64 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not As Profitable as Other Strengths Works, Aug 30 2011
By Fr. Charles Erlandson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengths Revolution (Hardcover)
I've read with great delight and great profit almost everything Marcus Buckingham has written about Strengths. His works have helped reveal a lot about myself to me, and I've benefited greatly from a better understanding both of why strengths are important and what my particular strengths are. However, "Standout" was not nearly as profitable to me as other works by Buckingham.
"Standout" is the latest in a series of Strength Assessments. Its particular focus is on finding your edge at work. At the heart of the book is the assessment test itself which will let the reader know which of 9 Strength Roles the reader is strongest at, with a particular emphasis on the top 2 Strengths Roles. In fact, most of the book is taken up with chapters devoted to describing in detail each of the 9 Strength Roles in terms of the following categories:
Definition
You, at Your Most Powerful
How to Describe Yourself
How to Make an Immediate Impact
How to Take Your Performance to the Next Level
What to Watch Out For
How to Win as a Leader/ Manager/ in Sales/ in Client Service
The "Standout" assessment, therefore, does give the reader some useful information about himself. But here's why "Standout" was not as useful to me as the other Strengths books. First, as you can see by the categories above, "Standout" applies specifically to work, but only to certain kinds of work, especially business. As a priest, professor, and teacher, this book is simply less relevant to me.
Second, I was not as satisfied with the assessment itself. While the other books revealed meaningful and at times profound things about myself - which almost always corresponded to who I am - the "Standout" assessment didn't seem to capture me very well. I came out as Equalizer first and Advisor second. While both of these fit me to some degree, they don't capture my essence as other Strengths assessments did. For example, I have aspect of an Advisor but am not as good at organizing and problem solving as the test suggested. What undermined my confidence in the assessment even more is that of the 9 Strengths Roles (which the online assessment ranked), "Teacher" came out as #9. This makes no sense since I have not only taught in a wide variety of settings but have also enjoyed great success as a teacher. Is it really my weakest Strength Role? Unlikely.
I believe that there is value in "Standout" for many readers, especially if you're in business. But I still believe the other Strengths works such as "Now, Discover Your Strengths" and "Go, Put Your Strengths to Work" are more valuable works and highly recommend them.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No matter how you see yourself, THIS is how others see you using your Strengths., Sep 25 2011
By RON F CULP - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengths Revolution (Hardcover)
Bottom line: This brilliant work by Marcus Buckingham takes a look at our Strengths from another angle - how we "show up" in the world. By measuring how we use our Strengths in response to particular situations, we are shown our "comparative advantage" - how we StandOut.
I've been on my Strengths journey for many years and read many of Buckingham's published work. Like his works before, StandOut features the conversational writing style that allows Buckingham to share several of the personal anecdotes that make him such an engaging speaker. StandOut continues Buckingham's legacy as the Strengths Revolution leader by introducing us to nine new Strengths roles identified through the StandOut Assessment. This natural evolution of the Strengths philosophy confirms Buckingham's previous teachings that we are the best judges of activities that Strengthen or weaken us, while now showing us how we appear to others when utilizing these Strengths. What sets this work apart from his catalogue is the nature of the assessment itself.
Instead of choosing words that you think describe you, the participant is given a situation and must choose between equally "good" choices. After numerous timed scenarios, the Standout Assessment translates those action choices into Strength roles. The report reveals your top two roles, those areas where you can make the greatest contribution, as well as the powerful combination of those roles. Then you're taken to the next level - how you can use this new information to win at work, on a team, in client services or in sales, and what to watch out for. You are provided simple, actionable steps to take - something missing in many other assessments.
Where StrengthsFinder provided language to describe how we see ourselves, StandOut reveals these Strengths in action! And this shift is the most critical in understanding the assessment results. From page 26, "keep your mind open to the possibility that no matter how you see yourself, this is how others see you."My advice? Read the book through page 28, then take the assessment. Read your entire StandOut assessment report, and then read the rest of the book. Discuss your results with those who work around you, and then choose one of the suggested action steps from the report. Here, you can "find your edge" and "win at work."
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is Marcus, Oct 14 2011
By Marcus Buckingham - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengths Revolution (Hardcover)
Some of you seem to not be receiving a key when you buy the Kindle version of StandOut. Amazon has told us that anyone buying the Kindle version will be emailed a key within 30 MINUTES. If, having checked your spam folder and twiddled your thumbs for a half an hour, you do not receive a key, please email us at customerservice@tmbc.com and WE WILL IMMEDIATELY E-MAIL YOU A KEY, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL COMPLIMENTARY KEY. Our apologies in advance for any inconvenience you may have experienced. We hope this will make it right for you.