How to Improve Your Wellbeing With Developer®

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

If you're on a team [and you have Developer], your positive reinforcement of others, when they make progress towards a goal, is a natural mood and morale booster.

Jaclynn Robinson, 6:37

This person can play a key role in nearly any nonprofit or charity, where they can help others grow. They can see the overall potential of the organization and its leaders. So if you are a Developer, this could be you.

Jaclynn Robinson, 5:15

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. Today's theme is Developer. If you're listening live, love to you have join us in the chat room. There's just a link right above me there. Make your comments there. If you're listening after the fact, or 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 Gallup Learning and Development Consultant, as, was the primary contributor to Appendix 1 in the Wellbeing at Work book. And Jaclynn, always great to see you and welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:48
Thank you, sir.

What's the definition of Developer?

Jim Collison 0:50
We are spending some time looking at Developer today. Can you give us the definition of Developer?

Jaclynn Robinson 0:56
Yes, I can. So people that lead with the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from evidence of progress.

Jim Collison 1:08
Evidence of -- by the way, I love a high Developer with, I love having a relationship -- yeah, they're just so great.

Jaclynn Robinson 1:14
I know.

Jim Collison 1:15
Like, they're just encouraging --

Jaclynn Robinson 1:17
There's such a beauty, there's a patience about them --

Jim Collison 1:19
Always interested in your best interests. So it's, it's -- I shouldn't say "always," but a great Developer can move people in that way. How does, let's spend a little time, how does that relate to me if I, if I have it, and how's it relate to others?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:33
If I think about Developer and how it relates to someone that has it, this person might be more inclined to seek out feedback or development from, you know, their manager and others around them as a means of cultivating their own potential. In terms of how it relates to others, people see how much this individual enjoys watching and helping them grow. And so they probably feel quite safe coming to this individual for thoughts, advice and support.

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

Jim Collison 1:57
A lot of these themes have taken a hit or, as we think about the, you know, it's January 2022; we're still in the midst of kind of a global crisis of a sort, and they've taken a hit. I think Developer is actually one that could thrive during this time because of all the opportunities with people suffering and, right, Developer cares about that. So as we think of this theme of Developer in thriving versus struggling, what does that look like?

Jaclynn Robinson 2:30
Thriving is when Developers have a place carved out in life, and I would say personally, and/or professionally, where they can give advice and offer support and help others grow their potential. To your point, especially now, people are looking for learning and development for, you know, some organizations, they've kind of halted that. And it's just been all-hands-on-deck while they manage the day-to-day. I would also say that this person thrives when they are surrounded by mentors and managers that also care about them in their own development. So as much as they like to give development, they also like to receive it. Struggling, however, is when Developers aren't able to offer feedback and development and when they aren't receiving that themselves. That's when I tend to see Developers that just feel like they're really hurting inside.

Jim Collison 3:17
Do you ever feel like, from a Developer perspective, there may be an opportunity to not get off center -- develop, develop, develop, develop? Eventually, we got to move on to something else. Does that become a, could that or, could that be a risk in this sense, too?

Jaclynn Robinson 3:34
Yes. Yes. Not knowing when to kind of draw a line in the sand and say, "OK, there's, there's no more return on investment in developing this individual. They don't want it" or you know, it's, it's, "I'm putting too much time and effort over here. And I'm not maybe giving more of my time evenly even across the board," if we think about a manage, a manager. So what, what other theme can you draw on that helps you recognize when you're overdeveloping someone, and it's no longer paying off?

Jim Collison 4:05
Yeah, someone, or even yourself, from, from a struggling standpoint, you may be in an organization that now is moving so fast. You know, 2021, for a lot of organizations, was actually a really good year from a productivity standpoint. And maybe that own personal development is not getting a chance to be done, because there's just so much work to do. Or organizations have been decimated by this and they don't have an opportunity. They've lost their focus on that training or development or developing their people, and folks may be struggling in that area, because they're not getting any of it, due to financial constraints or some of those, you know, a lack of vision or just circumstances, right, that, that are beyond kind of control. We, you've written some great examples in Appendix 1 in the back of Wellbeing at Work, and they're broken down by the 5 elements of wellbeing. And we want to give an example of one of those. Can you talk a little bit about best practices around this. And pick one of those wellbeing elements for us, and let's go through it for Developer.

Jaclynn Robinson 5:10
You've got it! Let's check out community wellbeing. So an expert Developer, this person can play a key role in nearly any nonprofit or charity, where they can help others grow. They can see the overall potential of the organization and its leaders. So if you are a Developer, this could be you.

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

Jim Collison 5:30
There's 4 additional themes, as we think through this, I think, for our Certified Coaching community and those who are coaching or working with folks, I think, a great opportunity, when you're asking questions, to think through, How does this theme play into these -- certainly Jaclynn, it's one interpretation is yours. I think there's others as well. We've got some exercises in Appendix 2 to work through that. But I think a great opportunity and a great, great resource and tool that's available for you to kind of think through that. So Jaclynn, with those that have Developer, how can it be used to support others?

