Highlight on Analytical – Strengths 101

Highlight on Analytical – Strengths 101

What does it mean to have “Analytical” as a strength?

Have you ever had holes poked in your brilliant idea? Or, maybe you’re the one that’s the hole poker… everyone knows an idea without backed facts is meaningless, right? According to Gallup, “People exceptionally talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all of the factors that might affect a situation.” Those who are Analytical believe that theories and strategies must be backed by facts and data in order to be given truth. 

As shown in the “hole poking” concept, reasoning cannot be made through feelings or intuition, since these things cannot be proven on paper. However, feelings and intuition can serve as important, but small, pieces to a puzzle or to help put together patterns. A few things that can be proven on paper include objective/clear thought processes and patterns. This is where Analytics thrive.

Those who are Analytical believe that theories and strategies must be backed by facts and data in order to be given truth. 

Unlike those with the Connectedness theme, those with the Analytical theme make sense of the world around them by internalizing it and drawing conclusions. They cannot accept the life mantra that “it just happened for a reason”. These truth-seekers need concrete proof to uncover essential information. After all, we all know what it means to assume!

Analytical Mindset and Antics

Bits of data, numbers, figures, graphs, scatter plots, and log scales are enough to send most people running for the hills. Yet, this is where the Analytical lives– in a realm of absolutes. Numbers are hard to argue with, and so is an Analytical if they have the facts and figures to back it up! 

When tasked with a problem, they feel they must find the point of origin to properly solve it. They start by asking why. Once they find that answer, never satisfied, they are driven to ask ‘why’ several more times until they reveal the true root of the problem. And they will keep asking many questions, like a dog with a bone, until they solve it – even losing sleep in the middle of the night, running the numbers endlessly through their mind over and over…sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? 

And for some reason, they say Analytics can come off as a little critical or judgemental. They ask a lot of questions because, in the back of their minds, they’re always trying to get to the bottom of ‘why’ – don’t take it as criticism. They need as broad a picture as possible to draw a conclusion they feel comfortable with, it’s typically not a criticism or judgment call about you (depending on the situation), so try not to take it personally.

They ask a lot of questions because, in the back of their minds, they’re always trying to get to the bottom of ‘why’ – don’t take it as criticism.

Executing Analytical

Analytical is in the strategic thinking domain because the brains of Analytical thinkers are hardwired to dissect conditions and extract reasoning. They are strategic in peeling away each layer of fact and figure until they can ultimately draw a meaningful conclusion. 

Those with Analytical are logical in their decisions since they use factual and valid information to make the most educated decisions. You might think of the person you work with that won’t go through on a somewhat risky deal because “you can just feel” it’s going to work out well. The logical nature of Analytics generally has a positive effect on team members because they create trust. Team members see Analytics as credible because of their evidence-based thinking and their ability to ask the right questions. If you need a straightforward, honest answer, they are the ones to go to since they don’t let emotions get in the way of seeing what truly lies in front of their eyes.  

Team members see Analytics as credible because of their evidence-based thinking and their ability to ask the right questions.

However, this virtue taken too far can potentially lead to the downfall of teamwork and relationship building as Analytics may become viewed as emotionless decision-makers. When asking questions, those with Analytical should reserve their interrogation to only the most important topics. Others might see constant questioning as harsh, overly skeptical, and untrusting of other team members. This translates to the thought that Analytical thinkers are questioning their colleague’s expertise or knowledge on certain topics. Combined, this team dysfunction can hurt morale and relationships. It would be beneficial for Analytical thinkers to share their intentions and thought processes with others, or it will be hard to be on the same page. 

Harnessing Analytical

An Analytical colleague is good to have because they won’t miss an angle or a way of viewing something. If you are working with someone who is Analytical on a project, they will be the ones who see all the facets of the situation to determine potential challenges or roadblocks. 

Team members view those with an Analytical strength as logical or rigorous. They ground the team and can bring clarity on sensitive topics in which people might get emotional. However, if they get too stuck in getting the facts straight, it would be helpful to have a teammate with a strength like Activator to get the momentum going. In this situation, it would be helpful to pair someone who is Analytical with someone who has Empathy or Harmony in their top strengths.

If you are working with someone who is Analytical on a project, they will be the ones who see all the facets of the situation to determine potential challenges or roadblocks.

As someone managing an Analytical employee, be sure to set clear expectations around deadlines. They are more concerned with getting things done “right” (by their standard) than getting things done on time. When making decisions on behalf of the team you manage, be sure to share the factors and options you had before you drew your ultimate conclusion. The process matters to employees. They want to know what happened in each step of the way. 

If you have Analytical, you can learn even more about how to hone in on the Analytical strength. 

Churchill is certified and highly experienced at delivering the Gallup programs including Building a Strengths-Based-Organization. Learn more about our Strengths-Based Organization program here.   

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