Here at Texas Creative, we are tasked with taking the Gallup Strengthsfinder Test. It provides customized results that name your unique talents. It's what we do best. The test assigns us traits like Activator, Includer, and Maximizer. When I took the test, I got a WOO. WOO stands for Winning Others Over, and I was the only person in the office to receive one (until a new hire also received a WOO a few months later).
The definition of a WOO: People exceptionally 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 someone.
Yep, that’s me. I couldn’t believe this definition was so accurate because I’ve always been told by my family that I talk to everyone I meet and can easily make a friend. As the Traffic Manager, my job is to be the mediator between departments. This means I not only have to win over one person, I have to win over two… or three… or more! This might be easier said than done, since I’m a WOO, but I’m here to tell you that winning people over isn’t that hard. A simple smile, a simple question or small conversation can help break down any barriers set up by the other person. Oh, and a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.
It seems like daily, account managers come to me with urgent projects and I have to prioritize what’s on the creative schedule before I can reassign and/or push back other jobs. From the account manager’s perspective, their client’s project is the most important project being worked on in the agency, but as the Traffic Manager, I have to consider ALL of our clients and ALL of their projects. That sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Imagine how our creatives feel, having to work on all of those projects between the lot of them, and to do it within a 40 hour work week. Here’s where a little sense of humor goes a long way in making sure that both sides don’t stress.
My first strength on the test is Positivity and Being a WOO came second.
The definition of Positivity: People especially talented in the Positivity theme have contagious enthusiasm. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do. (You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation). I always thrive to think Positive in everything I do in my life whether it be at work or at home. Positive thoughts create Positive things.
I believe this strength plays hand in hand with my WOO strength. As I mentioned earlier, one of my ways of winning people over is through small conversation and adding some positivity when others might see something as negative. I’ve found that negativity in the workplace isn’t productive and I like to skip right over it and make people laugh, making a not-so-pleasant situation more enjoyable. This allows them to skip over the wallowing and move right on to getting the job done. At the end of the day, when the job’s done, I get the pleasure of knowing that everyone got what they needed and there’s no bad blood between departments.
Have you ever taken the Gallup Strengthsfinder test? I’d love to know what your strengths are, and whether or not they are as accurate as mine!