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

Restorative can be seen ... as a slow-down mechanism. But it's slow down to get it right. ... Let's pump the brakes, ... let's get that right so we can go farther.

Jim Collison, 5:45

Provide guidance and resources to help your team members overcome specific challenges or obstacles that they're encountering in their day.

Jaclynn Robinson, 7:37

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 Restorative. If you're listening live, love to have you to -- love to see your comments in chat. You can join us after the fact, podcast or YouTube, by sending us your questions: 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, the book, and the CliftonStrengths role-based reports. Jaclynn, always great to see you. Welcome back!

Jaclynn Robinson 0:50
Thank you.

Restorative: Questions for Individuals

Jim Collison 0:52
We are spending time this season talking about bringing energy and motivation --.I love that word motivation -- to work with your themes, because it's, sometimes it's just more than energy, right? Sometimes, I feel like motivation is a drive, where energy is the force. We might be mincing words there, but today we're talking about Restorative. And let's talk about the individual first. What are some ways an individual with Restorative can feel more energized by focusing on their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 1:21
Well, before working on a more significant task or project that you've got, collect any relevant data and information about the expectations, kind of be aware of your own colleagues' capabilities, and then review any historical problems related to similar tasks or goals. And use all of that data to inform your approach and bring awareness to any potential challenges that you might come across.

Jim Collison 1:47
When we, when we think about the individual with high Restorative feeling more energized by focusing on their individual strengths, Restorative, when we think about this from a context of development, right? Spend a little time, because I think this is one of those areas where, turned internally, it can be super powerful.

Jaclynn Robinson 2:08
Well, what I recognize in coaching a lot with Restorative is there's the self-awareness of where to develop further -- what isn't working, what skills need perfected. And so I think it's just taking a pause to do that self-analysis, kind of the body scan, to say, Out of all the work responsibilities I have, and then the future goals that I see for myself, where do I need to, you know, perfect or maximize my skill set or my training, and look for that mentor or have that conversation with your manager or seek that continuing education program that's going to help you?

Jim Collison 2:49
I think we sometimes, when we think of Restorative, we think about fixing things, right -- things, processes. Yet I think it can be applied -- and this is kind of what I hear you say -- to, to, to ourselves, both internally (we'll talk about the manager here in just a second). But can you, can you talk a little bit more, or in your experience, of really turning that in on oneself or working with others to, to, for those, for those personal things?

Jaclynn Robinson 3:22
Yeah. It's, it's interesting. There's a, I think, a bit of tug of war with those high in Restorative, because, to your point, most might think of processes and fixing that. But Restorative also focuses on fixing people, including themselves. And so then it's, it's, it can be a juggling act of, Well, I have these strengths, but should I fix my weaknesses at the bottom of my report (if they're looking at their full 34)? No -- instead, again, do that body scan and say, Out of my Top 10 strengths, or my Top 5 strengths, where is there room for improvement? And then focus your improvements on that particular strength, or focus your improvement on that particular skill set or responsibility that you feel you need to get better at, and think about how your Top 5 or Top 10 strengths can help you solve for that or get to that end goal.

Jim Collison 4:16
I think I might have led the witness a little bit -- you being the witness -- when I used the word fix. I think that gets a bad rap -- that English word fix -- gets a bad rap at times, because it may have a negative connotation, especially in the context of people. Like, you know, "Don't try to fix me!" right. I almost, I want to correct myself a little bit. I think a better word is develop. Right? How do you continue to develop -- ?

Jaclynn Robinson 4:43
Yes! That's a great word.

Jim Collison 4:45
Yeah. You know, I, this is one of those areas where we could spend some time to think about in the area of professional and personal development, How do we see it? The word itself isn't as, what matters; it's our intent, right, in that and what we're trying to do. But I do like that word develop, just because fix has gotten kind of a negative connotation in the culture. What are some ways an individual with, with Restorative can feel more energized by building partnerships and finding purpose in their role?

Jaclynn Robinson 5:14
Ooh. Well, when faced with challenges or setbacks, encourage your colleagues to apply their strengths. So then as a team, you're, you're all experimenting and finding more innovative solutions together through that strengths lens. And then that alone can help everyone see that their talents are special. And together, you're driving impact and solving problems. You know, you don't have to do it alone; you can, you can take more of that strengths-based partnership approach.

