Jim Collison:
[0:01] Welcome to Season 4 of The CliftonStrengths Podcast, where we'll dive deep into how CliftonStrengths themes build powerful partnerships and help teams thrive. I'm Jim Collison, Gallup's CliftonStrengths Community Manager.
Jillian White:
[0:10] And I'm Jillian White, Gallup's Subject Matter Expert on Culture and Leadership and Lead Subject Matter Expert for CliftonStrengths.
Jim Collison:
[0:16] Today's theme is Activator. We'll explore what this theme brings and what it needs and how to foster it in collaboration. Jillian, welcome!
Jillian White:
[0:24] Thank you. And Jim, how appropriate on this specific strength to say, "Let's get started!"
Jim Collison:
[0:30] Exactly. Let's do that. Can you introduce the theme, what it looks like in action, where it might show up at work and in personal life, or maybe even both?
Jillian White:
[0:39] Yeah, and I teasingly say that, but that is such a catch phrase for anyone who's a high Activator. It is the "Let's get started" strength. Think about where it falls. It's an Influencing strength. These are people, they want to make things happen. They want to do things now. My image that I have, we just talked about Achiever before this, and Achiever, if they are the ones who are crossing the finish line of the marathon, the Activator is that person who's on the starting block right before the race starts. And that gun's about to go off to start the race, and they just have that energy to just push out of the gate fast, right? So there's a lot of energy that comes in being that catalyst, having a sense of urgency to get things going. "Let's get started" is the mantra of an Activator.
Jim Collison:
[1:27] I know you've got that as the theme. And actually, Season 1 of Theme Thursday, Jeremy Pietrocini, Curt Liesveld, were talking about this. And as I'm talking, they're interrupting me with, like, "OK, let's go. OK, enough, enough. Quick, let's get going!" I actually, Activator is 5 for me. I don't think much about even saying, "Let's get started." I've already started. Like, something's happening. I'm not like, "Oh, you know, I should get started on that." I'm already moving, going forward. Sometimes that theme gets looked down on for that, that, I think, for that action. And maybe even when I was younger, it was Start, Start, Start, and not always Finish. Some quick thoughts, when we think about teams working with individuals. We're going to tease this out a little bit later here, but quick thoughts on, on teams and Activator and how to manage that in a little, in a way.
Jillian White:
[2:18] I think your example you just brought up, we are a really good case study of this right now, right? I shared, Achiever is my No. 1 strength. Activator is No. 5 for you. So let's just even think about how that shows up in a partnership that's very real for us right now. Jim, you got the CliftonStrengths community started. You are the person at Gallup who initiated and catalyzed getting the podcast series going. That's Activator. I'm here because of your Activator. My Achiever is helping complete, right, and say, OK, how do we make sure we've got notes? How do we know what, what theme we're doing today, what our key topic is? We've got our research in there, right? But that to me is actually a really good example of what it looks like when done well on a team. Let the Activators initiate, like, let them have fun with that, and then make sure you're pairing them with people who can take it across the finish line and help see completion with it.
Jim Collison:
[3:13] Yeah, one of the smartest things I ever did was trusting people to do that for me -- learn how to activate and bring them along with me. And that's been a testimony to everything we've done here on the podcast. Let's talk about, we have a new section in Gallup Access that I think can help with this. You log in, go to the Community section, you can compare your results to somebody else's who shared them with you. And at the, one of the tools is I Bring and I Need. It's also an exercise we do often in some of our strengths training. What does, you know, what does Activator bring? Just talk a little bit about that.
Jillian White:
[3:47] Yeah, an Activator, if you think about what they bring to a partnership, a team, a collaboration, they are that catalyst to get started. And Jim, I love how you worded it that it's not even, "Let's get started"; you've already started. They are willing to make the first move. They're that person on a team or in a partnership who can help you get unstuck, right? They have courage to move forward. The, remember, it's an Influencing strength. So a simple example that I like to think of with this is, imagine you have a lot of people standing around trying to figure out where to go for lunch today. And they're bringing up a bunch of different options. And Jim, the Activator goes, "Well, I'm going to Jimmy John's," right? And all of a sudden, you see everyone else who's a little indecisive go, "Oh, yeah, that sounds good. I'll join you at Jimmy John's." And that Activation has Influencing power. And you see that on a team. Because they're willing to initiate, because they're willing to have the courage to go first, other people will follow that. And it allows them to open doors for a team. And they're the people who say, "Let's go!"
