In today's work environment, it is a given that we all must take personal responsibility for maintaining and improving our abilities and potential at work -- so that we are prepared to maintain our current value in the workplace and improve our value over time.

Most organizations define what they need from people in terms of competency -- What competencies does a person need to regularly display to be effective in a current position or develop to be effective in a future position?

How do you improve or develop competency? The first step is to understand what competencies are required in your job or the job to which you aspire. This ASSESS report provides the competency model for a specific job (current or future position) as defined by your organization.

The second step is to target and develop some of the building blocks of these competencies. Competency in an area is the result of many factors working together, which include innate characteristics (natural ability, personality) and learned characteristics (knowledge, experience and skills) as is presented in the following chart.

I N N A T E L E A R N E D Natural Ability / Potential Personal Characteristics Knowledge / Experience Skills / Learned Abilities C O M P E T E N C I E S B E H A V I O R S E F F E C T I V E   O U T C O M E S

The ASSESS system evaluates your work personality and (in some cases) abilities and helps you to consider how these innate characteristics impact competency.

Overview of Your Development Report

The first section of this report presents your Competency Model and feedback on your ASSESS results. These results will be interpreted in terms of how your personality and abilities may help or hinder the development or display of each competency.

Next, specific development suggestions are provided to help you develop in the areas highlighted by ASSESS.

Finally, the last section of the report provides you with a framework for setting goals and creating a development action plan.

Who Should See This Report

This report has been written for your personal use. We hope it will help you to think about and plan for your career development. You may want to share all or parts of this report with others, especially if you trust their judgment and wisdom, and if they can assist you with career and development resources or advice. People to consider might include a family member, a current or past manager, a trusted mentor, a Human Resources representative or a career counselor.

Interpretation Assistance

This report is written using a computerized expert system that interprets your results and writes your report in the same manner that a Bigby, Havis & Associates psychologist would. It is designed to be read by you, the person evaluated, without special interpretation by a professional. However, additional assistance from a professional can be provided through your sponsoring organization. See your ASSESS coordinator to make arrangements.

In Reviewing Your Report, Keep The Following In Mind:

The results are based on your self-perceptions and may be influenced by a favorable or unfavorable self-image. Others may see you differently than you see yourself.

We have compared your raw scores on the ability tests and the personality survey to a professional norm group (people who work in jobs which, for the most part, require education or training beyond the high school level) to make the statements and suggestions you will find in this report. It may be useful to think "compared to most professionals" as you read each.

The report does not take into account your background, training, technical skills or experience. Therefore, the results do not measure your personal effectiveness or the quality of your job performance; rather, they describe abilities and characteristics that (along with these other factors) may influence your job performance.

Many of the characteristics described in this report could be assets in some circumstances and liabilities in others. You will notice that a characteristic may appear as a strength in relation to one competency, but a weakness when considered in relation to another competency.

Be careful not to overemphasize specific statements. Instead consider the overall picture and how your assessment results fit with your job, career and personal expectations (how you would like to be).

Take the time to read and consider the ASSESS Report information:

1. Take an open, non-defensive attitude when reviewing the material. Review each section carefully and, as you consider the feedback statements, try to think of specific examples that can confirm which assets and liabilities do or do not apply to you.

2. If you are not sure that a statement in the report describes you, ask someone you feel will give you honest feedback for their opinion.

3. After reviewing your results, use the Goal Setting section of this report and the additional resources provided at https://www.bigby.com/systems/ASSESSv2/resources/employee/ to help you set goals for your development and to construct an action plan for achieving your goals.

Over time, people change. If several years have passed since the date of this report, the results may no longer fit you. Remember, when you completed the assessment instruments you were at a particular age, stage of development, level of experience, etc. With the passage of time, the characteristics measured by ASSESS may have changed.

Since abilities can impact most competencies, they are reported separately here.

The following results are based on your performance on standardized ability tests. They are presented as percentile comparisons to professional norms (people who, for the most part, have an education at or beyond the college undergraduate level) and to general population norms (people who, for the most part, have a high school education).

