Brain Storm Trooper

“What are we going to do for this year’s Diversity Fair Skit?” The question was asked of me the last two years and I immediately whipped into action. One of my strengths is Ideation and so immediately a plethora of ideas pop into my head. I’m imagining a group of people in fruit costumes, dancing bananas, grinding grapes, and lots of pop-locking in leotards. I imagine the music, the stage, and the crowds reaction all within about 30 seconds. Then I move on from musical to slapstick humor and then on to something clever and witty. I’m throwing out ideas and discarding them before others even have time to nod their heads yes or no. Sometimes it’s a gift, other times it’s a curse.

My first strength according to Marcus Buckingham’s Strengths Finder book is Activator – which means I like to get things started – not necessarily finished, but definitely started. I think all of my readers can attest to that. Do you remember the website www.photoresurrection.com? What about www.sobusobu.com? Or www.drunkenfiction.com? Now it’s www.brushandbarrel.com and all the while I haven’t firmly settled on any one task long enough to really get it going – but it was so exhilirating getting them started!

I think my dream job would be brainstorming creative ideas for companies. It could be any type of project and I would just come into the room and spit out 50 ideas or concepts in like 20 minutes and then I would leave and when the dust settled the people left in the room could determine what would actually work. My buddy Rondo often uses a term “Brain Storm Trooper” and I think that would be my job title.  (BIG! There is a photoshop challenge for you right there!)

A strength that I would like to develop is Achiever. Achiever’s actually finish things instead of just starting them, but so far Activator has served me pretty well.

If you haven’t figured out your strengths by now then I don’t even know why you bother getting out of bed each day. Go buy the book and find out immediately! http://www.strengthsmovement.com/

For real, this book has changed my life.