Arranger®: How to Feel More Energized at Work

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

Productive employees want energy, motivation and drive to characterize their work life. Managers want their teams to possess these in abundance. And organizations envision an entire engaged, thriving workforce that overflows with these qualities. How can individuals high in Arranger^® bring energy and motivation to their workplaces? And how can managers high in Arranger foster a work environment that is energized, motivated and thriving? Join Gallup's Jim Collison and Dr. Jaclynn Robinson and discover how, using your Arranger theme, you can bring new energy and motivation to your role, your managing, your coaching.

When possible, plan your day around your energy levels and that productivity flow, so that you're really maximizing the time and energy in a more intentional way.

Jaclynn Robinson, 5:34

It's easy for Arrangers to be comfortable with change for change's sake. But you might have other members on the team that need to know the why behind it.

Jaclynn Robinson, 10:05

Jim Collison 0:00
I am Jim Collison, and this is The CliftonStrengths^® Podcast, Season 3, recorded on December 1, 2023.

Jim Collison 0:05
In this CliftonStrengths Podcast series, we'll look at how to feel more energized and motivated at work one theme at a time, and today's theme is Arranger. If you're listening live, love to have you join us in chat. If you have questions after the fact, you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Dr. Jaclynn Robinson is our host today. She works as a Senior Learning and Development Consultant and joined me for Season 1 and 2 of The CliftonStrengths Podcast, where we looked at Wellbeing at Work -- our book -- and the CliftonStrengths role-based reports, which was super fun. And Jaclynn, always great to be with you. Welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:51
Thank you. You ready for today? I feel like this is your theme!

Arranger: Questions for Individuals

Jim Collison 0:57
It is. Arranger No. 1. I spend a lot of time in it. But it's about everybody. Right? I'll have some good examples as we bring this in. But Jaclynn, this season we've been bringing, we've been talking about bringing energy to work. So as we focus on that today, talking about Arranger, let's think about it from an individual perspective first. So what, in what ways are individuals with Arranger -- How can they feel more energized by focusing on their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:24
Yes. Looking for opportunities to collaborate with your colleagues on any shared goals or responsibilities. What I love about that is it could create efficiency. And who doesn't like efficiency as an Arranger? As you start to share out ideas or problem-solve or even start to consider splitting the workload, based on the strengths that each person has. Plus, I think the bonus is it gives you that opportunity to socialize with other people in the workplace. And that could be really refreshing in itself and bring a lot of that energy back into your day, when you might naturally be spending it working alone, because so many people are either hybrid or remote these days.

Jim Collison 2:04
I think, as we, you know, we've moved into a complex -- not that it's ever been not complex -- but the world's a pretty complex to be right now for a lot of people, right. And I think that, that Arranger theme, as we think about getting back to basics, when things are chaotic, I would always -- Arranger No. 1 for me; I would always actually just upset the applecart, so to speak, wipe it all out, and then bring it all back together as kind of a way of bringing some order to the chaos. That just felt good for me. I think other folks, when, when you think about your basic needs and applying Arranger to that, you know, we've both been in a, in a, in a pretty bananas work cycle lately. How do you, how do you or what do you see, how do you think you can use Arranger to, for you personally, to bring some wellbeing back and meet some basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 3:00
Yes. It's been almost a combination of Arranger and Strategic^® for me -- of looking at the whole chess set, so to speak, to say, What all do I have to accomplish? And then, What are the key priorities within each of those? And then honing in on a talent theme for me, like Focus^® as well, to say, OK, now let me get really specific and into the weeds about this particular task. So I've used it as a way of just really having that broad oversight of, What do I need to be focusing on and keeping up in the air, in terms of all these, to your point, tasks, responsibilities, the travel schedule. And OK, now that I know what I have, let me hone in, using some other talent themes. And I don't know with, with Arranger, if you feel like it's almost natural to even pull in other themes. I know we all do that with theme dynamics, but because Arranger likes to manage people or projects and lean in with efficiency, question back to you: Do you see how Arranger likes to pull in some of your other themes to carry out all of these tasks?