Jim Collison:
[4:54] I think, on Activator, what I, what I bring is easy. I think sometimes what I need is a, needs a little more teased out. You're going to bring that. What does, what does Activator need?
Jillian White:
[5:05] Yeah. You know, it's funny. I went back and looked at even the phrase we have in Gallup Access around this. And the first comment says, "Less discussion, more action." So think about what an Activator values, right? Achievers value completion. Activators value action and getting going. So if you're working with an Activator, you know, what do they need from you? They don't need to pontificate on all the possibilities of something. Remember, the energy comes from getting going. So they're going to appreciate someone who lets them get going. They also need freedom. Freedom, think about how an Activator learns and how they grow and how they develop. It's, you know, we have a phrase that we'll oftentimes use with Activator where it's, it's, you know, you've got "Ready, fire, aim," right? And, and oftentimes for an Activator, it may actually start with just aim and just go, go, right? So you're not even necessarily really taking time to think it through. They learn by doing.
Jillian White:
[6:05] What I love about this strength, though, is the same strength that has the courage to try something new, if it gets in a situation that's a little tricky, they're just going to use that strength to pivot and go a different direction. So what do they need? They need freedom to start things and to try something and learn by doing and even fail safe and pivot as a result.
Jim Collison:
[6:29] In our new Top 5 report, we have a new section, if you haven't checked it out, you can do that today, available to everyone, where we talk about Theme Dynamics. Not a new concept; we've been talking about this for, for 10 years or so. But these two, what, the concept is, what do these themes look like together in an individual? We're going to think about it in teams. So what's a common pairing for Activator?
Jillian White:
[6:51] Yeah, the most common strength that pairs with Activator in our database, over 34 million people who are in that Clifton StrengthsFinder database, the most common pairing between Activator is Strategic. Jim, when I'm talking about strengths with people, I'll oftentimes talk about strengths on a spectrum. And there's certain strengths that are very fast-moving. And if you think about the combination of Activator and Strategic, now Activator is an Influencing strength. It's fast doing, right? it's fast influencing. If I think about what Strategic is, it's fast thinking. So you put those two things together, very common, what's it going to start to show up as? This is going to be somebody who's very quickly able to see the possibilities, move forward, try something, recalibrate, pivot another direction. They see pathways, and they get started down that pathway. So there's a lot of energy in those two common strengths coming together.
Jim Collison:
[7:50] It's a fun exercise to do for an individual. What does this look like, Theme Dynamics, when we think about partnerships and collaboration? What could this look like for Activator?
Jillian White:
[8:00] Yeah. And, Jim, I've been playing around with these words, right, of what we look for in a good partner. But if you are somebody who has strong Activator tendencies, think about who's your catalyst partner, who's going to really help you bring out that strength, and who's going to complement you. So that catalyst partner, go back, when are Activators at their best? When they're getting going, when they're getting something started, when they're launching something. There's a forward movement that comes with that Activator. So oftentimes, joining with someone else who can bring that same level of energy, so Positivity might be an example, Ideation, those energy strengths that can just come alongside an Activator, get excited, and maybe even fuel that idea and that initiation phase, that's going to be really fun for an Activator. On the flip side of that, if you're high Activator, think about who those complementary partners are. What's the risk with being a high Activator? That you, and sorry, I realized I said "aim"; "aim, shoot" is what I meant earlier. There we go.
Jillian White:
[9:05] Aim, shoot. Like if you're going to, if you're going to fire, right, and you, you're trying to take the aim, get the perfect aim, and then really take the shot at something, right, that Activator is more likely to just shoot first, right, where you've got other strengths that really want to aim, aim, aim, like Deliberative or things like that. So because an Activator's tendency is to go and to get things started, think about two different types of complementary partners. So one is someone who can help aim the action and can help that person complete the action. So, Jim, you and I are a good example that we just talked about earlier. Because that Activator likes to get it started, they oftentimes need someone who can help them complete. So partnering with somebody who can bring it over the finish line and gets energy doing that. So think about, like, Focus, Achiever. Those are strengths that like completion and forward movement. So partnering with someone like that.
