Now,discover your strengths/發現我的天才

這個有聲書是我每天睡前在聽的，它有中文版的書籍本，叫做《發現我的天才－打開34個天賦的禮物》。隨CD有附給一個密碼(這個密碼只能一用一次)以便進入官方網站去做天賦調查測驗，當初收到CD我馬上興致勃勃用這個密碼上去網站做測驗，全是英文試題，而且有限時間(因為它不要你想太多)，時間過了你還沒選就會跳下一題。還滿好玩的。據我所知中文版也有附專屬密碼，而且題目是經翻成中文了，測試報告也是中文的。這個測驗是人家研究分析出來專門做能力剖析的。如果你有興趣可以花兩百多元買本中文版的書，就可以去玩這個測驗。

作者Marcus Buckingham與Donald O.Clifton,Ph.D兩人，他們從蓋洛普三十年來針對各行各業的卓越人士(將近兩百萬人)進行系統化研究當中，不斷觀察，聆聽，再從這些證言當中萃取出三十四種「主導特質」(Themes)，這三十四種特質是人類最普遍的天賦，從研究中他們了解，這三十四種主導質有眾多不同組合，人所擁有的不同特質就是這些不同的組合。所以一旦你進去做完測驗，系統就可以測出你的前五項主導質，稱為專屬特質(signature themes)，這五項專屬特質是由最強的開始排起，這些專屬特質是個人最強的能力源頭，他們不是獨立存在，而是互相影響，知道自己的專屬特質後加以琢磨，將有可能讓能力發揮到極致。但，我想強調這個「但」字，並不是做完測驗，知道自己的最強能力就算了，你必須想辦法去找出琢磨它的辦法，而且它對該選擇哪一領域並沒有多大幫助，但不管你處在哪個領域，用心去想你的才能特質，一定能找出達到卓越途徑。

我剛剛把半年多前做的測驗結果翻出來，再一次看這些解說還滿有感覺的，感覺還滿準的，只是有點意外我的第一項是Maximizer。以下是我的五項專屬特質(Singature themes)，文很長，建議可以直接過這五項，直接看最後三段：

Maximizer
原文如下
Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or someone else’s, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps—all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well rounded. You don’t want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It’s more fun. It’s more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.

中文版把Maximizer翻成完美主義，總覺得不太對味(因為我絕對不是完美主義者啦！但裡面的描述倒是有準到)，但目前為止我自己也找不出更好的,翻譯如下：

你的標準不是平均值，而是卓越出眾。在你看來，花很大力氣將某個東西從低於平均值拉到略高於平均值的水準很不值得；以同樣力氣將原本就很優的東西變成超水準，對你來說比較刺激。
無論是你本身或其他人的能力，都很吸引你。你就像採珍珠的潛水伕，四處尋找能力的跡象。無論是無師自通、快速學習、不須按部就班的技巧等，都可能是能力的線索。你一旦發現能力，就很想加以培養、改進、使其盡善盡美， 發出耀眼光芒。 這種天生的能力看在別人眼裡覺得你很有鑑賞力。 你會選擇與了解你特殊能力的人為伍。同樣地，你也受到那些發現自己能力，並加以鍛鍊的人吸引。你會避開想使你固定下來、變成全才的人，不想將生命花在悲嘆自己的不足之處。
對你而言，發揮天賦才能更有趣、更有效益， 而且不同於直覺，更具挑戰性。



Input
原文如下
You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books, and quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

中文版翻譯如下
蒐集
你喜歡追根究柢，也喜歡收藏。 你收集的也許是資訊、文字、事實、書籍和名言等無形的東西，也可以是有形的實物，如蝴蝶標本、棒球卡、瓷器娃娃或烏賊照片等。 無論收藏什麼，你都趣味盎然。 你覺得許多事物都充滿樂趣， 變化萬千與複雜性使世界充滿刺激。 你大量閱讀，不一定是為了修正自己的理論，而是將更多資訊收入檔案。你喜歡旅行，因為每個新地點都能提供新奇的藝品與事實， 可以儲藏起來。 收藏的當時很難斷定何時、為何會派上用場，但是誰知道有朝一日這些東西會不會價值連城。 由於你心中有這麼多預設的用途，所以不願意丟東西， 會不斷購買、收集、整理東西， 並且樂在其中。




Learner
原文如下
You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”

