In leading ministry teams, one important thing to keep in mind is others’ strengths. When placing volunteers, don’t just consider how much time a person has to give to the church, but pay attention to how that time can best be used.

While each individual has his or her unique strengths, a new report from Gallup reveals one major area in which men and women differ. Gallup’s report on Women in America: Work and Life Well-Lived explores the top CliftonStrengths themes that both men and women possess. CliftonStrengths is a term given to a strengths-based personality assessment, sometimes referred to as StrengthsFinder. Interestingly, out of 34 possible CliftonStrengths, the majority of men and women have the following four: Responsibility, Learner, Relator and Input. In the final strength, most women score highly in Empathy, while more men round out their strengths with Achiever.

As the report notes, “Gallup’s findings suggest that compared with men, women are generally more inclined to focus on groups or teams and gather collective voices. Women tend to be more sensitive and intuitive about what is going on with the people around them. Men, on the other hand, are more prone to gather external data and internalize their decision-making. Rather than naturally asking for feedback from others, men tend to look for answers from within.”

Again, each individual brings his or her unique perspective to the table, but understanding research and keeping it in mind can give us guidelines to place staff and volunteers in roles where they — and therefore, our churches — will thrive.