GALLUP® Theme Thursday

To learn more about Gallup's additional strengths resources, visit the Gallup Strengths Center: http://on.gallup.com/1l04XVZ. On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Developer. The essence of Developer is noticing potential, spotting signs of progress in others, and deriving satisfaction from evidence of growth. It is being drawn to people based on what they can become. Individuals with Developer help curate experiences that lead to improvement. When Developer is at its best they are accepting of others. It’s the idea that Developers themselves are hopeful and the effect that has on other people is that it can create teams full of hope. It’s the natural ability to say tomorrow is going to be better than today which can be a powerful motivating factor. Individuals with high Developer bring patience to the team, especially when they’re dealing with inexperience because they are not stuck on where we have been or where we’re at today, rather where we are going. Developers are thoughtful and smart about how to configure winning contributors and effective teams. Developer is about the belief that every person we encounter is on the pathway to getting better. Look for opportunities to be out loud encouraging. Other people aren’t going to notice the incremental growth that you notice so celebrate in a way that gets noticed. You see not just what is but what can be, so share that both on a social level and on a project level. On a social level this refers to what a person can become. On a project level means how we can make our product, service, and teamwork better. Search for opportunities when your primary role is having responsibility for facilitating growth of others. Look for opportunities to teach, to coach, and to manage people. Ask people about their goals and strengths. You’re going to be better if you aren’t just reaching for places where people could get better and land together on where the most energy for development already lies. An environment that allows time on purpose for recognition is a rich environment for people with developer. You’re going notice growth, so permission or a platform to recognize that growth will be a benefit for everyone. Worry less about who you are not. Developers don’t tend to be selective with praise. Worry less about being that person who is only holding out for excellence when you praise somebody. All growth is good growth to you. Worry less about being okay with the phrase, “It is what it is.” You can’t help but see potential for improvement, so don’t dampen your drive for improvement or change. When working with Developer you can expect patience. People with developer are patient with other people. You can expect forward-looking focus, not stuck on where we are, but always asking what can be and how can we get a little bit better. Expect that encouragement is going to matter to them. It might look like acceptance of lower performance, but you should see this as investment, engagement, and interest.Notice and recognize when they’ve helped other people to perform. Look for ways to recognize them by saying things like, “They couldn’t have hit that target without your support” or “You saw this in me before I did.” Speak developer language, and spot small signs of improvement. Don’t wait until something is complete to recognize it because chances are the moment has passed for Developer.In order to stretch Developer, give them opportunities to coach, mentor, or teach others without over prescribing what needs to happen, leave the “how to” up to them. Help them hone their ability to recognize and praise others and to look at recognition as a skill. Offer feedback on great recognition by being specific, individualized, genuine, and now. When partnering with Developer, don’t let them hang on too long to chronic underperformers. It can be a vulnerability of Developers, they can always see that people can get better. If someone is not going to work out in a certain role, don’t hand them to a Developer. Have some open lines of conversation of where the greatest potential for growth can be and have the Developer focus there. Demonstrate investment in the relationship with that person by sharing your goals and priorities and letting them partner with you. If Developer is one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items:1.Study the 5 Clues to Talent and select 1 to watch for in others.2.Count the number of people you’re currently helping reach a goal then increase it by 3.3.Write a note of recognition to someone recognizing their improvement.If Deliberative is one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items:1.Focus on 1 important relationship: What does this person do better today than they did a year ago? Tell them.2.You may be more inclined to challenge others than encourage others. Notice how you do both, and name a time when each is appropriate.

