MELISSA MARTYR-WAGNER: A LEADER AND A STRENGTHSFINDER 

“Strengthsfinder is not just a word,” says Melissa Martyr-Wagner, Director of Operations for NewStudio Architecture in White Bear Lake … “It’s a skills assessment that’s been used in many settings – including workplaces. I’m a maximizer; I love to think about people’s strengths and getting people to jobs, places or opportunities that let them roll with their strengths because they maximize what they know and perform best.”

It wasn’t easy, however, convincing some of her peer leaders at a university management job that moving 15 people around within the organization was for the best, says Martyr-Wagner. “No one likes to lose a reliable employee, even if they’re moving to a division where they can be more successful. But, I felt good. And the people who were moved? I still hear from most of them. And I’m confident if asked, many would say I was one of their favorite managers or leaders.”

In 1987, Martyr-Wagner graduated from Iowa State University set on a career in advertising and journalism; the employment market, however, had other ideas, and she returned to college for a degree in higher education with the goal of becoming Dean of Students at a university. However, in 1991 the employment market hadn’t improved much, so Martyr-Wagner maximized her mixed set of skills: “My liberal arts education served me well. I continued to work in higher education, getting more and more tied to technology which was natural for me.

“After working at Iowa State, I worked as a manager and director for the University of Minnesota. I was immersed in problem solving, budgeting and financial management, customer service management, short and long-term business planning, as well as human resources management. Then in 2011, my husband, Sean Wagner, decided to leave the architecture firm he was with and start his own studio.

“We crafted the business – its structure and operations, as well as the culture of the organization – together as a team. My varied work experience, and variety of skills quickly made me an asset as Director of Operations. On any given day … I’m teaching. I’m solving problems and rendering decisions. I’m guiding creative decisions that affect our company’s marketing. I’m definitely, still leading.

“I’m proud of our staff and our office culture. The staff are what makes NewStudio the success that it is. NewStudio practices in 35 states and four Canadian provinces, and in 2016 we opened a small studio in Brooklyn, New York.

“To women in any organization, I say: Let your leaders and peers know you want to lead, that you want a key role. Show you want responsibility. Find someone you can trust for some coaching and feedback – be it a manager, a peer or someone from outside your organization.”