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:
[0:16] Today's theme is Responsibility. We'll explore what this theme brings, what it needs and how it fosters collaboration. And the best collaboration partner I have is you, Jillian. Welcome.
Jillian White:
[0:26] Thank you, Jim. I'm excited to get into Responsibility. This is actually my No. 5, so you may hear some of this come out. It also shows up very strongly in my heritage. I had both my parents take this, and their No. 1’s were both Responsibility. So interesting to see what you grow up around.
Jim Collison:
[0:44] That is. I love that. Well, before we get started, Jillian, can you refresh us on this, the Responsibility strength, what it looks like?
Jillian White:
[0:51] Yeah. So just a reminder, when we're looking at Responsibility, at the heart of someone who has that talent is psychological ownership. These are people who feel very responsible for what they commit to. They oftentimes are very dependable as a result. There's usually a high sense of follow-through and loyalty that comes with that sense of Responsibility. It's an Executing strength. So it executes based on that desire to deliver and follow through. And Jim, you know, I always like to pick an image that brings this to life. I was doing a little crowdsourcing again before this to see what we could use. One that I was thinking of is just an image of a handshake. And to me, what a handshake represents is oftentimes we talk about those with Responsibility. Their word is as good as their bond. And you have almost this contractual view of a handshake of two people agreeing on something. And then that Responsibility typically feels responsible to a relationship. It's usually because I promised something, I don't want to disappoint you, and I want to be able to follow through. So that commitment to people, that handshake, visibility of that and then that follow-through is a good picture for Responsibility. We had a couple other fun ones that folks shared with us. I think even something like taking out the garbage, but almost this image of willing to serve and willing to take on for others as well. there's a real service element we'll see come out with that Responsibility.
Jim Collison:
[2:17] Yeah. Personally, it's one I have learned over the last maybe 15 years to really lean into, not for me, but for other people. And I find, as I give them, or, or allow that Responsibility to be used by them, and then honor it with recognition, it really is a way for me, because I don't, I mean, it's, it's mid for me. And, and so I struggle with it at times. I was worse when I was younger, just to be 100% honest. When I was younger, I was terribly irresponsible. But I've learned to lean into that. From your experience, Jillian, in your consulting work, can you give us an example, maybe, where you've seen this work in the workshop?
Jillian White:
[2:55] Yeah, I always love, I think it was Curt Liesveld who did some of the early episodes of this that always said, you want to try to find a poster child for every strength, and just envision what this looks like when it's, when it's used really well. And I can think of, with Responsibility, a leader that I know well in finance who just exemplifies this strength. This is a leader who, if I had to think about how they operate, if you want something done right, you come to this person. They were very knowledgeable. People often came to them to just help with very complex situations. And what you oftentimes saw with this Responsibility, it was interesting how this even showed up in this person's personal life, because with that Responsibility, you often do build trust and you're willing to take things on when someone asks you. And because you follow through and deliver on that, it oftentimes opens the door for more Responsibility. So you could see this person continually moving up in their level of Responsibility. It even happened outside of work for them. So they joined a woodturning club. And, you know, because they consistently showed up, contributed, you know, did what they said they were going to do before they know it, they were asked to be president. So just some of these images that you start to see of that Responsibility, loving to take on a commitment, follow through, and be that dependable source for the people around them.
Jim Collison:
[4:16] Yeah, I like the words you used, showing up. Like, I think that is important in this space. If I were to put an image on it, I was kind of thinking through, how would I see this? That term, showing up, being there, when everybody else is not. Like, I see that as a kingpin, so to speak, for Responsibility. We have a new section or some new functionality inside of Gallup Access. We've changed the Community tab to now what we call Connections, the ability to share your report with other folks, some new functionality coming that will speed that process up a little bit. But in that section, there's the ability to compare your themes with someone else. And then we have some “I Bring” and “I Need” statements in there for you to review. Jillian, when we think about this, what's Responsibility bring?
