Assessment Friend or Foe?

“When a practitioner becomes a researcher into his own practice, he engages in a continuing process of self-education.”    SCHÖN

Without assessments how can we know which areas to develop and to what extend?

Yet, assessments are all too often viewed with suspicion.

For many they are seen as a threat, a prelude to discipline or dismissal. The biggest influence on the success of any
development program is the attitude of the participant. It is fair to say that where assessment is concerned: Attitude is aptitude.

It is not what you know so much as your attitude toward learning that determines your skill level. We view assessment as the key to
the success of our Human Resource or Organisational Development interventions. We believe that one of the reasons for our success is
our access, through our international partners, to an extensive range of sophisticated assessment tools. Furthermore, with Extended DISC  we
can tailor or create assessment tools to suit the competency and/or candidates being assessed.
We assess people in three areas:

1. Knowledge

How much does the candidate actually know about the areas to be assessed? These assessments are
generally in the form of a questionnaire and we will tailor them to suit the topic and the level of the candidate.2. Competency

Of course, knowledge is only a small part of the picture. The crucial factor is the ability to apply knowledge
appropriately and effectively. We will assess a candidate’s skills or competencies using a variety of tools.
Often we will give the candidate a written test that assesses his/her ability to apply the right techniques to
common management problems. We also use third person feedback (90, 180 or 360-degree) to gauge how
effectively the candidate applies his/her knowledge on the job. We may also choose to observe the candidate
at work or create role-plays to see first hand how he/she performs.

3. Natural Style An important area of assessment that is often overlooked is the natural style or behaviour of the person being
assessed. As individuals we are all unique and will respond to given stimuli differently. APM we use a variety
of proven assessment tools to measure many styles and behaviours according to the overall competency being assessed.

Assessments Aren’t Only for People

Another common mistake that organisations make with their development programs is to focus entirely on the
people. It’s important to remember that even highly knowledgeable and competent staff can’t perform in a
flawed organisation.Organisational assessments come in many forms from cultural alignment to readiness for change and
organisational effectiveness (value chain advantage), but they all play a crucial role in ensuring that staff enhancement programs

find an environment conducive to growth and development.

Talent Tools provides a range of productivity enhancement assessment  tools for organisations of all sizes 

For more information, please:  Call 1800 768 569 or email team@talenttools.com.au

Adapted from an article by Richard Gilman of Extended DISC Thailand

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Work Pair Analysis

Work Pair Analysis is a tool that combines the results of two individuals into one user friendly report.  It identifies the styles of the individuals, how the styles complement each other, and where the behaviour gaps exist.  It also provides information regarding what the individuals should:

• Remember
• Accept
• Practice

when working together.

Work Pair Analysis provides the information in a visual, accessible and easy to understand format.

One of the enlightening features of Work Pair Analysis is that it clearly demonstrates that while two similar styles often get along well, they not only amplify their strengths, but also their weaknesses.  As a result, their performance is not optimal.  Typically the participants are not aware of this fact.

Work Pair Analysis does not require the participants to complete another questionnaire.  As with the Team Analysis report, the Work Pair Analysis report can be generated from the data set provided by the responses of the Personal Analysis questionnaire.  It is that easy and convenient.

Work Pair Analysis reports are very useful in situations where two people are contemplating setting up business together, or where two individuals decide to work closely on a specific project together.  In recruitment, comparing the likely candidate to the behavioural style of a person they will need to work with in their new position through the use of Work Pair Analysis provides the employer and the two participants with extremely valuable information on their likely weaknesses and strengths.

Work Pair Analysis reports enable the participants to:

• Identify things that are easily forgotten
• Understand that everyone’s way of thinking is biased
• Learn practical things that make a work pair more effective
• Open up discussion and solve communication problems

To find out more about Extended DISC and how it can help you grow or improve your business, please, contact us at Talent Tools – 1800 768 569

   www.talenttools.com.au

Do we really understand ourselves?

There are times when one wonders how well people really understand themselves.

This month’s case study relates to a situation we experienced just a couple of days ago, and is a good example of someone who is going through quite a change in her life.  Her initial reaction to her Personal Analysis Report was negative until she realised the report accurately described her true behavioural style.

I have known Angela (not her real name) for many years although her telephone call was the first time I have spoken to her for probably 20 years!

She was going through significant changes in her life, having left her job because she did not feel she was getting the motivation she needed from the role.  Added to this, she had parted with her husband of many years and she felt she needed a new challenge in her life.

She completed an Extended DISC Personal Analysis Report and the Profiles page is shown below.

The reason for her call to us was that she did not think the report was accurate and she told me that her “friends” also disputed the description on the Text Page of the report.

This was a little disturbing to say the least because Angela is a professional with a university degree and someone I would have thought really understood who she was!  And from my recollection of Angela, she was (when I knew her quite well) a definite “DC” mix!

The tightness of Profile II and the huge change from Profile II to Profile I indicated that she felt she needed to make a significant change in her behaviour to cope with her current environment and this change as well as the obvious indication of insecurity and frustration suggested to me that there was more to the story.  And there was!

