How to Improve Your Wellbeing With Connectedness®

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 Connectedness, 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 Connectedness talent to fuel your wellbeing. Join Jaclynn Robinson and Jim Collison on this CliftonStrengths Podcast to discover how.

[The person with Connectedness] can help me see how what I'm doing today is going to align to goals that I have for myself, personally or professionally. And that brings me back down to a sense of, OK, everything is all right.

Jaclynn Robinson, 13:24

I think it's important [for those with Connectedness] to ensure you have time yourself to decompress. And some might say decompress and disconnect. But for you, it's decompress and reconnect to the world around you.

Jaclynn Robinson, 8:26

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 0:10
In this CliftonStrengths Podcast, we'll look at the Strengths Insight and Action Planning items from Appendix 1 in the Gallup book Wellbeing at Work one theme at a time, and today's theme is Connectedness. If you're listening live, love to have you join us in our chat room. There's just a link right above me there to get in there. If you're listening after the fact and you have any questions, you can always send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Dr. Jaclynn Robinson is our host today. She works as a Learning Development Consultant and was the primary contributor in Appendix 1 in the Wellbeing at Work book. And Jaclynn, it's always great to be with you. Welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:45
Thank you, sir. Good to be here.

What's the definition of Connectedness?

Jim Collison 0:47
We are talking about Connectedness today. Let's dive in with a definition.

Jaclynn Robinson 0:52
Let's do it. So people with Connectedness have faith in the links among all things. They generally believe everything happens for a reason, with very few coincidences in life.

Jim Collison 1:02
We've been spending some time thinking about how it relates to me, and then how it relates to others (not me specifically, but you generally). Let's work our way through that.

Jaclynn Robinson 1:12
Yeah. So for those that have Connectedness, if you lead with this, you might find comfort in knowing that everything, most everything works out in the long run. You might not understand the reason behind circumstances and events, but you might believe there's a lesson to be learned in that situation. And then if we think about how Connectedness relates to other people, because this person is pretty comfortable with the mysteries of life, they tend to help friends, family and colleagues -- anyone else that they might come across -- manage times of stress by really helping them see the bigger picture, you know, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And that cool, calm and collect attitude can really help calm those that are around them.

Jim Collison 1:53
I think it can come into play during times of crisis. Not that we haven't had any kind of crises around, happening around us, but our Connectedness friends could be a, you know, could be a healing balm, so to speak, during these times.

Jaclynn Robinson 2:12
Oh, that's a good term for them.

Jim Collison 2:12
Saying, "I know this is kind of crazy right now. But let me, let's talk about how there's some, how there, there may be some things connected to bring things together, and I think they're important -- especially in crisis." You would, I don't think we would talk about it that way a lot, but I think our friends with Connectedness could be important people to have around you during a crisis. I mentioned this before, but I think Belief is sometimes paired with it. And boy, that's a combo that can be centering or stabilizing. I'm not a stabilizer during crises. But anything you want to add to that?

Jaclynn Robinson 2:52
I think you're right. They can be a grounding force for teams and the people around them. And I find during times of crisis, people tend to go to them, like a moth to a flame, whether it's happening in the world or whether it's happening just for that person. But just being around someone with Connectedness, they tend to have this energy that comes off of them that's very calming, and it's OK. It's OK. You know, everything will, will work out; everything will turn out. They can I think help them come to some solutions, because they're calming that person down and helping them see that it's OK.

How does Connectedness look when it's thriving vs. struggling?

Jim Collison 3:28
And not an empty, "It's gonna be OK," but "It's gonna be OK because of," right. "It's gonna, I can see these things all coming together." And so I think it's, it's that, it comes from being able to see that in a way that can bring stability, as we think of those 4 Needs of Followers, can bring stability back into the relationship. As, we're spending this season talking about wellbeing, and as we think about thriving versus struggling, what could this look like thriving? We've talked a bunch about that already. But then struggling.

Jaclynn Robinson 4:02
I think thriving is when someone high in Connectedness feels grounded in their day-to-day life, meaning they feel at peace and one with the world and their place within it. Struggling, on the other hand, might be when it feels as if they've lost their sense of footing. And typically, because the pieces do connect, and there, it might be serendipitous or synchronous, that might not happen frequently. But, you know, if there haven't been opportunities to step away and ground themselves through meditation or mindfulness or yoga or journaling, or whatever it is that helps them feel connected to all around them and grounded, that's when they might feel like they've lost that sense of footing and just need to reconnect.

