Are you trying to increase the skills or brain power of your team or organization? Accomplishing it might be different than you think.

Traditionally we think of training processes using these steps:

1. Identify the skill
2. Determine the level of competency desired or required
3. Establish the baseline of the participant
4. Develop a program or process to close the gap
5. Measure the results

This approach is systematic and usually addresses one skill at a time. Let’s suppose you want to increase several skills, all at the same time.

How would you go about doing it?

A conventional approach might be creating a multistage training program. Over several weeks or months, incremental skill building is accomplished by defining a progression across a number of different skill sets.

Often these programs relate directly to the work or function being performed. There may be a test to see if you can pass the level of competency that is required to go to the next level.

Why do we go to great lengths to refine our training plans? It is a difficult decision for managers or companies to justify money and/or resources that lack tangible results. We want to touch it, see it.

If we look at sales training, the traditional skill development agenda might include: Prospecting, Negotiations, Closing the Sale and Dealing with Difficult Customers. Each of these skills is necessary for someone to be successful in sales and the results are visible and measurable.

What do you do when someone falls short after training? Is it time for a refresher course? Do you really think they have forgotten the skill? Is there something beyond the fundamentals that is missing?

It might be time to ask the questions:

• What is it we do not see?
• Can we get there another way?
• Are there skills that we can improve that indirectly affect some of the other skills we are trying to develop further?

These questions maybe missed in the traditional training development process.

Sometimes what we do not see is really what will make the difference.

Here is a true example. I was working with a VP Sales, Asia and his team several years ago. The program was a two day session built off the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) feedback and principles, which identifies thinking preferences. (Learn more about HBDI or take it here).

Our thinking style defines our preferences on how we communicate, act under stress, work in teams,  and make decisions which may be different from other people.

How often do people acknowledge their strengths and what they do not do well? It can be difficult to vocalize your own limitations and expressing it within a group means taking an even bigger risk.

If self disclosure is done poorly, it can create an uncomfortable situation. A key component in development is building trust with and within the group.

The second day of our training focuses on the application of the HBDI principles to improving customer relationships. As part of their homework, each sales person had to select a difficult customer and document some specific observations before attending the session.

There is a difference between a skill building class and one that combines skill and cognitive behavior development.

The objective was to have each sales person see the situation through the customer’s eyes and make changes in their own behavior to match the customer’s expectations. Sometimes that means doing something that makes us feel uncomfortable, so it is important to find solutions that let us be successful without walking away from the situation.

After the session, the Sales VP sat in astonishment. Like many organizations, the VP had a stretch sales plan which included revenue he had yet to identify in the forecast.

He noticed that upside opportunities were popping up one after another and he was writing furiously to document them.  He felt a bit uneasy, wondering why the group’s participation in numerous strategy sessions had failed to generate the same information.

His parting comment to me was, “I am now confident we can make the full sales plan and we are less than half way into the year.”

Do you think he could have predicted or gotten the same results by himself?

A couple of weeks ago, I asked for your help in developing a list of assessments and you responded with gusto. The use of assessments is prevalent in business, education and as a tool for personal growth.

Sometimes we find out what we want to know from taking one assessment and then there are situations where we continue to look because the one we selected was not the right one.

Recently, I was talking to a Vice President, Human Resources at lunch in Erie Pa. I was on my way back from working in Detroit with a sales team for two days. During our conversation, I shared with him my new web based project that gives people information to make informed decisions before selecting and using an assessment.

Once you have found the assessment you want to use, it will help you find someone who is certified to use the tool or who can help you get the most out of your experience. I would love to hear if any of you believe there is value in this approach.

So far, here is the tally of assessments you have identified as the ones you used. If your favorite one is not included, let us know in the comment section below or in the initial post: The List of Assessments. You may want to refer to this post to see what people have said about their experiences with assessments.

1. Myers-Briggs (MBTI)
2. Strengthsfinder 2.0
3. Cognitive Fitness Test
4. Thinking Pattern Profile
5. Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI)
6. Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI)
7. FIRO-B
8. PassionWorks
9. Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI)
10. Birkman Method
11. Leadership Action Profile (LAP)
12. LIFO
13. Hollands Self Directed Search
14. The Gabriel Institute of Role Based Assessment
15. DISC
16. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2)
17. Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
18. Rorschach Inkblots
19. The Rembrandt Advantage
20. Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI)
21. Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values Assessment (PIAV)
22. Reiss Desires Profile
23. Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI)
24. Learning Styles Inventory
25. Institute of Work Attitude and Motivation (iWAM)
26. Harrison Assessment
27. The InsightMiirror360
28. Attributes Index
29. FourSight
30. NEO PI-R
31. Managerial Assessment of Proficiency (MAP)

I would like to see this list reach a 100 in the next couple of months. If you use assessments or own an assessment, leave a comment below.