To learn more about Gallup's additional strengths resources, visit the Gallup Strengths Center: http://on.gallup.com/1l04XVZ. Gallup's Theme Thursday is a live Webcast that targets strengths coaches and enthusiasts to provide a deeper context behind the language of strengths by talking in-depth about each of the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder themes.On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Competition. The essence of Competition is comparison driven performance. Those high in Competition are really driven to win. They do not just want to play, they want to be the best. It is an awareness of your competitors. Those high in Competition get energy just from the act of competing. They embrace the fact that they are performing, and their performance can get better when they are comparing it to other performers.When Competition is at its best they can keep the team or product relevant in the market. Competition is not just about getting lost on a goal that they thought was important. Because of that ability to look left and right, Competition keeps you relevant to your customers. It is about focusing not just what goes in, but also what comes out. You may be more willing to change your strategy if it is not working, because you are not only paying attention to the effort you are putting in, but what that is translating to. There is a finish line with Competition. It is not good enough to just give good effort, you have to be the best. Look for tasks and projects that are measured against others. Look for it where it already exists. Even if you are doing something new and creative, think about who you are going to compete with. Think about looking for categories around Competition that will be relevant to your performance. Pay attention to specialization. Take on challenges that really require the skills, expertise, and experience that you have. Ask yourself what your niche is. Ask for metrics. Ask for how success is going to be determined. Ask who the players are. Invite feedback, not only with criticism, but for when you’ve won. You really can learn a lot more from a victory than you can from a loss. Competition has this drive to be an effective influencer. Ask for feedback on how ideas are coming across. There is a binary experience to winning and losing. Worry less about playing for the sake of playing, or working for the sake of being busy. Relevance matters. You will get better practice when you know the stakes are really high. Lean in and focus on the times where you win, because you’re always playing. Performance affects you more than other people, so don’t worry about not being able to immediately bounce back when it hurts. When working with Competition look for energy when the stakes are high. Look for an external understanding of progress. Expect cheering and support for meaningful markers of performance. That inspiration is a talent marker that will always be in relationship to a goal. Those with Competition are people that wake up and either know or look for ways to measure their progress towards a goal. Explore the “who” that they’re winning for. Think about those with Competition being a champion for others. Who are they building up? Who are they winning for? Name what it is you’re measuring, and recognize that public recognition is going to matter to those high with Competition. Look for opportunities to talk about what their Competition has created. Think about talking about what’s on the line, and then keeping your word when they fulfill their goal. Collaboratively filtering work that is measured, compared, seen, and winnable is a great way to partner with Competition. Help them focus on the work that is the most important to them, and that they can win. Focus on where their energy is drawn to. Support them in doing the pieces that have really come alive to them. Help them run fast when sprinting towards a goal. If Competition is one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: •Set up news alerts for top performing products in your industry.•Read the biography of a successful person you admire.•Identify a peer who you can compete against, and measure how you can identify who wins.•Turn your partner into your cheerleader by sharing what your most valued future win is going to be.If Competition is not one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: •Cheer on someone who is competing. •What is something that you always do that you could try to do better, and how can you measure your improvement?•Ask for feedback from partners you really value.

To learn more about Gallup's additional strengths resources, visit the Gallup Strengths Center: http://on.gallup.com/1l04XVZ. Gallup's Theme Thursday is a live Webcast that targets strengths coaches and enthusiasts to provide a deeper context behind the language of strengths by talking in-depth about each of the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder themes.On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Deliberative. Deliberative takes great care in making decisions that avoid foreseeable risks. They are thoughtful, considerate, aware, and really tuned in to what’s going on. It is about minimizing risk at all costs. It’s wanting to jump, and knowing that when you’re jumping that nobody is going to fall. When somebody with high Deliberative is at their best their diligence and decision making brings confidence. They are up for making choices, especially choices that matter. Individuals with high Deliberative enjoy the process of sorting through options to move things forward. When they are at their best they are anticipating obstacles and preventing mistakes. If you are high in Deliberative get involved in big decisions. Raise your hand for being involved in sorting through options. Sort through the existing evidence to make the best decision moving forward. Ask early and often for as many details as are currently available. Ask for the agenda. Ask for the enrollment data for students. Ask what expectations are expected of you early and often. Slowing things down is a by-product for the amount of time and consideration Deliberative puts into things. Ask for the opportunity, whether that is time or information, to consider your options, particularly with existing tasks. Ask for clear understanding of how success is going to be determined. Deliberative is so much better when it has had an opportunity to really interact with all the parts of a particular task. Worry less about making on the spot judgements. You can be responsive by promising people that you’re going to think about things. Avoid roles that are going to require you to make on the spot judgement. Get in front of it by finding phrases that buy you the time that it takes to consider things. Teach others the value that they get by working with you. When working for someone high in Deliberative look for caution. Look for healthy skepticism. These are individuals that are probably going to think before they ask. Look for that thoughtfulness as a sign that they are starting to engage. Expect them to be great listeners. Expect them to be discriminating and selective. It can take them some time to warm up and recognize that confidence in partners.One way you can recognize high Deliberative is to know what they’ve decided, and what they’re currently thinking about. Staying connected with them, means staying present with them in their execution process. Celebrate what they’ve gone all in on. To help stretch Deliberative offer to think with them. Consider weighing your options together. Be a sounding board by helping them prioritize and classify the potential risks that they can see. Make sure that you’ve offered up all the information you have about something, and give them the opportunity to sort through it. When partnering with Deliberative respect their privacy. Offer your expertise. Help them know what role you play best, and how you play it. Let them know what you can be counted on to contribute. Be a good partner by just being transparent, patient, and showing up. If Deliberative is one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: Set aside 20 minutes just to yourself to sort through the current ideas you have. Find the right words to explain your thinking process to others.When working with partners find a way to communicate when you will get back to them.If Deliberative is not one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: Develop a coding system on your calendar.In your next big meeting take a drink before you speak to give you time to slow down your brain, and it will give others time to process what is going on.

