The previous posting outlined the reasons we might want to consider using personality profiles, along with some brands commonly used. Since I have, at one time or another, used each of them, this post will examine the characteristics & pros and cons of each, according to my experience.
Caliper - This is the most comprehensive, takes the most time to do, and delivers, arguably the most specific feedback. It is also the most costly at $200+. The process involves a live interview of a company representative to determine values and specific needs. They will then provide you with a standard data gathering tool that requires 2-3 hours of the employee or applicant, which includes multiple choice and written responses. After submission, they will provide a several page analysis of how the person fits their real or proposed job description. Oral feedback is also available. Plan 3-4 days processing time for each, after the interview is completed.
AVA - The data input is 15 to 20 minutes long, involves only multiple choice, and can be done on-line or with a score sheet sent via fax or mail. An oral analysis is provided by phone in 1-2 days, followed by a 4-5 page written analysis. They too interview the company before hand and customize their analysis. It is not as detailed as Caliper, but is about half the cost.
Drake P3 - This uses similar data input to the AVA. Drake. to its credit, was among the first to provide software to their clients that allowed the user to input the data and receive feedback immediately. Accordingly, the analysis is not as comprehensive, but also is not as expensive, at half the AVA.
Gallup - The approach is entirely different. They want you to buy their book for $30which explains in depth their Strengths Finder (SF) approach. About half way through the book, they refer you to a pin # which you can use on-line to create your personal data. From that, you will get a 3 or 4 page printout analysis of your strengths profile. This upbeat profile serves to solidify the point that there is no right or wrong profile. The SF is also available without the book, for slightly less money, but for maximun value, I would recommend reading the book, especially if you intend to use it repeatedly.
Myers/Briggs - This is a tried and true system that takes 20-30 minutes to take, which then provides you with a grid of the 16 possible personality combinations, with a fairly brief explanation of each. Like Gallup, Drake, and DISC this is not customized to the company and the job description, but it is comparable in cost and quite effective in educating. How the various types interact is especially helpful.
DISC - This system is the only one to provide graphs as part of the feedback. Graphs are helpful because they visually show a pattern. The DISC graphs distinguish between three things: How we see ourselves; How others see us; and How we perform under stress. The data input is simplest, with only 28 multiple choice questions to respond to, and the cost is reasonable at about $25. The downside is that the company must score its own data, which can take at least 1 hour, although they have developed media that can be purchased for under $50 to do the scoring. The output, in addition to the graphs, outlines the personality types with a good description, including how that type interacts with others, similar to the Myers/Briggs.
My hope is that this has been helpful; please don't hesitate to contact me at jhengsbach@wi.rr.com or 262-363-9846 if you have further questions.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Usefulness of Personality Profiles
The more one gets involved with facilitating solutions to internal corporate problems, the more it becomes apparent how important our individual makeup is. Who we are, and how we interact with others, determines how successful we might be in building reasonable bridges & moving forward among our associates.
It should be helpful to many of us to look at how understanding this can help us respect different approaches to perception, processing, communication, conflict, consensus, and decision making. Accordingly, based on my experience with several profile tools, I will outline what they measure, the time needed, what each provides, cost, and what can be expected for output.
Before we begin, there is one extremely important point to understand: All types are equal; there is no one right or wrong profile. God made all kinds. The corollary, however, is that for a given job description, there IS an ideal profile, that embraces most effectively, the traits required. Hence the profiles are used extensively to assist with hiring, as well as to counsel and coach existing employees.
Since many, myself included, believe that our people are our most important asset, it then would follow that we should use the most effective tools we have to maximize this resource. I would go so far as to say, that if you're not using personality profiles to hire, coach, and develop your team, you're missing a great opportunity to get better, even if you're doing well now. If, on the other hand, you have high turnover, or job competency issues, this tool can really help.
Some of the tools available are, the AVA, Caliper Profile, DISC Personality Profile, Drake P3, Gallup Strengths Finder, & Myers Briggs MBTI. They all are centered around our 4 basic personality types: 1) Direct, dominant, controlling 2) Extroversion, outgoing, persuasive 3) Factual, detail, conformity 4) Judging, patience, caring. Each of these areas can be rated as high or low, and we then have 16 possibilities of high & low scores in each category.
If the decision is made to begin using personality profiles, how should you proceed, especially with this starting to look complicated? You'll want to look at things like ease of use, feedback time, cost, output you receive, & fit to your specific needs.
We'll look at these in the next post.
