Coach Tips and Helpful Information

Click here or scroll down for:

  1. Tips for getting the most out of your CS Strengths Deck
  2. Expanded detail on the 3 Stage Process
  3. What Is A Talent / Theme / Strength?
  4. Notes on choosing Talent Tiles
  5. Understanding the different tiles
  6. Domain details

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Tips for Getting the Most out of your CS Strengths Deck

  • Leveraging the Deck for Self-Awareness

    • Use Identity & Situation Tiles to Shift Perspectives – Encourage clients to explore how their talents show up in different contexts. For example, compare how a talent manifests “At my best…” vs. “Under pressure…” to deepen awareness of how strengths shift with circumstances.
    • Spot Talent Interactions – Use the deck to help clients map connections between talents, identifying where one strength amplifies another or where a talent might compensate for a potential stumble.

  • Maximising Impact in 1:1 Coaching Sessions

    • Facilitate Strength-Based Problem Solving – When a client presents a challenge, use the deck to guide them toward strength-based solutions. Have them place a Situation Tile next to Talent Tiles and explore which strengths they can lean into for resolution.
    • Use the Deck to Disrupt Fixed Narratives – If a client sees a strength in a limited way, introduce a new Situation or Identity Tile to challenge their thinking. For example, if they believe Achiever only applies to work, explore how it might show up “On vacation…” or “In social situations…” to expand their perspective.

  • Deepening Team & Group Work

    • Facilitate Peer Coaching Conversations – Have participants select a Talent Tile they recognise in a teammate and share how they see it in action. This builds mutual appreciation and fosters insight into how strengths contribute to team dynamics.
    • Explore Team Strengths in Different Situations – Lay out Situation Tiles like “In a crisis…” or “When things go wrong…” and have teams place Talent Tiles that represent their natural responses. Discuss how these dynamics play out and where adjustments might be needed for better collaboration.

  • Encouraging Practical Application

    • Turn Reflections into Strength-Based Action – Once a client has explored how their talents show up, have them commit to a specific action using a Talent Tile as a visual reminder. Encourage them to carry that talent forward into their week.
    • Strengths in Decision-Making & Leadership – Use Talent Tiles in leadership coaching to explore how strengths influence decision-making styles. Ask clients to identify which strengths drive their leadership approach and where they might need to flex to meet team needs.

Expanded Detail on the 3 Stage Process

  • The 3 Stage Process: Prep, Explore, Action

    Each exercise is split into three stages: Prep, Explore, and Action, designed to guide you through a structured yet flexible process for self-reflection, insight, and growth. Each stage builds on the previous one, helping you move from preparation to deeper exploration and finally to actionable steps that promote personal development. This process allows you to identify strengths, recognize potential areas for growth, and create a clear path forward.


    By following this process, you can facilitate transformational coaching sessions that not only deepen strengths awareness but also help clients apply their learning in real-world situations.

  • 1. Prep (Preparation)

    The Prep stage is where you set the foundation for the exercise with your client. This involves arranging the tiles or materials that will guide their reflection and exploration. During this stage, you will help your client organise the elements (Talent, Situation, and Identity Tiles) that provide context for the exercise, ensuring they focus on specific strengths, situations, or challenges. Think of it as setting the stage and preparing the tools they need before diving deeper into meaningful exploration. As a coach, this is where you help clients frame their exploration by selecting the appropriate tiles—such as Situation, Talent, or Identity tiles—that will shape the discussion.


    Use this stage to:

    • Clarify the goal or focus of the session.
    • Help clients choose relevant tiles that reflect their experiences or challenges. 
    • Create the starting structure for exploration, ensuring they have a clear point of reference.

  • 2. Explore

    In the Explore stage, guide your client through deeper reflection. Together, you will examine the relationships between the elements they have prepared—such as how their talents show up in different contexts or situations. This is where you will help them assess how their talents manifest as strengths or potential challenges, encouraging them to reflect on past experiences and consider future applications. Through this exploration, your client will gain valuable insights into how their talents influence their behavior, decision-making, and overall effectiveness in various settings.


    Use this stage to:

    • Guide clients in examining the relationships between their talents and specific situations.
    • Encourage storytelling—help clients recall real-world examples where these talents have helped or hindered them.
    • Challenge fixed perspectives—ask powerful questions to help clients gain new insights about their talents.

