Clifton Strength of the Month: Achiever
Achievers are the list-makers. They love to get stuff done and, typically, care about producing high-quality work.
What Achievers Bring:
Hard work, intensity, stamina
Diligence and follow-through
Willingness to go the extra mile
Goal-driven, focus on completion
What Achievers Need:
Goals to accomplish
A need to be busy
Clear measurements of success
Others to be hard working
What I See as a Coach
It may come as no surprise, but as a coach I see a lot of Achievers. Maybe Achievers like to take an assessment to learn about themselves because Achiever shows up most frequently in the top 5 for folks in the US (according to 2018 numbers I found) or maybe there just are a lot of Achievers out there. Whatever the reason, Achievers are making lists, checking them twice, and then asking what's next. Achievers like to be busy, which can be a blessing because they get a lot of work accomplished. It can also be a detriment because they can burn themselves out, always pushing to do more and not knowing when to pause or take a break.
If you are an Achiever, remember you are worth more than your to-do list. Yes, it feels good and natural to get a lot of stuff done and you'll always thrive in that, but surround yourself with people who take the time to recognize your hard work and celebrate your successes. If you have a boss or colleagues who don't understand your value, you're likely to get loads of work piled on your desk and you will eventually burnout (you're human, after all!). It can be good to partner with others who have strong Discipline or Focus so they can help you focus on being as efficient as possible with what you're working on.
Achievers usually put a lot of focus into their jobs because it's a place that naturally requires a lot to be done. My tip for you Achievers is to include non-work things on your to-do list…maybe even FUN things. Make a personal goal to shut your computer off by 6 PM and read a fiction book before bed OR take guitar lessons at the local community college OR organize a monthly night out with your friends. Whatever it is, you ARE more than your job and by adding personal achievements to your to-do list you'll likely have more energy for work (and appropriate boundaries so no one is taking advantage of you).
If you work with or know an Achiever then you probably already know you can count on them to get a lot of stuff done. Be sure to recognize their accomplishments, but do ask how they like to receive recognition. Some people like to find their favorite coffee on their desk in the AM, others like words of affirmation emailed to them, and some crazy people (JK, I fall in this category) like when people address their accomplishments in public. Most people have a preference on how they like to receive recognition and if you do it a different way it makes them want to crawl in a hole and hide forever--so seriously, ask them. It's also smart to ask Achievers how they are doing. Like, actually, how are they handling all the things on their to-do list. Help them find time to take breaks so they can recharge and stay engaged without drowning in the endless work that is often piled onto them (and maybe don't pile everything on them and when you do give them extra work make sure it also comes with extra money, let's end the days of doubling someone's work without compensating them for it, okay?).
If you are interested in learning your Gallup Strengths or having Sarah work with you and your team, shoot her an email: sarah@collinscareercoaching.com.
Also Gallup has a TON of resources about each and every strength, the second best way to learn about your strengths is to read, listen, or watch content about it (the first best way is to talk to a coach about them, shameless plug!).
Resources:
Watch this YouTube Video (it’s only 1:17 long)
Read about Achiever on Gallup’s website
Listen to this Podcast about utilizing Achiever for Developing Teams and Managers