Jim Collison 5:41
Yeah. In a team setting, like Deliberative^®, Restorative can be seen, I think, sometimes, as a slow-down mechanism. But it's slow down to get it right or slow down to get it correct. Or let's slow down for a second; let's pump the brakes -- I love that, I love that phrase -- let's pump the brakes just for a second, to get, to get maybe a process or a thing, whatever that is, let's get that right so we can go farther. Let's sharpen that ax so it'll be more effective when we go to use it to cut down the tree, so to speak. And so I just think there's a great opportunity there, as we think about teams and finding purpose and building partnerships of maybe, with our Restorative friends, one, having patience if you're not there, to see the purpose behind what they're doing. Or two, if you are there, to be patient with those who are like, like this guy -- Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Right. All right, enough, enough talking. Let's go! Right. And so I think there's some understanding to take place in there, like I said, much like Deliberative. Any other thoughts on that, before we move to the manager?

Jaclynn Robinson 6:49
Well said! This is where your Communication^® skills just come in and lay it out there in a much better way than I could say it.

Restorative: Questions for Managers

Jim Collison 6:58
All right, we'll, we'll leave it at that. Let's talk about the manager. How can a manager with Restorative support others with their basic needs?

Jaclynn Robinson 7:06
Proactively identify any potential issues or challenges that could affect your team's ability to meet the expectations. You could consider past experiences or any known weaknesses, and then prioritize any of those potential issues, based on their impact on meeting expectations. Then that's really going to allow you to focus on the most critical problems first.

Jim Collison 7:30
How about a manager with Restorative? How can they help others feel seen, heard and valued as an individual?

Jaclynn Robinson 7:37
Provide guidance and resources to help your team members overcome specific challenges or obstacles that they're encountering in their day. And I really think that that speed and decisiveness that you offer in taking action helps them feel heard and cared about, because you're attentively looking for ways to fix the problem for them, so that they can thrive again in the workplace.

Jim Collison 8:00
Yeah, and, and I think realizing in a team setting, it may not require a complete overhaul. It may be, you know, you don't have to, you don't have to destroy the building to build a new one. You can, right, it maybe just needs new windows, or maybe the door just needs to be fixed. You know, maybe we just need to address a little bit of an issue. I think, when we think about feeling seen, heard and valued, I think as a manager, this is where it's, it's important to individualize -- the small "i" -- knowing that everybody's different, and then really digging in saying, How can I be the most effective with it, with this, with this development -- I almost said, "fix" -- with this development? How can we be individualized with it in a way that -- and sometimes it is a fix -- that can, right, that can, that has the most impact on that individual, or is what they, what, the exact thing they need at the time? We have this idea of a just-in-time delivery, right, of other words, getting what you need just the moment before you need it. And I think that does help people feel seen and heard, when it's not just, Well, do this because everybody does that. It's, Do this because it's customized for you. I've thought about it, right, thought about it for you. How can a manager with Restorative build trust, inspire and deepen team collaboration and community?

Jaclynn Robinson 9:30
Creating space for, for problem-solving workshops or sessions where team members can collaborate together to find solutions to common challenges. Instead of just saying, "Identify a work-around on your own -- you're on your own, kid," It's, "Well, let's, let's take a moment. Let's either repurpose this team meeting that we've got, because this is a larger issue that needs to be solved for." Or "I'm hearing similar themes from you all in one-on-ones and just, you know, aside conversations, so let's take a moment and just have a workshop and figure out how to work through this together.

Jim Collison 10:05
Yeah. Yeah, I wish there was a CliftonStrengths theme of patience. Because I think sometimes Restorative needs that --

Jaclynn Robinson 10:12
Developer^®?

Jim Collison 10:12
To be patient. Yeah, maybe -- yeah, to be patient with that. Because, you know, you may be providing solutions. I know I am a resistor, sometimes, to solutions. The first thought --

Jaclynn Robinson 10:23
Ooh, that's a good point!

Jim Collison 10:25
You know, somebody comes to me, and I'm like, Aah -- you know, I need to think about it or, or I need some time. So deploy a little patience in that, right, knowing that if we, if we want to build trust, to not get frustrated and give up on a person, just because they don't take it the first time. I know I need that, all the time. I need, I need people to be patient with me in that. And that does deepen the team collaboration, when people know I'm not going to be given up on. If I don't, if I don't take this right away, if I don't do this -- you know how it is. Somebody gets excited about a product, and then they're telling you, "You gotta go buy this! This will change your life!" And you're like, "Yeah, no, it's not actually gonna. I appreciate your enthusiasm," you know, kind of thing. But I think in some of these settings, to really build that trust, we need to, we need to deploy that patience.

