Jim Collison:
[0:00] 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 our Lead Subject Matter Expert for CliftonStrengths.
Jim Collison:
[0:15] Today's theme is Includer. We'll explore what this theme brings, what it needs and how it fosters collaboration. As always, Jillian, welcome!
Jillian White:
[0:24] Thank you, Jim. Good to partner. We hope everyone feels included as a part of today's conversation.
Jim Collison:
[0:33] Indeed. Indeed. Let's back up a little bit. Give us a little bit of that theme overview.
Jillian White:
[0:42] Yes. So as we zoom in Includer, good to remember what's at the heart of this theme. These are people who are exceptionally talented at accepting others, honoring diverse viewpoints, and making others feel included — hence, the name of that strength. It's a Relationship Building strength, so it's very aware of when other people are feeling left out, and it wants to bring them in. The image that I have of this is a widening circle. So I imagine you walk into a lunchroom, and you see someone sitting at a table by themselves, and you go, "Hey, you know what? We've got room at our table. Let's just make it a little bit bigger. Come on, come join us over here." So there's that element of noticing people who might feel on the outside, pulling them in, making the circle wider, and helping people feel that sense of belonging.
Jim Collison:
[1:22] I love that image. I often think of it in groups of, you know, how when groups start gathering, I'd take the table out. But, you know, in a public setting, at a party, where there's open space, and you get one or two people that are talking, and then a third person comes in, and then slowly, that circle starts to expand. And so it always reminds me of that. I love that, by the way, when that happens. In your consulting work that you've done, give us a good example of that kind of seen in the wild.
Jillian White:
[1:50] Yeah, seen in the wild — that's a good phrase, Jim. You know, I was thinking about somebody who I worked with who was a sales partner with high Includer. And what I love about this example is, I don't tend to always think someone in sales is going to lead with Includer. You tend to think maybe more Relationship Building, you know, some of those other either Relator, maybe some Influencing strengths that show up. But what was really neat to watch about how this person really achieved their sales goal: They built a very diverse team around them to help accomplish that. And so they were very good. Some of the people they partner most closely with are very different from them. And they're very comfortable with that. I think what was really neat to see with this individual too was how they celebrated their wins. So to them, it wasn't a personal win; they would oftentimes invite everyone who was a part of influencing that sale happening to be a part of a celebration. And that to me was a picture of, wow, they're helping everyone feel included in their win and being able to celebrate it together. What a beautiful picture of that make the circle wider, make everyone feel that sense of belonging and contribution.
Jim Collison:
[2:59] Yeah, I've got one of those examples, too, when I was, first started working here at Gallup, you know, the, the Influencing Woo wants to gather groups of people and get them moving, not always interested in what they have to say, right. So, but I had an admin partner who had Includer 1or 2. And I gave her permission at some point to check me on that. Like, Hey, we're doing things, but I need you to make sure you're helping me to know, are, are people's voices being heard? To use that terminology, right, in this. And she had permission to check me on that, to come and say, Hey, not everybody, not everybody either knows about this or not everybody's being, their opinion is being heard or whatever in that. And it was just a great way to partner with this theme practically in the workplace, to make sure it just checked me, right? It was some accountability for me, as I gave her permission to say, Let me know when I'm not doing that. Because I do it often. I don't do it, I don't think about it. And so I needed that partner in that to just kind of check me, say, "Hey, you should be thinking about this." I don't know, any thoughts on that?
Jillian White:
[4:09] Jim, I love, I mean, I think that's a great formula on this whole series is, you know, as we've been talking about moving from me to we, this idea of, How do I leverage what somebody brings because they think differently than me and actually value that and we're stronger as a result? You know, if you've been around strengths for a while, you know, an individual doesn't need to be well-rounded. We're very pointy, like stars. But I love this image that we have. If you lay a bunch of stars with different points on top of each other, you can make a full circle because everybody's valleys and gaps overlap in different places. And so you almost picture that image of a strengths-based culture where we start to say, OK, I don't have to be well-rounded, but you think that way. So I give you full permission and even encourage you — challenge me, be that voice. Sometimes in team sessions, this is oftentimes what I'll challenge a team with is to say, OK, listen. When somebody brings something up that is different than you, listen to that, because that different perspective is actually going to make you more well-rounded as a team, and listening to those from diverse viewpoints.
Jim Collison:
[5:16] One of those places in the workplace, especially with high-performing teams, where this can get forgotten, everybody's off to the races, checking boxes, getting stuff done. But is everybody in the mix? Have we, are we able to hear everybody's voices? So I think that's important. We have a new section in Gallup Access, in our Community tab, soon-to-be Connections. In the next couple of weeks, that's going to change to our Connections tab; really cool. Sharing, you can share your themes with someone else. And there are some tools there, once you've shared it with them, where you can compare what I bring and what I need with those individuals. I often think of Includer as, by the way, what it brings. I saw, this is one of those I don't often think about what it needs. So I'm interested in both of these. Let's start with "bring." What does Includer bring?