With few exceptions, if you are in or are considering a position requiring a college degree, you should pay most attention to the professional norm group comparisons. However, if you have limited formal education, the general population comparisons may be more appropriate.

Remember, your results on the intellectual ability tests are only a partial indication of your potential to be successful at a job. Other factors such as education, technical training, job-related experience, personal accomplishments and character are different, but equally important, indicators of potential future success.

Scores were available for the following ability tests:

• The Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness is a measure of your language skills and your quantitative skills. It also provides an indication of your ability to shift quickly back and forth from one problem type to another.

• The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is a measure of your ability to reason through complex, multifaceted written information and to draw accurate conclusions. This capacity includes the ability to evaluate information and to recognize assumptions, facts, and situations where there is not enough information to arrive at a valid conclusion.

• The Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (Abstract Reasoning) is a measure of your ability to reason through complex, abstract, nonverbal information and to grasp new ideas. This capacity includes the ability to solve problems in new situations where one has little experience upon which to draw.

General Population Norms:   0%   100% Mental Alertness       Critical Thinking       Abstract Reasoning        Professional Norms:         Mental Alertness       Critical Thinking       Abstract Reasoning

 

Your critical thinking abilities appear to be as good as those of the typical professional and better than those of the average person. You should be able to understand most complex written problems, evaluate the relative merits of various interpretations of the information presented, and come to sound conclusions.

You should have little difficulty solving problems that involve complex, abstract information. You should also be quick to grasp new ideas and solve problems that are outside your usual experience.

Decisive Judgment Making good decisions in a timely and confident manner. Driving For Results Challenging, pushing the organization and themselves to excel and achieve. Customer Focus Anticipating customers' needs and designing, promoting or supporting the delivery of products and services that exceed customers' expectations. Resilience Effectively dealing with work related problems, pressure, and stress in a professional and positive manner. Persuading To Buy Convincing others to buy a product or service. Managing Others Directing and leading others to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. Motivating Others Inspiring others to perform well by actively conveying enthusiasm and a passion for doing a good job. Negotiation Identifying the needs and motives of both parties involved and working toward mutually beneficial agreements. Presentation Skills* Having the skills to effectively communicate to an audience in a formal setting.

Reading The Competency Graphs:

• For each personality characteristic, a distribution of possible scores (from less to more) is displayed in deciles (1-10% = 1st decile, 11-20% = 2nd decile, etc.) using ten graph blocks.

• This distribution is based on a professional norm group of approximately 40,000 respondents.

• Your score on each personality characteristic is represented by the graphic character .

• Overlaid on the normative distribution, the colors and shading on the graph represent desirable ranges on each characteristic for a particular competency.

• Ranges in which a characteristic may help are marked with most shading ( ).

• Ranges in which a characteristic may be a potential concern have no shading ( ).

• You will notice from the pattern of shadings that low scores are not necessarily bad and high scores are not necessarily good.

• Also notice that the Helps and Potential Concerns ranges for a characteristic may differ by competency. For example, a higher level of assertiveness may be more desirable for one competency than another.

Making good decisions in a timely and confident manner.

• Your fact-based orientation should be an asset when analyzing problems and objectively evaluating the merits of alternative solutions.

• You are self-reliant and should be comfortable making decisions on your own. You should be willing to take responsibility for important decisions rather than relying excessively on others for support or guidance.

• Your assertive style should help you to confidently convince others of the reasons for and the merits of your decisions.

Potential Concerns 

• Your pragmatism may sometimes cause you to overrely on past solutions rather than consider new possibilities. Try to discipline yourself to occasionally look for a new or different approach that is more effective than what has worked before.

• Your low level of restraint suggests that you will react quickly when faced with decisions. Because of this, you may sometimes make decisions without sufficient consideration of potential consequences and outcomes. The developmental suggestions provided later in this report can help you to manage this tendency and improve the quality of your decisions.
   

Challenging, pushing the organization and themselves to excel and achieve.

• Assertive and forceful, you should be able to influence others to achieve results.

• Highly self-reliant, you should be comfortable establishing goals and taking personal responsibility for their achievement with little support or direction from others.

