Knowing your strengths

Most entrepreneurs don't do '100 questions that reveal your career' kind of stuff before they start their own businesses. Usually it is a gut thing, probably a cocktail of nature, nurture, social trends and/or college buddies that bubbles up and gets you drunk on the startup allure. But there are times that you sometimes wonder if you're in the right line of work. And of course, those times are pretty much only when things are a little bumpy - introspection is a four-syllable word that's mostly forgotten when life's a beach.

So, I wasn't introspecting per se (I know I'm doing what I care about, in spite of the occasional bumps), but a friend of mine was eager to share her experience with others and got me to take the Strengths Finder quiz. This test (available online at www.strengthsfinder.com) is built on the theory that you're better off knowing your strengths and building on them, instead of trying to fix your weakness (you take care of those by partnering with those with complementary strengths). Sounds reasonable, and I was willing to do the test to find out what my strong points were while I was desultorily watching TV one night (a rerun of Torchwood, a campy, over-the-top Brit X-files clone) . It was fast, easy, and I found my strengths, but also something that I didn't expect. I found out that I am exactly where I should be - doing a startup. It was so spot-on that it seemed like I somehow gamed the test, though I know I couldn't have as I was on a tear to get it done in the shortest possible time. Looks like there's some substance to this quiz after all.

Anyway, it came back with the five top 'themes' for me: strategic, futurist, connectedness, ideation (creative word-making here), activator. I was thrilled to find it sort of boils down to what I'd decided was important to me as I'd written in my previous post many months ago: create, connect, care. If you're ever inclined to find out more about yourself, I'd recommend giving this a try (as my friend did to me). It may tell you what you already know, or it might point out new directions to consider. Doesn't hurt, and may actually help, or at least give you fodder for discussion with your cohorts. Validation of my career choice is very satisfying. Now to get the same for the product and market....