Jim Collison 4:04
Yeah, for me, and this kind of leads into the, the next question, but, but since you asked that question, I, it pairs well with -- I have Ideation^® 7. And so it's great to think, OK, I want to keep 1,000 things going on around me in what I'm doing. Maximizer plays into that as well as wanting to do more of things. And so getting those all spinning again -- in fact, I'm less energized when things aren't spinning. Like if they stop spinning, I get super bored. How can I cause some problems to solve? I know some people, when I say it that way, they always say, isn't that more Restorative^TM? For me, I come at solving problems through Arranger. And, and, and so getting that Ideation of, like, OK, I want to start doing something here. What are five things -- Ideation -- five things I can do to get the plates spinning? That, what you and I both did is a perfect example of this next question. So in what ways can an individual with Arranger feel more energized by focusing on their individual strengths and development? Right? We just kind of walked through that. From a general perspective, can you give some advice on that?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:11
Yep. And I think it does, you know, sum up what we just discussed, too. It's paying attention to where your energy and productivity levels are throughout the day. I think even more specifically, when do you feel most creative in the day? When are you most receptive to learning and absorbing information in the day? When are you most productive with your work? And then as someone that enjoys a flow to processes and systems or working with others, when possible, plan your day around your energy levels and that productivity flow, so that you're really maximizing the time and energy in a more intentional way.

Jim Collison 5:45
Do you think, do you think that advice could, you can almost layer that advice on top of any of the themes, right? Thinking through of put, adding that theme, just to separate? I know we're talking about Arranger. But just as you were talking about that, I was, I love that idea, you said focus on, on your priorities, and find where your energy lies. And I think that's one of those things where we can look at a lot of the themes and say, Yeah, how, how does, how does energy get introduced into my schedule throughout the day? And if I can play it -- I was watching this YouTube video that it asked the question of, Why do we launch rockets close to the, to the equator? And that's because we can take advantage of the earth's spin, right? And so when you launch those rockets, the earth's already going at a certain speed, and so you can kind of take advantage of that. And I think that's a similar thing, as we think about these themes. And with Arranger, right, we've got this, for those who have it high, we've got this, all this momentum, maybe, this, this equator momentum -- it's not the way you'd say it, but -- that's already going, right, and allows us, OK. I'm gonna introduce new things or multiple things or get more, get things spinning again, get busy. I don't know, does that, would you respond to that a little bit?

Jaclynn Robinson 7:01
Yeah, that resonates with me, too, when I think about Arranger loving efficiency and really maximizing the workload or the day, so you're getting the most done in an efficient way. It makes sense to me. You're already taking something that's going really well for you and just steadying your energy around it, so that you can amp up the multitasking you're doing at certain periods, whether it's you need to be creative for a little bit, or you need to be, you know, get a ton of things, just get that box checked. You're just going where the energy is. And it probably feels even more natural.

Jim Collison 7:34
Sorry. That intentional thought, well, as you say, it feels more natural. I think sometimes that, Hey, I'm feeling run down. I know I've got this activity that brings energy, I'm going to step away from this one and go to, to this one for a while, to get some energy back, and then come back -- you still have to come back. Still got to do it. So yeah, to come back. But well, as we, you alluded to this just a second ago, but as we think about -- last question on the individual: How can you feel more energized by building partnerships and finding purpose within the role with Arranger?

Jaclynn Robinson 8:09
Yeah, I think about, Where are there opportunities as an Arranger to help bridge your team -- essentially, your fellow team members -- together, alongside other maybe departments or teams that you work closely with? Because you probably have that clue to, you know, talent or potential, where you see what could be a very streamlined or more efficient way of marrying your team and other teams together to amp up processes. And maybe it's just having Check- Ins with your team members and other teams you work with, to say, Are the strategies we have in place working? What do you need from us, Team A, to support you, so that your needs are met? And it's going to impact, you know, us -- Team B -- even better. Where do we maybe need to realign our goals here? So I think Arrangers have an opportunity, even outside of management, just to deepen cross-collaboration, to have more enriching partnerships and have more of that clear and purposeful path as they move forward.

Arranger: Questions for Managers

Jim Collison 9:12
There was a lot there. If you didn't catch all that, just go, hit the 15-second Back button on your podcast player and listen to that again. Think there's some really, there's some clues -- let's talk about the manager, because you mentioned that. And we think about a manager with Arranger, how can they support others and their basic needs with Arranger? You hinted at this a little bit; dig in a little bit more on that.

Jaclynn Robinson 9:34
So some, a manager with Arranger might love a tracker, where you've got the status updates and deadlines and any snafus or mishaps that might be impacting the team's goals and priorities. So then by the time you're having those weekly Check-Ins -- or biweekly Check-Ins, depending on how much you connect with your team -- you can update them more consistently on what their daily or weekly plan should look like. Don't forget the why behind the change. It's easy, you know, for Arrangers to be comfortable with change for change's sake. But you might have other members on the team that need to know the why behind it. I'd argue, all team members need to know why they're doing work. But you might want to take that pause, Arranger, because you can be so much more comfortable with it, just to give your, your team that additional stability when things do change.

