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

Think about the other themes you also have, or the accountability partner you also have, that can help you ... draw a boundary between when you've learned enough to get started.

Jaclynn Robinson, 1:37

Knowledge is key for everybody. ... And because knowledge is your passion, you can really support them by encouraging their interests and recognizing them when they apply their knowledge -- celebrating it.

Jaclynn Robinson, 11:00

Jim Collison 0:00
I am Jim Collison, and this is The CliftonStrengths^® Podcast, Season 3, recorded on February 23, 2024.

Jim Collison 0:19
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 Learner. If you're listening live, you can join us in chat. Or if you're listening after the fact, maybe podcast or YouTube, you can send your emails to us: coaching@gallup.com. Dr. Jaclynn Robinson is our host today. She works as a Senior Learning and Development Consultant and joined me for Seasons 1 and 2 of The CliftonStrengths Podcast, where we looked at Wellbeing at Work and our CliftonStrengths role-based reports. Jaclynn, always great to see you. Welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:50
Thank you. Good to be here.

Jim Collison 0:53
Good to have you.

Jaclynn Robinson 0:53
Per usual.

Learner: Questions for Individuals

Jim Collison 0:54
Oh, yeah. Good, good to be back together. We are spending the season talking about bringing energy and motivation to work with these themes. Today, we're talking about Learner. Let's start with the individual first. In what ways can an individual with Learner -- how can they feel more energized by focusing on their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:12
I think getting, firstly, clarity on expectations, and then considering, What are the additional resources I might need or who might I need to connect with, so that I can understand more about this particular expectation or their role within it? So that, as a Learner, you can then carry out the work more confidently. I would even caveat it to say, think about the other themes you also have, or the accountability partner you also have, that can help you kind of draw a boundary between when you've learned enough to get started, because that curiosity might get the best of you. And you might stay in that conversation with an individual even longer, to know about their role and how it impacts yours. Or you might continue to gather additional resources and, you know, end up forgoing that deadline, that lingering deadline that you've got.

Jim Collison 2:07
Do you think we're in the golden age of learning? Like, if you think about all the abilities that we have -- just the internet alone, right -- to be able to learn, do you think that poses more of that, you know, to your caveat of eventually, you got to move on -- and maybe in some cases you don't. Right. But do you think that gets harder, because we have, we have access to so much learning content?

Jaclynn Robinson 2:34
It's everywhere! The Google rabbit hole is real, isn't it, folks? Where you just, you can go down that pathway, and there's just so many opportunities to learn. And it's, it's ongoing. But when have you learned enough to get started? might be that, that caveat, once you've gathered the resources to carry out those expectations.

Jim Collison 2:56
Well, we ask that first question about basic needs to kind of tease out, you know, we used to just say what the definition was. And this season, we wanted to kind of bring that definition alive by bringing it through this idea of the basic needs. I mean, that's a little secret. I've never said that before, but that's why we've, we ask that question. And so for a Learner, that ongoing learning is the lifeblood, in a lot of ways, of what they do; it is the motivation. And it may not be a satis -- you may not be even able to satisfy; it doesn't get to an end. It's not ever complete. You don't go, "Oh, learned enough!" But certainly, there are, and so I think you have to continue to find ways, put in a role where learning is honored. You know, given the opportunity to, to have professional development may be a great question to ask during a job interview. How much am I going to be able to get to learn during this time, right, but, but to be able to have those outlet. This is one of those themes -- Learner, I think, is one of those themes -- where it definitely has a quantifiable objective in it, to say, I know I am doing this by doing these things. Right. And so filling that in the role that you're in, or asking that question, Can I get more of it? I think is super important, when we think about the basic needs. Would you add anything else to that, Jaclynn?

Jaclynn Robinson 4:19
I think that is spot on, especially as we even start thinking about the individual development. How do you, how do you focus on, you know, ways that you can thrive? I think it's a good segue into the next one, actually.

Jim Collison 4:35
Yeah. So let me, let me ask you a question. What are some ways an individual with Learner can feel more energized by focusing on their individual strengths and development?

Jaclynn Robinson 4:43
Right, I, you just summed it up so well. I think it is, knowing when you're going into a role, how much time would I have? How much space do I have to be able to just learn and grow? Are there going to be opportunities for ongoing development? Is there a continuing education credit that's even maybe a part of the budget, so that I can take external courses? If not, do I have a budget? And do I have the time that my manager will provide me with, so that I can, you know, take a workshop or go to a conference or just feed the brain? But even going back to your piece on expectations, if it's, Go, go, go, and you're in a role, where you're not having that breathing space to even ingest enough information to get started on your work, nonetheless, to continue to grow and develop in your work, then that's probably going to be a problem. The opposite of that's what would give you energy. And it's, I think, everything you just said, Jim.

