The CliftonStrength of includer - everyone’s welcome here
Many years ago, a friend of mine, Heather, was attending a women’s retreat for a church she’d recently started attending. The retreat was Friday and Saturday night but Heather had food poisoning on Friday, so she drove up on Saturday. She was a bit nervous to begin with: She’d never been to a women’s retreat before and didn’t know anyone at her new church. Showing up late added another layer of apprehension.
When she walked in, the women were standing in a circle, finishing a prayer. When it ended, women began moving towards seats at tables in the room, in anticipation of listening to the speaker.
Heather hesitated, not sure where to sit. A woman she didn’t know, named Candace, approached her and asked Heather if she’d like to join her table. Heather did and Candace introduced her to the others and made her feel very welcome and included for the remainder of the retreat.
Do you know someone like Candace, who always notices who isn’t being included or isn’t engaged in a group setting and makes an effort to bring them into the conversation? If so, he or she probably has the CliftonStrength of Includer. Includers are exceptionally good at accepting others, showing awareness of people who feel left out, and they excel at attempting to include them and make them feel connected to the group.
HOW TO GET THE MOST OF INCLUDER’S STRENGTHS IN THE WORKPLACE
People with the CliftonStrength of Includer tend to be warm and welcoming. They’re best in roles where they can reach new people and they function best when they’re involved in events with multiple participants.
It’s especially beneficial to have them in the room when you want to listen to many different perspectives, because they’ll take the time to ask challenging questions and draw individuals into the larger conversation.
Includers can be very good at helping form inter-department connections – including a variety of important players, rather than just the usual ones.
They’re also very skilled at helping new hires assimilate to the company and can be great at engaging with customers, as well.
MANAGING THE CLIFTONSTRENGTH OF INCLUDER
In addition to ensuring that this person is in a role that involves lots of contact with people, you can capitalize on this strength by assigning the Includer to a role that:
· helps orient and welcome new employees,
· focuses on promoting diversity and listening to many voices with your organization,
· aids in recruiting, and/or
· works with customers who’ve had some bumps in the road in their experience with your organization.
POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH INCLUDERS
It may seem like someone with the CliftonStrength of Includer would get along with all of your other employees. But an Includer will always advocate for listening to multiple perspectives, and not everyone sees the value in doing so.
Someone with the CliftonStrength of Relator, for example, prefers a more narrow circle. Generally speaking, while the Includer will seek to add more voices to the table, the Relator would prefer hearing from people she already knows well.
Of course, partly that depends on the individual’s other top 5 CliftonStrengths, but it can certainly provide the potential for conflict. As always, one of the best ways to prevent conflict is to simply meet with your employees and discuss their different strengths and how they both add value to the company.
PUT MILLENNIAL GURU TO WORK FOR YOU
By using CliftonStrengths assessments, Millennial Guru can help your employees recognize their own and others’ strengths, work together more cohesively, and increase overall productivity.
We’d love to talk to you about what’s happening in your organization. Schedule an informational meeting with Millennial Guru today to learn more about how we help your employees turn their natural talents into strengths, so your team can reach its full potential.