If you’re looking for a high-level summary of how The Strengths Deck works, you’ve come to the right place!
Everything you read here is explained in more detail, with lots of practical examples, in my book Unleash Your Awesome. You can get your paperback copy, along with a set of The Strengths Deck cards, in the Store. Or, if audiobooks are more your thing, you’ll find Unleash Your Awesome on all major platforms.
And, because I believe that generosity makes the world go around, I offer free, lo-fi versions of The Strengths Deck cards and matrix for your personal, non-commercial use. You can download them here.
The Strengths Deck cards
The Strengths Deck card deck contains 75 of the most-commonly-featured strengths in strengths research. I am always very clear that these are not the only strengths that exist – that’s why every set of The Strengths Deck has two blank cards for you to define your own strengths.
Each strength card shows the name of the strength, and a definition to help guide your thinking. However, if the strength name means something different to you, I encourage you to go with your interpretation of it.
The card decks also contain all the instructions you need to complete the card-sorting exercise, and a set of coaching questions to go along with each Zone on the Matrix (more info below).
Each strength card falls into one of six strengths groups:
- Action – how we get things done
- Cognition – how we think and reflect
- Communication – how we give, receive and share information
- Essence – how we show up in the world
- Moderation – how we show restraint
- Relationships – how we connect to and interact with others
There is also a card with coaching questions to help you consider the balance of your strengths groups across the Matrix.
The Strengths Deck Matrix and Zones
The Strengths Deck cards are used with The Strengths Deck Matrix. The Matrix is based on two factors: how good you are at a strength, (your performance), and how much you enjoy using the strength (your preference).
There are no value judgements about any strength or strength combination, and there is zero judgement about having weaknesses. If you’re breathing, you’ve got ’em!
You sort each of the cards onto The Strengths Deck Matrix, into one of five zones, based on how you rate your performance and preference for each strength. Then, you apply different strategies to your strengths, based on the zones they fall into.
The five zones are:
- Genius strength (high performance, high preference)
- Reputation strength (high performance, low preference)
- Indifference weakness (low performance, low preference)
- Potential strength (low performance, high preference)
- Proficiency strength (moderate performance, moderate preference)
A Genius strength is something you’re great at and love doing – you rate your performance and preference highly for this strength. One of your key strategies is to figure out how to optimise your life and work to take advantage of these by using them in smart, strategic ways.
An Indifference weakness is something you aren’t great at and don’t enjoy – you rate your performance and preference low for these strengths. A key strategy here is to figure out which of your strengths you can use to neutralise these and stop them from tripping you up.
Reputation, Potential, and Proficiency strengths have differing combinations of performance and preference, and therefore require different strategies to one another, and to your Genius strengths and Indifference weaknesses. And there are so many ways to do this! Unleash Your Awesome has a full run-down on 33 different strategies you can apply with your strengths, weaknesses and everything in between.
The Strengths Deck card sorting exercise
The magic of The Strengths Deck approach comes when you combine the cards and the Matrix, and then reflect on what the various combinations of strengths and zones mean for you and your work.
Essentially, you set aside 90 minutes somewhere you can lay out the Matrix and cards, and get to sorting. The first few card placements usually go slowly as you get familiar with the zones, and assessing the performance and preference aspect of each strength. As you work through the cards, you’ll probably speed up a little, and you might end up shifting a few cards around as you “calibrate” your measures of performance and preference.
When you’ve finished the sort, use the suggested coaching questions on the six cards (five zones plus strengths groups) to interpret your results and start making a plan for how you will use your insights.
Two key things to note:
- Pick a reasonable standard to compare yourself with when assessing your performance.
Don’t fall into the trap of assessing yourself against the best person in the world! Dame Judi Dench has been acting for longer than you’ve been alive, so your self-assessment on the Centre-Stage strength will unfairly suffer if you compare yourself to her! - Tell yourself the truth about how you actually feel about each strength.
Don’t fall into the trap of believing that just because you’re good at something, you should like it. It is entirely possible to be brilliant at something, and yet want to stab yourself in the eyeball with a rusty fork, rather than do that thing one more time!
The Strengths Deck isn't a diagnosis - it's a tool you can use for the rest of your life!
The results of the card-sorting exercise is not a forever-and-ever-amen diagnosis. It’s a snapshot of the moment in time when you completed the sorting exercise. It’s true for you at that time, not for all time.
Your strengths are dynamic. They’ll move around based on what you’re working on, the experiments you run, what’s bringing you energy, your life stage, and many other factors.
So, I recommend that you do a card sort every 6-12 months, and before or after any major change in your life or work.
Need a hand getting your strengths sorted?
If you would like to be guided through the card-sort exercise, I’d love to help! I offer one-off 90-min Zoom sessions to walk you through your card-sorting exercise, work with you to interpret your results and brainstorm strategies to make the most of your strengths and boost your energy, engagement, and achievement.
The benefits of a live session include a greater sense of confidence that you know your strengths, and the additional input I can offer as a strengths expert and coach, to help you pick up on the subtle signals you might not notice. They’re always fun, energising, and encouraging, so you’ll walk away with a pep in your step, and a set of practical next steps that will help you unleash your awesome!
These 90-min sessions include a set of Unleash Your Awesome and The Strengths Deck cards and matrix for you to keep*, so you can return to them again and again, and share the magic with your friends. This package is valued at over NZ$535, but you can grab it today for a hefty discount. Click the button below to book your session.
Or, if you’d like to talk about a programme that includes additional coaching sessions that really help you to embed the strengths-based approach throughout your life and work, book your free, 30-min chemistry check call today.
* Postage is included within New Zealand. If you live outside New Zealand, additional postage costs may apply.