So You’ve Taken the VIA Survey to Find Out Your Signature Strengths…Now What?
/So, you did it. You took the VIA Character Strengths Survey and now you have your results. If you are like most people, chances are that at the very top of the list there are some pretty, wonderful qualities that you recognize as key parts of your personality. But, also like most people, you probably can’t help noticing that there are some pretty important character strengths at the very bottom of your list as well.
And despite all the good things near the top of your list of strengths, is it really okay that some things like Love, Honesty, Kindness, or Self-Regulation are at the very bottom of your list? What do these character strengths survey results say about who you are? And what should you do next now that you have them?
Let’s go ahead and answer one of the first questions that most people ask. What about those strengths at the bottom of your list? The qualities at the bottom of your list are not weaknesses. They are your lesser strengths. Like pretty much every human being in the world, you have and use all 24 of these character strengths in your life from time to time.
However, the strengths near the top are the ones that you use most often. They are the ones that come most easily and naturally to you. They are called your “signature strengths” and they are the ones that you find most energizing to use. Your signature strengths best describe how you tend to show up to others and for others.
Your lesser strengths at the bottom are the ones that are least energizing to you and that you do not rely on as heavily in your day to day life. If you choose to do so, you can always put more effort into developing those lesser strengths. You can work on making your lesser strengths a bigger part of your daily life. But the best way to develop your lesser strengths still involves using your signature strengths to help. For example, if Creativity is a signature strength of yours, you can use it to come up with some creative ways to grow your lesser strength of Self-Regulation. Or if one of your lesser strengths is Humor, you can use your signature strength of Love of Learning to learn more about how to be funny or find humor in everyday situations.
When your finances allow you to do so, you will gain a lot from purchasing the more detailed “VIA Me Profile” report of your strengths from the VIA Institute on Character. At the time of this writing, it costs $20 for the adult version of this report, and $10 for the youth version. The price is definitely worth it if you can afford it. The VIA Me Profile report provides more in-depth information about each of your strengths, how your strengths work together, and ideas about how you can apply your particular constellation of strengths in your daily life. However, even if you are not able to purchase the VIA Me Profile report right now, there is a lot that you can learn and do with your free VIA strengths results.
My favorite approach for focusing on your strengths is a 3-step process I like to call “ACE-ing Your Strengths.” ACE stands for Attention, Conversation, Exercise and the really good news is that after you finish reading this post, you will already have access to everything you need to begin:
ACE-ing Your Strengths:
1) Attention – This first step involves paying attention to your strengths and learning more about them. Start by asking yourself these 3 great questions from The Power of Character Strengths, by Ryan Niemiec and Robert McGrath, an excellent resource for learning about what is best inside yourself:
How does this character strength describe the real me? In what ways is it a true description of me?
How is this strength of value to me? Why is it important to me?
What are the costs of this strength for me? In what ways does this strength not serve me well?
Answer these questions for each of your Top 5 strengths. In addition, if the strengths that appear in the #6 or #7 slots of your results feel equally essential to who you are, chances are that they could be one of your signature strengths as well. Answer these 3 questions for any strengths that you feel to be essential to who you are. However, limit your focus to no more than 5 to 7 primary strengths for now. Information about each strength is also available for free on the www.viacharacter.org site.
2) Conversation – The second step is conversation. It’s important to talk about your strengths with others. Have a conversation about your results with 3 other people in your life. Share your results with them and ask them “How have you seen these results show up in me?” Be curious about their strengths as well. Encourage them to take the VIA and to share their results with you. Once you have both have had time to do some self-reflection about your signature strengths using the 3 questions listed above, talk about your answers with one another.
As an ongoing practice, identify a couple of people whom you can continue to talk with about each other’s strengths. From time to time, take a few minutes to talk with each other about these questions:
How are my strengths showing up in my life right now? How can I use my strengths to help me: face a current challenge, improve a relationship, or make progress on a goal or dream?
Offer each other encouragement and ideas for using strengths. And if you don’t already have a friend or two with whom you can share these kinds of things, talking about strengths together, and appreciating each other’s signature strengths, is a great way to turn almost anyone into that kind of friend.
3) Exercise – The third step of ACE focuses on using or “exercising” our strengths. Most of the proven benefits of signature strengths come from actually using them and not just from knowing about them. Start a list of the small ways you currently use each of your strengths in your daily life. On the www.viacharacter.org site you will find a list of “101 Strengths-Based Actions to Connect from a Safe Distance” that you can use during the COVID-19 pandemic and anytime. Also, on the Resources page of this site, you will find a list of questions to help you think about ways that you can use your strengths to be helpful to others during this pandemic and beyond.
Whether you are working on your strengths for your own well-being or serving as a Strengthskeeper* for your family, team, group, or community, the important thing to remember is that “ACE” is not something that you do just once after taking the VIA survey. Understanding and using your strengths in your daily life is an ongoing practice that is essential for your well-being, just like brushing your teeth, working out, and eating healthy foods. But the good news about this well-being practice is that you will find it to be easy, energizing, meaningful…and fun!
So now that you have your character strengths survey results and a simple plan for what to do with them, it’s time to get started. Enjoy “ACE-ing your strengths!”