Jillian White:
[6:00] Well, first of all, think about if I'm partnering with somebody who has that strong sense of Includer, they are first going to bring a conviction that everyone is equally important. So how that might show up in partnership or on a team, they may have some networking skills. They may have that ability to connect you with others, to bring others in, invite others in. I think part of what also comes with that is they bring a welcoming attitude on the team. They have a keen awareness of who might be left out and who to include. And Jim, even just on a personal note with this one, my mom has this in her top strengths. And one of my favorite stories for her, we growing up were a part of a church community that had a lot of deaf people in it. And she'd never learned sign language before or anything like this. She saw this community that she felt like lived a little on the outskirts of everyone else. She learned sign language so that she could communicate with them. And that to me is just this beautiful picture of someone who's warm and welcoming and thinking about how to help people feel included. There's an acceptance of diversity that brings expansive thinking as a result of playing out that strength.
Jim Collison:
[7:10] Yeah, I often wonder, my mom was very similar in that, Jillian. And I wonder how that was emphasized, too, generationally. That generation came from a place of need, right? They lived through the Depression or at the very end of the Depression, and they kind of needed each other. And that, that was valued. You go back and look at some of the pictures from, from those days, '30s and '40s, they're always in big groups doing things. We've gotten kind of individualized. That's what we're going to talk about that next. That would be the small "i," right? That's not the theme. But I often kind of wonder how that generation, how that theme played into that generation, and how those people could thrive, because they did so many things together and got groups of people together. So an interesting note. OK, this is the one I'm interested in: What does it need, though? What does it really need?
Jillian White:
[8:01] Well, think about the flip side of this. So I always think, how do you give them space to do what they're good at? I even think about partnering with people who have that strong sense of Includer. They need literal time and space to bring others in. This might look like, on a project plan, they need to make sure they're getting to meet with some different audience groups to get their perspective or to gain their buy-in. So time and space to bring others in. They also are going to be at their best when you are bringing them opportunities to have diverse people come together. So bring that to that partnership; give them space and freedom to do that. And then, Jim, you've heard me talk about this on our series, but one thing I like to challenge us as a community to think about is, what is the value at the heart of each of these strengths?
Jillian White:
[8:48] And the value at the heart of an Includer is feeling a sense of belonging and inclusion. And so what I oftentimes find in working with people around these strengths is whatever they're good at bringing to other people, they typically tend to value themselves. So I've noticed with Includers, they may be a little more aware of anytime they're left out of something, and they really value being included. So they're the person, just have extra sensitivity to make sure that same welcoming orientation that they bring to others around them and acceptance of people different than them — show that same element of welcome, respect, pulling them in. That will really make them feel valued as a partner or as a part of your team.
Jim Collison:
[9:37] In the new Top 5 report, there's a section we call Theme Dynamics. It's really taking two themes, putting them together. We look at them both individually, what that looks like in an individual. And maybe as we think about teams together, when we think about Includer and maybe its most common pairing, talk a little bit about that, Jillian.
Jillian White:
[9:55] Yeah. So the most common strength to pair with that Includer is actually Positivity. I was a little surprised by this one, I have to say. But if I think about those, you know, Includer is really good at making everyone feel a part of something; Positivity is really good at celebrating. So I'm going to read you the statement that's actually in our report. "You love to throw parties. The best parties are those where everyone is invited. When someone is missing, you miss some fun. So they want everyone to be a part of the celebrating together." I think that's a beautiful picture of how those two can show up.
Jim Collison:
[10:29] How would, then, thinking about this idea of Theme Dynamics and groups, partnerships, collaborations, how might this work? How might an Includer work in that?
Jillian White:
[10:38] Yeah, you know, I always like to look at two buckets. So if you have strong Includer, or if you're leading a team that has a strong Includer on it, who should you think about having them partner with to get the best out of that Includer? I always think who's that catalyst partner? So who's that person who they're likely going to be, I'm going to almost call it an "engagement accelerant" to that person. They're just going to really enjoy working together. So an Includer, very good at bringing in diverse perspectives, making people feel welcome. I think they're really going to enjoy some strengths that take those relationships even a bit deeper. Empathy, Individualization, Connectedness — all of these are themes that align well with Includer's desire to understand and appreciate others. So that's going to be very enjoyable strengths typically to work with.
Jillian White:
[11:28] On the flip side of this, I always think, where is the danger or the watch-out, the potential hindrance of the strength, and how can you make sure you're listening to that different voice that's going to complement it? So in the situation of Includer, I almost think of strengths sometimes on a spectrum. So there's certain strengths that go, I'm going to call it wide, and others that go a bit narrow. Where do you think Includer falls? Relationally, it's wide. It brings in, it has a big funnel. It brings everyone in, right? There may be times that they need a complementary partner who helps them go, Hey, do we need to narrow the funnel just a little bit? When is the right time to bring in the right people? Strengths like Maximizer, Focus, Strategic, Analytical — those are all strengths that I think have a bit of a narrowing capability to them, and they can help be that complementary partner to say, When is the right time to include people?
