“Man, he’s a Type A personality alright! Have you ever seen anybody who is just work, work, work all the time? I don’t think the guy EVER relaxes!”
“Good grief! Vacations are for relaxing! My husband has us scheduled from morning til night. Go, go, go, so we don’t miss a thing! I’ll need to come back home to get some rest!”
“Have you seen that new girl in sales? She’s got a nervous energy about her, like she’s ‘chompin’ at the bit’ to get started. I have a feeling she’s going to sprint her way to the top!”
Achiever: The Busy Bee
Strengths: They Must Achieve Daily
Do you have someone in your life who annoys you because they never can seem to take a break? Even on vacation? They are so driven to work, work, work that they’re all work and no play? Maybe they work more than eight hours in a day, routinely? Or maybe they take calls at any time of day or night and can’t seem to shut their phone off, ever. Or perhaps they’re never satisfied, even when they make major accomplishments, win top awards, or land large accounts. You’re quite certain they don’t even sleep at night!
You may have bumped into someone with the StrengthsFinder talent theme of Achiever.
Achiever: Goal and Task Oriented
Those strong in Achiever are the Busy Bees of life. They are goal oriented and mow through tasks like a machine. They often keep themselves on track by keeping a checklist on paper or in their phone or even in their heads. They might even have the habit of jotting the top 5 or 6 things they want to accomplish tomorrow on a notepad each night. That way, they can hit the ground running the very moment they awaken. They love being busy and productive, and they can’t understand why the rest of us waste so much time!
They are serious about their achievements. They won’t sleep at night unless every, single item on their list for the day is checked off. Once they’ve successfully completed the assignment, reached the goal, or attained the title, they waste little time in celebration. They’re off to the races, chasing a new dream, a new prize, a new something — to get them busy and moving and shaking again. This constant striving, achieving, then beginning again is like a game for them. It thrills them, gives them something to look forward to, and keeps them pacing — like a lean, mean machine!
It Needs to Go Big or Go Home
My friend, Greg is a strong Achiever. He’s in sales and marketing for an insurance company that sells a mixed bag of products and services — some best sellers, some not so much. On a less popular product, the goals are lower and the commissions are often higher. Recently, Greg leveraged his opportunity and set high goals around this product and in a week’s time sold a full year’s goal! He’s a hard worker who aims for the highest performance — tough things to achieve. Yet he seems to plow through them, driven by an internal signal that only he can feel.
Love Your Achiever
The next time your Achiever can’t seem to take a break, find out what the goals are that they are working towards. Learn why they are important. Help your Achiever find worthy goals at home, in their faith community, or in a civic organization. Show them ways to set goals around important people in their lives. Add things to their Honey-Do list and recognize that tasks and projects around the home are done out of service — it’s the Achievers’s way of staying productive and showing that they care.
When working with an Achiever, ask yourself: Where do we need maximum productivity? How can they help us to achieve high goals?
For all your StrengthsFinder needs, visit www.GallupStrengthsCenter.com!
Latest posts by Rhonda Knight Boyle (see all)
- Strengths Activation Show 60 – Guests Sakira Baez and Dr. Shauna T Sobers - April 5, 2019
- Develop Your Empathy Talent - November 23, 2018
- Develop Your Adaptability Talent - November 20, 2018
