How to Improve Your Wellbeing With Communication®

Below are audio and video plus a transcript of the conversation, including time stamps.

Your CliftonStrengths^® can empower the 5 elements of your wellbeing -- career, social, financial, community and physical. But how does this happen if you are struggling in one or more of these elements? If you have Communication, Appendix 1 of Gallup's Wellbeing at Work book has Strengths Insights and Action Items that can move you from struggling to thriving as you apply your Communication talent to fuel your wellbeing. Join Jaclynn Robinson and Jim Collison on this CliftonStrengths Podcast to discover how.

Because you are that natural communicator and people see you as that person that can be the voice of themselves with a team, they feel seen and heard.

Jaclynn Robinson, 2:07

If you have Communication, you could ask yourself, Is the vision for the future clear to my team? Where or how can I add clarity? You've got that master Communication skill; this could be your opportunity to really help them see the future.

Jaclynn Robinson, 11:07

Jim Collison 0:00
I am Jim Collison, and welcome to the CliftonStrengths Podcast. On this podcast, we'll be covering topics such as wellbeing, teamwork, professional development and more. Now enjoy this episode.

Jim Collison 0:13
In this CliftonStrengths Podcast, we'll look at the Strengths Insights and Action Planning items from Appendix 1 in the Gallup book Wellbeing at Work one theme at a time, and today's theme is Communication. If you're listening live, love to have you join us in our chat room. If you have questions after the fact, you can always send us an email as well: coaching@gallup.com. Dr. Jaclynn Robinson is our host today. She works as a Learning and Development Consultant and was the primary contributor to Appendix 1 -- probably the only appendix in any book that's ever going to get read, just to be honest, our appendixes are super great -- in the Wellbeing at Work book. And Jaclynn, always great to be with you. Welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:50
Thank you, sir. So we get to talk Communication today.

What's the Definition of Communication?

Jim Collison 0:53
We do. Why don't we start with that definition?

Jaclynn Robinson 0:56
Yes. So if you are someone that has Communication or you know someone that has it, people high with, with high Communication tend to find ease with putting their thoughts into words. So they are really good conversationalist and presenters.

Jim Collison 1:11
By the way, Communication 4 -- good at talking, not good at writing. So I -- don't always necessarily means all forms of communication. So just Communication folks, if you're a struggling writer or a struggling speaker, but you're good at one or the other, take advantage of it. This is a, this is an example of what it can be. Yes, that's right. Let's talk a little bit about how does that relate to you? And then how might it relate to others?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:37
If we think about how it relates to you, if you lead with this theme, you may find enjoyment in bouncing ideas and thoughts off of other people. This interaction might feel more engaging, I would say, than thinking to yourself or working solo. And then if I think about how it relates to other people, as a natural communicator, others might look to you to speak up for themselves or, or the team. So you're likely to do so in a way that, you know, really resonates and engages that intended audience. You can switch gears if you see it's not landing. And I think because you are that natural communicator and people see you as that person that can be the voice of themselves with a team, they feel seen and heard. People feel seen and heard when you are the speaker for them, so to speak.

Jim Collison 2:19
Yeah. And I don't think it always means talking to; sometimes it's talking with. And I find myself a lot helping other people express what they're thinking, just through conversation. So they're like, "Hey, I'm thinking about this." And I'm like, "Well, let's talk about it some." And, and then -- this happens a lot -- I hear, "I like what that, like, I like where we went with that. I'm going to keep using that."

Jim Collison 2:44
And that's, I think, when we think about how it relates to others, that's where I think folks with Communication -- you and I, we, sometimes we've talked about that -- the "me" and the "we," -- and sometimes I think Communication, it's all about me talking or all about me writing or all about me communicating. It can actually really relate to others in helping them, just like you said, helping them get, get a ways down with that, either through speaking or through writing. Mark, you know, Mark, who helps me do the edits here, for all these, he helps me communicate in writing, like that's his gift. And so I'll say, he kind of writes something like this, and he just makes it magical. Right? And you just kind of go, that is so, that is so great. So anything else you'd add to that?

Jaclynn Robinson 3:26
No, I love that. I'm so glad that you just really deepened the extension of how it works for teams, because it, going back to conversationalists I think we can naturally just go straight to presentation mode, or they're the lecturer, they come in and lead a meeting and communicate for the other team. But they're really great conversationalists, and just in that two-way conversation, they can help unpack new ideas or thinking or perspective.

Jim Collison 3:52
Yeah, and just be helpful.

Jaclynn Robinson 3:53
Or help people find our words. Yeah.

How does Communication look when it's thriving versus struggling?

