Growing Talent to Strength: Featuring StrengthsFinder 'Consistency'

People with Consistency in their top 5 StrengthsFinder results desire to treat people fairly, regardless of their background, age, race and gender. They particularly dislike preferential treatment, and they prefer to be fair and just towards the people they interact with. People with Consistency thrive in environments where rules are clear and applied to everyone equally. They desire that regardless of rank and standing, people are made aware of the rules and that they know what is expected of them. Those with Consistency believe that when people see for themselves that opportunities exist for everyone and there is no preferential treatment given, a safe environment is created for people to thrive.

People with Consistency generally thrive in the kind of vocations in which there is an emphasis on the need for standardization of procedures, and where work processes are to be followed strictly. For those with Consistency, a few key aspects of leadership include creating opportunities that allow each team member to take ownership of delegated job tasks. Leaders with Consistency believe that those with disabilities must also have the opportunity to show to the world that they are capable of making a difference. People with Consistency enjoy the idea of rotating leadership so that different members of the team have opportunities to take up leadership responsibilities. Leaders with Consistency will work hard to set clear rules and policies that empower people to know their boundaries, so that they can work productively within the limits. In a nutshell, the genius of the Consistency talents lies in the way these people easily and quickly make judgments that equally apply to everyone involved. As a result, people have confidence in their leadership and see them as trustworthy. 

One of our associate trainers in Strengths School™ has Consistency as his number 1. He treats everyone with honor and respect regardless of their standing in society. As he facilitates group conversations, he enjoys giving everyone air time to speak their mind. Whenever he facilitates debriefs, he makes sure that the most junior staff has as much opportunity to give feedback as the most senior member of the team. You can always count on him to be fair and impartial.

How can a person with Consistency turn this talent into a Strength? Here are a few suggestions.

1. ESTABLISH CLEAR RULES AND EXPECTATIONS

To someone with Consistency, the ability to follow the rules and policies is extremely important. When there is compliance to the policies, the system provides a powerful way to make sure that any benefits as well as consequences are fair and just. There is no preferential treatment and there is great transparency. People with Consistency are able to powerfully use the rules and policies to bring about the transparency that is often needed to give team members a sense of security in the workplace.

However, there are many startups that have no clear policies and guidelines -- rules tend to be in the grey zone. This is especially so for businesses that are in new markets, in entrepreneurial startups, or in new partnerships formed. Those with Consistency would do well to clarify expectations and understand the do's and the don'ts. It is often helpful when those with Consistency volunteer to help to set up basic guidelines and policies that seek to be fair to everyone in the team. Being actively involved in the drafting of policies and guidelines allows those with Consistency to be at their best and to actively contribute to the team and organization.

2. INTENTIONALLY CARE FOR THE VULNERABLE

For those with Consistency, it is important to be fair and treat others justly. One of the key ways in which people with Consistency build relationships is to intentionally care and look out for those who are vulnerable, ensuring they are fairly treated. The vulnerable can include the marginalized or simply those who are perceived by others to be of lesser standing in the workplace. People with Consistency can be motivated to act when they see people being exploited by those who use their position or rank to take advantage. By intentionally speaking out and looking out for the vulnerable, those with Consistency can grow to a place where they are able to impact and influence others to do the same in the settings they are in.   

3. SEEK COMPLEMENTARY PARTNERSHIPS

Partner those with Individualization
People with individualization enjoy looking at the differences between each human being and instinctively understand the uniqueness of people. They prefer to customize rather than standardize. People with Individualization are often the ones who can point out to those with Consistency the times when the system becomes a barrier to a particular individual. Partnering those with Individualization allows the people with Consistency to understand the unique situations in which a standardized system might not serve the needs of an individual. This partnership creates discussions that can lead to more robust decision-making towards the outcome of being fair and just to everyone in the organization.

Partner those with Strategic 
People with Strategic enjoy looking at different options and finding the best alternative to reach the desired outcome. Those with Strategic enjoy many different ways and options to interact with people to get to the desired outcome, while those with Consistency prefer to treat others in one clear way that is unbiased and fair. People with Consistency hate to set any precedence when it comes to decision-making, while people with Strategic do not mind making an exception if the decision contributes towards achieving the desired outcome. Sometimes, those with Consistency overemphasize the process of how work is done and under-emphasize the intended outcome. Partnering those with Strategic helps those with Consistency to guard against legalistic approaches and create discussions on reaching the team goals.  

Questions that may arise in these discussions include: What would be a good, valid reason for us to make an exception? How can we create a system that treats everyone fairly and yet rewards high performers?

Partner those with Futuristic
People with Futuristic enjoy thinking about possibilities that can become realities. Often those with Futuristic can envision ways in which things can change and change for the better. Partnering those with Futuristic helps those with Consistency to pre-empt ways in which existing policies and guidelines can quickly become irrelevant in dynamic business environments. Together, they can dream of new ways to maintain a fair system that best serves the needs of the people. This is especially important in today’s world, where systems that remain rigid can quickly become a barrier to success. Examples can be seen from the many organizations needing to have more mobile staff because of changing business needs as well as more employees desiring a more flexible working environment. For those with Consistency, it can become a struggle to keep things fair and just if systems and processes cannot keep up with the changing environment. Those with Futuristic can help anticipate future needs and help those with Consistency to move ahead.  

Concluding thoughts: Many people often under-value those with Consistency in a fast-changing world, perceiving them to be rigid and even legalistic. The fact of the matter is that they are the ones who seek to bring a high level of transparency and stability, often required in uncertain environments. Without the transparency, high levels of distrust can easily build up between people and injustice can quickly happen without any form of resolution. People with Consistency should be highly valued as they seek to make an impact, making sure opportunities are fairly given, especially to those who are often seen as weak.

Written by Victor Seet

Activator • Communication • Strategic • Self-Assurance • Command

As a Gallup certified Strengthsfinder coach, Victor is passionate about strengths engagement and now runs his own training company, Strengths School™ (strengthsschool.com). He has been actively giving Strengthsfinder leadership and team building workshops to businesses and schools in Singapore as well as Hong Kong, China (Shanghai) and India.