Jim Collison 4:43
Maybe even when they get disconnected from their sources of connection. In other words, when they, when they've got things that help them stay or be or communicate in that way. And when that gets, when those doors get shut, they get removed from them. They get moved physically, maybe, to a new location or situation. Again, 2 years ago, as we, as situations were shifting, there may have been a new world, so to speak, that had, now they're, I don't know how to make connections to this, at least not initially. Right?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:17
Yes. Yes. Some people high in Connectedness, yoga was their way to balance out and just reconnect. But when all the yoga studios closed, and before there was that idea, Oh, let's hop on YouTube and do yoga, that could have created a sense of, uh-oh, you know, what's happening? I'm losing my sense of footing. But yeah, to your point, it's whenever I lose that connection to what helps me and supports me and assists me in feeling grounded.

Jim Collison 5:46
In Appendix 1, you, you spent some time going through each of the themes that's available for folks by the 5 elements. We want to focus on one of those. What'd you pick for us today?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:55
I picked career. So from a career perspective, you know, this person is really great at helping connect everyone to the team's goals. They can help their colleagues see how all of their tasks work together. So this is something people are seeking right now is, What am I doing that's contributing to something greater than myself? People high in Connectedness tend, tend to see that and sense that within their team, but they can also help teams see how they connect to other teams or departments in an organization. So I think we can look to them for that sense of connection and purpose.

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

Jim Collison 6:30
I think very valuable in the sense of team and team communication, in where we're at today. And then how can we make, how can we make those connections work better? How can that, how can things be done differently? What's the new world look like in this case? And I'm kind of excited about 5 years from now, when we get, we've gone through all this and learned all these lessons. I think our friends who have, are high in Connect --pay attention, like I think you're gonna have some great things coming out of this, some great material coming out of this to help make those connections for both yourself and for other people in the process. Jaclynn, there's four other of the, of the, the elements there -- the wellbeing elements -- for you, if you want to look back in that Appendix, and some great opportunities for you to use that in your coaching. So with, with Connectedness, how do you think, how can we use that to support others?

Jaclynn Robinson 7:30
Well, if you're a manager, you're leading a team, you know, during times of organizational change or global crises, like we've been experiencing, that impact everyone, they bring forth a sense of calm and keep the team together and focused on that larger mission. And they can help the team see how their actions are creating positive impact for the organization or for their customers or even for the world. So bringing them back down, creating that sense of grounding, but also hope: Things we're doing now are creating a better future.

Jaclynn Robinson 8:00
If you are on a team, and you have Connectedness, sometimes people just need to vent or find that person who can bring them, them back to that sense of calm. And those with Connectedness, I find, are often the, the people that others go to, to find that sense of calm. So that being said -- because you might find that people come to you a bit like a moth to a flame -- as an individual, if you lead with this theme, I think it's important to ensure you have time yourself to decompress. And some might say decompress and disconnect. But for you, it's decompress and reconnect to the world around you. So you are, you tend to be at your best, I would say if your energy is aligned, and you feel connected to all that's around you.

Jim Collison 8:48
During this time, I have found, I want to, I kind of want to go back to think about managers with high Connectedness and their ability to use that, again, to the 4 Needs of Followers as we think about stability in that and then bringing hope in it. Because I think those we manage are coming to us now, saying, like, Where, where's this all going? What are we doing here?

Jaclynn Robinson 9:17
Yes, What is my motivation?

Jim Collison 9:19
But as we think about the Great Discontentment, right, the, or the Great Resignation, as some have chosen to call it. We just published a paper on loneliness today, an article on gallup.com, thinking about friendships in that. And we've, we're more disconnected than we've ever been. And, and so I think there's some great opportunities for leaders and managers to start to make those connections -- just not connecting people but helping people see all the connections that are available for them and whatever world that happens to be in. And, right? So we've got some great opportunities. What else do you want to add to that?

