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

In talking with a lot of folks high in Responsibility, having that accountability partner for their own goals has been very helpful.

Jaclynn Robinson, 5:54

Foster a sense of ownership and responsibility [among employees] for their own learning and growth. So encourage them to take the initiative in seeking out opportunities where you can then support them.

Jaclynn Robinson, 12:29

Jim Collison 0:00
I am Jim Collison, and this is The CliftonStrengths^® Podcast, Season 3, recorded on March 8, 2024.

Jim Collison 0:17
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 Responsibility. If you're listening live, you can join us in the chat room. If you're listening after the fact, on the podcast or YouTube, you can send us an email with your questions: coaching@gallup.com. Dr. Jaclynn Robinson is our host today. She works as a Senior Learning and Development Consultant, joined me for Season 1 and 2 of The CliftonStrengths Podcast, where we looked at Wellbeing at Work and our CliftonStrengths role-based reports. I just looked up the stats for those, Jaclynn, half a million we've done on this CliftonStrengths Podcast over time -- pretty great. Welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:55
That's amazing. And thank you folks out there, who are downloading and listening and giving us insights on what to, what to curate.

Responsibility: Questions for Individuals

Jim Collison 1:05
The, we couldn't, we couldn't make the downloads happen. So thank you for doing that as well. Well, we are talking about -- we'll, we'll practice some Responsibility and get to the topic. We're talking this season about bringing energy to work with your themes. Today we are talking about Responsibility. Let's look at the individual first. What are some ways an individual with Responsibility can feel more energized by focusing on their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:29
Oh, yeah. So before even getting started on your workday, identify what's mission-critical and what's a lesser priority that can be handled either end of day or later in the week. And that pipeline can really keep you honest and accountable and focused on the right priorities. We know you all -- those high in Responsibility -- say "Yes" to a lot of things, but this is one way to really make sure that you're focused on the right thing.

Jim Collison 1:55
I do hear individuals with Responsibility struggling sometimes with the workload, because they do, if they do say, "Yes," something -- I have lower Responsibility. But I've learned long -- I say everything because of Woo^®. I used to say "Yes" to everything, and, and I was terrible at it. I didn't feel bad; I just was bad at it. But those folks with Responsibility do feel that. When you think about bringing energy, I like kind of what you said about, you know, when you're focusing on your basic needs about understanding what can and can't be done before you commit to that, right. Can you talk a little bit, can you flush that out a little or flush that, put some, put something on that -- a little bit more, thinking about how that helps those with Responsibility.

Jaclynn Robinson 2:41
Yeah, and this came up yesterday. I was on site with a group of women for International Women's Day, and Responsibility was something that we specifically discussed. So it's, it's so relevant. But whenever you're identifying what's mission-critical and what isn't, it's going to help you get a much clearer picture of where you're already at capacity. You might already have five mission-critical things on your plate. If that's the case, you've got to narrow it down more. What's, what's my deadline for each of these? If they're all due at the same time, you know, that's a conversation with leadership or your matrix manager, to say, We're gonna have to figure out some changes here, because I want to be dependable to you, but I'm over capacity. So initially, as you're creating that list and seeing your pipeline, there might be more of those conversations. But once you start getting into the rhythm of saying, What's a key priority, and what if I maybe say "Yes" to? You'll start to sort and, I think, get better at prioritizing or taking a pause to say, "Let me get back to you" before you say "Yes." But initially, you might really need to sort between all those responsibilities you have -- what's mission-critical? What isn't? Let me see that pipeline.

Jim Collison 3:57
We often think -- I often think of Responsibility as a me theme. It's easy, when we give examples of it, it always seems to focus on the me. In the we context of this both those high in Responsibility about thinking about spreading out the load off of -- in working with a team, giving, that idea of just giving some things away in a responsible manner or bringing others in to help make sure things get done from that standpoint or when we think about activities and success. And so that, jumping to that we, I, maybe we'll talk about this more as we talk about the managers, but there, it is a team, it is a team sport. And I think sometimes Responsibility can get too focused on the me, and that we -- that maturity -- to just what you said, is bringing leadership in or bringing the team in to say, Hey, I'm loaded up! How can I, how can I give some of this away? And that giving away, while it may feel bad, is a we, it's a maturity. It's a we. It's letting others participate and not keeping it all. Let's talk about, How can an individual with Responsibility feel more energized by focusing on their individual strengths and development?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:11
Going back to the me, because oftentimes you're thinking about we and what can I do for others? And how can I be dependable to them? You know, I'm thinking more along the lines of identifying a short-term or a long-term goal that you've desired to carry out for some time now, and just haven't made the time because of commitments you've made to other people. So once you've identified that goal, find an accountability partner to share that goal with who can cheer you on and hold you accountable to the desired outcome that you have for yourself, whether it's skills training, going to a conference, getting in the exercise that you've been wanting to for a while, and you've kept putting it off because of your workload -- whatever it might be. But in talking with a lot of folks high in Responsibility, having that accountability partner for their own goals has been very helpful.

