Last week, Mobile reCell held its second annual Recharge Week.
Recharge Week is Mobile reCell’s team member appreciation week filled with professional development opportunities and engaging team activities built around Mobile reCell’s four core values:
- Integrity
- Innovation
- Inclusivity
- Impact
The Mobile reCell Culture Team plans the entire week—welcome bags in hotel rooms for remote team members, fellowship during meals, team-building activities, and guest speakers focusing on a variety of topics. This year, our Culture Team partnered with B23 Strategies and Circular Indiana to bring new learning opportunities to the team.
B23 Strategies works with forward-thinking companies that recognize people as their greatest asset. Focusing on data-driven insights, B23 uses a strengths-based approach, emphasizing the value of communication, team collaboration, and culture to maximize the potential of every team member and multiply the power of performance and results.
Circular Indiana is on a mission to strengthen the circular economy in Indiana through waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting. The statewide nonprofit educates, advocates, and inspires all individual, community, corporate, and government stakeholders towards a better future for Indiana through engagement, collaboration, leadership, and innovation.
Building a Strengths-Based Culture with CliftonStrengths
To kick off Recharge Week, Traci Cheatham of B23 Strategies shared with the team how we can use our innate talents to build a strengths-based culture at Mobile reCell.
Prior to Recharge Week, each Mobile reCell team member completed the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment and received their unique combination of 34 CliftonStrengths themes. Individually, each theme helps team members describe what they naturally do best or what they might need help from others to accomplish.
Traci shared with us that each team member’s individual combination of 34 themes is so unique we’d have to look at 33 million additional combinations before finding a duplicate.
Some additional key takeaways from Traci’s presentation include:
- The key to success is to fully understand how to apply your greatest talents and strengths in your everyday life.
- With intentional reflection and targeted growth, we can become leaders worth following in every aspect of our lives.
- When you focus on your strengths, you’re three times more likely to report having a high quality of life and six times more likely to be engaged at work.
- There is nothing wrong with being aware of our weaknesses and managing them, but our greatest opportunity for success lies in building on our natural talents.
- Teams are the most effective when they understand what their talents look like, how to purposefully use them, and how to work around areas where they may be lacking.
“The new purpose of business—and the future of work—has to include maximizing human potential… When you have a great manager who can maximize the potential of every team member, you have delivered on the new global will: a great job and a great life. That is the future of work.”
Jim Clifton
Here, we take a look at what makes each of the 34 themes unique:
Achiever: People especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
Activator: People especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. Once a decision is made, they want to act quickly.
Adaptability: People especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.
Analytical: People especially talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.
Arranger: People especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.
Belief: People especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
Command: People especially talented in the Command theme have a presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.
Communication: People especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
Competition: People especially talented in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contest
Connectedness: People especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
Consistency: People especially talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear expectations and adhering to them.
Context: People especially talented in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history
Deliberative: People especially talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.
Developer: People especially talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
Discipline: People especially talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.
Empathy: People especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.
Focus: People especially talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.
Futuristic: People especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Harmony: People especially talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
Ideation: People especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
Includer: People especially talented in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out and make an effort to include them.
Individualization: People especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
Input: People especially talented in the Input theme have a need to collect and archive. They may collect information, ideas, history, or even relationships.
Intellection: People especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
Learner: People especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
Maximizer: People especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
Positivity: People especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
Relator: People especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
Responsibility: People especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
Restorative: People especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.
Self-Assurance: People especially talented in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.
Significance: People especially talented in the Significance theme want to make a big impact. They are independent and sort projects based on the level of influence it will have on their organization and others around them.
Strategic: People especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Woo: People especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
Communicating Effectively with The Enneagram
On the second day of Recharge Week, Janelle DeWolf of B23 Strategies shared how each of us can develop self-awareness to improve team interactions and communications at Mobile reCell.
Mobile reCell team members also completed the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI) assessment prior to Recharge Week. The Enneagram is a set of nine distinct personality types. It is common to find a little of yourself in all nine of the types, although one of them should stand out as being closest to yourself. Each team member received a 33-page report detailing which Enneagram type they most closely align with as well as each type’s basic fears, desires, and key motivations.
Some additional key takeaways from Janelle’s Enneagram presentation include:
- We are all leaders, whether we lead at home, at work, or in any other aspect of our lives. John Maxwell, a popular leadership expert, has said, “leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.”
- A Cornell study of high-performing leaders determined the key predictor to success: self-awareness.
- Self-awareness is the single most important skill today’s leaders can develop based on research by Organizational Psychologists.
- You can develop self-awareness by:
- Knowing your personality
- Understanding how you see the world
- Recognizing how you habitually behave in the world and why
- Removing self-limiting beliefs
- Learning how you handle conflict
- Discerning your triggers
“Without self-awareness and the ability to manage our emotions, we often unknowingly lead from hurt, not heart. Not only is this a huge energy suck for us and the people around us, but it creates distrust, disengagement, and an eggshell culture.”
Brene Brown
Janelle walked our team through each Enneagram type and what motivates them.
Type 1 – The Reformer: Ones are conscientious and ethical, with a strong sense of right and wrong. They are teachers, crusaders, and advocates for change: always striving to improve things, but afraid of making a mistake. Well-organized, orderly, and fastidious, they try to maintain high standards but can slip into being critical and perfectionistic. They typically have problems with resentment and impatience. At their Best: wise, discerning, realistic, and noble. Can be morally heroic.
