Connectedness®: 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 Connectedness^® bring energy and motivation to their workplaces? And how can managers high in Connectedness foster a work environment that is energized, motivated and thriving? Join Gallup's Jim Collison and Dr. Jaclynn Robinson and discover how, using your Connectedness theme, you can bring new energy and motivation to your role, your managing, your coaching.

People are looking for closeness. They're looking for camaraderie. ... Someone with Connectedness ... [has] the really good energy that makes people just calm and relaxed.

Jaclynn Robinson, 12:28

If you have this theme, encourage cross-functional collaboration. Where do you see opportunities to collaborate with other teams or partners?

Jaclynn Robinson, 5:37

Jim Collison 0:00
I am Jim Collison, and this is The CliftonStrengths^® Podcast, Season 3, recorded on January 25, 2024.

Jim Collison 0:21
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 Connectedness. If you're listening live, love to have you join us in our chat room. If you're listening 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 -- seems like a million years ago -- and our CliftonStrengths role-based reports. Jaclynn, always great to be with you. Welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:51
Yeah, thank you.

Connectedness: Questions for Individuals

Jim Collison 0:53
Hopefully, folks high in, in Connectedness today can put all the pieces together as we do this. And I'm hoping we do it as well. We're spending this season talking about bringing energy to work with our themes. And today, we're talking about Connectedness. Let's talk about the individual first. What are some ways an individual with Connectedness can feel more energized by focusing on their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:15
Yes. And who doesn't need clarity and resources in the workplace? So I think understanding the deadlines, the impact to a team or to customers, how it relates back to the mission itself -- all of those are just examples of what can be helpful for someone high in Connectedness. But really, consider what links in the workplace help you gain clarity and understanding regarding that bigger picture. And then, ask your manager for insight and clarity where it's needed. So I threw out a few examples for you that might resonate, but maybe there's something else that helps you think about the bigger picture and connecting those dots.

Jim Collison 1:55
You threw in a little Q^12® in there with basic needs. I, you know, I've got materials and equipment, and I know what's expected of me. And thinking about then -- and I hadn't really put those two together -- of thinking, getting all the pieces in place. That's a lot harder said -- no, it's a lot harder; it's a lot easier said than done -- in making sure someone's experience in their first 8 weeks is a connected experience. You're connecting them to the organization. I hadn't really ever, I hadn't ever really thought of it that way, but, but very interesting to think through that onboarding exper- -- I've spent a lot of time talking about the key to onboarding, right, and high in Connectedness being the master onboarder. Right, of being able to connect all the dots so somebody's experience makes sense. I don't know. Any other thoughts on that?

Jaclynn Robinson 2:53
Yeah. And I feel like we're teasing in the manager piece now.

Jim Collison 2:58
Oh, probably. Yeah.

Jaclynn Robinson 2:59
And it's so true. Well, just when I think about engagement overall, it's, you're tapping into something that we're seeing with newer team members that are working remote -- that onboarding experience might feel a little lackluster for them. But someone with Connectedness could say, Oh, here's a roster. Here's, you know, 10 people you could go and connect with, in your team and across teams, that are going to give you some insight on, you know, what they're doing, how you connect back to it. So yeah, they can really enrich the onboarding experience and make someone that might be new or remote feel so hyperconnected to the workplace. Great callout!

Jim Collison 3:36
To bring it back to the individual, I mean, that individual high in Connectedness could, could spend time putting the pieces together for themselves and how they fit in the organization, and how the organization's collective history and their current mission all fit together, so that they're putting those pieces together, right? They're beginning to say, These things are here because of that. We're -- here at Gallup, on the first floor, you can walk around, you make a circle, and it's kind of like a history of, it's a history of Gallup, right? There's a picture of George, George Gallup that's there; we have a picture of Don Clifton. Then, then you can go down, and there's, there's, like, stations, and you can walk down and connect the pieces together. Like, this is what we do; this is how we do it; this is the mission of it and why, and some of the things we're doing. So I think maybe for individuals at work, making sure they're making those connections, right? They're finding those pieces to put together for mission. What other ways, as we think about the individual, can someone with, high in, in Connectedness feel more energized by focusing on their individual strengths and development? Tease that out a little bit more.

Jaclynn Robinson 4:48
I think thinking about what you do with ease and enjoyment. Where, where might there be other opportunities to use those talents on a project or working cross-collaboratively with another team? And if you're having a difficult time identifying how else to use them, maybe check in with your manager and your next, you know, check in with them in your next one-on-one or developmental conversation, and they might have some ideas and can support you in that process of thinking of other places you can connect those talents in the workplace.