Jim Collison 6:01
Yeah, and having that accountability for the intake, like, catching it before it becomes a problem and not handling it on the back end. Right. That of Hey, is your intake appropriate for what's coming in, for what you're saying "Yes" to, what you're committing to? Because that commitment is so strong. I think also being, not feeling the guilt for "No." Like, that is another one of those areas for Responsibility, of turning that Responsibility inward on themselves to be -- say, You know what? I am responsible when I say "No." "Yes" does not equal best, right, sometimes. You know, sometimes you have to say, "No, I'm actually, I can't be responsible with a 'Yes' answer. It needs to be 'No' right now." "Yes" isn't always good, and "No" isn't always bad. Right? I mean, sometimes "No" can be, can be just as good.

Jaclynn Robinson 6:55
That's a good point. Because maybe that helps those high in Responsibility start to decipher, instead of saying "Yes, but -- " or "Yes," it's "Yes, and." "Yes, I'd love to help you. And I'm over capacity at the moment. Let me refer you to X, Y, or Z, who's got the strength or seeks the development."

Jim Collison 7:14
It could also be, "No, but." Like, we say "Yes, but" with conditions; it could also lead with "No," but there are some things we could do --

Jaclynn Robinson 7:23
That's a good one too!

Jim Collison 7:24
Right? I mean, so I think kind of just changing that mindset. I think sometimes we always think "Yes" is best, and it's just not always best. Sometimes "No" is what's best in those situations. What are some ways an individual with, with Responsibility can feel more energized by building partnerships -- we've kind of been alluding to this, but -- finding, and finding purpose in their roles?

Jaclynn Robinson 7:46
For this, I was, I'm thinking, look for ways to collaborative, collaboratively establish either team agreements or norms that are emphasizing mutual support, strengths of one another, reliability and trust. So that, one, you're going to feel more comfortable offloading responsibility to other people and not trying to take it all for yourself, especially if it's a team project. But two, all of you are holding each other accountable from the very start of key responsibilities or team projects together through those norms that you're, that you're creating. And you might be the, the torchbearer for initiating that for the team.

Responsibility: Questions for Managers

Jim Collison 8:28
Let's talk a little bit about the manager. Let's shift there. How can a manager with Responsibility support others in their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 8:35
By scheduling one-on-one meetings with each team member to discuss responsibilities and expectations and ensure that they understand how their responsibilities contribute to team success. Because just siloed, if they don't have Responsibility high or maybe they don't care about the deadline, they might not recognize the ripple effect that can happen if they don't get the work done on time.

Jim Collison 9:00
Yeah, younger, I really rebelled against a leader with Responsibility, because I was always like, Oh, you're bringing back things that I wanted to forget about! Just to be honest, right. As I've gotten older, that has been, I've cherished now, I'm learning to cherish that. Like, Oh, yeah, you know what? Naturally, I would have forgotten about that, so (whether on purpose or not) thank you for bringing that back. Because we -- we committed, maybe we committed as a team to get that done or to do that or to be that, in that, in that spot. So I think that, that, that's key in that, in that manager role. How can a manager with Responsibility help others feel seen, heard and valued as an individual?

Jaclynn Robinson 9:45
This might feel a little tricky, but it's to prioritize the wellbeing of your employees. So address any concerns related to interpersonal conflicts or work conditions. And those work conditions could be, you know, time constraints or employees that are just over capacity with work assignments. Help them see that through your actions and your focus on, you know, their, their work and personal life wellbeing, that they're accountable to both, and you're there to help them through both. Because if one area is off, whether it's personal, professional, then it's going to impact how they're carrying out their overall responsibilities. And that's something that you'd also have to internalize, you know, having high Responsibility of role modeling that behavior of not letting your own wellbeing fall to the wayside.