Jillian White:
[10:03] Aiming the action. That might be something like Futuristic, right? So we're not just thinking about what we're getting started on, but making sure that what we're starting on is ultimately moving us in the right direction. Maybe even Connectedness could see, "If I do this," or Analytical, "If I do this, what's the ripple effect? What's the right things for us to get started on that are going to take us the direction we want to go?"
Jillian White:
[10:23] The second type of complementary partnership with an Activator, I think, is somebody who, if Activator is something on a car, it's the accelerator, right? And what does an accelerator always need next to it? The brake. So Activator likes to go fast. Find those partners who can actually be a complement to you and bring the slow when needed. That might be things like Deliberative or Intellection, a thoughtful partner. So that thoughtful partnership -- remember, some of these complementary ones are going to feel different because it's not the same way you operate. But you're going to get a better result because the accelerator and the brake are both working on that car.
Jim Collison:
[11:11] I'm going to go ahead and prime the pump for our editor when he's listening to this. You made a statement. You said, "Bring the slow." I love that. Like, we often sometimes, slowness gets a negative connotation sometimes. And there's times, like, that's not the case in a car. You need the brakes, right? You need to put on the brakes. And I just love that. I'm, that's gonna, I'm gonna think about that statement, "Bring the slow." One of the areas in, when we put together Team Grids, and we think about the dynamics of a team, when we think about Theme Dynamics, is, and it's an exercise we do with teams and say, if this team was a person, how would these, like, here's the Top 5 common in this group. What would that look like? And then the second level of that, I think, is saying, what, how do these dynamics work together, then, in our team? So there's a, there's a free tip for you out there, if you're working with teams, just a way to get them thinking about these themes in, in a dynamic setting. Do you want to, before we move on, you want to add anything else to that, Jillian?
Jillian White:
[12:14] No, Jim, it's for anyone, if you're listening in, you're a Certified Coach, you're working with strengths in your organization, anyone who's pulling a Team Grid, that's a great way to think about it. So even for a strength like this, imagine you've got Activator as a top strength for your team. You're not only thinking about, How do I position the individual? But you're thinking about, How do I position my team inside of an organization? If we're a high Activator team, what does the organization need that we can help get unstuck? We can be the first ones to do it. We might be the team that's great to be the pilot group for something. And we say, "Let us try it first and give you feedback," right? So I love that mentality. The same principles you use for looking at an individual, you can use those same principles for looking at strengths in a collective.
Jim Collison:
[12:58] As a personal note, as an Activator, I need Responsibility. That is, if we were just sitting here doing this for me today, I need Responsibility, because I can actually rest in the safety net of Responsibility and Discipline. Sometimes, folks would say, you know, "Oh, that might be counter." No, actually, I'm more effective when I know I have people behind me that I can move on and know there'll be somebody behind, there'll be a safety net for me. That, so it makes me feel safe to activate. So that would be, that'd be my example.
Jillian White:
[13:32] That's, that's another, I mean, those are a couple other good strengths to put into the possibility of that completion partner, right? Like, somebody who's really helping you make sure there's the follow-through, like Responsibility or the safety net, like you said.
Jim Collison:
[13:45] Yeah. And I rest in it. I don't fight it; I rest in it. It makes me feel good, knowing there's people behind me to back me up. So in this last section, we're talking about tips for leaders and teams and individuals. Let's start with leaders. How can leaders recognize and harness Activator in teams and organizations?
Jillian White:
[14:02] Yeah, first of all, if you're a leader, think about how to just spot this on your team. And, you know, Jim, we're talking about leaders inside of organizations, but I really think this could be anyone leading people. This could be a family, right? Anything that's a team that you're helping to lead, think about what those Activators look like. They are the people who, as Jim said, they've already started. They're the ones who always raise their hand first. They type into the chat first. You see that energy that comes when they're getting something going. So how do you manage or lead or work with somebody like that? First of all, think about how to position them to get things going. Let them be the initiators on your team, right? Ask them to be that early pilot, a guinea pig for something, right? They're going to get energy from doing that.