  • 3. Action

    The Action stage is where you help your client transform the insights gained during the Explore stage into concrete steps for growth and development. Together, you will identify specific actions that will enable them to further develop their strengths or better manage any challenges that surfaced during exploration. By guiding them to select one or two key actions to focus on, you create a clear, practical plan for applying their learning in real-world situations, driving meaningful progress and personal development.


    Use this stage to:

    • Help clients identify one or two key actions to focus on.
    • Ensure action steps are practical, specific, and achievable.
    • Discuss how they will track progress or reflect on the impact of these actions in the future.

What is a Talent / Theme / Strength?

  • Talent

    A talent is a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behaviour that can be productively applied. It’s your innate ability to do certain things instinctively well without much effort.

  • Theme

    A theme is a category of talents that reflect a person’s dominant patterns of thinking, feeling, or behaving. CliftonStrengths® identifies 34 different talent themes, such as Achiever®, Strategic®, and Empathy®, which represent a person’s top talents in action. 

  • Strength

    A strength is the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific task. Strengths are developed when you take your talents and refine them with knowledge and skills through practice and application.

Notes on Choosing Talent Tiles

  • Understanding yourself better through your talents

    Your client’s Top 5 from their CliftonStrengths® assessment are usually a good place to start, but they could instead choose the talents which best describe what they used in a particular situation, or any others they would like to work on.


    You can decide whether to use the Strength Side (solid color) or Stumble Side (white with border) of each Talent Tile.

  • Understanding how other people’s talents affect you

    Rather than look directly at their own talents, you can explore how your client interacts with others and how other’s talents affect them - e.g. take an Identity Tile such as “I value…” and choose Talent Tiles which reflect what they look for or see in other people they interact with.

  • Understanding how you work as a team

    Use tiles representing your client’s team’s collective talents to explore strengths, identify gaps, and improve collaboration. Reflect on how the team works best and help them create strategies to enhance performance and alignment.

Understanding the Different Tiles

  • The domains are broad categories to help you understand the different ways your talents contribute to your personal and professional life. 

    The Domain Tiles, split by color, describe the domains and list the 34 talent themes within them. 

    See below for more details.

  • Talent Tiles

    Each of the 34 talent themes has its own tile to help you recognise how it can both help and hinder you, depending on how it’s applied.

    Strength Side (solid colour): shows the positive aspects of the talent and how it can contribute to your success.

    Stumble Side (white with border): highlights potential challenges or pitfalls that can occur when the talent is overused or mismanaged.

  • Prompt Tiles

    There are two types of prompt tile which provide different contexts for exploring your talents:

    Situation Tiles: these tiles focus on different situations or environments you might encounter. They encourage you to think about how your talents manifest in specific contexts, such as when you're at your best, in social settings, or when leading others. By using these tiles, you can reflect on how your talents adapt to different scenarios and what helps you thrive.

    Identity Tiles: these tiles prompt you to explore aspects of your identity, motivations, and aspirations. They help you consider how your talents shape who you are, what energises you, how you interact with others, and how you want to be seen. Using these tiles allows you to connect your talents to your personal goals and values.

Domain Details

  • Purple: Executing Domain

    Focuses on turning ideas into reality, keeping the team on track, and ensuring goals are met.


    Achiever®, Arranger®, Belief®, Consistency®, Deliberative®, Discipline®, Focus®, Responsibility®, Restorative™

  • Green: Strategic Thinking Domain

    Focuses on ideas, innovation, and the ability to plan for what’s ahead.


    Analytical®, Context®, Futuristic®, Ideation®, Input®, Intellection®, Learner®, Strategic®

  • Orange: Influencing Domain

    Focuses on persuading, motivating, and leading others to achieve outcomes.


    Activator®, Command®, Communication®, Competition®, Maximizer®, Self-Assurance®, Significance®, Woo®

  • Blue: Relationship Building Domain

    Focuses on connecting with people to create strong and supportive teams.


    Adaptability®, Connectedness®, Developer®, Empathy®, Harmony®, Includer®, Individualization®, Positivity®, Relator®