An FAQ guide to CliftonStrengths Terminology

Corporate jargon is officially its own language and it’s bleeding into our everyday use. How many of us say or hear the phrases “circle back,” “double click” or “ballpark” in non-work contexts? And yet there’s a lot of terminology out there that still feels a bit murky.

I spend my working life immersed in the CliftonStrengths world, but I’m so often reminded that a lot of the language surrounding what I do everyday can seem pretty foreign to folks who are newer to the space. 

When I Googled some of the CliftonStrengths definitions and looked at them with a cold eye, I realized that a lot of the information that’s out there still feels a bit…lofty. 

So, without further ado, I’ve put together this little FAQ guide that I hope helps make some of the CliftonStrengths wording feel more like your native language than Ancient Greek!

Here goes…

What is CliftonStrengths?

First thing’s first. CliftonStrengths is an online assessment tool created by Gallup to help people identify their strengths and understand how those strengths can be applied to practical situations, particularly in professional environments.

What are talents and strengths in CliftonStrengths?

The tool uses a formula based on the equation of talent x investment = strength. Your inherent thoughts and feelings are your “talents,” and those become true “strengths” when you practice them in action, and apply skills and knowledge to their application. 

What are the CliftonStrengths 34 talent themes?

We’re going to go down the rabbit hole for a moment, but stick with me, because I promise it will all become clear. 

Within the CliftonStrengths framework, there are 34 identified talent themes, often referred to as the CliftonStrengths 34. These 34 talent themes are sorted into four categories, usually referred to as the four domains:

1. Executing: getting things done (e.g., Achiever, Discipline, Focus).

2. Influencing: taking charge and selling ideas (e.g., Command, Communication, Woo).

3. Relationship Building: connecting people and building team unity (e.g., Empathy, Harmony, Relator).

4. Strategic Thinking: analyzing information and planning for the future (e.g., Analytical, Learner, Strategic).

What does your CliftonStrengths ranking mean?

When you complete your own CliftonStrengths assessment, all 34 talent themes will be listed out from one through 34, with one being your most apparent strength, and 34 being your least apparent strength.

What are “balconies” and “basements” in CliftonStrengths?

What I love about CliftonStrengths is that it leans into the positive and the potential, rather than seeking out holes or weaknesses without identifying how to address and change them. 

However, within the framework there’s a nifty little balconies and basements framework to help users conceptualize how they may be perceived in the workplace, and what they might want to work on (or dig out of the basement, as it were). 

Think of your number one strength as your biggest balcony, and think of 34 as the basement corner that may have some cobwebs taking over. 

What are weaknesses in CliftonStrengths?

Okay, don’t despair! First of all, we’re all human. None of us can have 34 attributes of equal weight. 

While basements might seem akin to weaknesses, Gallup does make the effort to point out that while failure can be avoided by compensating for weaknesses, excellence is achieved when we focus on and leverage our strengths.

And this is the other thing that I love so much about the CliftonStrengths methodology. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a junior contributor or a c-suite level executive… you’re still a human. 

The CliftonStrengths assessment tool views you as a human. This really helps to level the playing field when teams work through an assessment exercise together, because each individual can gain better awareness of and empathy for their colleagues, supervisors, directors, and direct reports through a shared language for talents and qualities. 

Turn the language of strengths into better leadership

In my humble opinion, CliftonStrengths is a best-in-class professional development tool for helping teams and individual contributors deepen their self-awareness and build stronger, more diverse teams with balanced skill sets. 

Over the years I’ve found that when leaders understand the difference between talents, themes, and developed strengths, the connection between intentional investment and transforming natural patterns into consistent performance.

In the long term, CliftonStrengths teams have higher morale, more resilience to challenges and deeper engagement. That’s because everyone is consistently leaning into their natural strengths, honing their skills and supporting their colleagues through a one-team approach.

Ready to dive in? At Reframed Coaching, we offer CliftonStrengths workshops. You can complete the assessment tool, and we’ll provide expert-led support for real-world application.

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Frequently asked questions

Here are answers to some common questions about CliftonStrengths, how the assessment works and how leaders and teams can put their results into practice.

• Is CliftonStrengths the same as StrengthsFinder?

  Yes. CliftonStrengths was previously known as Clifton StrengthsFinder and StrengthsFinder. The assessment was renamed CliftonStrengths by Gallup, but the core idea remains the same: identifying your natural talents and learning how to develop and apply them as strengths.

• How many CliftonStrengths are there?

  There are 34 CliftonStrengths talent themes. Each person who completes the assessment receives a unique ranking of all 34 themes, reflecting which talents are most and least naturally dominant for them.

• What are the four domains of CliftonStrengths?

  The four CliftonStrengths domains are Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking. The 34 talent themes are grouped across these domains to help explain how people naturally contribute to a team.

• Can your CliftonStrengths change over time?

  Your CliftonStrengths results reflect enduring patterns in how you naturally think, feel and behave. While your talents tend to remain relatively consistent, how you understand, develop and apply those talents can evolve with experience and intentional investment.

• How can leaders use CliftonStrengths with their teams?

  Leaders can use CliftonStrengths to build greater self-awareness, understand how individual team members naturally work and create a shared language around differences. It can also help teams think more intentionally about collaboration, communication and how different strengths complement one another.