How To Apply CliftonStrengths Consistency At Work
StrengthsFinder Definition - Consistency
Often people will ask us, "What does it mean to have the Consistency Strength?" First, know that StrengthsFinder will help you figure out your potential. We call them natural talents or natural patterns. We know you're here because you want to turn them into superpowers in your career, so here's the gist: People exceptionally talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They crave stable routines and clear rules and procedures that everyone can follow. Here's the full list of CliftonStrengths definitions so you can check out your other talents as well.
Gallup®, Clifton StrengthsFinder®, StrengthsFinder®, and each of the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder theme names are trademarks of Gallup, Inc.
CliftonStrengths Consistency - Learn All About It
These 10-15 minute "Theme Overview" videos give you a peek into the awesomeness of your talent theme. They also explore the idea that talent themes represent potential, yet if they are not invested in, they might show up looking raw and unproductive at work.
These “Talent Deep Dive” videos explore the nuance of each talent theme. You’ll learn about its power and edge. You’ll consider potential blind spots. These are useful videos if you have this talent theme at the top of your list, or if you want to learn about a teammate who leads through Consistency.
These Career Branding links help you apply your talents to your career. They give you examples of things you might be known for to help your personal branding at work. They also offer some watch-outs to know what situations and cultures can zap your energy.
Your Strengths Will Strengthen Your Performance At Work
In the next section, you'll explore what fuels you up and what drains you. Just like gas (or petrol) in your car, you need to keep your personal tank full to be at your best. Each StrengthsFinder talent theme is energized and drained by different things. When you see the stick figure who looks strong, you can consider how these things fuel you up at work. They're your energy makers. When you see the stick figure who looks weak, consider if these things are draining you at work. They're your energy takers.
Yucks for CliftonStrengths Consistency
What's a Yuck?
It's a situation, condition, or behavior you might see at work that zaps your energy. Yucks are also things you see on your calendar or to-do list that make you think, "Yuck, if I never had to do that again I'd be thrilled."
Yuck Situations for Consistency
- Unnecessary customization when standardization would serve your team or customers better
- Seeing or experiencing unfair treatment
Yays for CliftonStrengths Consistency
What's a Yay?
It's a situation at work that boosts up your energy or makes you feel productive. Yays are also things you see on your calendar or to-do list that make you think, “Yay, fill my days with this."
Yay Situations for Consistency
- Increasing uniformity and equality
- Creating repeatable processes or standard operating procedures
How CliftonStrengths Consistency Can Be Perceived When Starved
What's a Starved Talent?
This section describes how you might be perceived when the shadow side of your talent is showing. It’s when you’re overusing, misapplying, or squashing one of your natural talents rather than turning it into a strength. We often see people starve, squash, or ignore their talent when they assume it is not valued in that role or company culture.
Perceptions of Starved Consistency
- Rules over results
- Tries to standardize art
- Squashes creativity
How CliftonStrengths Consistency Can Be Perceived When Fed
What's a Fed Talent?
This section describes how you might be perceived when the best version of you shows up at work. It’s when you’ve invested in your natural talents to mature them into strengths. You can feed your talent by considering “how” you approach each “what” on the job. When you apply your talents to productive outcomes, you’re feeding them.
Perceptions of Fed Consistency
- Creates predictability
- Focused on group needs
- Brings efficiency
Situations That Make CliftonStrengths Consistency Feel Insulted
What's An Insulted Talent?
Usually, talents get offended or insulted by other people who have natural preferences that are different from yours. It also happens if they fail to see their actions have an impact on someone else (you!). You can also insult your own talents if you have a "troublemaker strength" that speaks loudly and overpowers this one.
Things That Will Insult Consistency
- Break rules or shamelessly gloat about how guidelines do not or should not apply to you.
- Change for change's sake, or change and allow it to seem like a "flavor of the month" initiative.
Situations That Make CliftonStrengths Consistency Feel Honored
What's An Honored Talent?
Usually, talents feel honored when other people acknowledge your needs and potential contributions. Talents feel honored when someone “extends an olive branch” to help you work at your best. You can also honor your own talents by investing in them, by choosing work that naturally calls on them, or by applying your strengths to performance on the job.
Things That Will Honor Consistency
- Follow the standard operating procedures or established processes.