It should be helpful to many of us to look at how understanding this can help us respect different approaches to perception, processing, communication, conflict, consensus, and decision making. Accordingly, based on my experience with several profile tools, I will outline what they measure, the time needed, what each provides, cost, and what can be expected for output.
Before we begin, there is one extremely important point to understand: All types are equal; there is no one right or wrong profile. God made all kinds. The corollary, however, is that for a given job description, there IS an ideal profile, that embraces most effectively, the traits required. Hence the profiles are used extensively to assist with hiring, as well as to counsel and coach existing employees.
Since many, myself included, believe that our people are our most important asset, it then would follow that we should use the most effective tools we have to maximize this resource. I would go so far as to say, that if you're not using personality profiles to hire, coach, and develop your team, you're missing a great opportunity to get better, even if you're doing well now. If, on the other hand, you have high turnover, or job competency issues, this tool can really help.
Some of the tools available are, the AVA, Caliper Profile, DISC Personality Profile, Drake P3, Gallup Strengths Finder, & Myers Briggs MBTI. They all are centered around our 4 basic personality types: 1) Direct, dominant, controlling 2) Extroversion, outgoing, persuasive 3) Factual, detail, conformity 4) Judging, patience, caring. Each of these areas can be rated as high or low, and we then have 16 possibilities of high & low scores in each category.
If the decision is made to begin using personality profiles, how should you proceed, especially with this starting to look complicated? You'll want to look at things like ease of use, feedback time, cost, output you receive, & fit to your specific needs.
We'll look at these in the next post.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Consultant's Role in Adding Value
Much of what I am challenged with each day in convincing potential clients to engage, are questions. Sometimes they come from past experiences, sometimes simply from a need, but they all add up to: "What is, and should be, the consultant's role in making our organization stronger individually and collectively?" Simply put, "Will the consultant add value or will he fail to provide a fair return on the company's time and money?"
To be sure, the potential consultant must be competent, evoke trust, and earn respect. Then there must be a perceived need that is critical to be met. But once this has taken place, then the potential roles he or she might play begin to take shape.
This has led me to assemble a list of traits that, at one time or another, may be required. They follow here, each with a brief description:
1) Communicator - obvious you say, but one must not only learn to write, listen, and speak effectively, he must know when to do each.
2) Facilitator - The organization and its people are central, not the consultant; just as a good basketball referee is mostly invisible, so is the consultant.
3) Listener - This gets its own listing because it is so important to set the tone to listen first, understand second, and speak last.
4) Objective Third Party - So many companies believe they can do anything within themselves, but fail to get it done. The consultant must lead the process, be fair and balanced, with the respect of all factions. The metaphor is a guest orchestra leader.
5) Confidant - If the previous four traits are in place, then this is what the consultant can become. Honesty & "fierce conversations" help to get things done.
6) Coach - Once confidence is instilled then the good questions arise; not how can others help me, but how can I help others? How can I get better? In the words of Zig Ziglar, "If you help other people get what they want, you'll get what you want."
7) Illustrator - When we deal in stories, metaphors, & future visions, with passion & conviction, people get it; they internalize it; change happens.
8) Authority - Only after all of the above is presented, does this emerge; it is shown, it happens on its own accord. If it has to be forced, then it is not real.
9) Critic - With the right relationships, the consultant can now be more open because it is realized that she exists for them, not they for her.
10) Challenger - The critique can be taken another step here, where, when someone truly is not in step with the organization, or about to make a costly mistake, they can be challenged,, professionally but directly, and, under the right circumstances, they will understand and even APPRECIATE it.
11) Goal Setter - When the organization fails to stretch enough, challenge itself enough, the consultant can step in and suggest measurables to meet.
12) Cheerleader - If the company gets down on itself, or discouraged, or bites off too much (the opposite of #11), this may be appropriate. We need to see things more objectively, but in a positive light.
13) Teacher - When warranted, the consultant may have experience or information that needs to be conveyed. This needs to be accomplished in a non-superior matter of fact way.
14) Trainer - Related to the above, this is more task oriented than information oriented; the same rules on humility apply.
15) Quality Control Manager - When all is said and done, what did we do, what was accomplished, did we meet our objectives and provide what was agreed upon?
All of this is is admittedly a tall task, but the consultant must be able to deliver. Why else would anyone else want to engage them?
To be sure, the potential consultant must be competent, evoke trust, and earn respect. Then there must be a perceived need that is critical to be met. But once this has taken place, then the potential roles he or she might play begin to take shape.
This has led me to assemble a list of traits that, at one time or another, may be required. They follow here, each with a brief description:
1) Communicator - obvious you say, but one must not only learn to write, listen, and speak effectively, he must know when to do each.