Jim Collison 5:44
Those first two Q^12® questions become really important -- I know what's expected of me, I get the, you know, and I have the materials and equipment -- that materials and equipment becomes not a physical item, but it becomes a mental item. Am I learning, you know, that, those materials, or am I learning what I need to know about this role or about this job or whatever? Thinking that through. I, I hadn't thought of this before, but those, in any job interview, anytime you're going into something new, those are the two, those are two really good questions. I mean, they're all good. But Do I know what's expected of me here and, and, Do I have all the right things to get it done in that? For the Learner, that can be important. Let's think about, What are some ways an individual with Learner can feel more energized by building partnerships -- maybe this one's not as intuitive, so I'm interested in what you say -- building partnerships, finding purpose within their role?

Jaclynn Robinson 6:34
Ooh, it's a good one. I think it even connects back to basic needs. Because once you know what the expectations are and how your role impacts the overall, you know, mission and purpose of either your team, your department or your organization, then you can start to, I would say, more intentionally learn information, ingest information that's going to support your ongoing development and your excellence in that role, all in the name of purpose. Beyond that, once you know more about, you know, what you're supposed to do in the role, that's gonna give you opportunities to connect with your fellow partners that might be their own informal subject-matter experts, or that might be carrying out a role where there's a lot of interconnectedness. And then you can just learn and grow from each other. What are some best practices you have? Or, Hey, has anyone discovered a workaround, because this is where I've, you know, found a hiccup? Or, What can we learn about the success of one of our projects, and how we work together and communicate it together? So there's a lot of just interconnections I see with Learner and thinking about partnerships on purpose.

Jim Collison 7:49
I am a, I'm a terrible -- what's the right way to say this? When I work out, I'm terrible by myself; I'll quit every time. With groups of people, I am awesome. Right? Learning is the same way for me, by the way. I mean, I learn best in the context of groups of people. Let's talk about this. Now, some of that's, right, I learn through communication, right. That's how, that's how it works for me. But I need Learners. And, you know, I need to be around Learners. I need to focus on that in that setting. And so as we think about building partnerships, I think that's some, a great area where Learners can lend out that, lend out that theme, and say, Let me you know, let me, let me work, let me, let me tell you what I know or what I've, what I've gathered on this.

Learner: Questions for Managers

Jim Collison 8:37
Because this is one of those, this is one of those themes, too, where you think about it from a me, the me standpoint, oftentimes, is I like the process of learning. Right? That's how we, in a very, in its very simplest form. But in the we is How do we give, how do we take that learning and turn it back into something powerful for the, for the group? And I lean on Learners for that. That's how I learn everything. Like, I don't, somebody else needs to pick it up first. I'm not going to have an original thought. I need someone else to pick it up first and tell me what the truth is. Different -- by the way, I think this partnership's different than managing with it. So let's talk a little bit, as we think about the manager, how can a manager with Learner support others in their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 9:23
Helping team members set individual and collective learning goals that are then related to meeting those expectations that they have. They could offer access to continuing education, maybe they're doing an internal workshop. They could do meetings to share best practices, so there's a lot of knowledge sharing happening. But that's going to allow the team to build their competency levels, especially with one another, while they're producing the work.

Jim Collison 9:51
What I heard you say in there is setting up an environment that's conducive to learning, and I don't know if that naturally happens in teams. I think sometimes we set them up for production, getting things done. Right. And we may need to keep that in mind, for you managers high in Learner, How do we also set it up so the teams can learn? For people like me, who aren't going to naturally go down that path, right? I don't naturally do that, because Learner is very low. So I love that idea of being intentional. And not just for those folks that have, that, that are on your team, that, that have Learner, but for those who need it, as well, in that. How can a manager with Learner help others feel seen, heard and valued as an individual?

Jaclynn Robinson 10:37
Ooh, yes! Well, you could help your team members gain knowledge in areas of interest that continue to challenge them in new ways. Cause that's what Learners love, you know, it's that, Oh, let's, let's get that sense of brain gain. I think that's a gift, actually, because people do seek brain gain. And even if they want to stay in the same role, and they're not trying to grow into a manager or leader position, knowledge is key for everybody. They want that sense of brain gain. And because knowledge is your passion, you can really support them by encouraging their interests and recognizing them when they apply their knowledge -- celebrating it.

Jim Collison 11:16
What about a manager -- let's see, let me ask that next question: How can a manager with Learner build trust, inspire and deepen team collaboration and community? Alluded to it a little bit earlier, but what else do you think?

Jaclynn Robinson 11:27
Yeah, and more specifically, they could create cross-collaborative opportunities, so they're at the helm, leading it this time, where team members can gain a broader understanding of the mission and their role in it. But learning about the work of others and how they play into it with their own role, that's going to allow them to gain a deeper respect and appreciation for not just the, the work that, you know, as a team member they're carrying out, but other team members are also carrying out. And if the manager's at the helm of that and creating it and encouraging cross-collaboration, you know, it starts to set that culture of understanding and appreciating one another, and what they can learn from one another.