To learn more about Gallup's additional strengths resources, visit the Gallup Strengths Center: http://on.gallup.com/1l04XVZ. Gallup's Theme Thursday is a live Webcast that targets strengths coaches and enthusiasts to provide a deeper context behind the language of strengths by talking in-depth about each of the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder themes.Context is about comprehending the present by knowing the past. There is a value in being able to not miss things that have been relevant and important in the past, especially as you are thinking about how to move through the present and into the future. If you are high in Context you create safety by ensuring that mistakes are not repeated. You can promote inclusivity by understanding individual and group histories. When Context is at its best those high in it are well informed. They are prepared for anything. They can calmly reference what they know when faced with a problem. It is helpful to show the path that lead to where you are today, and explore the steps on how you got there. Raise your hand for the opportunity to help people understand what they’re currently a part of. Help them understand who came before them, and what stories led us to where we are today. Set the scene for where you are based on what you’ve been doing. Context brings the amazing ability to show where you’ve been, and give a glimpse into what could happen next. Ask for the history even if other people don’t think there is a history. Ask for a strengths-based understanding of history. Ask for the most important failure. Ask for the most important success. You can hear from these questions that they’re all looking backwards, but doing it in a supportive way that garners excitement for the future. Look for other ways to read history. Worry less about being creative on your own. Look for advisors you can go to in order to inform you on where they’ve been. Expect some curiosity from people high in Context on where you’ve been before, not just what you’re doing today. If you don’t have high Context this can appear as resistance, but for people high in Context it is just showing that they care. Context isn’t looking for risk, it isn’t necessarily looking for a plan, it is looking for historical understanding. Context is telling stories for the reason of doing the right thing. People high in this theme aren’t just great story tellers, they are great story listeners.Recognize the roots that they provide for thought. When they can get their understanding of history in a place that other people can digest it creates a solid understanding that opens up others’ minds for creativity. Context creates a lot of great roots that allows things to happen that wouldn’t otherwise be credible. Recognize someone by looking at their own history. Look at now just where they are, but where they’ve come from. Give someone with Context the chance to practice sharing what they know to get into others’ heads. Context doesn’t need an audience, but it can benefit from having one. Give them information, and then help them sort. Guide them through all of the details, and let them navigate you towards the points that are standing out. To partner with someone with Context share some personal history. They are going to know you better if they can know where you’ve been. Tell them what pieces of history help you move forward. Help them realize what pieces are relevant to improving your own performance. If Context is one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: Find a local totem that has helped defined the folklore of your community.Find someone who has been working on your team the longest, and ask them about what daily life was like for them when they first started.If Context is not one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: Storyboard your personal history.What gives you confidence in your decisions?

To learn more about Gallup's additional strengths resources, visit the Gallup Strengths Center: http://on.gallup.com/1l04XVZ. Gallup's Theme Thursday is a live Webcast that targets strengths coaches and enthusiasts to provide a deeper context behind the language of strengths by talking in-depth about each of the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder themes.On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Consistency. Consistency can be described as fairness, equity and equality. It is the ability to see where things are not equal, and bring them into balance. People with high Consistency are good at setting up clear rules based on what works, and then following them. It is about getting things done not just for efficiency’s sake, but also in a fair way that understands that there are reasons we follow rules. If you have high Consistency the value you bring is establishing stability through predictability. It is about following rules that make sense, not just creating rules. You really understand what promotes equality, and are able to translate that into something you do all the time. Consistency at its best is going beyond that awareness of when things are unfair and unbalanced, but following through with an internal nudge to take this outside of yourself. You are able to steer your organization and your family towards a more justified approach. Consistency does what works because it works over and over again. Consistency is about giving everyone the same starting point.Raise your hand for really understanding the rules of the road. What is expected? What do you always do? Be the first person to raise your hand and get some of those assumptions out loud. Improve balance and equality by merging some of those existing norms with some that can be improved. You have the ability to see there could be better rules. Look for opportunities to do an audit of the current rules, and see what could be changed for the better. Stand up for the underdog. Help others see where there is an imbalance. You could hear Consistency and think about it as values, but the input of Consistency is the patterns of how you think, feel and behave. Fairness is something that nobody ever has to be taught, but what this theme does is notice the fairness in others. Consistency is an adherence to the rules. The behavior with Consistency is that outward understanding of how everyone is going to work together. Curate the best environment for someone with Consistency by making sure there’s clarity on what your common mission is. You are going to be better executing towards that common mission on a scalable fashion if you have an understanding of how success will be measured. Let go of being trendy. Let go of the necessity to couple creativity and newness with success. Novelty for the sake of novelty is never going to be something you’re drawn to. You will be more refreshed and more able to get things done when you’re able to settle into a routine. Look for an awareness of what is fair in a social setting when you’re partnering with someone with high Consistency. Partner with them when you’re deciding if what you’re planning to do can be repeated over and over again. Is it going to be something that everyone can benefit from? Is it a rule or a product that can appeal to everyone? Look for that awareness, and look for it early. Look for excellence in creating and adhering to a plan. Look for a love affair with rules. Talk about them on purpose.Recognize the safety that individuals with Consistency create. Others can try new ideas, they can go to places they never thought they could do, because of the safety that Consistency creates. Don’t make recognition a surprise. They should know how they’re doing and whether or not they are hitting their benchmarks. Help them take Consistency beyond just how they approach things, and help them connect to their values. How can they use their sense of balance to bring about a change in others? Help them spend time not just exploring what already is there. Expand their brains by asking what future routines they could establish today to help improve performance?If Consistency is one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: List all the rules you have set for yourself in the course of a normal day.Ask somebody who knows you very well: What do I always do well? When am I always frustrated? How do I always provide value to the group?If Consistency is not one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: How do you create safety and predictability for others?What are the most important rules to you in a social contract?