• Practical and pragmatic by nature, you should emphasize tangible results and immediate outcomes.

• As resilient as most people, you should be able to remain positive despite frustration in most situations.

Potential Concerns 

• Your slow work pace may interfere with your ability to achieve high levels of personal work output and may also inhibit your ability to inspire high effort levels in others. You should make a special effort to increase your work pace and energy level to be effective at this competency.

• For various reasons, sometimes you may not complete all of the tasks to which you commit. In order to be effective at this competency, you probably should learn to be more disciplined and dependable about completing projects.
   

Anticipating customers' needs and designing, promoting or supporting the delivery of products and services that exceed customers' expectations.

• Thoughtful and reflective as most, you should be capable of thinking broadly. This should help you to align business offerings with customer needs.

• Your assertive nature should help you to advocate customer-focused initiatives. Further, it should also help you to influence and direct others to perform customer-oriented activities and tasks.

Potential Concerns 

• Your somewhat cautious and skeptical view of other people may lead you to be wary of customer intentions. At times, your concern about being taken advantage of may cause you to be unnecessarily reticent to emphasize customer-first policies.

• Your unhurried work style could sometimes hinder your ability to champion or deliver customer-focused initiatives and activities. Make sure that you set a good example to others by demonstrating a sense of urgency regarding customer needs.
   

Effectively dealing with work related problems, pressure, and stress in a professional and positive manner.

• Generally optimistic by nature, you should be able to maintain a positive outlook when faced with the everyday pressure and stress of the job.

Potential Concerns 

• Your results indicate that you occasionally can be subjective in your point of view and sensitive to criticism. At these times, you may overpersonalize issues and perceive criticism even when it is not intended. When this happens you may react defensively rather than constructively. If this sounds like you, consider the developmental suggestions provided later in this report to help you to manage these characteristics.

• Much more expressive than most people, your feelings and emotions are likely to be readily apparent to others. Especially when they are negative, you may need to be careful that you do not overtly display your emotions at inappropriate times.
   

Convincing others to buy a product or service.

• Assertive and forceful, you should be able to exert influence in most customer interactions. You should be capable of taking charge of the situation and asking for the sale. Powerful or difficult customers should not intimidate you.

• Outgoing and gregarious, you should enjoy most customer interactions. You are likely to engage people easily and put them at ease.

Potential Concerns 

• Your slow and unhurried work pace may hinder your ability to influence and persuade others. You may need to increase you energy level and work pace to be a top sales performer. See the developmental suggestions provided later in this report.
   

Directing and leading others to accomplish organizational goals and objectives.

• Naturally assertive, you will enjoy a leadership role. Your forceful and directive style will enable you to actively lead your group.

• Socially outgoing, you should be comfortable interacting with your subordinates on a personal level.

• Self-reliant, but not excessively so, you should be willing to do the work yourself or allow subordinates to participate, as appropriate for the situation.

• Your generally optimistic outlook should have a positive impact on the morale of your group.

Potential Concerns 

• Sometimes your tendency to be skeptical about people in general may lead you to be too critical of subordinates. Try to make a special effort to consider the assets and contributions of the people you manage and, when giving feedback, focus on being positive and constructive.

• Your measured need to be liked is less than optimal for many management roles. This suggests that while you should be able to take an unpopular position when necessary, you may also be unnecessarily disagreeable. If this is true, you may have difficulty fostering a cooperative work environment among those you manage. Please consider the developmental suggestions that follow this section of your report.

• Your work pace may be slower than desired for a management role. You may not consistently exert the level of personal effort (energy and work pace) needed to effectively manage people. As a result, you may sometimes need to push yourself, and others, to achieve objectives in a timely manner.
   

Inspiring others to perform well by actively conveying enthusiasm and a passion for doing a good job.

• When trying to encourage others, your generally optimistic nature should be an asset.

• Your assertive and forceful style should be an asset in the role of motivator. You should be able to self-confidently challenge people to perform, when necessary.

