Why do assessments matter? You’ve probably asked this question if you’ve ever been told to take an assessment by your employer, or you have considered using an assessment at your organization. You may have thought, “I know myself already” or “I’m pretty good at reading people.” That may be true, but the right assessment tools can help you build a refined vocabulary and unified conceptual framework for communicating what you already know about yourself and those around you. It is this shared language and conceptual map that provides a firm foundation for growth, change, collaboration and conflict resolution. With this foundation in place, conflicts can be reconciled or managed, weaknesses can turn into strengths, and today’s diverse organizations can reach their true potential as unified and smoothly operating wholes.
What does such a foundation consist of? There are many assessments out there, and they measure a wide variety of personality traits and behavior characteristics. Ours focuses on patterns of thinking and behavior that we call “Decision Styles.” Regardless of the assessment used, however, the goal is to offer precise descriptive insights rather than surface level generalizations. By asking questions strategically, we can go deeper.
For example, in everyday conversation we often ascribe generalized traits to people: “Jan is a hard worker. She’s smart, punctual, and you can depend on her to get the job done.” Though this description gives us a picture of who Jan is, it is a fairly impressionistic, low-resolution image. It doesn’t tell us much about how Jan works, how she applies her intelligence, or how she interacts with her co-workers. Let’s examine a scenario in which you would need more specific, assessment-aided information about who Jan really is.
Jan is working closely with Kevin, who is known as an equally intelligent, diligent employee. However, when working closely with one another, Jan and Kevin frequently find themselves in conflict. They can’t agree on how a task should be handled, disagreements arise over issues big and small, and tempers flare. Jan complains that Kevin overcomplicates everything, and has even described him as a “control freak.” Kevin, on the other hand, reports that Jan is “impatient and reckless.” Although both have desirable characteristics and skills, and both have a proven track record, something clearly isn’t working. Where does one go from here? On the surface it seems as though these two should be an efficient team, but this isn’t the case. We know their personalities aren’t aligning, but we don’t know why.
A well-designed assessment tool will penetrate past the surface-level traits that Jan and Kevin share to reveal concrete differences and friction points in their underlying approaches to work, social interaction, and problem solving. We can examine how both of these equally skilled employees actually make decisions and think about the tasks and challenges they come up against. We can see beyond generalizations about personality and values to appreciate the contextual specifics of their distinct profiles - the way they respond differently to the presence of peers, the way pressure changes their behavioral styles, and other nuances that typically do not make their way into casual observation.. From this actionable information, a dilemma such as Jan and Kevin’s can go from frustrating, confusing, and counter-productive to uncomplicated and easy to understand and manage. A common language can be used to identify the once- obscured characteristics of the two, and steps can now be taken to mend their working relationship and help them excel together.
Situations like Jan and Kevin’s are ubiquitous. They range from small disagreements to full blown organization-destroying feuds. It’s not always immediately obvious why working relationships fail. The ability to improve or repair them requires deeper understanding and sharper insights into the issues at play. An assessment tool that enables these insights can add to you and your organization’s arsenal of techniques for managing otherwise intractable interpersonal conflicts and challenges. The right tool will allow you to approach interpersonal issues in the workplace with confidence, knowing that you can accurately identify the problems at hand and tackle them with informed, precisely aimed and actionable strategies. Ultimately, too, the use of such tools, along with coaching and practice, will enable all team members to improve their thinking and communication habits and work to improve decision-making processes and teamwork.