Jim Collison 3:55
Right. Yeah, no, right on, good. It's what makes me good at this, I think, is asking a lot of great -- I just love to ask questions. So I talk too, so it's not like it's just only questions. Jaclynn, when we think about Communication -- and we're spending a bunch of time thinking about wellbeing -- Communication, when it's thriving versus when it's struggling?

Jaclynn Robinson 4:14
I think when there's an opportunity to communicate with others and share ideas, thoughts, actions, lived experiences, just being able to communicate with other people, I feel is such a need of someone that leads with this. Struggling is likely going to look like when there's no platform or person to communicate with, or to, and it feels like your voice is silenced, whether it's, I would say, unintentionally or intentionally. But I feel like those high in Communication are extroverted, like to be around people, and express ideas or actions or experiences with other people.

Jim Collison 4:50
Yeah, struggling when they may not feel like they're being heard.

Jaclynn Robinson 4:54
Yes.

Jim Collison 4:55
Or even getting the opportunity to help others be heard. I mean, I think this is, some, you know, some of us with high Empathy or whatever and when others, when we're trying to advance the cause of others and we're not being heard in that, I think that can be the same, can have that same struggling effect, right?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:11
Yeah, truly your voice is silenced -- for yourself or others.

Jim Collison 5:16
Even worse is when it bounces back to you, like, not just not being able to say it, but when you say it, and it just bounces off and comes right back. That's so, that's so hard, right? I mean, it's just part of it, though. In the appendix, we look at each theme, kind of through the 5 elements of wellbeing. Walk us through one of those and tell us how, how Communication can work with -- pick one.

Jaclynn Robinson 5:40
I'm going to take us down the financial wellbeing road this time. So if I think about someone with Communication, because this person processes their thoughts out loud, connecting with someone they trust to talk through their vision and goals for their financial future can be really fruitful. As opposed to just using a computer system or a log to plug in your financial goals, I think really making it come to life is being able to share it with somebody else that can inspire you or help you put those financial milestones in place.

Jim Collison 6:11
As we look at the end of the year here, I mean, as we're recording this, we're all thinking about goals for 2022 and the end of the year, and it's pay time, you know, we're all, maybe some of us are going through those pay conversations and all those things, right. I love that you kind of pointed this towards the financial, financial wellbeing. As a manager, at the end of the year, I always, I kind of had a thing I'd go through with the folks that I was working with, it's like, OK, let's make sure we're covering all of our financial bases. And we just kind of talked through it -- not telling, talking. Like, just, "Here's an opportunity, how do you feel about this?" Boom, boom, they could say as little or as, as much as they wanted to.

Jim Collison 6:54
But that was an area I feel like, with Communication, I can help out. So that's really cool. I thought -- I hadn't thought of it that way, of using that Communication talent to get that kind of done. There are 4 others out there for you as a resource as well, as you're thinking about working with individuals and thinking about their Top 5. Work through those, and there's some great questions that should come out of those as you're helping individuals be able to do this, especially asking questions about how their wellbeing is kind of doing. Did you want to add anything else before I move on?

Jaclynn Robinson 7:22
No, that's perfect.

For those with Communication, how can it be used to support others?

Jim Collison 7:24
So we'll spend a little bit of time thinking about how these themes -- in this case, Communication -- can be used to support others.

Jaclynn Robinson 7:33
So if you're a manager or you're leading a team, bringing clarity to where the company is heading in the next year or two, and how the team contributes to that, I think could be really constructive and conducive at this point in time. I've seen a lot lately where people are looking at, you know, the, the next fiscal year, and leadership might be clear about where they're heading, but management might not be. I think for someone that has Communication high as a manager, this is an opportune moment, because you might be able to, being that master communicator, connect with leadership: How is this vision aligning with our team or our department? And bringing that clarity of Communication can then bring stability.

Jaclynn Robinson 8:17
So that's, you know, what initially came to mind for me as I was thinking about Communication as a manager. Because of that stability, you can also help them feel like there's a purpose-driven path towards what they're doing, because they see how what they're doing connects to the future. And there's a lot of mixed messaging right now for people. If you are on a team, looking for opportunities to build connections across teams or departments through more effective communication. I think that can move teams from feeling siloed to, to feeling more included, just simply by opening up communication. Having ideas about it or suggesting just social scenarios where people can get together and connect. And then I would say, as an individual, being an effective communicator and storyteller, consider where your talents can be of assistance in inspiring and motivating other people. That's, that's it's a power that you have to be able to hear stories and bring them to life and maybe engaging someone about what story is making them excited -- you can inspire them even more and take it to the next level.