Potential Concerns 

• At times, your tendency to be critical or skeptical in your evaluation of others may detract from your ability to effectively inspire and motivate. You may overfocus on people's weaknesses, and they may feel that you do not trust them or expect them to perform well.

• You may lack the energy and work pace needed to inspire others through your own effort and productivity. If you feel that you are not pushing yourself (and others) to accomplish as much as you should, use the suggestions provided later in this report to raise your energy level.
   

Identifying the needs and motives of both parties involved and working toward mutually beneficial agreements.

• Your natural inclination to view people and issues broadly should be a strong asset in this role. It may help you to frame issues in a manner that provides common ground for all.

• Generally resilient and positive, you should be able to tolerate the stress and frustration of negotiations.

Potential Concerns 

• You may be so forceful in your negotiation efforts that you dominate the interaction and do not allow other parties the opportunity to adequately present their point-of-view. If this tendency is not controlled, it may cause others to resist your proposals unnecessarily.

• Your need to be liked and willingness to accommodate others appears to be lower than optimal for this competency. Ensuring that all parties are satisfied with the outcomes of the negotiation may not always be a priority for you. At times, you may avoid compromise to the detriment of a good agreement.

• You are less positive in your view of others than is ideal for this competency. You may not always give others the benefit of the doubt or believe that their intentions are honorable. In order to be effective, you will need to make an effort to view others in a more constructive and balanced light when negotiating.

• Your personal sensitivity to criticism may occasionally interfere with your ability to be objective during negotiations. When this happens, you may overpersonalize the situation.

• Your very low self-control may negatively impact your ability to negotiate successfully. You may let your feelings show, or you may say or do things that you will later regret.
   

In this section of the ASSESS Development Report we provide Development suggestions for minimizing or compensating for potential weaknesses. We highlight these areas because we think, based on your results, you should consider them when you are setting goals and when you are writing an action plan. Some of these probably are areas you have already identified for improvement; others may be new.

For each suggestion, we highlight the competencies that it may impact and give you specific suggestions for action steps you may want to include in your Development Action Plan. These include: on-the-job activities, books to read, tapes to listen to, and/or seminars to attend. Think of these as a starting point and enlist the suggestions of others as you complete your plan in the next section of this report.

Low Serious-Minded Thinking

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Decisive Judgment

Activities

Pause a few minutes to think through your decisions or actions and their implications before reacting. Avoid making snap decisions or quick assumptions.

Develop the habit of reviewing alternatives and their potential consequences before responding.

Especially for important decisions, follow the maxim of "think once, think twice, and sleep on it" before committing yourself.

In general, follow these guidelines for decision making:

• Identify and gather all the information you need.
• Look for the real cause of the problem.
• Weigh different solutions.
• Avoid making snap decisions. Once you have made your decision, keep an open mind to new information.

When implementing an initiative, make sure that you take the time to plan your actions. Before jumping in:

• Identify the issues that may arise during implementation. Who are the affected parties? Who needs to be involved in the process? What type of information do you need to get started?
• Develop a detailed plan and time-line. (What, when, who, and how)

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

Acceptable Risk by Baruch Fischhof, Stephen Derby, & Sarah Lichtenstein, Cambridge University Press, 1984.

Decision Traps: Ten Barriers to Brilliant Decision-Making and How to Overcome Them by Edward Russo & Paul Schoemaker, Fireside, 1990.

Smart Choices: A Practical Guide to Making Better Decisions by John Hammond, Ralph Keeney & Howard Raiffa, Harvard Business School Publishing, 1998.

Seminars

The Problem Solving and Decision Making Workshop provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2504.htm]

Strategic Planning: Processes for Formulating Winning Strategy provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2526.htm]

High Realistic Thinking

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Decisive Judgment

Activities

If you find yourself reluctant to tackle a situation in a new way, make an attempt to be aware of the reasons why you are resistant. Is the old way of doing things really the best way? Keep an open mind and look for alternative ideas rather than settling for the status quo.

When troubleshooting or making an important decision, ask for the input of others and be open to their ideas. Try to implement some of their changes.

