Whether you are a banker or a baker, we all need WOO. WOO, otherwise known as “Window of Opportunity,” is that moment when we can make a difference, make a sale, influence an employee or teach a new hire.

Attitude is an important part of increasing WOO. The saying “garbage in, garbage out” is true! If we are putting garbage—bad attitudes and negativity—into ourselves, our employees and our customers, that is what we will get back from them. Very rarely do we get to choose our circumstances. Most of the time, we are handling problems, troubleshooting and solving issues, but how we approach each situation can make a huge difference in the outcome. Saying “I know we can handle this!” rather than “This again??” can make all the difference.

Statistics prove that it is more important how we say something than what we say. Just think how you feel when you are greeted with an enthusiastic “love to,” rather than a blurred “no problem.” A few years ago, I learned this firsthand as I listened to my teenage son mumble half-comatose responses. Even though he would correctly answer my requests, it was so very unsatisfactory. Today, my son is in his mid-twenties, running his own business, and the energy when he simply answers the phone is electric. It is full of purpose and passion. It motivates me! Pay attention to the energy you put behind solutions! Give it full energy, everything you’ve got.

High energy helps us seize more WOO. Our personal energy is our “example” of who we are. We each have energy when we are full of purpose. You know what you believe, you know what you love and you know what you want when you converse, so play full out! People want, need and depend upon your energy. As leaders in the baking industry, we can all make a difference every single day in the lives of those we come in contact with. We have a choice: We can either light up a room when we walk into it or the room can light up when we walk out. We choose the energy we present to the world. 

Don’t you love working with someone who sees the best in a situation? Someone who looks at each problem with a solution in mind? Doesn’t that make you see the possibilities of a problem rather than the negative aspects? That optimism lifts all around us to a higher level, leading us to more WOO—Windows of Opportunity to make a difference.