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How you can make substantial life changes

Reframe your thinking by first identifying your strengths.

January 28, 2020 by Strategic Communication

Do you have something you hope to change or build upon this year in your life?

If you’ve ever struggled to make a substantial life change, it might be because you’re too focused on correcting your weaknesses rather than investing in your strengths. That’s according to Clifton Strengths Finder.

Nora Cox, senior instructor of communication at Missouri State University, is a certified Strengths Finder coach. She says awareness of ourselves makes us more productive at whatever we hope to achieve.

“Our combination of talents gives us power and edge to do whatever it is we decide we need or want to do. And that is a great first step, no matter what your goal is,” she said.

What is it?

The Clifton Strengths Finder is a 177-question assessment built on research over many years. The 34 strengths are divided among four domains: executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking.

Once completed, five top themes emerge that speak to how you view and interact with the world.

  1. Use StrengthsFinder to achieve goals


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“Just because people are strong in an area, like relationship building, doesn’t mean that they don’t also get things done. It means that they get there through another direction,” she said. “It’s a really respectful, productive and positive way for us to engage with our differences.”

Contact NoraCox@missouristate.edu with questions.

Read the transcript


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Filed Under: Discovery, Faculty and Staff Page Tagged With: faculty, Missouri State Journal, Nora Cox, Reynolds College of Arts Social Sciences and Humanities

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