Input® Theme (CliftonStrengths®, formerly StrengthsFinder®)

Input® Theme CliftonStrengths® StrengthsFinder®
Image Credit: shutterstock/frankies

Gallup CliftonStrengths® is an assessment of personality, rooted in the theory of positive psychology. Research indicates that people who know and use their strengths every day are more likely to experience positive emotions (energy, happiness, respect) and less likely to experience negative emotions (stress, worry, anger, sadness). The assessment identifies an individual’s top five “Signature Themes” from a list of 34 common talents. Individuals can then develop those talents into strengths, and apply those strengths in all areas of their life.

Overview of the Input® Strength

You’re the keeper of knowledge, the go-to person for finding team tools and resources. You’re continually collecting information and carefully organizing it for future application. Your coworkers tease you about being a packrat, but they’ll be grateful one day when you can find the exact item they need. These contributions bring structure and purpose to your life. You don’t like to be rushed. You need time to investigate, reference your archive and share your findings.

Action Items for the Input® Strength

Choose the right job. Professional fields like education, journalism and research will let your passion for information shine. Fast-paced work environments where decisions are made quickly can frustrate you. There’s insufficient time to put your archived resources to work.

Pick the right partners. Struggling to meet a deadline? When your natural inquisitiveness derails your deliverable schedule, a coworker with a strong Discipline® or Focus® theme can get you back on track.

Prioritize organization. Facts, quotes, stats, images: you want to save it all. Use digital tools to archive this information so it’s easily accessible in the future.

Stay curious. Challenge yourself to read a new book each month, visit a museum exhibit or travel somewhere new. Document your experiences in your digital archive. These records will become the intriguing anecdotes and unique details that will bring your input to life for colleagues.

How to Manage Someone with the Input® Strength

Your Input® employee is naturally inquisitive and has never met a fact, quote or stat they didn’t want to save for the future. At their best, they bring nuanced understanding to complex issues and helps the team find needed resources. On the flip side, however, your Input® employee can get bogged down with irrelevant details, drift off on unnecessary tangents and miss critical deadlines.

As their manager, your job is to help them understand the difference between valuable details and extraneous information. To keep your Input® employee engaged and leverage their talents, try the following:

Help them stay productive. Knowing enough to get the job done right or knowing it all– sometimes your Input® employee can’t see the difference between these two. Help them stay on track by setting clear scope guidelines and a firm deliverable timeline. Pair them with a coworker who is strong in the Discipline® or Focus® themes.

Keep them in the loop. Share articles, books and news stories that catch your attention. They’ll feel valued and understood. Plus, with a robust archival system in place, your employee will keep relevant knowledge organized and accessible.

Help them shine. Ask for their input during meetings, ask them to research an industry trend, or ask them to curate references for a team project. They shine as a go-to for team knowledge, tools and resources. Just be sure to give them sufficient time to consult their archive and prepare a response– they don’t like to be rushed.

Gallup®, Clifton StrengthsFinder®, StrengthsFinder®, CliftonStrengths® and each of the 34 CliftonStrengths® theme names are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. For more information, or to take the CliftonStrengths® assessment, visit