2) Facilitator - The organization and its people are central, not the consultant; just as a good basketball referee is mostly invisible, so is the consultant.
3) Listener - This gets its own listing because it is so important to set the tone to listen first, understand second, and speak last.
4) Objective Third Party - So many companies believe they can do anything within themselves, but fail to get it done. The consultant must lead the process, be fair and balanced, with the respect of all factions. The metaphor is a guest orchestra leader.
5) Confidant - If the previous four traits are in place, then this is what the consultant can become. Honesty & "fierce conversations" help to get things done.
6) Coach - Once confidence is instilled then the good questions arise; not how can others help me, but how can I help others? How can I get better? In the words of Zig Ziglar, "If you help other people get what they want, you'll get what you want."
7) Illustrator - When we deal in stories, metaphors, & future visions, with passion & conviction, people get it; they internalize it; change happens.
8) Authority - Only after all of the above is presented, does this emerge; it is shown, it happens on its own accord. If it has to be forced, then it is not real.
9) Critic - With the right relationships, the consultant can now be more open because it is realized that she exists for them, not they for her.
10) Challenger - The critique can be taken another step here, where, when someone truly is not in step with the organization, or about to make a costly mistake, they can be challenged,, professionally but directly, and, under the right circumstances, they will understand and even APPRECIATE it.
11) Goal Setter - When the organization fails to stretch enough, challenge itself enough, the consultant can step in and suggest measurables to meet.
12) Cheerleader - If the company gets down on itself, or discouraged, or bites off too much (the opposite of #11), this may be appropriate. We need to see things more objectively, but in a positive light.
13) Teacher - When warranted, the consultant may have experience or information that needs to be conveyed. This needs to be accomplished in a non-superior matter of fact way.
14) Trainer - Related to the above, this is more task oriented than information oriented; the same rules on humility apply.
15) Quality Control Manager - When all is said and done, what did we do, what was accomplished, did we meet our objectives and provide what was agreed upon?
All of this is is admittedly a tall task, but the consultant must be able to deliver. Why else would anyone else want to engage them?
Friday, February 20, 2009
What Managers can do to Better Lead
In my leadershhip peer group meeting this week, we discussed how each of us, in our own organizations, could make a difference considering our current economic conditions.
What follows is a list of what we recorded. In looking at it, I found that the recommendations fell in six basic groups: Attitude & Leadership, Morale, Communication, Personnel & Training, Efficiency, & Planning. Here they are:
1) Attitude & Leadership: a) Be positive but honest b) Show that we really care c) Be real aabout emotions and feelings d) Provide hope with a positive vision of the future e) Instill a sense of urgency
2) Morale: a) Identify and institute low and no cost morale builders b) Celebrate successes c) Show that we care
3) Communication: a) Communicate, communicate, don't let employees fill in the blank b) Increase accessibility, make self available c) Recognize and be sensitive to spouses being laid off, and other family issues d) Listen, be empathetic and compassionate e) Force myself to walk around and listen
4) Personnel/Training: a) Take advantage of slow time to conduct employee training b) Use these times to test and evaluate employees c) Offer access to free financial counseling e) Weed out marginal employees
5) Efficiency: a) Redirect employee skills and time to most productive projects b) Help employees sort out tasks & issues; differentiate between long & short term
6) Planning: a) Re-evaluate company's position in context of changing marketplace b) Take advantage of new market opportunities c) Accelerate strategic plans
What follows is a list of what we recorded. In looking at it, I found that the recommendations fell in six basic groups: Attitude & Leadership, Morale, Communication, Personnel & Training, Efficiency, & Planning. Here they are:
1) Attitude & Leadership: a) Be positive but honest b) Show that we really care c) Be real aabout emotions and feelings d) Provide hope with a positive vision of the future e) Instill a sense of urgency
2) Morale: a) Identify and institute low and no cost morale builders b) Celebrate successes c) Show that we care
3) Communication: a) Communicate, communicate, don't let employees fill in the blank b) Increase accessibility, make self available c) Recognize and be sensitive to spouses being laid off, and other family issues d) Listen, be empathetic and compassionate e) Force myself to walk around and listen
4) Personnel/Training: a) Take advantage of slow time to conduct employee training b) Use these times to test and evaluate employees c) Offer access to free financial counseling e) Weed out marginal employees
5) Efficiency: a) Redirect employee skills and time to most productive projects b) Help employees sort out tasks & issues; differentiate between long & short term
6) Planning: a) Re-evaluate company's position in context of changing marketplace b) Take advantage of new market opportunities c) Accelerate strategic plans
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