Strengths On Fire | Clifton Strengths, One and Done or Rerun? Should You Retest?: With Melissa Ortiz

Clifton Strengths, One and Done or Rerun? Should You Retest?: With Melissa Ortiz

September 16, 2025 / 58:23/S2 E16

What happens when three Activators get together for a podcast? You pivot mid-show, toss the script, and dive into a whole new debate. 🎙️

This week, Sarah and Bill are joined by Melissa Ortiz, founder of Activate Human Capital Group, longtime strengths coach, and all-around powerhouse of influence. Together, they tackle one of the most common questions in the coaching world: Should you retake CliftonStrengths—or are your first results the truest reflection of who you are?

From survey bias to life stages, from the science behind consistency to the lived experience of shifting themes like Adaptability, the conversation is candid, funny, and refreshingly real. Along the way, Melissa shares insights from her time at Gallup, her philosophy of “meet people where they are,” and her belief that the real value of strengths isn’t in the test—it’s in what you do with it.

Whether you’re a coach, a leader, or just curious about your own results, this episode will help you stop overthinking and start applying your strengths with more clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Main Takeaways

Your first CliftonStrengths results are often the most accurate—later retakes can be influenced by “survey bias.”
Strengths don’t fundamentally change, but life seasons can stretch certain talents (hello, parents with Adaptability).
Retaking the assessment may make sense if you took it young, in a non-native language, or under stress.
The magic isn’t in the paper—it’s in how you name, claim, and aim your results.
Different tools (Strengths, Predictive Index, Enneagram, etc.) are all languages; what matters most is using them well.
Obsessing over numbers or order distracts from the real question: How are you leveraging your talents today?
Top 5 vs. Full 34? Both work—what matters is focus, application, and depth.

Sound Bites

“We put so much stock in the back end and not enough in what you’re going to do with it.”
“The first time you take the assessment is the most accurate—before you know what you’re looking for.”
“If you want a different result, ask yourself: am I retesting—or resisting who I really am?”
“Strengths don’t change—you just get more sophisticated in how you use them.”
“Stop questioning the arrows. Go make better experiences in the world.”
“Survey bias is real—you can’t un-know the questions once you’ve seen them.”
“People don’t leave because of a missing strength—they leave because relationships are broken.”
“Whether it’s Top 5 or 34, the goal is the same: name it, claim it, aim it.”
“The worst thing you can do is let a piece of paper tell you who you are.”
“Sometimes, the dumpster fire is just you being fully you—and that’s not a bad thing.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

Creators and Guests

Host

Bill Dippel

Bill Dippel is a certified, professional Strengths coach with a 35-year career in nonprofits and higher education. His passion is working with organizations, teams, and individuals to ensure they are performing and communicating at the highest levels. As president of Bill Dippel Strengths Coaching, he travels frequently for large events and public speaking, as well as working with whole companies through their management teams.

Host

Sarah Collins

Sarah Collins is a certified CliftonStrengths coach and founder of Collins Collective, with over 12 years of experience in strengths-based coaching and leadership development. Her passion lies in empowering businesses, teams, and individuals to communicate and perform at their best by focusing on what they do well. As the leader of Collins Collective, Sarah combines engaging workshops, high-impact keynotes, and in-depth coaching to foster growth and connection. Based in Nebraska, she partners with businesses to drive meaningful change and create high-performing teams.

Guest

Melissa Ortiz

For nearly two decades, Melissa has focused on improving employee retention by matching the right people to the right seats and measurably improving Employee Engagement. Her focus area is Talent Optimization and her “why” is Better Work, Better World. From her time with Gallup Consulting working in their San Francisco and Houston offices, Melissa saw clearly how critical fit-to-role and engagement were to the health of the business AND the individual employee. When those two elements are present, employees and financial metrics are healthy, robust… thriving. The drive to help organizations harness the power of talent is Melissa’s core focus because of the meaningful impact her work makes on individuals and organizations, but also on their families and communities. The ripple-effect of talent optimization is far-reaching. Melissa helps clients discover that Talent Optimization happens at every level – from defining culture to crafting individual roles; from discussing team-level engagement scorecards to debriefing organization-wide engagement hotspots; it’s all about understanding where you want to go then aligning your talent strategy your with business strategy to get you there. These metrics allow clients to quantify the level of psychological attachment that exists among employees and teams – then proactively manage those relationships. These metrics matter because they are leading indicators. Unlike traditional fiscal measurements (P&L, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows) which look in the rear-view mirror at where a company, division, or department has been, Melissa helps clients focus on forward-looking metrics that predict where they’re headed and course-correct as needed. When Melissa isn’t working with her team or clients, you can find her on her 5th generation family farm in Northern California, on mini-adventures with her husband Antonio and their two children, or investing her time in local youth programs such as the Colusa Cyclones Swim Team.

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