Some of the books solid points:
1 - Focusing on strengths is a contratrian idea in many companies, and it is very important for people to know that focusing on their strong spots is up to them.
2 - The online survey is a very informative tool - perhaps the most useful diagnosis I've taken. After using it, you'll say, "Wow, that makes sense!"
3 - The book should open your mind as a manager to staffing, leadership and development opportunities.
Weak spots - even if we're not supposed to focus on them :-):
1 - With the descriptions spread over so many strengths, the reader is left with a lot of fluff and unread material if they're focusing on self development.
2 - The book tends to be written as a group of large lists, with detail on each strength. A theory tying them together would be helpful for putting it into practice. The average manager is hard pressed to use such a thick catalogue.
3 - Fixating on 5 strengths seems a bit restrictive. Maybe some people have 3 or 4 or 6? It would be useful if the tool could give relative weights or scores on them as well.
In summary, the book is best used as a survey for folks interested in a self assessment. More depth (a follow-up book?) is needed to put the ideas into general practice.
This book provides practical information on how to Individualize management based on each person's Strengths which are related to their talents. Gallup has styled a StrengthsFinder Profiler which can used by organizations and is available for individual evaluation to purchasers of the book.
There are 34 Themes identified which suggest broad talent areas. The authors assert that "...you will be most successful when you craft your role to play to your signature talents most of the time." It's also true with managers directing their staff. There are numerous examples of real-life success stories as well as ample information on each of the 34 Themes - both from the individual's standpoint and for the manager.
As pointed out in the earlier book also, it's counter-productive to evaluate everyone based on the same criteria and focus on weaknesses. It's far better to recognize what each position's talents are and hire people with those talents; with existing staff, move people around as practical to optimize each person's talents.
Another key point repeated in the newer book is not to promote people above where their talent and value is; they are more likely to fail and/or be unhappy. Find a way to reward and challenge them while they're doing what they excel in.
NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS is a valuable resource for everyone.