How to Improve Your Wellbeing With Ideation®

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

Through observation, oftentimes your creative talents can help others feel enlightened and encouraged to push, I would say, beyond their comfort zone to try something new or something that they've always wanted to do.

Jaclynn Robinson, 10:13

That ability to get others unstuck when they've hit a wall not only supports their wellbeing, but likely yours, because you can really lean into that creative talent.

Jaclynn Robinson, 1:35

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 0:14
In this CliftonStrengths Podcast, we'll look at the Strengths Insight and Action Planning items from the Appendix 1 in the Gallup book Wellbeing at Work one theme at a time. Today's theme is Ideation. If you're listening live, love to have you join us in our chat room for questions. If you're listening after the fact, 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 and 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 0:44
Thank you. Good to be here.

What's the definition of Ideation?

Jim Collison 0:47
Let's get cooking on this definition. When we see Ideation, what do we mean by that?

Jaclynn Robinson 0:52
OK, so when we say Ideation, we mean that people that lead with Ideation are fascinated by ideas. They're able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Jim Collison 1:03
When we, when we think about the how it relates to you and how it relates to others -- I'm, I am really excited for this conversation, by the way -- but give us those, give us those two.

Jaclynn Robinson 1:13
Such a creative theme! How it relates to you: Every day you can find inspiration from the world around you. It seizes you with energy and enthusiasm as you come up with different ways of completing work, breaking through obstacles or even connecting with people. How it relates to others: When people need inspiration or a creative way of thinking about a topic or an obstacle, they know they can call on you for support. So that ability to get others unstuck when they've hit a wall not only supports their wellbeing, but likely yours, because you can really lean into that creative talent.

Jim Collison 1:44
A battery-charging moment for me, I had a partner for, for a lot of years at Gallup, Jodi was her name. And she would, I'd come in, she's like, "I need three ideas." Now she totally knew how to use Ideation. She didn't let me ideate forever. She was like, "Your three, your first three ideas are usually your best." And so --

Jaclynn Robinson 2:05
She knew you!

Jim Collison 2:06
Oh, totally. And so she'd be like, I need three ideas on this. You know, and I, as much as I hate when people say this on Facebook, but then she'd go, "Go!" You know, and think for a second and then just start rolling. Communication high, so I talked through them, right, but just a really great way to recharge. She didn't know -- no, she did know it. She was recharging my batteries and getting ideas for things that she needed, that she needed. And so it's just a, yeah, it was just great. It both related to me. And I've admitted this before, I don't know about you, but I actually ideate before I go to sleep, as a way to relax. Now --

Jaclynn Robinson 2:46
Wow!

Jim Collison 2:47
Like, some people say, "That's weird!" Like, no, if I was thinking about things, I'd stay awake. No, it actually relaxes me. Right? So I'll be trying to solve a problem. I'll go to bed. I'll lay down and do a little, kind of close my eyes, a little meditation, and I'll think through all the ways to solve that problem. And by the time I get to the end -- well, I don't know when I got to the end because I fell asleep. Right? I don't know, Jaclynn, how's it work? How's it work for you?

Jaclynn Robinson 3:10
That's fascinating! I'm gonna Focus on You a little bit more to see, Do you end up losing that traction of the idea when you wake up in the morning? Or do you -- I know some people high with Ideation will journal it before they go to sleep to get it out, and then they pass out. But it sounds like you just, just fall asleep, and you remember in the morning.

Jim Collison 3:28
I do. It's there. And then, and then usually, you know, I'll rethink it again in the shower, because that's a great -- you know, these, these times of isolation are when -- they're, they're magic times for Ideators. These isolation times -- driving, driving, being in a plane, a shower, whatever, right? Those kinds of things, where you can't be doing other things, and your brain gets time to kind of crank around. So yeah, typically, then I would, the next morning, as I'm getting ready for the day, I'll reenergize that in my brain, to say, OK, what am I going to do now? And then sort, continue to sort. Because, remember, ideating has got a sort -- has some, well, I have Maximizer, too, so this is probably doing it as well. But you can, you can generate these and then need to sort them in some way. And I think Maximizer helps me get them sorted.

Jaclynn Robinson 4:18
That's a great way of leaning into it.

Jim Collison 4:20
Anything else you want to add, from a, just an, I don't want to dominate that section but just from an overall standpoint on Ideation, anything else you want to add?

Jaclynn Robinson 4:27
I know, I, I love, I love ideating with Ideators. It helps people, whether you have it or not, when you're around someone high in Ideation, it triggers a sense of inspiration and excitement and creativity in that person as well, I feel, and it's just, it feels very synergistic -- that's the word.

Jim Collison 4:51
Yeah. And it's good for my wellbeing. Like it charges my batteries. I kind of use it -- we'll, we'll talk about this here in a little bit, but I use it. One of my favorite things to do with a bunch of folks who have high Ideation is say, and to be very, very clear, "We're not actually going to make any decisions. Like, let's just talk about this."

Jaclynn Robinson 5:08
That's key too, especially in the workplace, when you have a bunch of maybe Achievers or Executors, and they're like, Oh, we're taking all of these ideas and running with them.