Jillian White:
[14:48] I would also say, give them chances. Remember, Activators learn through just trying it and learning and then keep kind of rerouting based on what they're seeing. Give them that freedom and those chances to just do something and even fail safe where needed, because they can, like I said, they can pivot out of it when they need to. That same strength that got them in it can get it out of that. And aim that energy and partner them with someone who can help things get over the finish line. You know, just like you were talking about, Jim, if I'm leading a team, I'm also thinking about how to help people partner on that team. And I want to set that Activator up for success by giving them that safety-net partner that makes it safe for them to activate and have fun trying new things, but can also be that partner who's saying, Hey, let's make sure that's aimed at the right things. Let's make sure you've got that safety net. Let's make sure we've got that follow through.
Jim Collison:
[15:38] Yeah. And this may be part of the answer to the question. The next question is, What should teams know about a person with Activator and how to utilize that?
Jillian White:
[15:47] Yeah, and there's, I'm realizing as we do this, there is a lot of overlap in these things, right? So, whether you're leading, whether you're partnering with somebody, I mean, there's similar things that you're keeping in mind. But just remember what they value. That's a great thing to come back to. I told you, you're going to hear my Belief come out. So I listen for values with these strengths. And that Activator values action and getting things going. So if I want to partner well with an Activator, you know, just even think about how you're going to show up to a meeting with an Activator or maybe a one-on-one, if you're working together. They are going to want to feel action from that. Probably shorter connects, not longer connects, are going to be valuable -- they want to get going. Feeling like you've got a clear thing to get started on, maybe even asking them that question, "Hey, from what we're working on, where do you have some energy to get things going with this?" Let them be that person who takes some initiative; leverage that in that partnership.
Jim Collison:
[16:44] As we think about wrapping this up, we start with the individual, we end with the individual. Some final tips, some final thoughts on this for Activator.
Jillian White:
[16:52] Yeah, now I've been thinking about this, this section, Jim, and I wonder if there's something here that says, How can you help other people? Like, how can you be a good partner, right? So when I think about where I love my Activator friends, I love that they get things started, and they invite me to come along with them. And there is something fun about, I didn't have to get it going. Like, be the initiator in your partnerships, and let that influence bring other people with you. I would also say, How can you help your partners? Ask them or just observe where they're stuck on something, and bring a little forward energy that just gives them something to try to get unstuck. A partner's really going to appreciate that. And then just remember for yourself, as you're thinking about partnerships, you know, partner with those people who help you bring completion and help you be thoughtful about where you're getting things started. So those are good things to keep in mind if you've got that Activator energy. We need you. We need you to get things going.
Jim Collison:
[17:53] Well, Jillian, thanks again for being a great partner to me and being a safety net, like I just talked about on this, getting these things rolling every single week. I appreciate your partnership in this. And thanks for being such a good partner. I appreciate it.
Jillian White:
[18:04] Yeah. And, Jim, it's, it's really fun to see the ripple effect of your Activator. We're here because you got things going. And I always love looking for just real-life examples of where we see these strengths in action. And what a, what a great one that we all get to benefit from.
Jim Collison:
[18:18] Awesome. Well, with that, we'll remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available inside of Gallup Access. Actually, if you head out to the Resources tab and put in Activator, all the, all the seasons that we've done of this are there available for you, and some written content. Check it out. Lots of resources. You can continue to follow up on that as well. I want to remind you, if, whether you're on YouTube or Facebook or LinkedIn, Like, Subscribe, Follow CliftonStrengths, all our resources out there as well. And you can stay close to us for doing that. By all means, Subscribe to the podcast so you make sure you get it on a regular basis. For those of you listening live, we'll stay around for a little bit of a postshow. But with that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Jillian White's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are Achiever, Input, Learner, Belief and Responsibility.