Jim Collison 10:31
Yeah, and a great opportunity for recognition in that wellbeing. I mean, we know recognition can be a, can be a tool to fuel wellbeing. And so a manager with high Responsibility can use that to ensure the team is being recognized in a way that supports the wellbeing of the team, right. I think they're naturally inclined to be able to say, "Hey, we need to make sure this happens." Because it doesn't happen by itself. Recognition does not just happen; you have to make it happen. Right? It has to be, has to be, I think, intentionally done. How can a manager with Responsibility, build trust, inspire and deepen team collaboration and community?

Jaclynn Robinson 11:15
Maybe considering pairing employees with accountability partners or mentors who can provide support for responsibilities or special projects, which also, you know, by happenstance is going to deepen their workplace bonds at the same time. So as work is accomplished, then build in time in your meetings to celebrate those power of 2 partnerships -- going back to recognition -- and the impact that that power of 2 as mentor-mentee or, you know, accountabilibuddies is creating for the workplace. So good way to tie in accountability, teamwork and purpose.

Jim Collison 11:50
Exactly. I think somewhere along the line, I must have had a manager with high Responsibility that made sure I got partnered with great people doing this. Like, I have grown so much in the 10 or 12 years I've been doing this, and that happens because of consistent -- you said "mentoring." And I thought, you know, I've been mentored by the best at Gallup, without anybody saying, "Hey, let's start a mentoring program for Collison." Like, you know, "Let's, let's do that." Right. And it just worked that way. So how great to work together. Last question: How can a manager with Responsibility support the growth of each team member?

Jaclynn Robinson 12:29
Well, you could foster a sense of ownership and responsibility for their own learning and growth. So encourage them to take the initiative in seeking out opportunities where you can then support them. You don't have to carry the burden. Encourage them: "Go out there! What are you interested in? What would you like to do? And then let's build that into your pipeline, or let me be there as your champion."

Jim Collison 12:52
Or encourage those teams to mentor each other. Like, it doesn't always have to be a, you know, a one-way arrow on the mentoring, you know, in the mentoring; it can, it can go back and forth. It's like, some of my best relationships have been back-and-forth mentoring on things I'm good at or things they're good at. And, you know, we just say, OK. We're gonna lean into those things. And, and I think, too, I think it's important to talk about those things. Like, be intentional about it and say, "This is what we're doing." It's great when it happens naturally. But it's, I think it's even better when it happens intentionally. And so I think there are some great opportunities to grow there. Jaclynn, final thoughts, as we kind of put a wrap on Responsibility?

Jaclynn Robinson 13:32
Yeah. Responsibility folks, they, you know, you foster a sense of accountability, dependability and mutual support on the team. And I think, in summation, that really shows a lot of care and, and concern for both the people and the projects that you all carry forward.

Jim Collison 13:48
All right, well said. With that, we'll, I'll, I'll take some responsibility and remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we do have available in Gallup Access. You can actually have to go, go to my.gallup.com to sign in to that. You can also -- I actually had a fun moment this week in social media, where somebody came to one of our Facebook groups and they were asking, you know, "What do these things mean?" And I said, "Well, your report would tell you." And they're like, "I don't know how to get to my report. I took it so long ago." So I was able to share that and say, Get, log in there and get it done. If you haven't seen your report in a while, my.gallup.com. You can also go to gallup.com. Use the Search icon and then put in "Responsibility," and all the resources we have, all the millions of seasons of, of what we've done here is available for you there. We'd love to have you join us for -- oh I should say, for coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, we can do that for you too. Send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. If you want to join the 2024 Gallup at Work Summit, or if it's after that, we probably have something else planned. Head out to gallupatwork.com. All the registration and many of the details are out there right now. We'd love to have you join us either virtually or in person. And Jaclynn and I are going to be hosting that virtual, kind of the virtual experience for 2024. So we'd love to see you there. It's gonna be a blast. Stay up to date with all our future webcasts by joining us or joining our Facebook and LinkedIn groups. You can find us anywhere in social media by searching "CliftonStrengths." And we want to thank you for joining us today. If you're listening live, stay around for a little bit of a midshow. But with that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.

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

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