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

Jim Collison 5:17
Yeah, a lot of fun. It can frustrate, you know, Restorative or can frustrate Achievers. But setting those ground rules, and in folks high in Ideation, especially as we're kind of coming out of the pandemic and maybe coming back together -- new rules, whatever, new ways to do things, may be great for them to practice the sentence, We're gonna, we're gonna come up with some ideas; we may not move on any of them. Let's just talk through this, right? And kind of set the stage for that going forward. Speaking of that, we're doing this in the context of wellbeing. What does Ideation look like thriving versus struggling?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:52
Yes. For thriving, this person really thrives when they have the freedom to brainstorm ideas and try something new. I, I'll caveat that and say and/or try something new. But it's even better if they get to do so with creatives. In addition, being part of a team or an organization that's open to innovation and new ways of thinking can be quite rewarding. In terms of struggling, this person can struggle in an environment that's focused on maybe tried-and-true methods, and they're not quite open to change where it's warranted. They can also struggle when their workload inhibits their think time or creative process. So if there's limited time to really get your ideas on paper or to bounce it off of somebody, or to just kind of think it through and get clarity, I've, I've recognized that that can also be quite a struggle for those high in Ideation.

Jim Collison 6:46
I struggle a little bit with the long-term things, because Ideation can move rapidly -- doesn't have to, by the way; it can, I, this thing can be long term as well. Just for me, I'm more in the day. I like to, I can have 1,000 ideas in a day, and the next day, 1,000 new ideas, right? Just Hey, how could we -- I used to joke all the time, when I drive home from work, I drive home a different way every time, because I wanted to -- and I have Adaptability as well, right. So I wanted to see something new. I wanted to look at things in a different way for new ideas, for new concepts, for new things, right? Maybe -- they're doing it a little bit different this way. Maybe there's something to that, right? And taking advantage of other people's ideas, too, is -- Oh yeah, oh, that sounds good. So I think there's some great ways, kind of in that. As we, as we take in a best practice of this in Appendix 1 by each of the wellbeing elements, we've looked at this theme. What's -- let's look at one. What did you pick for us today?

Jaclynn Robinson 7:45
This is so fun. I chose social wellbeing. So this person will thrive in the presence of others with high Ideation. I'll also caveat that to say, or again, other, other folks that are highly creative. So they are inspired by others' innovation, not unlike great jazz musicians. Help them find environments that stimulate high creativity and innovation, such as conferences and festivals. So by that, what I mean is South by Southwest that is in Austin, you know, just a place where a lot of creatives come together, whether they're in music, arts, technology, where they talk about what's new and innovative. Or in Dubai, they have a -- what do they call it? -- the, the Dubai World Expo, and it's 192 countries coming together, bringing innovation and culture. So things like that that, that someone high in Ideation can do in their free time can really just spark social wellbeing.

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

Jim Collison 8:43
That's, it's so great. I, I have to be careful, even during a session like this -- my brain begins to kick into Ideation mode, and all of a sudden, I'm kind of thinking like, oh, there's some, there's some more things to do in that. There are 4 other examples of that -- this theme by one of the elements of wellbeing, I think a great resource for you to use with those that you coach; just a great opportunity to go in there and ask some great questions. It's, they're, it's not exhaustive, but it's a great way to get in there and get the conversation going. Again, this resource -- back to the book, Appendix 1, we'd love to have you take a look at that. So this is a really important question and is kind of my favorite question throughout all of these that you do is, How can we use Ideation to support others?

Jaclynn Robinson 9:27
Yeah, so if you're a manager or leading a team, sometimes you see a pathway or connection that fellow colleagues or your team may not. So help them see the positive possibilities when they find themselves stuck in a rut or perhaps more resistant to change. If you're on a team, one way to nurture your creative mind, while inspiring fellow team members, is to schedule 15- to 30-minute Quick Connects. You and your colleague can just brainstorm and ideate and share ideas back and forth. That can be a powerful way to both fuel productivity and get in some social wellbeing. And then as an individual, perhaps without even knowing it, your creative outlets -- it could be music, art, poetry, dance, technology, something else -- but not only does that energize you, but it inspires others around you. So through observation, oftentimes your creative talents can help others feel enlightened and encouraged to push, I would say, beyond their comfort zone to try something new or something that they've always wanted to do. So just little, little fuel for your bucket -- little drop in your bucket.

Jim Collison 10:31
Well, I like -- you inspired me in a thought that is like, you know, when I create, or for those with high Ideation, when they have a great idea where they have, it's inspiring, and they're doing it just to do it. I'd love to, like, I think some of those ideas need to make their way to people who can, who can take them other places, you know, that can do things with them. Oftentimes, they may just wither and go away. And that's OK -- for some folks with high Ideation, like, it's fine. It was a good idea yesterday; not today. It's O, that's OK. Like, that's fine, right? But I think there's some really great inspiration in that, and sometimes we need to capture that. I think that's the heart of what you were saying there. Get that written in a journal or get that, get that down or have a conversation with somebody. Capture some of those good ideas, right, from that. Anything else that you'd add to that.

Jaclynn Robinson 11:22
No, that, that really resonates. And, you know, a lot of folks in chat were saying the same with Ideation is they find a theme that can really ground it and help them execute on it or sort, like you do with, with Maximizer and Ideation, or having that partner is key in getting some of those great ideas into reality.

Jim Collison 11:43
Yeah, so great. Let's do this exercise from Appendix 2, because I think this plays right into it. Very simple exercise we can work, we can work through. So Jaclynn, let's take it, let's take us through that exercise now.

Jaclynn Robinson 11:54
All right. So I believe I pulled from social wellbeing for this one. So Ask Yourself: How can I provide friendship and support to someone? Again, that creative energy is such a spark, and it's such a joy for people. Ask Your Team Members: Do we encourage each other to, do we encourage each other to have enjoyable experiences, such as a great vacation? And then Take Action: Participate in activities that let you use your strengths every day. I would say, Go where your creative energy flows, in this case.

Jim Collison 12:27
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.