Jillian White:
[5:02] The way I like to think about this question is always, what does it feel like being on the other side of someone who has this strength? And what do you get to experience as a result of that? So when you're on the other side of somebody with that high Responsibility, you get dependability and loyalty in your partnership because they tend to commit to something and follow through. Their word is their bond. It can build a lot of trust and loyalty in relationships. So you see that, you likely experience that on the other side of Responsibility. I think you heard me allude to this earlier. I think you get a real service orientation with the strength. It is responsive. It is happy to typically help. And when someone asks for something, it's typically the one who will say, sure, I can help with that, right? So you typically do get that helpfulness and that service, that even sense of, perhaps, duty that might come out in someone who has that Responsibility on the other side. And you heard me talk about this in the example of the leader with Responsibility, that desire to do what is right. I think this is also a partner who helps you be stable with your values and have a high sense of ethics in what you are doing because that North Star of doing what is right is what typically guides someone who has Responsibility. I do it because it's the right thing to do. Maybe it's not what I feel like, but it's what I need to do in this situation or what this person needs from me. So you get that that strong ethical sense with it as well.
Jim Collison:
[6:34] So Responsibility has such a strong “Bring” brand, in the sense that we know it best by what it brings, but it does have needs. So let's talk about, what does it need? I think this is important.
Jillian White:
[6:44] Look at, let's look at a few parts with this. I do think, where does Responsibility thrive? If I'm partnering with somebody who has that high sense of Responsibility, they typically don't like to be micromanaged. They, because they typically take something and own it and do it, they need autonomy. We talked about this with Achiever as well. So if I'm partnering with them, be clear on what they're owning and then let them go, right? They do not need to be micromanaged. They don't like to be micromanaged. They need opportunities to help. Remember that service orientation. You heard me talk about this in our previous podcast, but I typically find that whatever strength values at the heart of it, it typically appreciates from other people. So it likely means that person's also going to appreciate someone who helps them in return. I also think what frustrates someone who has high Responsibility is if someone else they are partnering with does not take their commitment seriously. So if you're working with somebody with high Responsibility, be careful what you commit to. Make sure you can follow through on that. They are going to appreciate that sense of follow-through. And then the final thing I'll bring up with this, and this will get into, you know, who you should partner with, but what else does somebody with high Responsibility need? Their tendency is to feel like they should respond and say yes and help someone, especially when it's someone they don't want to disappoint or a relationship they have. So they oftentimes need partners who help them focus and give their best yes. So anytime we can help, in fact, if you talk to the leader that I report to within Gallup, he actually feels like it's very hard to manage people who have high Responsibility because oftentimes you are helping them figure out how to say no to things and how to say their best yes. And that can be a great partnership to aim that Responsibility for someone who has that strong.
Jim Collison:
[8:36] I love that phrase, your best yes. I think that's a great way to sort.
Jillian White:
[8:41] It's good for any strength. We should all be thinking about our best yes, especially Responsibility and Achiever, though.
Jim Collison:
[8:48] Yeah, for sure. In the new CliftonStrengths Top 5 report, we've added a section on theme dynamics, right, what two themes might look like together. It's honestly been one of the most popular and interesting sections of that report. We've gotten a lot of great feedback. If you haven't looked at that, log in and get that. We are going to look at, when we think about Responsibility, what most commonly pairs with that, and maybe why.
Jillian White:
[9:11] Yeah. You know what I realized? I literally just said this combination, but Responsibility most likely pairs with Achiever. And, y'all, I'll read this statement we actually have in our report around that. You get things done, sometimes because it feels so good, and sometimes because you promised someone that you would. Now, I do see these strengths together a lot. I have them in my top five. When you bring strengths together, I oftentimes think there's certain strengths that intensify one another, and there's certain strengths that temper one another. These are strengths that tend to intensify. So these are oftentimes busy people with a lot on their plate because they tend to lead with saying yes, right? So oftentimes that biggest challenge is thinking about how to just direct all that energy to the most important priorities.
Jim Collison:
[10:02] If that's you, that's great. You got some advice here on some things to do. But these, these theme dynamics work for all 34 put together in it. Check out your report today. It'd be a great opportunity to go through this exercise, read some of those statements for yourselves. We're talking about partnerships this season. So as we think about theme dynamics in the context of partnerships and collaboration, how would this work?