To learn more about Gallup's additional strengths resources, visit the Gallup Strengths Center: http://on.gallup.com/1l04XVZ. Gallup's Theme Thursday is a live Webcast that targets strengths coaches and enthusiasts to provide a deeper context behind the language of strengths by talking in-depth about each of the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder themes.On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Connectedness.Connectedness is about anticipating and embracing the seen and unseen connection between all things. It is about being in-tuned to something beyond the immediate. There is an aspect of timelessness to this theme. People with Connectedness can be quite curious, but also quite aware. They have no problem accepting mysteries. They have a calm when things don’t make sense. They can move forward through that mystery.The value that Connectedness brings is a calming emotion about the current moment. It does this by expanding our awareness of something bigger. Connectedness is unrestrained by time and practicality. It is about creativity and offering an enhanced perspective. It is valuable because you can help others see the effects that their actions have. There is an awareness that everything that you do has a ripple effect. It is not just a linear process. Connectedness can be about zooming out and seeing the whole picture. Do more sharing when you sense others might be missing something. Understand that you are going to see more than others. Gain access to perspectives that might otherwise be isolated. Ask for time that you can spend with other teams and departments. The more you can do to expand your web, the more awareness you are going to have. Be a bridge builder. It isn’t just seeing a person right in front of you, but seeing their whole story. Let go of the need to have proof in order to believe. You don’t have to have evidence with Connectedness. Let go of having to win through logic. It is more an empathic theme rather than an intellectual theme. Connectedness adds a depth of mystery and feeling where you don’t have to actually come to the answer. It has an almost spiritual embracing of the unknown. If you have someone with high Connectedness on your team don’t expect them to get very riled and over reactive in the moment. Do expect an enhanced perspective beyond that moment in time. Tap into what they are sensing. They will be able to take clues from what they already know, and what they are noticing now, to help you learn from where you have been in order to go somewhere better. You can be a good partner for Connectedness by helping provide them access to the system. Give them space to do some sensing. Ask them what they’re noticing.Recognize the ripples they create. Recognize the impact they have on their community. This could mean their team, or it could be their family. It is not necessarily about the singular person, but rather the effect that person has on all of the individuals around them. You can help Connectedness develop by just asking what it is they’re sensing. Create a space for them to explore, and don’t be afraid to explore with them. Go into those spaces that don’t necessarily look like they have an outcome. Ask them what the connections and effects are of the actions that are currently being taken. Think about using them as an advisor. If Connectedness is one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: Try out an App that quiets your mind.Spend an hour talking with a trusted friend about what direction your gut is nudging you. Ask someone to tell you their story.If Connectedness is not one of your Dominant Themes, invest in it this week through the following challenge items: How do you find calmness in the middle of chaos?How do you feel when there isn’t a concrete answer to a challenge?

On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Communication. Theme Thursday is a Gallup Webcast series that dives deep into the CliftonStrengths Themes, one at a time. https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/home/en-us?utm_source=youtube

On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Command.Theme Thursday is a Gallup Webcast series that dives deep into the CliftonStrengths Themes, one at a time. https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/home/en-us?utm_source=youtube

On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Belief. Theme Thursday is a Gallup Webcast series that dives deep into the CliftonStrengths Themes, one at a time. https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/home/en-us?utm_source=youtube

On this Theme Thursday Season Four webcast, Jim Collison, Gallup's Director of Talent Sourcing, and Maika Leibbrandt, Senior Workplace Consultant, talk about Arranger. Theme Thursday is a Gallup Webcast series that dives deep into the CliftonStrengths Themes, one at a time. https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/home/en-us?utm_source=youtube