Jim Collison 5:22
So speaking along those lines, keep going with that. What are some ways an individual with Connectedness -- easier said than done -- can feel more energized by building partnerships, finding purpose in the role?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:37
Well, they value the idea that everything's interrelated. So if you have this theme, encourage cross-functional collaboration. Where do you see opportunities to collaborate with other teams or partners? You might just broach that topic or ask it as a question, and then see what the rest of the team has to say.

Jim Collison 5:57
Yeah, I don't, I don't have this very high. But I did spend some time, you know, early in my career here, beginning to ask some questions of, How can I use my talents in other areas that aren't necessarily my responsibility? Right, you know, and that had some huge payoffs, still continues.

Jaclynn Robinson 6:16
That internal agility, right. It's a big thing.

Connectedness: Questions for Managers

Jim Collison 6:19
Yeah, I mean, we're doing this today because of the connected, for me, that connected, Hey, the mission and the purpose of what we're trying to do, getting from CliftonStrengths to we're gonna have some coaches to we're going to train some coaches; oh, we're gonna have a certification program for those coaches. Well, I gotta communicate with these -- high Communication^® -- we gotta communicate with these coaches, then start working down the line, right, and here we are today, because of that. I love that connect -- I, see, I love thinking of that, all those things being connected. So let's switch to the manager. This is even a more fun conversation. How can a manager with Connectedness support others with their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 6:57
Recognizing that barriers to your team's work can create that ripple effect. And that can lead to other bottlenecks for other people, not just your team. So this ability to see the interconnectedness among people can be beneficial when elevating a matter. Because you can say, Well, it's not just our team that's impacted, but this can happen -- X, Y and Z. You can show that cascade effect and really flag something that might not feel as imperative to others, until they see that bigger picture and ripple effect.

Jim Collison 7:28
How do you think that helps others feel seen, heard and valued when you do that? Talk to me some about that.

Jaclynn Robinson 7:37
Whenever I think about it from the engagement perspective, when we're listening to somebody that has a barrier or a frustration in the workplace, and then we flag it and we activate on it, they feel cared about as a person. They feel seen and heard for the, the, you know, voice that they chose to raise. But that value decreases really quick when they raise their voice, and then we do nothing with it, and we just kind of sweep it under the rug. So I think this is where Connectedness can really come in handy, because naturally, they're going to be thinking of ripple effects.

Jim Collison 8:14
Yeah, I think of stability as, when you're talking about this, these, you know, putting, pulling things together. I don't know, I just, that word stability, when we think about our 4 Needs of Followers, I think about that stability of the, putting the, putting the pieces together, and people go Oh, OK. And maybe that's what I crave in it when I see it happen, is it, I can go, Oh, OK. Oh, all that makes sense. OK, this is how we got there. And it provides clarity, right, it provides that -- talk some more about how a manager with Connectedness can build trust, inspire and deepen team collaboration and community then too.

Jaclynn Robinson 8:57
They can help team members see how they, the work they put forth impacts other teams. And they can build bridges between teams and help them see their interconnectedness. One thing they could do is encourage them to talk through their priorities or current barriers, their preferred communication method, their preferred work styles, so that as a team, they're more aligned on shared goals. But even if they work across teams, having that same level of communication -- you know, priorities, barriers, communication style, work style -- can help them be more aligned as well.

Jim Collison 9:34
Yeah, look, for some reason, that deepened team collaboration keeps popping out at me of this tool, to say, Yeah, but these, this is the why. Like, this is the why; we need to collaborate because of these things. All these things, like whatever that is; however that comes together. Just as we're talking about this, I'd kind of love to watch somebody do that right now. Like, you know, just, I'm so drawn to the, to the theme. Let's wrap it up with this: How can a manager with Connectedness support the growth of each team member?

Jaclynn Robinson 10:07
Ooh, this is always a fun one too. But for individual development, when you're thinking of those plans you're putting together with the employee, you know, you could probably see how that employee's past efforts have led to their current progress. So lead discussion during progress checks on how their talents connect to their behaviors, their successes and their relationships at work. And then that can provide a really good recipe for what to focus on in the future. It's like, Oh, hey, I've seen that your past efforts of doing this have worked really well. It's led to, you know, X, Y and Z this year. Let's talk about that. Let's hone in on those behaviors. Let's study the recipe for success, so we can apply that moving forward. I call it grandma's traditional recipe. We know it across cultures. It's the recipe we never want to change, because it just works so good. Just works!

