I should have known better

So for a team building event at work, we were asked to read a book and take a test. The book is Strengths Finder 2.0 and the test is on their website. First, I am impressed with the sheer brilliance of the business model --> A website that leads you to buy a book that leads you to use the website (ie 1st you purchase the book, and 2 you provide contact data so that they can continue to market to you) .... but I digress. Not really though... because the business model would fall flat on its face (or would that be its book cover) if the book didn't provide information that is immediately relevant.....

So anyhow I discover that my top 5 strengths per there test are:
1. Strategic - (Read: I can tell you that your current course of action will make people hate you 3 months from now whether you realize it or not).
2. Individualization - (Read: I help you progress one on one better than in a group, and I help people who dislike each other cooperate just for the fun of the challenge).
3. Achiever - (Read: obsessed with results and doing whatever it takes to meet the objective).
4. Competition - (Read: Magna Cum Laude is so disappointing when you realize that it was that one hard class that someone persuaded you into that kept you away from Suma Cum Laude) - No hard feelings Bro. M
5. Responsibility - (Read: I tackle big things and want everything to always come out perfect or I go out of my way to apologize for not accomplishing the impossible)

So then I am chatting with a coworker who also just took the test who happens to have as a couple of her strengths:
1. WOO - Win others over - (Read: Makes fast connections and people like her because she brings out the best in them.)
2. Activator - (Read: Get going, get it done, make it happen, and do it now).

And I have the audacity to comment that I like her blog, but would not be a good blogger myself.

Well here I am blogging. I guess it is that whole achiever, competition crashing against an activator that finally pushed me over the edge. I really have been thinking about sharing my ideas for some time now.... I was just really good at coming up with excuses not to, till I crashed into a WOO Activator. So here I am.

Jumping back to my comment about the business model. Their success and status as a #1 bestseller is dependent on their relevant content. Relevant content means automatic generation of word of mouth ---> leads to automatic relevance because of the word of mouth ---> leads to more business ---> and more word of mouth etc.

So if your business could always be relevant, you would always be profitable. So how do you stay relevant? That is a question to answer in another post.

So for now thanks to the Woo Activators out there who get us Strategic / Achiever / Competetive types to get past our paralysis of analysis and start contributing the the world conversation.