Jim Collison 12:08
I think in this area of team collaboration, the genius in this is, from a Learner's perspective, of especially managing into a team is not overwhelming the team or not putting too much downstream. Like, I alluded to this earlier -- there's still production, there's still things that need to be done. And sometimes -- or expectations of individuals that, that don't have that, to be that, right. So I think there's some opportunities there. We think about to deepen that team collaboration is to find the sweet spot of, of learning -- can't be all the time. Sorry, Learners. I know you want it all the time. Can't be all the time. But finding that appropriate balance of when, when it's needed, and maybe when it's not. This final question for you, Jaclynn: How can a manager with Learner support the growth of each team member? This seems kind of obvious, but I'm, I'm interested in what you have to say.

Jaclynn Robinson 13:08
Yeah. I think, and we talked about it earlier, we referenced it some, is allocating time for learning. As a Learner, because it's so important that knowledge is gained and gathered and appreciated, I think you probably have a better -- this is going to be more top-of-mind for you to say, Am I creating enough time for people just to learn from one another? And the way that you can transfer it from me to we, one, you can share your knowledge, as Jim mentioned earlier. But two, What have, because you've got the whole lay of the land, you can see what each of your team members are doing. Where are some of those successes that you're hearing some team members having? Where might they have a particular interest, or they're those informal subject-matter experts, where you can have them share out with the team what they've learned, or how they've overcome an adversity to, you know, create success with a client or with a project they've had? Maybe they took an outside course, and you're having them come in and just give a teachback in an, in a workshop or a team meeting. So think about those opportunities where you can acquire the knowledge that either you've gained or others have gained, and you're creating and allocating space for people to now ingest that information on your team.

Jim Collison 14:34
Yeah, and I think the other thing we underestimate from a manager perspective on growth of team members is learning style, not just information to be learned --

Jaclynn Robinson 14:41
Yes, I'm glad you brought that up.

Jim Collison 14:43
Well, you kind of mentioned it a little bit in what you were just talking about. That's what reminded me of that was the appropriate, bringing in the appropriate style at the right time. Sometimes maybe it's just in time, right? Maybe it's, it's video. Maybe it's whatever -- fill in the blank. But not just knowing the needs, but knowing the learning, the best learning styles of those on your team, to be able to provide the proper learning environment -- or the best learning environment. Can't always be perfect. Right? But if it could be, why not try for it? Right? And so -- maybe a little Maximizer^® there. So you, you give the opportunity to think, What's the style? And Learners, going from me to we on this, I think that's that other jump. You might have a particular learning style that, look, works well for you. Other Learners may, may in, intake and consume that in a different way that's not your way. And that we is understanding that, and then how do we take advantage of it? Right? How do we figure out a way so that's best for everybody? I don't know, as we wrap this up, Jaclynn, final thoughts on Learner?

Jaclynn Robinson 15:51
Well, I would say what we're finding in the research is learning and growth opportunities are what's drawing people into the workplace; that's especially going to capture the attention of the younger generations. Still the No. 1 reason a lot of people are leaving the workplace. So I think you've got that advantage, because learning is so top-of-mind for you, to invite in knowledge sharing, to invite in and allocate opportunities for learning and growth. And just ensuring people on the team experience brain gain, in their own respective way, as Jim mentioned, is something you do well. So continue to utilize it, but think about how you can do it with intention, you know, given the workload and the, the individuals on your team and how they'd appreciate learning.

Jim Collison 16:41
Well said and perfectly done. And with that, we'll remind everyone to take full advantage of all the learning opportunities that we have available in Gallup Access. Just head out there -- my.gallup.com. You can also go to gallup.com. There's a little looking-glass thing, a little search icon that is there. Click that, and then put in this theme -- put in Learner. Everything we've created around Learner is out there and available for you, if you want to just continue the learning process -- if that works best for you. I have three ways for you to do it there. You can listen to the audio; you can watch the video; or you can read the transcripts. There you go. You're welcome, Learners.

Jaclynn Robinson 17:14
Ooh, see! That's how it's done!

Jim Collison 17:18
For coaching, master coaching or if you want to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Don't forget to join us for the 2024 Gallup at Work Summit. It's coming up. Head out to gallupatwork.com. We have both virtual and in-person options. It's gonna be great. We just spent some time during the Learning Series; I'm super excited to have everybody either here on campus -- you and I are going to host the virtual session of it, which is going to be awesome. We'll be there but hosting our friends who are coming in virtually as well. So gallupatwork.com. Get signed up today. Stay up to date with all the future webcasts by joining our Facebook or LinkedIn groups. I post these out there. And you can just find us anywhere by searching "CliftonStrengths." If you enjoyed it, hit those Like and Subscribe buttons. I don't know why I do this when I say that, but hit the Like and Subscribe buttons and share it. We'd love to have you share that with those folks that you work with or those around you. Thanks for coming out. If you're listening live, stay around for a little bit of a 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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