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog on assessments – asking what kind you have taken and what you liked or did not like about them. The article was posted in a few groups on LinkedIn and Brazen Careerist. (BTW – Brazen Careerist is one of the newest Gen Yer social networking sites.)

A comment that seems to pop up more than once is discussion on the level of dissatisfaction that sets in with some assessments after you get the results and you are left hanging. One person said it well, “There is not enough information on what to do with the results.”

Free often means… bare bones

When you take a free online assessment, expect to get very little information back. If you do get some information, it will be basic and if you do not understand it, good luck finding someone to help you make sense of it.

The free tests are designed to tease you with the hopes you will buy something or they are there to help with the provider to do some research.

It is also a good idea to check with the author of the assessment to see if they provide training for the people who give feedback. If there is none, then you have some more homework to do. Remember the adage, “Nothing in life is free.”

No training means that anyone can use it and without the background in testing and measurements, the information or feedback you receive is likely flawed.

Is that really how you want to make your decisions?

Getting beyond the basics takes personal investment

Here is another comment: “Regarding the application (used afterward), many evaluations seek to help me understand myself but not all go the next stage of assisting me understand others and therefore interact with them more effectively.”

This commenter realizes there is more to an assessment than the results on paper. First, there is the interpretation of obvious and subtle indicators that can be overlooked by someone who is new to providing feedback.

Many assessments are focusing on you. If you are working with an experienced and trained practitioner, learning how to apply your insight and knowledge is where the value begins to develop significant returns – especially when developing your relationship and increasing your effectiveness with others.

This insight is not gained through the casual observer; it is developed by doing hundreds to thousands of feedback and coaching sessions. The investment you make in selecting and using someone who is experienced will help you make better decisions.

Check credentials

Finally, be wary of people who say they can give feedback even though they are not certified or qualified to deliver the results of a particular instrument. A reputable person will not be offended if you ask them questions on their qualifications.

If you have taken an assessment, this is for you. You may have taken any of the following assessments: Myers-Briggs (MBTI), Strengthfinders, Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), DISC, Hogan, FIRO-B, Thomas-Killman Conflict Mode, Strong Interest Inventory…the list goes on.

This is a call for all owners, administrators and participants of assessments. An assessment is a process of collecting information and analyzing data with the intent of improving awareness, understanding and learning.

At some point in your life, you have probably taken an assessment individually or as part of  a group experience.

If you are an assessment administrator, you might be a human resources or organizational development professional, consultant, psychologist, social worker or other practitioner.

I hope that this request reaches organizations and creators of assessments too.

My goal is to create the biggest list possible. You can help me by telling what assessments you have taken. If you want to say why you liked it or what you got out of it – that would be a bonus.

Why? I am in the process of compiling information on assessments, which will be available through a new website. I want to be able to contact the owner of any assessment that you think should be included.

The assessments you tell me about will be at the top of the list and the first to be featured.

The kind of assessments I am talking about will fall into these kinds of categories:

• Behavioral Assessments
• Psychological  Assessments
• Social Assessments
• Physiological Assessments
• Personality Assessments
• Cultural Assessments
• Work/Life Assessments
• Independence Assessments
• Organizational Assessments
• Individual Assessments
• Group Assessments
• Others that you define

The assessments could be used in a variety of situations to provide measurement and feedback on:

• Communication
• Career Exploration
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Independence
• Conflict Resolution
• Selection
• Retention
• Performance
• Anything else?

Here is how you can help – please be specific with lots of details!

1. List the assessments you have taken – it does not matter if someone else has said it, say it again because it tells me it is used frequently.
2. Identify the kind of situation it was used for
3. Contact or website information
4. If you are the owner of the assessment – leave information on how to contact you directly – either on the blog or send me an email with this link.
5. Most importantly, leave your information on the Elephants at Work blog comment section, even if you comment in another social media forum.

Thank you.

Lynn Dessert owns Leadership Breakthrough, improving personal communication and influence one-step at a time. Post your thoughts or email me!