Jim Collison 10:28
You may have bought into it long before your team has, and a great opportunity to ask some questions, to say, "Hey, how are you feeling about this? Where is this coming from?" By the way, that is, can be an Arranger exercise too, as you think about the team and then figuring out for them, Hey, how am I going to, how am I going to talk about this in a way that's uniquely valuable for each of the team members, all at the same time? To me, I think about that. I'm like, Oh, that sounds cool. How do I, how do I do more of that? For me, as a manager, you're talking about monitoring, and for me, as a manager, it manifests itself in monitors. There's a lot of m's there; I did not do that on purpose. OK.

Jim Collison 11:11
But I, you, if you've listened to me long enough, or you've, you've been around my podcasts, you know I, at home, I have 12 monitors on my desk. I want to be seeing everything happening at once. When I think about my teams, I also want to know what they're doing or what their, what, the systems that affect them. I want to know how that's progressing, so that I can react fast for them. Right? And so yes, yes, as you said "monitoring," I thought of monitors showing me -- I love dashboards and status and knowing what's going on in different locations around the world. So that's kind of how it, how it kind of manifests for me. Anything else you'd add to that?

Jaclynn Robinson 11:52
I love that! Yeah. Maybe I'd just extend on that one, one part more, because you said, you know, when you have that tracker, you can see what's going on everywhere. Even the snafus or the mishaps, to know what's impeding on their productivity so that I've got that as a key priority. And I can kind of fight for the team and make sure that they've got the resources they need to carry out, you know, these changes that, or carry out these key priorities. Yeah.

Jim Collison 12:16
Yeah, monitoring, I think, monitoring, not monitors, but monitoring is key in that. I don't know if I've ever, I don't know if I've ever thought of it that way for Arranger. I'm pretty crazy about my own wellbeing at times and all the things that it takes to get. And I feel good when I've caught something early, or I've, I'm doing something that's good for me intentionally, right? It's taking all those different pieces -- this is kind of more back to the individual. But if we think about it from a monitor's, from a manager's standpoint, making sure those I'm managing are getting those opportunities as well. Speaking of that, let's think about How, how can a manager with Arranger help others feel seen, heard and valued as an individual with Arranger?

Jaclynn Robinson 13:00
Yes. So picking up on the strengths and successes of, I would say, the team overall, but also team members. And the next time you recognize an employee, provide context on how you specifically saw that talent in action and how it helped the team and impact the business. And you might even want to just take note of it, so when you get into your developmental conversations, you can come back to it -- Hey, this was a strength we, I saw. We discussed it in brevity, but would you like more of these opportunities to be involved in X situation or whatnot? So it's, it's kind of a good way to recognize, but also just to take note, so you can start to incorporate those strengths into your developmental conversations.

Jim Collison 13:42
Yeah, yeah, I love that, especially in the areas of seen and heard, as you were, that, the ability to track all of those things that are happening with individuals, all at the same time, to bring meaning to them, I think is a superpower that, that, you know, sometimes -- and it's OK, when we drill in on the individual, we can miss the forest for the trees. And in this case, you're seeing all the trees, all at the same time, and being able to recognize the forest for the trees, I think that's a good way of looking at it. How can a manager with Arranger build trust, inspire and deepen team collaborations in community with Arranger, do you think?

Jaclynn Robinson 14:23
Ooh, well, someone with Arranger, as a manager, has that ability to help people see how their role really is a part of a larger, dynamic work environment. And so, How does that, how does their work impact other teams or the customers served? What internal teams would they benefit from getting to know better, based on their strengths? Just a couple of questions that I'll kind of throw out, because as an Arranger, you can help people. And I don't want to, you know, put this in the realm of Connectedness^®, because it might sound like that. But if we think about a manager with Arranger as that air traffic controller, they're seeing everything around them. So they can help their team see the impact they're making with others. And they can also bridge the internal teams together, cross-collaboratively, because again, they've got that whole big picture. I think the benefit is, where are we benefiting each other, based on our strengths? And they can help celebrate the strengths of teams, not just their own, which creates empathy and understanding, a better partnership. And there's a lot of that that I feel is a big focus on managers right now. How do we create better cross-collaboration and sense of community?