Jillian White:
[12:26] The second thing that I think with that high Includer, remember the desire is that sense of belonging. But I think partnering with some complementary strengths that, when they get that diverse group together, can help people move forward in the same direction and have some productivity that comes from that. Activator, Achiever, Command, Self-assurance — those are all going to be strengths that could complementary, bring that complementary partnership to an Includer and help them take that diverse perspective and use it to move some things forward. So those are good complementary partnerships to think about.
Jim Collison:
[13:00] In my example from earlier, you know, I talked about that admin partner that I had help me include. I would reverse that and help us move, because you can spend some, right, sometimes you can, in the time it takes to make sure everybody's, everybody's included in that, at some point, you need to, for success, you need to move forward, right? You need to get the ball rolling. So I love that. I've really grown to appreciate that part of this, where we look at those, those that partner and the catalysts and those that partner. I love, I love that section. We now have some tips for leaders, teams and individuals. So Jillian, let's talk about leaders first. How can leaders recognize and harness this Includer with their, in their teams and organizations?
Jillian White:
[13:40] You know, I almost think, what's your cues and clues of somebody who's an Includer on your team? They're always bringing other people with them. They're always going, Hey, maybe we need this person to have their viewpoint heard in this situation. That they like to bring others along. So a few things to keep in mind if you're leading someone who has this. First of all, leverage their natural ability to make others feel accepted and involved. Think about something like assigning them tasks that might involve welcoming new team members. They may also be good at things where you need to facilitate a group discussion and have everyone feel heard as a part of it. Secondly, think about entrusting them with responsibilities that involve representing voices that are not usually heard. Remember what it's good at. It's good at seeing potentially those on the margins, the person sitting at the table by themselves or outside of the group. They will actually get some satisfaction in being a spokesperson for those individuals who might not necessarily be represented. They help bring them in.
Jillian White:
[14:40] And then finally, going back to what this strength values, remember it does value being included. So I would encourage anyone who's managing a high Includer, collaborate with them. It will feel good for them not just to get directives, but to really feel included on some of that decision-making for their goal setting, their approach to a project. That collaboration and inclusion piece will feel good to them as well.
Jim Collison:
[15:03] What should teams know about working with someone, or maybe onboarding someone who, who has high Includer?
Jillian White:
[15:09] Yeah. Let's imagine you have that high Includer come on to your team. What's going to make a great first experience for them? First of all, helping them feel really welcomed, helping them feel really safe and valued as a part of the team, is going to speak to that Includer in them. I think giving them space to include. So very quickly connecting them with others, maybe even others with diverse viewpoints, they're going to enjoy that exposure to people different than themselves and that ability to kind of bring people in. And then I would also say, as you're working with an Includer, I always like to think, what's a good question to ask this person?
Jillian White:
[15:43] And Jim, you had this in your example earlier, because you said, you know, with that partner that you had, you said, "Who am I forgetting? Who needs to be a part of this get-together or this conversation?" That's a great question to ask the Includers on your team, especially if you're working on a project together. Or let's say you're doing a rollout, and you're trying to make sure that everyone is getting buy-in as a part of this, and you just say, "Hey, who else needs to be a part of this? Who else is, who else has a perspective that we need to make sure we are valuing and including in this?" They're already thinking about that. And so you're tapping into that when you ask for it.
Jim Collison:
[16:18] Yeah, I kind of need to add that to my repertoire of questions when I'm partnering on Teams and just say, Hey, who has high Includer? Did we get everything? Like, you know, and call it out. That's one of those, one of those I probably need to call it more often. As we wrap this up, as we think about an individual with Includer, what, what should they be keeping in mind for partnerships?
Jillian White:
[16:39] Yeah, if you've got strong Includer, I'd just encourage you, use that strength, make other people feel seen and welcomed. Help them find a sense of belonging. That's what you are naturally talented at, welcoming and connecting people. I would also encourage you to stand up for voices that can't speak for themselves. You're, you're likely going to find enjoyment in that. Represent those, those individuals that might be on the outside that need a voice. You can lend that perspective to your partnerships and to your team.
Jim Collison:
[17:09] With that, we'll remind everyone to take full — everyone; we want to include everyone — take full advantage of all the resources we have available inside Gallup Access. Log in, go to the Resources tab. So go upper left, choose, drop down the menu, choose Resources. Then put "Includer." All the resources we have available for you, both podcasts and written content, available for you to continue to learn. We'd love you, appreciate if you would do that. Give us some feedback on that as well. Appreciate that. Speaking of including, if you haven't signed up yet for the CliftonStrengths Insight newsletter, the newsletter team asked me yesterday, Hey, would you, would you mention that on the podcast? Could you throw that out there? We want to include them as well. Head out to gallup.com. You can check our newsletter section and sign up for that monthly, and lots of great stuff about what's going on around CliftonStrengths. I want to thank you for joining us today. If you're listening live, stay around for a little bit of a midshow. If you're listening this as a podcast, I bet we got another one. Click Next. It's there for you. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Jillian White's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are Achiever, Input, Learner, Belief and Responsibility.