Type 2 – The Helper: Twos are empathetic, sincere, and warm-hearted. They are friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing, but can also be sentimental, flattering, and people-pleasing. They are well-meaning and driven to be close to others, but can slip into doing things for others in order to be needed. They typically have problems with possessiveness and with acknowledging their own needs. At their Best: unselfish and altruistic, they have unconditional love for others.
Type 3 – The Achiever: Threes are self-assured, attractive, and charming. Ambitious, competent, and energetic, they can also be status-conscious and highly driven for advancement. They are diplomatic and poised, but can also be overly concerned with their image and what others think of them. They typically have problems with workaholism and competitiveness. At their Best: self-accepting, authentic, everything they seem to be—role models who inspire others.
Type 4 – The Individualist: Fours are self-aware, sensitive, and reserved. They are emotionally honest, creative, and personal, but can also be moody and self-conscious. Withholding themselves from others due to feeling vulnerable and defective, they can also feel disdainful and exempt from ordinary ways of living. They typically have problems with melancholy, self-indulgence, and self-pity. At their Best: inspired and highly creative, they are able to renew themselves and transform their experiences.
Type 5 – The Investigator: Fives are alert, insightful, and curious. They are able to concentrate and focus on developing complex ideas and skills. Independent, innovative, and inventive, they can also become preoccupied with their thoughts and imaginary constructs. They become detached, yet high-strung and intense. They typically have problems with eccentricity, nihilism, and isolation. At their Best: visionary pioneers, often ahead of their time, and able to see the world in an entirely new way.
Type 6 – The Loyalist: The committed, security-oriented type. Sixes are reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy. Excellent “troubleshooters,” they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive, evasive, and anxious—running on stress while complaining about it. They can be cautious and indecisive, but also reactive, defiant, and rebellious. They typically have problems with self-doubt and suspicion. At their Best: internally stable and self-reliant, courageously championing themselves and others.
Type 7 – The Enthusiast: Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over-extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness. At their Best: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.
Type 8 – The Challenger: Eights are self-confident, strong, and assertive. Protective, resourceful, straight-talking, and decisive, but can also be ego-centric and domineering. Eights feel they must control their environment, especially people, sometimes becoming confrontational and intimidating. Eights typically have problems with their tempers and with allowing themselves to be vulnerable. At their Best: self-mastering, they use their strength to improve others’ lives, becoming heroic, magnanimous, and inspiring.
Type 9 – The Peacemaker: Nines are accepting, trusting, and stable. They are usually creative, optimistic, and supportive, but can also be too willing to go along with others to keep the peace. They want everything to go smoothly and be without conflict, but they can also tend to be complacent, simplifying problems and minimizing anything upsetting. They typically have problems with inertia and stubbornness. At their Best: indomitable and all-embracing, they are able to bring people together and heal conflicts.
Making an Impact with Circular Indiana
On the last day of Recharge Week, the Mobile reCell team welcomed Allyson Mitchell, Executive Director of Circular Indiana. Allyson shared Circular Indiana’s vision to develop a prosperous economy, an equitable quality of life, and a healthy environment by eliminating waste and elevating the value of resources in Indiana.
Many states, cities, and communities are aggressively addressing waste by minimizing and diverting wastes from landfills, incinerators, and waterways to protect and improve their natural environments, secure materials for their economies, and address the needs of all members of society. The most forward-looking governments are driving these changes with a necessary migration from a linear economy to a circular economy strategy.
Today’s linear economy involves taking resources, making products, using those products, and then throwing away waste. A circular economy keeps valuable materials in use continuously. Instead of the linear economy’s take, make, use, and waste steps, the circular economy’s steps include take, make, use, and return, repair, reuse, or recycle.
Indiana’s current recycling rate of 19.1% falls short of its 50% recycling goal. The state is lagging behind due to outdated and inconsistent waste management practices, weak policies, and limited community awareness and education.
“If Hoosiers begin rethinking our relationship with materials, we redistribute the responsibility for managing waste, and Indiana becomes more resilient for future generations.”
Allyson Mitchell, Circular Indiana
Some additional key takeaways from Circular Indiana’s presentation include:
- Indiana’s recycling rate is 19.1%, compared to the average United States recycling rate of 34%.
- Indiana has the lowest landfill tipping fees in the midwest and the sixth lowest in the US. Landfill tipping fees are the fees waste management companies must pay to dump waste into a landfill. The cheaper the landfill tipping fees, the less likely individuals, businesses, and others are to recycle—essentially, it is cheaper to dump waste in a landfill than it is to recycle materials.
- Indiana only invests $2 million per year in a recycling market development grant program, while Michigan invests $15 million annually in recycling infrastructure.
- More than 100 manufacturers in Indiana utilize recycled materials.
- Principles of a circular economy include:
- Eliminating waste and pollution
- Keeping valuable materials in-use
- Regenerating nature
- Developing equity throughout the materials system
Joining the Mobile reCell Team
As you can see, we learned a lot during Recharge Week 2022! The Mobile reCell team is excited to continue developing a strengths-based culture with CliftonStrengths and self-awareness with the Enneagram, and we’re exploring additional partnership opportunities with Circular Indiana.
Are you interested in joining the Mobile reCell team? Visit our careers page for more information, including our culture, benefits, and open opportunities.
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