How to Improve Your Wellbeing With Responsibility®

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

Your natural ability to manage tasks and relationships with integrity and commitment has likely played a significant role in your success. So external factors in the world might arise. But like an oak tree in the wind, you can remain rooted and unwavering.

Jaclynn Robinson, 1:13

I heard one person with Responsibility say, "I learned that I had to recognize it's not just a responsibility to the workplace. But once I turn off, I have a responsibility to my family and to myself."

Jaclynn Robinson, 10:10

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 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 Responsibility. If you're listening live, love to have you join us in our chat room. There's just a link right above me. Or if you have questions 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 in Appendix 1 in the book Wellbeing at Work. And Jaclynn, always great to see you -- I think we're gonna pull this off. Welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:45
I think so! Likewise.

What's the definition of Responsibility?

Jim Collison 0:48
Let's, let's jump right in, not tempt fate. We're talking about Responsibility today. Can you give us that definition?

Jaclynn Robinson 0:55
I sure can. So those that lead with Responsibility take psychological ownership of what they say they'll do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Jim Collison 1:06
With that, with Responsibility, how does that relate to you? And how might it relate to others?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:13
Your natural ability to manage tasks and relationships with integrity and commitment has likely played a significant role in your success. So external factors in the world might arise. But like an oak tree in the wind, you can remain rooted and unwavering. How it relates to others: Regardless of the situation at hand, people can look to you and count on you to deliver. And this creates stability and a rock-solid foundation for people.

Jim Collison 1:37
It's one of those themes I really lean into from somebody else.

Jaclynn Robinson 1:43
Yes. Yes, you can look to them, and it's calm and they're collected and --

Jim Collison 1:49
33 for me, at the very bottom. Where is it for you?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:52
It's mid -- it's like high teens, I want to say.

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

Jim Collison 1:56
Yeah, I, and I really enjoy the relationships that I have. And I'll call that out often because of those, all those dependability factors, I'll just let them know, Hey, I'm -- and younger, even more important than when I got older. I think I've learned how to fake it a little bit more or, or at least just delegate some of those things to others to make sure they get done. But a very, very important theme. And this season -- well, they're all important, just to be honest, but this season, we're talking about wellbeing with this. And so I'm interested to hear from you. What does it look like thriving, and what does it look like suffering?

Jaclynn Robinson 2:32
Yes. So thriving is when you have found the ability to manage your work life and personal life without feeling overcommitted. And that is typically a very hard balance to achieve for someone high in Responsibility. You might feel like this comes easier, though, when other people are, you know, either equally committed to meeting their deliverables and upholding their word or when they lean in and support you because they're cognizant of the, the, you know, amount of tasks or commitments that you have on your plate. Struggling tends to occur then when you feel overcommitted, and it makes it really difficult to meet your deliverables and deadlines with expediency. Doesn't mean you won't do it, but it might just feel like you're really burning that midnight oil. And this can then be amplified if you feel like you can't delegate out to your friends, family or team because of their lack of reliability.

Jim Collison 3:24
I love that last kind of statement, when, when I feel like I can't. Sometimes, it's not always you can't, it's just you feel like you can't, right. And it's that you lose hope when you feel like, no matter what you, what you're going to do, it's not going to change anything, and I think -- or it's not going to get any better. And I think that's particularly difficult for Responsibility. Certainly we've heard during this the last couple of years, you know, we are recording this March of 2020. As we're thinking about the last -- 2022, sorry. I went back -- maybe that was a Freudian slip, I went back in time.

Jaclynn Robinson 4:03
Don't bring us back there; we're just coming out!

Jim Collison 4:06
Yikes. Well, let's move on. As we're thinking about wellbeing in, this during this time. In Appendix 1, we think about each one of these elements of wellbeing with this theme. You've picked one to go through. Let's, let's spend some time talking about that now.

Jaclynn Robinson 4:21
I did. I chose physical wellbeing. So an accountability partner will motivate this person because they'll not want to let their partner down. Whether their goal is to lose weight or get more sleep, an accountability partner can encourage them to then really share that goal with a friend so they can support each other and check in on their progress.

