re living in what’s called “The Knowledge Era,” where there’s an abundance of available information and knowledge. The problem is, not all knowledge is equal.
The resources I collect and use to solve problems, are typically from the academic and business worlds, or those based on sound scientific research — which makes this knowledge priceless in this age of fake news, and where everybody’s got an opinion. Sometimes we don’t need an opinion, we simply need to know the facts.
#3 Futuristic
My third strength is called “Futuristic,” which means pretty much what it sounds like; I am absolutely fascinated by the future and what it can be — especially when it involves my passions, e.g., people and organizations.
I see the vision and dream dreams, and my Individualism talent shows me who fits in where, and my Input talent provides the sound research to make it happen.
The Futurist is the intrapreneur, or the person who sees the next S-Curve for the company, and who has the vision to motivate the right strategic move.
Final Thoughts . . . We call them Natural Strengths because these are things we just do, and things we do well. The reality is, they are actually talents that are only multiplied and become true strengths, when the possessors add relevant experience and knowledge to the equation (Rath, 2007). Even natural strengths must be developed. But when they do, they have the power to create the synergy one sees in a championship game or a great symphony orchestra (Senge, 1990).