A guide to understanding Achievers
Understand your CliftonStengths (StrengthsFinder) Talent Themes over the next few weeks. We are going to deconstruct each talent theme and give you insights into what each of these talent themes is about.
This week, we will be looking at the talent theme of Achiever. You may either have the Achiever talent theme or you know someone with the talent theme of Achiever.
The Gallup Organization defines Achievers as people exceptionally talented in the Achiever theme work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive.
The Power of Achiever
For Achievers, the way they think, feel and behave is all driven towards getting things done. Achievers are hardworking in nature. They bring a lot of drive and energy to organizations, teams and even relationships due to their constant need for accomplishment.
At the end of the day, they must achieve something tangible for them to feel a sense of fulfillment. Achievers will be dissatisfied if they do not achieve anything within the day.
Completing a task, motivates them to move on to the next task. They are constantly trying to get things done that they can work long hours without burning out.
Achiever Loves
Achievers love completing tasks. There is an internal fire burning in them that pushes them to do more and achieve more.
Most achievers love creating to-do list; whether it’s physical or mental checklist. The to-do list helps them prioritize and keep track of the different tasks they need to complete. Nothing is more satisfying than striking off a task that they have completed on their to-do list.
Achiever Hates
Achievers hate it when the course or the direction of the project is constantly changing. And they hate it more if it prevents them from getting things done!
It can be extremely frustrating for them when they must restart the things that they are already working on or things that have already been completed.
Achievers pride themselves on determination and efficiency so it can be frustrating to them when others show a lack of diligence towards a certain work or task.
Achiever’s Basement Behaviours
When Achievers push their talent too hard, the experience for others can be severe and worrying.
Here are 3 negative behaviours of Achievers: –
- Work is more important than people – Achievers might be too focused on getting the work done that they become ignorant or disregard the feeling of others.
- “Slave drivers” – Achievers can be seen as “slave drivers” because they will push others to get things done for them or with them.
- Busy for the sake of being busy – They are never contented when they get things done because they are always moving on to the next task. They can be seen as tiresome to others because they are constantly in ‘doing’ mode in every direction.
Achiever’s Best Contributions
Achievers are regarded as the motor engine of the team because they set the pace and define the level of productivity within the team. They can help push the team towards effectiveness and efficiency because they are always striving towards productivity and achievement.
As most Achievers love setting to-do list and goals, they naturally are able to deconstruct big picture chaos into steps and action point for the team to work towards and accomplish.
Achievers set daily and future goals. The daily goals are often aligned with the future goals. The daily goals are used to help the team keep track of their progress whereas the future goals ensure that the team are always in motion and going in the right direction.
And they can motivate the team towards achieving greater results and achieving excellence!
StrengthsAsia has helped many individual and corporate clients all throughout the region in identifying and maximizing their talents, in driving engagement and increasing motivation in their work and life.
If you want to learn more about the 34 talent themes or discover how you can apply your talent themes in the areas of your work and your life, feel free to reach out to us here.
Dina is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach at StrengthsAsia. She is one of the principal architect and designer of StrengthsAsia’s wildly successful Strengths Engagement Programs. She is passionate about bringing strengths to the education sector, in helping educators and student leaders discover their natural talents, passions, interests, and building ‘strong’ foundations to do what they do best every day.