This story appeared on Forbes.com
If you work with high-powered business types—or happen to be one yourself—you may have overheard the buzzy term “strengths coach” pop up in conversations.
If it sounds like some sort of secret weapon executives use to get ahead in their careers, that’s actually not too far from the truth.
Strengths coaches can help you climb the career ladder, but they don’t just focus on guiding those gunning for the C-suite.
A strengths coach is a type of career coach who works with clients using a tool known as the StrengthsFinder, an online assessment developed by Gallup that’s often paired with its best-selling book.
The StrengthsFinder helps people pinpoint where their natural gifts and tendencies lie, which Gallup categorizes into 34 “talent themes.”
For example, if your strongest theme is “activator,” it means you waste no time getting things done. Or perhaps you’re more “woo”—someone who likes to win over new people and build personal connections.
Who Could Benefit From a 1:1 With a Strengths Coach
This form of coaching could work for pretty much anyone who wants to get more insight about themselves, but there are a few situations in which it could be especially helpful.
Here’s a big one: You’re constantly butting heads with someone at work—which could be a result of having vastly different talent themes.
For instance, an activator, who is quick to make decisions, may clash with someone who is deliberative, which describes someone who takes more care in making decisions.
Another reason you may need a strengths boost? You’re feeling dragged down by negative feedback from your supervisor.
A strengths coach can guide you to leverage your strengths and find roles that highlight your abilities.
How to Prep for Your Session
Sound enticing? Don’t book that appointment until you’ve actually taken the StrengthsFinder because you’ll need to know your talents before meeting with a strengths coach.
Each item in the assessment presents two different statements (e.g., “I can get other people excited” versus “I can calm others down”) and asks you to select along a spectrum which statement best describes you. The resulting report gives you a personalized description of your top themes and talents.
Embracing your natural talents will also be beneficial when it’s time to pick your strengths coach—you may decide you want to find someone with themes that you can relate to, or that complement yours.
What to Expect From Your Strengths Coach
There are three main parts to a strengths coaching model.
The first is awareness, or understanding what your specific themes are; the second is application, or how to intentionally apply your theme in real settings. And the third is achievement—setting a challenge or goal that you set out to achieve for yourself.
The first session will probably be pretty similar from coach to coach and client to client. If your coach is nearby, the session could be in person, but many coaches are also willing to work via Skype.
The strengths coach will walk you through each of your top themes and explain them more thoroughly.
After that, the direction of subsequent sessions will depend on what you’re trying to accomplish. You might identify specific goals—like learning to get along with coworkers or exploring a wholesale career change—and start devising a plan with your coach on how to apply your talents to reach them.
You could also set up an arrangement where you check in with your strengths coach once a month or once a quarter—or, after a few initial sessions, come back to your coach ad hoc whenever you have a new challenge or goal you want to work on.
What Success Looks Like
So how do you know when your coach’s services are no longer needed? In a nutshell, it’s when you think your talents have evolved into strengths.
Another telltale sign? You’ve fully embraced your talents and have stopped fixating on your weaknesses.
Eager to set up a strengths session of your own? Check out Gallup’s Certified Coaches Directory, which you can search by name or location.