Below are some common words associated with CliftonStrengths as defined by Gallup. Whether you are in an academic class, educational workshop, or participating in individual coaching, it is important to be familiar with these terms as you learn more about your top strengths in order for everyone to speak a common language.

Blindspot: noun. Unintended negative misperceptions that occur when a person uses their strongest CliftonStrengths. A person should be aware of the blind spots that their dominant CliftonStrengths themes can create. This insight can help people prevent their CliftonStrengths from getting in their way.

CliftonStrengths assessment: noun. The CliftonStrengths assessment is Gallup’s online talent assessment that helps people discover and describe their talents using a language of the 34 most common themes of talent. CliftonStrengths is the culmination of Don Clifton’s lifelong work leading millions of people around the world to discover their strengths.

Coach: noun. A person who invests in and interacts with an individual, partnership, or team for the primary purpose of stimulating, motivating, and facilitating the growth, development, and performance of that individual, partnership, or team.

Domain: noun. The natural way to group CliftonStrengths based on how the themes help people work together to accomplish goals. The four domains are executing, influencing, relationship building, strategic thinking.

Strength: noun. The ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific task. While talents exist naturally, strengths must be developed. Strengths result when talents are refined with acquired skills and knowledge.

Talent: noun. The natural capacity for excellence. Gallup measures talent with scientific assessments that evaluate naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied. While talents exist naturally, strengths must be developed. Strengths result when talents are refined with acquired skills and knowledge.

Talent Theme: noun. The category of talents. Themes help you begin to discover and talk about your greatest talents. Decades of Gallup research on talents and success showed that the talents most related to potential for success can be grouped into the 34 CliftonStrengths themes.

Weakness: noun. A shortage or misapplication of talent, skill, or knowledge that gets in the way of success and causes problems for that person or others. Weaknesses are the specific behaviors that prevent people from realizing the full impact of (and return on) the expression of their strengths. A person can manage a weakness, but they can’t truly fix it.