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

Jim Collison 4:40
And I love doing that or thinking about that as, as one of those tricks to, Hey, I, if I need to, I need to get these things done. If I can get them on a list where I, and I have an accountability partner, then I don't, I don't want to let my Responsibility feel bad so I get them done. It's one of those things that I think works for, may work for some. There's 4 other elements there, as we think about this, 4 other elements with Responsibility. Great resource for coaches, embedded coaches or just individuals looking to improve their overall wellbeing back there. Jaclynn, how can we use Responsibility to support others?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:23
So with Responsibility, because there's that commitment to others, I flipped this a little bit too where it's also supporting the person with Responsibility. So if you're a manager, or you're leading a team, when you ask or observe what tasks team members achieve with enthusiasm and speed, you can feel more comfortable delegating out work to them. So this can help take work off of your plate and further their development and engagement levels. If you're on a team, others know they can count on you as the rock for the team. So when times are tough, you can encourage them to push through with your words or actions and really have that, that, that team goal achieved. And then even as an individual, if you can turn your commitment to others inward and commit to activities and interests that you love, your wellbeing can thrive. And although it can feel hard to do, if you think about it, taking care of yourself allows you to uphold your external commitments to others. And you're also role-modeling that behavior for them of how valuable it is to take care of yourself.

Jim Collison 6:21
Going back to what we talked about in the struggling, you know, what does this look like struggling? I think this is, this theme has that potential, the propensity to really take it on and not, like you said, take care of yourself. You and I have had some busy weeks the last couple of weeks. And so we've spent a lot of time talking about like, Hey, what, you know, we've gotten to the end of the internet, and we're like, Ah, what am I gonna do now, right? You know, and I think for those high in Responsibility, they, I think, with themselves have to be extra proactive in making sure they are doing some self-care. Right, they are --

Jaclynn Robinson 7:05
Very much so.

Jim Collison 7:06
Doing some things to take care of themselves. We, you talked about physical wellbeing, but that can also, you know, in the areas of social, like of go, you know, maybe they need to go do some things outside of the four walls that's -- right? Anything else you want to -- anything else you want to add to that?

Jaclynn Robinson 7:26
That's, I think, so spot-on, just feeding yourself and getting that energy, and it goes back to putting the oxygen mask on yourself so that you can continue to support other people. But you can't do it if your bucket's empty and you're losing oxygen.

Jim Collison 7:39
Right. You have no energy. Yeah, frantic if you're, if you're just really, really struggling, it's hard to help others when you yourself are in, in pain or, or in, you know, in a state where it's not healthy. So appreciate that. Put your, put your own oxygen mask on first. In Appendix 2, we have a framework that we work through for each one of these elements. Very simple framework. Jaclynn, can you walk us through that with Responsibility?

Jaclynn Robinson 8:09
Yes. And I'm glad you teased out social wellbeing, because that's one I wanted to tackle specific to Responsibility. So Ask Yourself: How am I modeling social wellbeing to my team? If you want your team to do more than just work, work, work, you also have to role-model it, or they'll just maybe take after you and go, Well, you're burning the midnight oil, you know, 12 hours a day, why can't I? Ask Your Team Members: How do we show our support for each other's wellbeing? And Take Action: At the end of the day, pause and celebrate your accomplishments. As opposed to just thinking about everything that you've taken ownership for, have you taken a pause just to celebrate everything that you've gotten done?

Jim Collison 8:48
You know, I think for managers that have high Responsibility, either, well, in themselves, but mostly on their team, of thinking about -- and again, all themes need to be recognized. But I think, this is if you want to add fuel to the fire, for those with Responsibility, I think, I do think it's important. I think they'll tell you sometimes, "I don't need it," but they do. Like we all need it, right? Don't let that, don't let that, you know, don't believe that, because everybody needs recognition. And I think this is in one of those, when getting things accomplished, really important. And of course you want to ask them to be honest. You want to ask them, like, "How do you like to be recognized?" But in some of these areas, I think this is key: Get them recognized. Because that, that's like, for an Achiever, it's like, you know how you check it off? I think for a lot of folks have high Responsibility, having those milestones recognized -- even if it's just saying it's done -- kind of fills that, kind of fills. I don't know, what else would you add? Would you add to that?

Jaclynn Robinson 9:51
I love that! Yeah, I really do. I love that piece of just, Yeah, OK, I've come a long ways. And maybe that will also help you recognize, you've achieved a lot in the day already. You've committed to and can check the box on a lot of what you've said you would do for other people. Now you can take some of that time for yourself. And I heard one person with Responsibility say, "I learned that I had to recognize it's not just a responsibility to the workplace. But once I turn off, I have a responsibility to my family and to myself." And that was their way of quieting that guilty whisper in their head.

Jim Collison 10:25
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.