The CliftonStrength of learner “I’d like to know more about that”
My dad knows a lot about business, but he’s always interested in learning more. I think he’s read every business book available and yet he still finds gold nuggets of information. Even with all he knows, he still loves to read about different approaches, strategies, and new ideas.
My friend, Emma, is like that, too. If I need to know more about something, rather than doing the research myself, I text Emma. She loves to research all sorts of topics and will happily find out anything and everything about whatever it is I’m interested in that day.
My dad and Emma both have the CliftonStrength of Learner in their top 5, which is why they voraciously pursue information. They don’t just Google something if they want to know more about it. They consider all angles, using multiple sources to inform their knowledge acquisition.
They take this approach because people with a strong Learner talent have an intense desire to learn – I love to refer to them my “resource people.” Even when they know a lot about a topic, they want to know more, because they want to continuously improve.
Learners also enjoy the actual process of learning, which isn’t the case for everyone (me, for example). While I love to know more about something, I prefer when one of my “resource people” does the research for me.
Capitalizing On The CliftonStrength Of Learner
When you have an employee who’s especially talented in Learner, take advantage of that asset! Consider doing these things to help them maximize their talent for your company’s benefit:
If your industry has progressive levels of learning and gaining expertise, encourage her to pursue those certifications.
Invest in this employee by paying for career-related educational opportunities and celebrating certifications or milestones.
Position this person to contribute to projects that benefit from asking the question, “How could we do this better?” Her natural curiosity, desire to learn, and love for researching new information will help her ask the right questions to improve your processes and products.
Pair this employee with a mentor whose expertise she can learn from, and who will support her efforts to continually learn and improve.
Tap this employee to share what she learns with the team. She’ll excel at teaching others what she’s learned.
Things To Be Mindful Of With Learner Employees
Because Learners truly enjoy continually learning, it’s conceivable that they could get trapped in an endless cycle of researching, and researching some more, without every taking action.
Analysis paralysis, if you will. This doesn’t always happen, but may, depending on their other primary CliftonStrengths.
As the manager, you can nip this potential issue in the bud by setting parameters, rather than leaving things open-ended. Give them specific check-in dates, set a deadline, and provide as much specificity as possible. It’s important for them to know exactly what you need and when, so they can provide a succinct summary at that point.
While setting deadlines and check-in dates is helpful, keep in mind that Learners need time and space to do their due diligence. Don’t short-change them by making the timeline too short or they’ll feel frustrated by their lack of research time and inability to provide a thorough answer.
In terms of co-worker relationships, one possible employee conflict you might encounter with a Learner, is with an employee who has the CliftonStrength of Woo (Winning Others Over), because they’re wired very differently.
The person with Woo is always interested in meeting someone new, while the person with Learner is always interested in learning something new. These traits are both fantastic but manifest quite differently in a workplace setting.
At a conference, for example, the person with Woo will be drawn to the people and will intentionally skip sessions to spend time getting to know more people. That’s because she believes that the best place to get information is from people. She sees the connections she makes at the conference as the most valuable component.
By contrast, the person with Learner will want to attend as many conference workshops as possible. Before attending, she’ll scour the brochure, highlighting her top choices, as well as back-ups. It’s not that she doesn’t care about the people at the conference. It’s that she believes that the information she can glean from the sessions is her most important takeaway.
Two different approaches, both with benefits. If you can pair these two talents, and they work together to appreciate the ways in which they both contribute to the company, it can be a powerful partnership. The key is to help them respect and recognize each other’s strengths and set expectations ahead of time.
How Millennial Guru Can Help
At Millennial Guru, we love to help employees discover how turn their talents into strengths and to help companies recognize the talents and strengths of their biggest asset – their people.
Our fun, informative workshops can transform interpersonal dynamics and elevate your employees’ performance, as we help them understand how to use their natural talents to excel in the workplace.
If you’d like more information, we’d love to share it with you. Connect with us here to set up a no-obligation meeting to find out more about how we can help your team reach its full potential. Although we typically do these meetings in person, due to COVID-19, we are happy to be offering them virtually.