Markus Lattner Discusses the Value of Personal Strengths Assessment
Markus Lattner
Markus Lattner believes when it comes to success in business, playing to one’s personal strengths is key. The first step, Markus Lattner says, is identifying exactly what those strengths are. For many, that self-knowledge only comes after decades in the workforce.
A quicker route to self-discovery, believes Markus Lattner, is in taking an unbiased assessment of your strengths. A number of books by Gallup are available which can be very helpful in pinpointing those strengths so that you can put them to work for you. These books, which began with the #1 Bestseller Strengths Finder 2.0 online assessment can make a big difference as you navigate the business world, according to Markus Lattner.
In this brief interview, Markus Lattner answers some questions about how Strengths Finder 2.0 helped direct him to true success in his current role as an improvement manager in the agriculture industry.
Q: Explain the Strengths Finder system.
Markus Lattner: This series of books emphasizes the natural-born talents you have, pushing you toward developing so that you can really shine.
Q: How is this self-assessment different from personality tests like Myers-Briggs?
Markus Lattner: The Strengths Finder focuses on your strengths as how they relate to the workforce. You can then use those in the projects you’re assigned. Myers-Briggs tends to give you an overall snapshot of your personality as you relate to people and situations, whereas the Strengths Finder assessment targets your talents and strengths, helping you to function within your role in a way that enables you to use them.
Q: You took the strengths finder yourself. What did you learn during the process?
Markus Lattner: For me personally, it was extremely useful. I’ve carried it into my day-to-day life on the job.
Q: Was there a specific instance where you first related these strengths to the assessment?
Markus Lattner: We had a large Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project we were deploying at work. While heading up the team, I noticed how the knowledge of my strengths facilitated the project’s progress and success.
Q: The project was a success?
Markus Lattner: We deployed all four North American units without a single issue.
Q: That’s pretty impressive.
Markus Lattner: By the time the project was deployed, I was the SAP Enterprise Resource Planning system contact for the whole country.
Q: What do you feel is the most important part of applying these assessments to your career?
Markus Lattner: I feel it’s very important to work with a professional to read through the results of the assessment and figure out a way to make it work for you. Also, by putting what you learn to work for you immediately, you’ll make the most powerful use of it.
Markus Lattner’s vocation involves studying processes and identifying methods for streamlining operations to save money and be more efficient. In this sense, Markus Lattner feels the Strengths Finder assessment is a great way to identify your own strengths and hone those in order to be more efficient. By doing this, Markus Lattner has found people put themselves in line to be successful in everything they do.