Jaclynn Robinson 11:20
That's a good callout, in a nonspeaking role. Because you might want to solve for the problem and jump in in the middle of the team's conversation, and not allow them to try and solve for it for themselves. So it's patience to just be quiet in the room and let the team come up with some solutions together, even if you've got or feel like you have some great ideas. "Or just try this!" Going back to your thing of, "Try this! It could work." it's gonna, it's gonna feel more effective if they're coming up with it.

Jim Collison 11:50
Yeah, and I, listen, I'm guilty of this myself -- someone is saying something, and I can't wait for them to stop moving their lips, so I can start moving mine. You know, you're just waiting and, and, and I think we can all probably, that's one of those lessons that, of just giving it a little bit of time and kind of thinking, "Yeah, let me think about this," you know, or whatever. It's, it's a discipline. It's, and it is a trust builder, I think, the more we can do that. And "physician, heal thyself" -- it, you know, I often need to do it as well. Last question: How can a manager with Restorative support the growth of each team member?

Jaclynn Robinson 12:32
Well, in performance-based conversations, there's the celebration of success. And then there's the potential opportunity for growth or skills development. So approach learning and growth challenges as fixable issues -- I'm gonna bring the fix word in -- that can be addressed with the right strategies, versus where it feels very critical. It's, it's more optimistic, actually, in this regard, to say, "This is something we can fix. Let's, let's identify a solution for you."

Jim Collison 12:59
Well, and the confidence -- I love what you just said -- "This is something we can fix," or "This is something we can handle," or "This is something we can work on," or "This is something --

Jaclynn Robinson 13:09
"We can solve for."

Jim Collison 13:10
Back to the patience idea. This is something I see, I'm going to be, I'm going to be patient with you as we work this through. Right? Or whatever, right, to give that, to say, "I'm here for you." Doesn't, you know, doesn't matter if you fail a couple more times in the process; I'm here. I'm here for you. I realize what we're doing here. And this may be another area where I think sometimes we think that stuff is supposed to change instantly, especially when working with people. "Why, why couldn't you get it right? I just told you!" Well, it's not always the way it works, you know, with people, right? And to be patient with them. And I think, when we think about supporting the growth, that, that growth can come through those failures. Like, in some cases, we grow more because we fail. '

Jaclynn Robinson 14:00
Hear, hear!

Jim Collison 14:01
Right? And so it's just, it's like, I think we think, Hey, I'm telling you how to do this. You should get it right, Well, maybe, maybe. Maybe not. Maybe there's some more failure that needs to be done before we get, we get to it. Jaclynn, final thoughts as we wrap up Restorative?

Jaclynn Robinson 14:19
All right. Well, Restorative is just one of those wonderful themes that really helps create that supportive environment, patient environment -- we'll even throw that in -- where challenges and setbacks are seen more as opportunities for improvement and development than, you know, a huge stop-gap in the road. So I love this theme, because I think it encourages ideation, in terms of, let's, there's room for improvement, or let's seek out new ways of making something more efficient or effective for us, so that you no longer have these bottlenecks down the road. Or let's look for those developmental opportunities that are going to support your growth, so that you're performing with greater excellence. So keep on keeping on, Restoratives. Because, honestly, we, those of us, those of us with Maximizer^®, we love you. We need you.

Jim Collison 15:08
Oh, for sure. Yeah. For me, there's nothing better to watch. So I enjoy that process. I enjoy watching that process. It's a work of art to me, and I envy it -- it's super low for me, and so I envy it. And for those who have it, use it for good. Well, that, we'll remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we do have available in Gallup Access. Log in -- my.gallup.com. Get your strengths report. If you haven't viewed the new Top 5 report, it's there. It's ready for you. Everybody has it, and you want to go in there, yeah, work of art, jump in there and take a look at it. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. If you want to join us for the 2024 Gallup at Work Summit, there's time to do that as of now. If it's after June of 2024, I bet we have something else ready for you. Head out to gallupatwork.com and get registered today. Stay up to date with all future webcasts by joining our Facebook and LinkedIn groups. You can find us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths." If you enjoyed it, share it, like it, link it -- all those other things. Just take it, and -- I get emails all the time from folks that said, "Hey, thanks for doing this, and I've been sharing it with these people." And we appreciate you doing that. Spread the word, and thanks for listening today. If you're listening live, stay around with a little bit of postshow. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.

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

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