Jaclynn Robinson 9:56
I think you nailed it. We can really look to those with Connectedness. And I have a Go To -- my manager leads with Connectedness. And it was so key as we were going through the last couple of years in helping us see how what we've done in the past has prepared us for the here and now, and how what we're doing here now is changing the workplace and workplace needs and really impacting those that we work with, and those that we work for.

Jim Collison 10:24
In Appendix 2, we have a really great framework there of kind of working through these, each of these elements, these wellbeing elements. We'll spend a little bit of time talking about them now. But Jaclynn, as we think through Connectedness through this framework of let's Ask Yourself, Ask Your Team Members and, and then Take Action. Walk us through that.

Jaclynn Robinson 10:45
So for these I selected, I always have the theme in mind here. So for Ask Yourself, How can I spend more time with a friend or colleague today? Who's that person that you connect with, and you just feel so good? You leave with a sense of positive energy, as opposed to someone that might drain you. Ask Your Team Members: Do we spend enough social time together as a team? Particularly, and I love that you brought up this sense of loneliness and the loneliness article, because people are experiencing loneliness and social isolation. And they're looking to come back together as a team, whether it's remote, virtual, hybrid -- remote and virtual, one and the same. But whether you're hybrid, you're working off site, you're working on site, you might have some key ideas of how people can come together for social activities. And then Take Action, scheduling time to then coordinate those social events and activities, whether they're on site or virtual. Again, you could get the team involved, but seeing how all the pieces can act, you might be that common thread that then threads everybody else together.

Jim Collison 11:48
Yeah, and I'm gonna encourage those with high Connectedness to call that out in their relationships as they're doing that. I think sometimes, for those of us who don't have it, we don't necessarily see it. It's, it's stealth, it's a little stealthy as it's happening. And we just think it's part of life. But if you have high Connectedness, and you're, you're doing that, I'd encourage you to actually in situations, call it out: "Hey, this is, so this is my Connectedness now, putting these things together," or however that plays out for you. It's, it can be in so many different ways. But claim that one, I think, claim that one out loud. I think that's a great, when you're taking action, let folks know that you're, that you're, you're putting those things together, you're finding or having those connections or seeing how the past is influencing this. And I think it's a great opportunity then for others to recognize that. I know I'd appreciate it, because I, I think I overlook it from time to time as people are doing those. Jaclynn, you mentioned your manager has that. How do you, when that's, when a moment like that is happening, do you, do you respond to it in a way? And have you ever given positive feedback to say, "Man, that's super helpful"?

Jaclynn Robinson 13:01
Yes, we love it. We love it on our team. For Boss Day, International Boss Day -- which we should change to International like Coaches Day or Managers Day -- he got a lot of shout-outs just for keeping us connected. Even when we lose that sense of connection, with Focus so high for me, I so thoroughly enjoy that his Connectedness high, because he can help me see how what I'm doing today is going to align to goals that I have for myself, personally or professionally. And that brings me back down to a sense of, OK, everything is all right. I'm still heading towards the outcome that I seek to achieve. It's just, it, I'm on a different path, but he just helped me, you know, get that bird's-eye perspective of how I'm still heading towards the goal.

Jim Collison 13:47
I think after doing this webcast, I need to go find some folks with high Connectedness and to study a little bit more. Like I'm intrigued by it. It's, I mentioned it's my favorite theme that I don't have. And, and now I'm intrigued after, after this conversation of digging in a little bit on that to ask how they are using it; how it can, how that can benefit our working relationship. So I'm gonna dig a little deeper on that one. Jaclynn, any, any other thoughts before I wrap it?

Jaclynn Robinson 14:15
No sir. Go hug a Connectedness person! Or give them the elbow right now. You might do elbow to elbow -- elbow tap.

Jim Collison 14:25
Might be important.

Jaclynn Robinson 14:26
They're good people. Yes.

Jim Collison 14:28
How do you do a virtual fist bump? Like how does that work?

Jaclynn Robinson 14:31
We just do this. Yeah, if you see someone high in Connectedness that might be struggling too, I think we could serve as accountability partners for them, just to see if they've had moments, pockets of time to focus on self and, and reground.

Jim Collison 14:49
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.

Gallup^®, CliftonStrengths^® and each of the 34 CliftonStrengths theme names are trademarks of Gallup. Copyright © 2000 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.