Jim Collison 9:21
I love the middle section where you talked about cross-team communication. I often think we cover the top-down communication, and then we talk about teams, functional teams a lot. What we don't spend a lot of time is the effectiveness of, of teams with other teams that have to work together, right, and those team members where it may not be their dotted or their straight-line responsibility to have communication with that team but that can provide that dotted-line or that matrixed communication, to make sure that processes and procedures are working correctly, and those teams are working together. Man, I think that could probably improve a bunch of people's -- I mean, think about the impact, right?

Jaclynn Robinson 10:01
Yes. Quality of work, productivity, friendships in the workplace -- just from, from knowing how to build bridges or having someone comfortable enough to go out there and hear the stories of others or bring their story to others.

Jim Collison 10:13
In the Q^12®, we have that question, "committed to quality." And I think this "committed to quality" can be influenced by how's the communication between the teams happening? And it can be at the local team basis, but it can also be at the macro level. as we think about teams communicating with each other, and how in a larger organization that's so important. Smaller organizations, that might just happen naturally, but in larger ones, that just kind of can get lost. And I think some great opportunities there. Yeah. Anything else you want to add to that?

Jaclynn Robinson 10:41
No, no, you nailed it.

Jim Collison 10:43
In Appendix 2, we have a framework -- and this a free gift for you in the back of the book, for you to go through. So it is a free gift because there's some great questions back there. Like --

Jaclynn Robinson 10:53
There really are.

Jim Collison 10:54
You should just be ripping those things off. So get, get back there. We ask these questions. As we think, walk us through, we Ask Ourselves, Ask Your Team <embers, and then some action, action planning. Walk us through that with Communication.

Jaclynn Robinson 11:06
Yeah. So if you have Communication, you could ask yourself, Is the vision for the future clear to my team? Where or how can I add clarity? You've got that master Communication skill; this could be your opportunity to really help them see the future. Ask your team members, "Do we spend enough social time together as a team?" This is something someone high in Communication does well is being able to socialize and connect with other people. Although we will disclaim it once more -- not everyone likes to do this verbally; it could be written, but -- for those that do like to just verbalize and connect with people through Communication, you might be that, that great point of contact for folks to bring them together in a social environment and share out with each other. And then for Take Action, Hold walk and talk meetings, rather than just sitting. It's a way to get your social wellbeing heard and visible; a way for your physical wellbeing to be out there and energized. So you can, you can tackle two things at once.

Jim Collison 12:11
It's a, it's a great, it's a great, it's a great way to get things done.

Jaclynn Robinson 12:15
Career wellbeing too.

Jim Collison 12:15
I know I just don't do enough, I don't do it. The other night, I was, just last night, I was going out to pick something up at Lowe's. And I thought, "Oh, it's Tuesday night. I'm supposed to call my mom." So I called her from the car. It just worked, right? I think the same kind of deal, you know, we're doing less of this -- by the way, can be done with a Zoom call, or it can be done on a Teams call or just a phone call, where you put your earbuds in and you walk outside or you walk around the house or you walk up and down some stairs, as you're talking. Yeah, don't, don't run out of breath. But maybe do. You know, some great opportunities in that.

Jim Collison 12:55
Like, you know, I just think there's some great opportunities to take those meeting times. Share that with others too. I mean, maybe have a common goal that you're going to keep, that while we're doing this kind of Communication, we're also going to achieve some fitness goals or we're going to achieve whatever, like, whatever is in that -- do it together. I walk every morning on the treadmill, and I find a really interesting video on YouTube, and it's gone. Like, so get those meetings, you know, get those meetings in and done and, and, or whatever. However that works for you. Jaclynn, anything else you want to add before I close this thing up?

Jaclynn Robinson 13:33
No. Well, OK, yes. So, Communication is this, Communication is a piece that I think is, is missing in some organizations or for some managers or leaders. And that's where I think those high in Communication, you can really offer and contribute a lot right now. It's just been an ongoing theme that I've seen where it's, OK, where are we heading a year from now, 2 years from now? What's our mission again? Has it changed a little bit? Because you're so fluid with your thoughts and your words and can just tend to speak quite easily without having to think it through too hard and long, like some of us, you can put, you can put that into a language that everybody understands and really create that, that clarity, that stability and that connection to something greater than self.

Jim Collison 14:19
Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of the CliftonStrengths Podcast. Make sure you like and subscribe wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode. And if you're really enjoying this podcast, please leave a review. This helps us promote strengths globally.

Jaclynn Robinson's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are Achiever, Strategic, Maximizer, Positivity and Relator.

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