After a lengthy conversation she admitted that the people she had shown her report to were people who she had worked with and the “friendship” did not include socialising in any way.  So I asked her if she had discussed the report with anyone who was really close to her and again she had to admit that she hadn’t.

The other interesting thing is that she felt her behavioural style was that of an “I” type.

But again, after we talked about what motivated her, what she didn’t like very much and what she saw as her clear natural strengths, she began to realise that there was quite a gap between a typical “I” type behaviour and that of a “DC” behaviour.

Suddenly Angela understood!  She began to realise that the job she had just left required her to meet and mix with people, – lots of people, – people she hardly knew or who she had only recently met.  She had to suppress her natural strong “DC” tendencies to cope with the role and this was the reason she had lost motivation and had decided she needed a change of role.   She felt “peopled out”!

This also explained the frustration in the Profiles and to some degree the insecurity in Profile II, although the break up in the marriage and the need to search for a new job would have contributed to this emotion.

The conclusion was a happy one……..for both of us.  The report was indeed accurate and it helped Angela rethink her future, – to look for a role that suited her clear natural strengths and understand why she had been going home at night feeling worn out.  For me, it meant we had another client who had been converted from a disbeliever to an advocate!

To find out more about Extended DISC and how it can help you grow or improve your business,
please contact us at Talent Tools –             1800 768 569

We look forward to hearing from you!

New DISC Training Program Pilot

Last week Talent Tools ran a pilot of their new 4 Steps to Effective Communication Training Program at the Tattersall’s Club in Brisbane.

The event was attended by invited trained Extended DISC practitioners as well as some of  Talent Tools suppliers, as test participants.

The pilot program was very well received with 100% feedback evaluation that the training was a positive learning experience, good use of the participants’ time and all participants indicated they would recommend this training to a friend.

The program was developed as a half day practical and interactive  session;  however, with the enjoyment and learning that came from the many of the learning activities the participants voted for the training to become a full day to really embed the learnings and prepare an action plan for implementation back on the job.

Trained Extended DISC Practitioners are invited to purchase the Facilitator Pack and deliver the training for their clients and/or staff.

 The Facilitator Guide for the training contains the script for delivering the training, a PowerPoint Presentaton and Participant’s Handouts.

It is available from Talent Tools for $290

Optional resources include the Extended DISC Self Development Workbook – 4 Steps to Effective Communication ($30 each) and the Extended DISC Play & Learn Cards ($150).

At Talent Tools we have a range of learning and development resources for DISC and our other tools and assessments. You can view the full range on our website.

Please call Team Talent Tools for more details   1800 768 569

Prices quoted are exclusive of GST.

Here are some Movie Quotes that reflect the DISC Styles – please enjoy



How to Communicate “in style” with DISC Styles

Now that we can identify the DISC styles, let’s have a look at how each styles’ communication preferences.

When preparing to engage with a “D” Style, plan to:

• Be direct
• Provide alternatives
• Ensure he/she wins
• Disagree only on facts
• Enjoy the battle
• Do not be emotional
• Do not dominate
• Act quickly, he/she decides fast
• Do not “walk over” him/her

When preparing to engage with the friendly “I” Style, be prepared to:
• Be a friend, do not ignore them
• Schedule time for chatting
• Have fun and act silly
• Let him/her speak
• Give recognition
• Speak about people and feelings
• Remember to follow up
• Move closer

Engaging with the caring “S” Style is easy when you:
• Slow down your presentation
• Build trust
• Focus on people
• Provide the information they need
• Present issues logically and in sequence
• Secure commitment piece by piece
• Be sincere, do not dominate

With the more reserved and sometimes serious “C” styles
• Provide facts
• Do not touch
• Be patient, slow down
• Give plenty of detailed information
• Control your own activity
• Do not talk about personal issues
• Do not pressure
• Focus on issues

Of course it helps if you know your own style and communication preferences, but anyone can make these adaptations to ensure their message is received and easily processed by each of the different styles.

Cheers,
Sharon
DISC Personality

How to Identify DISC Styles

I am often asked by people how they can identify other people’s styles.

It is firstly important to identify your own style. However, identifying the style of others can be very easy. Here are a few tips:

D-Style:
 “How does this benefit ME?”
 Very impatient
 Becomes irritated easily
 Has difficulty understanding others’ viewpoints/feelings
 Focuses on the big picture
 Makes decisions quickly, almost hastily

I-Style:
 Does not pay close attention
 May ask same questions several times
 Jumps subject to subject
 Dislikes/avoids hard facts
 May make decisions spontaneously
 Appears disorganised
 May touch you, is comfortable with physical contact

S-Style:
 Appears thoughtful
 Completely new ideas/things seem to make him/her uncomfortable
 Ponders alternatives, slow in making decisions
 “Let me think about it.”
 Needs own physical space

C-Style:
 May have done homework on the products/services
 May be very critical; criticism based on facts, not opinions
 Makes decision only after studying pertinent facts/issues
 Not comfortable with physical contact

Identify your own style? Don’t be concerned if you haven’t. It’s not really a fair question, as most people are a combination of styles rather than just one. Although there are what we call “pure styles” (100% one style) out there. Maybe you know some.

Cheers,
Sharon