What Makes You Unique and Special? Map Your Strengths

by P. Mike Taylor
(Spokane, WA, USA)

In this economic turmoil, who has not been challenged? Mind mappers already have discovered a powerful communication tool. Using it to graphically and creatively convey the essence of their personal best strengths is the key to being visualized as different.

In my 40 year experience with people and companies, two of the best new practices to emerge are Mind Mapping; and, Strengths Based Leadership. Having successfully founded and developed more than a dozen enterprises; and, being a life long student of leadership; these stand out as absolute best-practice concepts.

The Gallup Corporation (world class polling) developed the concept that people are much better at improving strengths than overcoming weaknesses. They developed a method of discovering strengths (talents that can be put to useful purpose)by a fun, easy, 'first impressions' test in Tom Rath's StrengthsFinder 2.0. The results come back in an on-line report. Great descriptions and very reliable personal strengths in the arenas of Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Influencing; and, Achieving. These are talents that others can rely upon from you, because the sum of your genetic and personal experience make you that way.

How to dynamically convey that to others is the challenge. WWW.StrengthsMapper.com is the tool. Input your Top 5 Strengths; and, it provides you a basic mind map of your strengths with descriptions; and, a Personal Action Plan you can use to further develop and enhance your best talents. It also is terrific to provide for a personalized poster to share with key people in your life.

I have also developed a team builder program in StrengthsMapper Pro that lets team leader either assess their team for their top 5 skills; and, how best to use them; or, to actually assemble teams based upon the skills most likely to succeed. Pretty nifty and intuitive. A Boeing Executive used this daily to effectively assemble teams for their larger projects.

Regardless, just consider how to differentiate yourself in the most useful manner to key people in your life. An honest and creative description helps them make the right choice is picking you for that exciting assignment. Try it. You already have the skills, you just need to communicate them in the most effective way.