Jillian White:
[10:25] Yeah. So think about who might a Responsibility individual really enjoy partnering with. It's a very grounded strength because it does have that dependability and that follow-through. So I think even partnering with some other equally grounded strengths like belief or discipline that has a plan and follows through on the plan could almost sharpen that Responsibility. You're going to get a lot done together, and you're likely going to build some strong connection through that. I also think another common combination that I see is looking at Responsibility and Relator. There's a loyalty element in both of those strengths. So it's almost like a loyalty and dependability to the work with Responsibility. And Relator brings almost this loyalty and responsibility to the relationship. So if you put those two things together, that could just be a really, really great partnership of just high level of trust and loyalty and commitment to working hard together. And then, you know, I always say that other strengths in the same domain are typically where you're going to enjoy partnering. Responsibility does like to have a sense of accomplishment and execution. So, Achiever, Consistency, Focus, any of those other strengths that can come alongside and help it deliver, that's where it gets its energy, delivering, right, could be really enjoyable for that Responsibility. On the flip side, you know, I always like to talk about those complementary partners. So those are the ones who might not feel quite as natural when you put the strengths together, but they're probably good for the strength and it balances it out. So go back to what I mentioned earlier with Responsibility. It does tend to have a full plate. It doesn't want to drop the ball, but it might get burned out in that process. And so I think partnering with someone who can help you give your best yes or give pushback when needed. Responsibility tends to lead with that yes. So Command, Self-Assurance, Maximizer that really pushes for the best yes, those might be really helpful partners in aiming that Responsibility. I also think Responsibility is one, it's focused on that sense of duty and service. So sometimes it needs some help just stopping and celebrating and being in the moment. So maybe something like Positivity or Adaptability that helps with that could be a good partnership. And then finally, because it is about delivering, I think even partnering with some strengths that help it think about how to best deliver on their commitment, Strategic, Arranger, Ideation, maybe bring some creative ways to better deliver, those might help enhance that strong sense of Responsibility that we see.
Jim Collison:
[13:04] Love that. Let's talk a little bit about, we have some tips for leaders, teams and individuals. Let's start with leaders. As we think about recognizing and harnessing Responsibility in their teams and organizations, what are some tips that they could do to do that?
Jillian White:
[13:19] Yeah. Take what we've been talking about, translate it into the action orientation. You know, first of all, if you're, if you're a leader and you're looking for that Responsibility on your team, these are typically the people when you ask them to do something, they say yes. These are typically the ones who will step up, own something, be comfortable in that spot. I think some things to keep in mind, remember, give them ownership, right? Let them take something and own it. Don't micromanage, like we talked about earlier. Help them prioritize their best yes. I would encourage putting an emphasis on quality over speed with these individuals. They will appreciate that because they want to do something right. So having them do it fast versus right is not going to sit well with them. I would also think about who you're pairing them with. Remember, they're going to get frustrated fast if they're working with others that don't have that same sense of follow-through or work ethic. Pairing them with somebody who shares that is likely going to actually be engaging for them. And then think about how to recognize them based on where they're following through on their commitments.
Jim Collison:
[14:18] Yeah. You know, you mentioned quality over speed, though. There may be some circumstances. This is why we have to ask these questions, where speed may be more important than quality. True, true. Just kind of based on the, but asking that person with Responsibility, like, hey, what are we trying to get to here for you? Like, what, what scratches that itch? Or what fills the bucket for you in getting things done? Because there may be times, right, there may be times where that flips.
Jillian White:
[14:47] That's actually another potentially interesting partnership to think about along those lines, Jim. I mean, like, Responsibility and Arranger, right? Because maybe somebody who helps go, hey, you know what, we got to keep it moving. There is a nice counterbalance with that that could happen.
Jim Collison:
[15:00] I fill that role a lot of times for folks with Responsibility. Like, hey, we get bogged down. I'm like, we gotta, we gotta move forward, friends. We gotta move forward. And yet, for me, having the Arranger to keep all those pieces floating and moving, right, super, super helpful. What should we keep in mind with Responsibility when, maybe for a team who's working with someone or onboarding someone with high Responsibility?