Jim Collison 15:38
Managers are under fire, and they, you know, from a support, that's why we're spending time this season talking about this, just because bringing managers in is important, and, and their development in what they're doing. You know, as you mentioned, you know, kind of that air traffic controller idea, and it, how it sounds a lot like Context^®. And I get asked that question a lot with high Arranger -- people ask me, "Where's your Context?" Because I'll, I'll pull back and say, "This is happening today because of all these things that happen." And while that sounds like Context, it's just the Arranger paying attention, because I need it to con-, to influence, to move teams forward, to say, We're here today because of all of this stuff in the background that I was a part of. And here's how we're going to move, here's how we're going to take that and then move forward it. So can, I think it can sound like Context. You may have, if you're a manager, and you have high Arranger, you may also see that, where you're thinking, Boy, I want to pull all these things in. And it sounds like, I don't have high Context. May be your Arranger thinking, thinking through that and helping those. What about those with high Arranger thinking about managers? How do they support the growth of team members? We've talked a little bit about this, but anything else you'd add, as thinking about supporting team members with Arranger?

Jaclynn Robinson 16:59
Yep. I think the ability to remain flexible and open to new ways of being productive can help their team members when they're in need of adjustments, be it an adjustment in their performance because they're behind or an adjustment in just supporting them through obstacles. Maybe they keep knocking on the same door, and the obstacle is still there. So they need to shift just a little bit. Maybe how they're spending their time. You know, that could be an adjustment in itself -- let's use your time more wisely. Or last, I would say, you know, just are there opportunities where this manager can help their team member with tasks? They're combining tasks to reduce some of the clutter, or they're reducing tasks, because it's just not efficient the way they're working. So number of different examples, team, and hopefully one might resonate with you, if you've got Arranger high on how you can support the development or growth of your folks.

Jim Collison 17:57
Have you been spying on me? I feel like today, as we're talking, you're saying all the -- it's like you've been watching me. All these, all these little bits.

Jaclynn Robinson 18:06
Lurking.

Jim Collison 18:06
Like, oh, yeah, no, I do. I do. Yeah. OK. Yeah, I do do that. Yeah. And sometimes it's, as you were saying that -- I just want to encourage managers at this point -- as you were saying some of those things, if we're not intentionally thinking about how those are powerful within a team settings, we might miss it. We might miss the opportunity to be influential, to manage people in the way they need to be managed, because we just think it happens. And we -- it happens because we have the talent to make it happen. And focusing on that talent in a way and growing that development, growing that talent as a manager, can be super, super powerful to teams. So I want to encourage you. Like me, if you're hearing yourself in this, in any of this series that we've been doing, don't play it off as, Oh, well -- you know, OK, it sounds like me; think through, like, How would I intentionally use this to grow each team member, as we're talking about this. Jaclynn, as we wrap this up, final thoughts on Arranger?

Jaclynn Robinson 19:05
Yes, so whether you're an individual or a manager, you have a great opportunity to help not just pull out your own strengths, but you see the potential in how others work and are just killing processes left and right; they do it very well. People could use some, some recognition. People could use that feeling of value. And so where are there opportunities for you to just highlight the strengths of other individuals when you see them working really productively or efficiently? And then where are there opportunities, as an individual or manager, to start bridging communications and cross-collaboration with the teams you work closely with? So that, you know everyone's recognizing the strengths of one another and how they can start to put their heads together, develop trust and rapport, and deepen those connections, which is only going to make the workplace more efficient.

Jim Collison 19:55
I love it. I love it. Well, lots to think about there. With that, we'll remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we do have available around Arranger in Gallup Access. Head out to my.gallup.com. Sign up with your account. Go to the Resources tab, type in Arranger. We got all kinds of stuff there available for you. Check it out. If you haven't, check it out today. For coaching, master coaching, if you want to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, we can help you with that as well. Send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. If you want to join us for the 2024 -- and it may be after that, but I'm sure we have something out there for you -- 2024 Gallup at Work Summit, head out to gallupatwork.com. We'd love to see you here in June. And, of course, stay up to date on all future webcasts by joining our Facebook and LinkedIn groups. You can find us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths." And if you enjoyed it, share it. Hit the Like and Subscribe button, because I'm contractually obligated on YouTube to tell you that. And we want to thank you for joining us today. For those of you listening live, stay around for a little bit of midshow. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.

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

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