Really though, should I go with Clifton StrengthsFinder or the EP10 Strengths Assessment??

That’s a question I have been asked as a trained coach.  As the strengths movement grows, often questions do as well.  The good news is that the answer is actually very simple.  The answer is in the differences between the two assessments.

Clifton StrengthsFinder (CSF) assesses the intensity of 34 themes of talent.  Everyone has varying degrees of all 34 talents.  Clifton StrengthsFinder assesses each person against their own talent and expresses how and why you do the things you do in everyday life.

EP10 (Entrepreneurial Profile 10) is an altogether different assessment.  It assesses the individual against a control group of highly successful entrepreneurs in their “roles” of starting and/or growing a business.  EP10 expresses what strengths an entrepreneur uses to accomplish business objectives and address challenges.

For more on the differences between the two, read on…..

Discovering The REAL You

Clifton StrengthsFinder is an assessment backed by 70 years of research which began in the 1940’s when Donald Clifton, now known as the “Father of Strengths” first noticed the unique ways people got things done.  After returning from WWII where Clifton saw devastating death and destruction, he vowed to spend the remainder of his life doing something to bring goodness to the world.

Clifton’s research lead him to see differences that made people stronger when those differences were discovered, embraced and then directed toward meaningful outcomes.

Don Clifton asked the question:

“What would happen when we think about what is right with people rather than fixating on what is wrong with them?”

 

Powerful questions like this one have lead to a strengths movement that spans the globe today with more than 15 million people having taken the CSF assessment.  Thousands of coaches have been trained and certified worldwide to help people bring to bear who they REALLY are.

 

So the results were,

Development and aiming of an individual’s unique strengths toward measurable improvement in performance.

CSF results are so accurate, they will cause you to ask the question, “How do you know me so well?” 

The insights report that a person receives along with their results is personalized to their unique talent mix.  The accuracy of the insights report is mind-blowing.

The possibility of any 2 people having the same top 5 strengths in the same order is 1 in 33 million; the same order of top 10 is 1 in 476 trillion; and the same order of all 34 is 1 in 295 nonillion.  Why am I telling you this?

We are all UNIQUELY created!

Strengths is a language with which to talk about ourselves.  It is a way to think of the unique dynamics in a person.  Self-discovery is the beginning of our journey to being the best version of ourselves.  When we bring our best self to our relationships, whether family, friends, or careers

the world can’t help but be a better place to live.

If you love the idea of starting and/or growing a business by creating business models to take innovative ideas to market, then you might be an entrepreneur.

Whether you are an innovator or entrepreneur in your career, you will benefit from knowing your Clifton Strengths.

BIG TAKEAWAY:

Clifton StrengthsFinder is the discovery of how and why we bring ourselves to every situation we encounter everyday.

Entrepreneurship is just one way we function in a business environment.

Discovering Your ROLE

The strengths an entrepreneur uses in the role of building business can be discovered by the EP10 assessment.

EP10 came to market in October of 2014 as “Entrepreneurial StrengthsFinder” after 5 years of studying 4000 highly successful entrepreneurs.  The study yielded the 10 behaviors of successful entrepreneurs.  These behaviors created energy that resulted in business growth.

Rarely are all 10 behaviors found to be intense in a single person.  Rather, they are found in the core leadership team of a successful business.

Partnering and team dynamic contribute to business success.  Even sole proprietors can and should build a strong team of partners through creative means.  EP10 can help to identify the talents present in a business team.

As a Gallup Strengths Coach I help teams evaluate to capitalize on their entrepreneurial strengths; then creatively address the areas of weakness. Gallup’s research found that if intensity was missing in any one theme in the core team of a business, growth was negatively impacted.

Currently the EP10 report ranks the order of the 10 talents as they are found in the person taking the assessment. It offers short definitions with action items for each of the 10 talents.  Then finally, it summarizes the style with which the person leads.  There are 3 styles: activation, relational, and strategic.

What the report does NOT tell you is whether or not you will have a successful business, or what kind of business you should have.  It also does NOT give the intensity of your talent.

This report is great in an academic environment and as a first step to discovery of the roles of an Entrepreneur.

“How do I know if I have intensity in my Entrepreneurial Talent?” you might ask.  

Gallup has created a Coach’s Insight Report that is available only to their Trained Entrepreneurial Strengths Coaches. 

It is a much deeper look into the intensity of the person’s talent scores, as well as, comparisons to the general population and top quartile entrepreneurs.  Working with a trained coach will help you to develop and direct your talent toward more successful business outcomes.

Another tool Gallup provides as an aide to the EP10 is a book that will launch third quarter 2017. The book will be a combination storytelling and text book style deeper dive into understanding the 10 behaviors of successful entrepreneurial business builders.  The book will contain a code to take the assessment.

Let’s wrap this up and bring it back down to the bottom line.

If you have a business or a business idea, EP10 is a great assessment for gaining insight into the innate talents you have to accomplish your business role.  Clifton StrengthsFinder will help you clarify and understand how you think and accomplish actions through the 34 themes of talent in every area of your life.

Now It’s Your Turn

You are ready to take action, but you are asking, “What should my first step be?”

Starting with CSF Assessment and a coaching appointment to read the results with a Gallup Certified CSF Coach is the best first step.

If you want to start or grow your business, and you have done CSF, then, the EP10 assessment and coaching to read the results with a Gallup Trained Entrepreneurial Strengths Coach is your best first step.

Business guru Peter Drucker said this:

“Most people think they know what they are good at.  They are usually wrong…And yet, a person can perform only from strength.”

KNOW your strengths, then go change the world!