"We get to leverage our data and inform our clients on the critical questions that help improve society -- there's not another place I've ever worked that has the reach, scope and ability to do that."
Q: What do you do at Gallup?
A: I am a senior research consultant and account lead. I am a political scientist, and my background is in survey research, so I wear multiple hats, depending on the project. On several projects, I am the research director. I work on innovative and engaging survey research projects for public release. I also manage teams and processes to ensure that we're delivering the best possible products to our clients.
Q: What types of projects do you work on?
A: On any given day, I'm working on a variety of high-impact projects. Right now, I'm part of a team that's producing a sleep index for a client. We're looking at sleep behaviors and patterns and how they impact their wellbeing. I'm also working with a state's public health department on a tobacco study that examines patterns of smoking and vaping. And in another study related to public health, I'm partnering with a policy center to investigate how the cost of and access to healthcare is affecting Americans.
Q: How are you creating a better world in your role at Gallup?
A: Our research aims to help people solve the world's most pressing problems. For instance, one of my projects is looking at the relationship between rising temperatures and human wellbeing using Gallup World Poll data. There is a gap in the research around how climate change impacts people directly, and this innovative work will help policymakers understand where on the planet individuals' wellbeing is suffering the most.
Q: What's a typical day like for you at Gallup?
A: I'm working from Jerusalem for the time being, so I'm operating on the opposite end of the clock for my team. Because of that, I spend a lot of time during the day doing my "thinking work," where I analyze data or write reports, and then evenings are for team meetings and calls with coworkers and clients. Even though my relationships are all virtual right now, there's this great ability to connect with team members easily -- we're able to get a lot of work done through consistent collaboration. Gallup's flexible work setup has made remote work extremely effective.
Q: What makes Gallup's consulting work unique compared to other organizations?
A: We get to work on a variety of fascinating and mission-rich projects, from improving research designs to working with academia to partnering with governments or organizations in the private sector. Being able to conduct survey research with 98% of the world is just something that no one else can do. At Gallup, we get to leverage our data and inform our clients on the critical questions that help improve society -- there's not another place I've ever worked that has the reach, scope and ability to do that.
Q: What's it like to work at Gallup?
A: It's actually super fun! There's a culture at Gallup that is so inclusive and open. I've been able to meet so many people across the company in the short time that I've been here, and everyone's been so open, so welcoming and truly interested in my development. Because it's a strengths-based organization, I genuinely feel like I have a better understanding of where I can make the best impact and do work that I can excel at every day. Our managing team is wonderful at finding projects based on the strengths of their team members. Not only does that make you feel more engaged as an employee, but it also makes the work more efficient, as everyone's working on things that they do best.
Q: What are some of your favorite things about your team?
A: One of my favorite things about the team is that everyone has a good sense of humor, even when we're doing critical and important high-level work for our clients and society. Because we're strengths-based and we can organize our inputs around where individuals excel -- this really helps maximize our ability to produce high-quality work. My team is spread out all over the world and we possess different life experiences, so we all bring something unique to the table and we work well together.
Q: What made you want to join Gallup?
A: What attracted me to Gallup was our global reach and the wide variety of types of projects we do. One of my first experiences with survey research was looking at historical Gallup public opinion surveys from the 1930s and 1940s. For years, I've always admired Gallup as the gold standard of survey research, so when I saw a position open and it seemed like the right fit, I knew I wanted to apply. Now I'm able to do the high-impact work I love doing on a large scale with so many important resources, and I have many opportunities for learning and growing as a researcher.
Q: What's been one of the best projects you've worked on or been a part of at Gallup?
A: One of my favorite projects involved taking our Gallup World Poll(opens in a new window) data and merging it with climate data dating back to the 1980s to study the effect of rising temperatures on individuals' wellbeing. It's a pretty innovative project and was an extremely labor- and data-intensive process that involved merging survey responses from more than 2 million respondents. The report should be out later this year, and I'm really proud of the work we did on that team.
Q: What are you most excited about in terms of upcoming projects?
A: I'm really excited about a healthcare project I just started that's focused on older adults and their perceptions of the aging process. We'll look at their behaviors and what they will engage in as they figure out their "new normal," especially as we exit this pandemic. I'm also excited about a study we'll begin soon that's focused on students on campuses and free speech. We're partnering with a state's commission on higher education -- I'm excited about the impact it can make on future generations of college students.
Q: How do you use your strengths in your life?
A: My number one strength is Futuristic -- I'm always thinking ahead and trying to plan for the next thing. Achiever is also high for me, and it's what fuels me to execute every day. I like getting things done, but it goes beyond just checking things off the list. I have high standards for myself and my work. There are a lot of moving pieces in my work and because I'm an account lead, I manage a lot of different pieces of the process -- my Arranger is critical here! I also lean on my Analytical strength every time I look at a piece of data or write a report. Finally, my Harmony allows me to create a collegial environment and bring that back to my team to help ensure we're all working well together.
Q: What do you do when you're not at Gallup?
A: My husband and I have two young kids. We love visiting towns and cities with historical sites we've never been to, learning about other cultures and societies and picking up local cookbooks wherever we travel (I love cooking and entertaining for friends!). I'm also a big runner and make it a goal to complete a handful of races each year.
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