GALLUP STRENGTHS
At my current institution, our office has developed a culture around the Gallup Strengths model. We have each taken the Gallup Strengths test and showcased to our colleagues how our strengths are demonstrated in the workplace. This has allowed us a unique opportunity to see which personality type would be best suited for completing a task and who to go to if we are struggling with the necessary skill set to complete a project.
My top five strengths include:
- Positivity
- Developer
- Input
- Activator
- Strategic
- Positivity – I have a talent for maintaining office morale and boosting individuals who are feeling uninspired, unmotivated, or simply in a funk. This quality is also valuable when big changes are about to come our way such as new software being introduced into the office. With the positivity trait, I can help others see the light at the end of the tunnel and focus on the vision or goal rather than the enormity of the project itself.
- Developer – This strength focuses on others. Developers see the potential in other people and help them work toward achieving that potential whether it is in their personal or professional life. This is a support role that helps the individual take the lead on their aspirations and provides guidance when guidance is needed.
- Input – We collect everything! This is a mindset that collects data from all sectors of life and stores it away for later use, often not knowing what that later use might be. I love this strength because it propels my thirst for knowledge and allows me to hoard data like a Magpie. This strength is most connected to my fifth strength, Strategic, but is valuable in all areas of life as well.
- Activator – I am a solution-oriented person who thrives in a challenge and seeks to find the most efficient and effective outcome possible. The Activator trait has me hitting the ground running when large projects arise and seeking to put my leadership skills to work. Activators can make decisions confidently because they have taken the time to evaluate the necessary precursors and anticipate potential pitfalls.
- Strategic – All that data collection has to lead somewhere and this is where it finds its use. People with this strength can provide thorough and informed explanations, develop procedure manuals, lead projects and committees, and push projects forward that may have previously stalled. In essence, those who hold this talent can make sense of the chaos in the data and explain it to others so that a project can progress forward.
It has been a fun experiment getting to know these strengths and how to best utilize them in my professional, personal, and educational life. By tapping into each of these strengths I have been able to revolutionize decades-old procedures in my current office, bringing reporting practices up to modernity, and bringing our office one major step closer to embracing a paperless, green environment.
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