- Treat people fairly and equally.
Personal Brand - 'How' CliftonStrengths Consistency Operates At Work
Most people have a good handle on "What" they bring to the workplace. Resumes, CVs, and career development conversations are filled with lists of skills and job titles that show "what" you can do. Nearly everyone misses the "How".
Your Clifton StrengthsFinder talent themes help you communicate "How" you show up. It's how you think. It's how you feel. It's how you act. These are huge differences in each person that are differentiators on the job. Consider these adjectives you might want to consciously put into your personal branding efforts.
We recommend working a "How" description into the Summary section in your LinkedIn profile (if you don't yet use that section, don't worry, most people haven't paid attention to it until now). Of course, make up adjectives or phrases that describe you at your best. Try to avoid words like "motivated, self-starter" because they're so overused that you'll blend in with everyone else. Here are some ideas to spark your thinking:
- Policy-Maker
- Operations-Focused
- Rule Enforcer
- Even-Handed
- Compliant
- Fair
- Impartial
- Systematic
- Standardizer
- Practical
- Reliable
- Unbiased
- Justice-Maker
- Pragmatic
- Equitable
- Efficient
- Steady
- Guardian of Equality
- Egalitarian
- Promise Keeper
How To Invest In Your CliftonStrengths Consistency Talent On The Job
- Make a list of the rules of consistency by which you can live. These rules might be based upon certain values that you have, or upon certain policies that you consider “non-negotiables” within your organization. Counterintuitively, the more clear you are about these rules, the more comfortable you will be with individuality within these boundaries.
- Seek roles in which you can be a force for leveling the playing field. At work, or in your community, you can be a leader in helping provide disadvantaged people with the platform they need to show their true potential.
- Cultivate a reputation for pinpointing those who really deserve the credit. Ensure that respect is always given to those who truly performed the work. You can become known as the conscience of your organization.
- Find a role in which you can enforce compliance to a set of standards. Always be ready to challenge people who break the rules or “grease the wheels” to earn an unfair advantage for themselves.
- Partner with someone with a strong Maximizer or Individualization theme. This person can remind you when it is appropriate to accommodate individual differences.
- Keep your focus on performance. Occasionally, the Consistency theme might lead you to overemphasize how someone gets work done, and ignore what he or she gets done.
Tips For Managing Someone Who Leads Through The CliftonStrengths Consistency Talent
- When it comes time to recognize the team after the completion of a project, ask this person to pinpoint each person’s contribution. They will ensure that each person receives the accolades he or she truly deserves.
- When you need to put consistent practices in place, ask this person to help establish the routine ways of doing things for your organization.
- Be supportive of them during times of great change because they are most comfortable with predictable patterns that they know work well.
- When in an analytical role, ask this person to work on group data rather than individual data. They are likely to be more adept at discovering generalizations that can be made about the group rather than particulars about a certain individual.
- If as a manager you struggle with situations where rules must be applied equally and absolutely and no favoritism must be shown, ask this person to step in and deal with them. The explanations and justifications will come naturally to them.
- In those situations where it is necessary to treat diverse people equally, ask them to contribute to the development of the rules.
- They have a practical bent and thus will tend to prefer getting tasks accomplished and decisions made rather than more abstract work such as brainstorming or long-range planning.
What To Consider When Partnering With A Colleague Who Leads Through CliftonStrengths Consistency
- Ask this person to partner with you when you need to establish or enforce regulations, policies, procedures, or guidelines.
- When your team needs more fairness, a compliance officer, risk manager, quality assurance person, or referee, consider using this person’s talents.
- Call on them when you need to establish written procedures or training manuals that others can rely on.
Turn CliftonStrengths Consistency Into A Strength This Month By Making It Your Phone Lock Screen
Click on this thumbnail image of your StrengthsFinder talent theme to link to the full size image. Then save it to your phone or mobile device as your lock screen.
That way, you’ll be reminded of your plan to focus on that talent…oh…about 98 times per day when you unlock your phone. What a great way to keep your intention front-of-mind! This will help you remember to invest in this talent theme so you can take the untapped potential and turn the natural talent into a strength.
Who knew wallpaper images could be so valuable to your career?! Here are all of the lock screen images if you want to grab an image for a different CliftonStrengths talent.