The CliftonStrength of significance: the need to contribute and be recognized

Do you know someone who always speaks up in meetings? Does it feel like they need to be in the middle of big projects? Do they have such a strong desire to be recognized for their accomplishments that sometimes it feels like bragging? If so, they may have the CliftonStrength of Significance.

People who are especially talented in the Significance theme want to have a powerful impact in whatever they do, both personally and professionally. They tend to be independent, committed employees who want to make a BIG difference. They also want people around them to recognize their contribution and, thereby, their importance to the organization.

Because it includes this need for recognition, the CliftonStrength of Significance can get a bad rap. People who don’t have a strong Significance strength can perceive those who do have it as boastful attention seekers. Ugh!

In reality, people who have Significance as a dominant strength aren’t trying to brag or showboat. They often speak up at meetings but not because they think they’re important. They speak up because they feel strongly that their ideas are important for the success of the organization (and they often are). 

In their heart of hearts, these people want to be valued. They’re driven by the need to make contributions that will have a significant impact on their team, their brand, the company and its mission.

In a recent Millennial Guru workshop, one of the men talked about the ways in which having a strong Significance strength positively impacts his performance. 

He wants to be heard and he’s comfortable speaking up in meetings as well as speaking in front of a crowd. He sets a high bar for himself in terms of performance. He’s not okay with mediocrity; he wants his work to be extraordinary. In addition to being successful himself, he has a strong desire for his entire team and their clients to be successful. 

One useful application of these Significance-talent related skills is that he’s able to form strong connections with clients’ CEOs and other key executives, who frequently view him as a primary component of their successful partnership. 

Having someone like this on your team can provide a notable advantage in closing deals. People with a strong Significance talent exude an underlying confidence that comes from the hard work they put in. That confidence plays a part in persuading executives that they’ll be effective and can make things happen, which is typically true.

Tips On Managing An Employee With The CliftonStrength Of Significance

First, recognize this truth: An employee with a strong Significance talent is driven by the desire to improve her world, including the world she inhabits at work. To that end, she’ll seek excellence in all she does. 

She’ll also crave feedback and recognition for those efforts. One of the worst things you can do as her manager is to ignore her accomplishments. She’ll flourish when she’s given credit for achievements. Even so, ego isn’t what motivates her. Helping affect change for the better – making a real contribution and difference to your organization – that’s what she’s after. 

Employees with a strong Significance talent can also make excellent leaders. They’re focused on goals and bring energy on helping their team excel. Because they crave recognition for their own accomplishments, they make sure to reward their employees’ successes, which often leads to higher job satisfaction and better overall performance for the team.

What Millennial Guru Workshops Can Do For You

In every company, on every team, people bring different strengths to the table. Sometimes it can be difficult for co-workers to appreciate strengths that differ from their own, leading to unnecessary internal conflict that saps productivity.

Using the CliftonStrengths analysis as a tool, our Millennial Guru workshops teach employees how to capitalize on their own strengths and recognize the ways that people with strengths different from theirs contribute to the company’s mission. By appreciate these differences and working as a more cohesive unit, these employees will be more focused on how to work together to meet or exceed your business goals.

To find out more about how we can help you make the most of your team’s strengths, schedule a no-commitment informational meeting today.