Jaclynn Robinson 6:09
If, if you are a manager or leading a team, and this theme is in your Top 5 or 10, your natural ability to spot potential, coupled with your desire to cultivate it, I think is a key talent that team members appreciate. You continue to support their learning and development time and again. So it's just top-of-mind for you. And this is something that people really strongly desire in the workplace is learning and development. If you're on a team, your positive reinforcement of others, when they make progress towards a goal, is a natural mood and morale booster. And even as an individual, when you have a goal in mind that will further your potential, it's not uncommon to share with close friends, family or a manager, so that you have that support, and they can help cheer you on along the way.

Jim Collison 6:57
I love learning from those individual, individuals who have thought through or developed themselves in an area of specialty, to just say -- because I'm a generalist. Like I know a lot about a lot of -- I need a, I know a little about a lot of things. And so I need, I need those who've specialized, who've really dug in, in, in that development area. And like I mentioned before, I love it when I have a manager or someone that I'm working with that has high Developer. I cling to that. That is just a, it's just a great, it's a great place to be. It's -- listen, they stretch me, right? It's just not all fun and games. Oftentimes, it's well, "Have you actually thought about doing things differently, Jim, than you currently do?" That's not always easy, right, as we think about that. So in the Appendix 2, we have a framework for you to work through. And this is kind of becoming my favorite part as we spend time working together. Walk us through that framework. And again, coaches, this is a great framework, you can use, take right out of the book, and an opportunity for you to help those you're coaching learn and grow. Walk us through that with this, with Developer,

Jaclynn Robinson 8:01
You've got it. And for this one, I pulled a little bit from the career wellbeing piece in Appendix 2. So one thing you could Ask Yourself is, "Which of my strengths will I use today?" What strengths do you want to cultivate further? Ask Your Team Members: "What parts of your role give you the most energy?" Hey, Developer, this is where you can come in and help cultivate their potential. And then Take Action: Identify someone with a shared mission who encourages your growth, and spend more time with that individual. This could be, you know, a cheerleader, a champion or just a fellow colleague, where you all can, can help each other learn and grow.

Jim Collison 8:37
Jaclynn, as you think through your, let's just say, the last, maybe the last 5 or 10 years, and you think about a person in your life who really deployed this theme to help you in that, do you have, can, do you have a moment there that stands out? I'm totally surprising you with this question. But do you have a moment there that stands out of someone that encouraged you, developed you, that, that really helped you move forward?

Jaclynn Robinson 9:05
Yeah, I have a couple of mentors that have, that have really done that for me and helped shape the trajectory I was on to say, "You've got this! I believe in you." But then also to think about it long-term, because they were older, 15-20 years older than me. Been there, done that. So just hearing from them and receiving advice on things to look out for, you know, just considerations to have was, was quite helpful. So I love Developers, and they truly are just great thought partners and mentors, informally or formally, and just cheerleaders for you.

Jim Collison 9:43
So great. We had Brent O'Bannon on Called to Coach yesterday, talking about masterminds, and I think folks that have high Developer, it's a great spot to help get started these masterminds, and then work with the members in that mastermind group -- whatever that is -- to help them see their best potential and to develop, to give them whatever that's needed in there, right, to give them those opportunities. And I think a great call to action too for those with high Developer. Jaclynn, anything else before I wrap it?

Jaclynn Robinson 10:16
Not that I can think of. What about, what, what thoughts would you have as a Developer? I mean, I see it in you, like I mentioned preshow earlier, just all the time. And I've really seen that just grow and flourish in the last couple of years with the pandemic, where I think you've been able to even put more thought into the work you do and just continue to nourish that in your relationships. So it's been really neat to see, just from, from an outside perspective looking in. Yeah, just how you've cultivated all of us. And the one-on-ones that we've been able to have is just fantastic.

Jim Collison 10:52
Yeah. Well, I mean, thanks for saying that. It's, it's been, you know, I see Developer for me more of a "we" than a "me." I don't, and some of it happens just naturally in the "me." But I think the really important piece is in the "we": How is, how am I using that to help others? Oh, I have these podcasts that I do. And yeah, it looks like Woo and Communication. But it actually may be more Developer than anything else, right. The goal is to train the globe to be able to have these, you know, that, that's, this is an exercise in Developer. Right? This is my Developer coming out. And it's the primary motivation that drives me to continue to do this. I use Communication as the, the mode, as the method, right, to get it, to get it out. But it's definitely, this is an exercise in Developer. So you're seeing it right here. That's -- I, I don't know if I've ever verbalized that, but --

Jaclynn Robinson 10:56
I don't know either, because it could, to just an outsider looking in, look like Woo and Communication. But behind the scenes, you know, Maika and Mike and I all see and know how Developer is just, it's a, it's, it's the showrunner.

Jim Collison 12:05
Yeah, yeah, no.

Jaclynn Robinson 12:06
So if we pull back the curtains, it's really neat.

Jim Collison 12:09
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.