中文版翻如下
學習
你喜歡學習。 你感興趣的主題大多視你其他主導特質以及經驗而定，不過，無論哪種主題，都會受學習方法影響， 尤其是方法比內容或結果更令你興奮的主題。 從無知到足以勝任的過程使你能量飽滿； 從初期少數事實帶來的興奮、下功夫背誦或練習，直到技巧純熟後展現自信的過程深深吸引你。 學習的興奮帶領你去參加進修、瑜珈、鋼琴課或研究所課程。 使你在充滿活力的工作環境有所成就。公司也會較願意指派你參與短期計畫，希望你在短時間學得新知，然後繼續下一項計畫。 「好學不倦」的主導特質不一定代表你想變成該領域專家，也不代表你想獲得伴隨專業或學術地位而來的尊崇。 學習的結果遠不如過程重要。




Intellection
原文如下
You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life.

中文版翻譯如下
思維
你喜歡思考，喜歡腦力激盪、運動大腦的「肌肉」，讓它們多方伸展。 這種腦力激盪的需求很集中。例如，想解決某些問題、想新點子或是了解另一個人的感受。 至於以哪些事為重心，就視你其他方面的能力而定。 相反地，這種腦力激盪也可能沒有焦點。 「愛動腦」的主導特質無法指揮你該想什麼，只代表你喜歡思考。 你喜歡獨處，因為那是你深思熟慮的時間。 你經常內省，因為你是自己的最佳伴侶，你會自問自答，傾聽自己。 當你將真正付諸實踐的部分，跟內在想法和觀念相比時，內省能力也許會使你感到些許不滿足， 或者，內省能力也許會傾向比較實際的事情，例如今天的活動、稍後預定的談話等。 這股內在聲音終其一生將與你常相左右。




Individualization
原文如下
Your Individualization theme leads you to be intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. You are impatient with generalizations or “types” because you don’t want to obscure what is special and distinct about each person. Instead, you focus on the differences between individuals. You instinctively observe each person’s style, each person’s motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person’s life. This theme explains why you pick your friends just the right birthday gift, why you know that one person prefers praise in public and another detests it, and why you tailor your teaching style to accommodate one person’s need to be shown and another’s desire to “figure it out as I go.” Because you are such a keen observer of other people’s strengths, you can draw out the best in each person. This Individualization theme also helps you build productive teams. While some search around for the perfect team “structure” or “process,” you know instinctively that the secret to great teams is casting by individual strengths so that everyone can do a lot of what they do well.

中文版翻譯如下
個別
「尊重個別差異」的主導特質使你對個人特質極感興趣， 對於概括和典型感到不耐，因為不想忽略每個人與眾不同之處。 相反地，你注重個人之間的差異， 自然而然會觀察每個人的風格、動機、想法和如何建立人際關係。 你可以從每個人身上聽到獨一無二的故事。 這個主導特質說明了為什麼你能替朋友挑選最合適的生日禮物，為什麼你知道有人喜歡被公開讚揚，有人卻敬而遠之，以及為什麼你能調整教學方式，配合有人想表現的願望。 因為你對其他人的能力觀察入微，讓每個人得到最好發揮。 這種主導特質同時也有助於你組織有效率的團隊。 當旁人忙於尋找完美團隊架構或方法時，你早已知道偉大團隊的訣竅在於適才適所，才能發揮個人所長。

我覺得好玩的是，大部份有買書(中文版)的人做出的結果，前五項特質出現最多的是Intellection(思維)，可能是會對這類書有興趣的人都喜歡思考吧！

CD有三片，剛開始我都從第一片開始聽，如我前面所講，我都是睡前聽，所以每次第一片都沒聽完就睡著了，後來我就從第三片聽，一樣，第三片沒聽完就睡著。所以事實上我並沒有全部聽完過，但就我聽到的片片段段，可以稍為提一下本書重點。

每個人都有天才！只是大部分的天才不是被擺錯了位置，就是沒有努力或沒有正確的方法發掘自己的內在天才。
強化你的優點，控制損害(不必想把弱點改善)。一直在自己的弱點上做文章其實成長有限，應該要好好專攻與生俱來的天賦能力才對。

關於本書，個人覺得有兩個網站有很好的闡述，有興趣請參考。
http://hpc.ee.ntu.edu.tw/~murphy/note/work/Management/NowDiscoverYourStrengths.html
http://blog.udn.com/buscopan/922046