Jim Collison 10:58
I was in a team meeting today, just, actually right before we met here. And I got to give, it was a new, new employee, newish employee to Gallup, and we're talking about podcasting and where we've been, and, you know, I've been doing this for 12 years, and you're like, Hey, let me just give you, before we start, let me just give you a little context, the pieces that we've put together here and why we've kind of done what we've done. And it's so, it's so great. I can, I can, I can always kind of tell who's going to be able to work with me and not, when I get done with that. And either they say, "Thank you," or they move on quickly. You know, like, "Oh, thanks for that," or I'm, "OK. Whatever you just said," you know, type deal. So that, for, for me, that always develops growth in that as well. Jaclynn, any final thoughts as we wrap up Connectedness?

Jaclynn Robinson 11:51
I would say from a people piece, I love Connectedness, because they're, they're, you know, curious. They remain curious of someone's perspective or their background and how that's influenced who they are and how they show up in the world. And I think that level of curiosity they have, from that more personal or relationship perspective, shows a lot of compassion. And it can also lead to support and encouragement, because they have built that psychological safety of curiosity, and I just want to get to know you, and how has your past really supported who you are now and where you see yourself going?

Jaclynn Robinson 12:25
And so I would say, hey, continue to embrace that, because people are looking for closeness. They're looking for camaraderie. We're still coming out of the, what, 4 or 5 years of the pandemic, where that social isolation is still there for a lot of people -- especially when you look at, like, mental health stats, people are more isolated than ever before. But someone with Connectedness, I always say they have that good juju -- the really good energy that makes people just calm and relaxed, and you soothe them. So I know we talked a lot about the workplace, but I think from the relationship side, there's so much juiciness that someone with this theme can, can offer.

Jim Collison 13:06
It, it was my mom, I never got my mom to take CliftonStrengths. But if she did, it would have been Connectedness, Connectedness, Connectedness. And she would meet people --

Jaclynn Robinson 13:16
Oh, how lovely!

Jim Collison 13:16
She was always trying to connect herself to them through family. And so she'd say, "Where do you go here?" "What did you do about this?" Always questions. So maybe this is where I got the question-asking stuff from was my mom. Right? But she'd work hard. I mean, she'd talk to you for 45 or 50 minutes, if that's what it took to get a connection to you, right. And like, "Oh, yeah, I know, your aunt's, you know, sister, brothers-in-law," whatever, you know, type thing, by the end of the conversation. But that made, she, oh, and in the process of that, she got to know the individual. And she could tell you, if she met somebody for, you know, just met them that day, she could tell you more than maybe some of their family even knew about them. So she was good at asking those questions, with the purpose of connecting the dots. She wanted to connect you to her, and to, that was just a natural thing she did. She did it to everybody who came by, and it was so powerful, so powerful to watch. It's a good reminder. I need, I could do that more. I don't, sometimes, it's just that's not, that's not my drive. I don't drive to, you know, I don't ask those questions to connect, but to influence. I come at it from an Influencing standpoint. Jaclynn, always great to spend time with you working through this and connecting the dots today. So thanks for coming out with me.

Jim Collison 14:39
With that, we'll remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we do have available in Gallup Access. Head out to my.gallup.com. Sign in. It's not just for your Top 5, which, by the way, we have a new Top 5 report that's beautiful. That's out there. Isn't it awesome? It's awesome. It, they did a really nice job on it, and it's available for you right now. Log in, and go to your strengths dashboard; it'll be available there. For coaching, master coaching or if you want to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, you can -- we do that as well. Send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. If you want to join us for the 2024 -- or whatever year it is for you -- Gallup at Work Summit, we'll have something going on. Head out to gallupatwork.com. And we'd love to have you join us, whether it's in Omaha or any other place in the world that we're going to be doing these things here in the future. And then stay up to date with all the future webcasts by joining our Facebook and LinkedIn groups, or join us on any social platform just by searching "CliftonStrengths." We'd love to have you out there. It's a lot going on around it. And if you enjoyed it, hit those Like and Subscribe buttons, and we'd love to have you stay close. And if you really found it helpful, share it. Connect the dots!

Jaclynn Robinson 15:41
Sharing is caring.

Jim Collison 15:42
Connect the dots. Share. Right. Get that out there as well. Thanks for listening today. If you're listening live, stay around for a little bit of a postshow. And with that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.

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

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