Jillian White:
[15:23] Yeah, a couple things to think about. I think having clear expectations. Remember, they thrive with ownership. I would also be really careful when you are setting those expectations that it is the outcome-based expectation for what they own so that you're not giving that feeling of micromanaging, right? Like, here's not all the tasks I expect you to do, but here's the outcome that you should own. Know what they truly have as theirs. Find some ways to establish trust early. Maybe you give them some ownership, even week one on the job of something and say, hey, we need some help with this. Can you take this on? Um, remember Responsibility does typically feel responsible to a relationship. So I think even, um, introducing them to some key stakeholders of people who you want them to develop some highly responsible relationships with is a good way to start to develop where they can feel responsible. I would also discuss workload management with these individuals, you know, and ask them questions like what they feel responsible for, what they want to feel responsible for. I think part of what you want to listen for as you're working with somebody with high Responsibility is to make sure that that Responsibility isn't, it's very easy for it to be others-oriented, but make sure you are helping them also think about some Responsibility for their own wellbeing, for their own work and how their work feels, their own engagement. That can help balance out the potential negative effects of high Responsibility that gets a full plate and potentially burns themselves out in the process.
Jim Collison:
[16:58] Yeah, I think your idea going from concept to action of discussing workload management with high Responsibility is super key, especially in a group setting. This is where it can go awry or get overloaded or, or not feel like they have control. And I love that. I love that action.
Jillian White:
[17:17] And you know what? I'll even give a strategy that one of our leaders inside of, inside of Gallup has talked about. And that is sometimes if you know this and you're managing with someone with high Responsibility, you might need to just be the person to give the no for them and help with that. Because if you know this isn't something that is probably where they should be spending their time, you can actually help with that workload management. If you ask, they're likely going to feel like they should say yes. So, you know, and there's a development of that over time, of building that skill of giving the best yes. But I think also helping someone realize, if I say yes to this, what else is it potentially causing me to drop the ball on? Responsibility is not going to like that. They want to be able to follow through.
Jim Collison:
[17:58] And it may take a few pushes to get through to that, right? Responsibility: I got this. No, I got this. Really? Do you? Are you really OK with this? You know, what's coming out on the outside?
Jillian White:
[18:09] They might pull an all-nighter to get it, but they will get it.
Jim Collison:
[18:12] What's coming out on the outside may not match what I'm seeing on the inside. So, you know, it may be one of those situations where you've got to ask a couple times. Finally, as we wrap this up, what should Responsibility keep in mind in partnerships?
Jillian White:
[18:23] You know, I'm going to give two things to think about here. I mean, one is I always think, how can you use your strength to serve the partners around you? And I truly mean that with this strength because it does enjoy serving and helping. So look at your most important partnerships around you and think about, where could you help that person? That's a way to gift your Responsibility. We've talked about that concept before. On the flip side of this, maybe this is from a personal standpoint, but I also want to encourage anybody who has high Responsibility, hack the system because you typically don't want to disappoint people or let someone down. So think about things that might be important to you personally and share it with your partners. If you want to get better in a certain era and you say, hey, I'm going to practice this five times before next time we meet, check me on it. If you say it out loud to someone, your sense of Responsibility will actually help you follow through on that. So even use your partnerships to help you accomplish the things that you want to, that are most important to you and your partners.
Jim Collison:
[19:28] Well, Jillian, thanks for your Responsibility this season as we work through these, being responsible to have great content ready every single time. So Jillian, thank you for using your theme to make this a great podcast season. With that, we'll remind everyone, take full advantage of all the resources we do have available in Gallup Access around Responsibility. Log in, go to the Resources section, just put in Responsibility. It'll bring back all the resources we have for you. You can be responsible to learn and grow in that space and, and love to make those, those resources available for you. Thanks for joining us today. If you're listening on the live side, stay around for a little bit of a mid-show. If you are listening to the podcast right there on YouTube, make sure you're subscribed. And then just click Next. There's probably another one waiting for you right there. Thanks for coming out. With that, we'll say goodbye, everybody.
Jillian White's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are Achiever, Input, Learner, Belief and Responsibility.