Try to take some calculated risks by thinking outside the box. You may want to work with others who are known for their innovation or creativity.

Rather than handling the situation in the same way that has worked in the past, try to be flexible to suggestions of others. Ask a trusted co-worker to highlight times when you are being stubborn or unyielding.

When listening to the ideas of others, make an attempt not to immediately disregard ideas that sound impractical or even radical. Is there a component of the idea that has merit? Is there a way to work together to revise the idea to include a practical implementation and result?

Allow yourself to dream about possibilities. You may be so focused on what needs to happen today that you have not given yourself the opportunity to consider the future. Where would you like to see your job, your group, etc. go in the next two to three years? What would you like to see accomplished? Use these as a starting place to think about different ways of doing things.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

Innovation: Breakthrough Thinking at 3M, DuPont, GE, Pfizer, and Rubbermaid (Businessmasters Series) by Rosabeth Moss Kanter (Editor), Fred Wiersema (Contributor), John J. Kao, Tom Peters, HarperBusiness, 1997.

The Creative Priority: Putting Innovation to Work in Your Business by Jerry Hirshberg, HarperBusiness, 1997.

Why Didn't I Think of That? Think the Unthinkable and Achieve Creative Greatness by Charles W. McCoy Jr., Prentice Hall Press, 2002.

Jamming: The Art and Discipline of Business Creativity by John Kao, Diane Publishing Co, 1996.

Five Star Mind: Games and Exercises to Stimulate Your Creativity and Imagination by Tom Wujec, Main Street Books, 1995.

75 Cage Rattling Questions to Change the Way You Work: Shake-Em-Up Questions to Open Meetings, Ignite Discussion, and Spark Creativity by Dick Whitney, Melissa Giovagnoli, McGraw-Hill Trade, 1997.

Seminars

The Brain Power Course: Learn to Develop Your Thinking Skills provided by American Management Association [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2538.htm]

Creativity and Innovation: Thinking Creatively provided by Padgett Thompson Seminars, [http://www.click2learn.com/ptseminarsonline/1,2912,catalog!itemdetails!c000000002226151,00.html]

Low Work Pace

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Driving For Results
• Customer Focus
• Persuading To Buy
• Managing Others
• Motivating Others

Activities

Set ambitious, urgent time deadlines in your work. This applies to important decisions as well as projects.

Set intermediate or check point deadlines for lengthy projects to ensure that you complete required steps on schedule.

Take a look at your schedule of physical exercise and make sure that you are doing some type of exercise on a consistent basis. (Be sure to check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.)

If you suffer from "afternoon fatigue," you may want to watch what you eat for lunch. Dietitians often recommend a small, high protein meal at lunchtime while avoiding alcohol and sugary desserts. Also, try to spend a short amount of time doing light aerobic exercise (for example, walking) during your lunch break. Exercising and practicing relaxation techniques on a regular basis may also increase your energy level.

Be aware that there are many time wasting events that disrupt our productivity daily. Use the guidelines below to learn how to handle some common time wasters.

Personal Disorganization:

• Finish what you start, avoid jumping around between several unfinished projects.

• Designate a spot for the paperwork, books, etc. that you use most frequently and keep them there.

• Keep your desk clear of non-current projects and paperwork.

Lack of Objectives, Priorities and Deadlines:

• Make a list of your goals and objectives at the beginning of each day (a "to do" list).

• Break large jobs into smaller pieces. Be sure to get started on parts of the job that you dislike early. Reward yourself periodically by doing a part of the job you really enjoy.

• Attempt your highest priority items at your best time of the day. (Morning is usually best.)

• Set firm deadlines for having a job done.

Indecision or Procrastination:

• Make the decision to get started on a project and go public by announcing it to others.

• Reward yourself for persistent effort with short breaks.

• Set short-term goals that lead to project completion.

• Be willing to make decisions based on partial information.

Fatigue:

• When you find yourself wasting time through daydreaming or other non-productive behavior, take a short break. Get up, walk around, and then go back to work.

• When you are genuinely tired, call it a day. Plan on being productive after you have rested.

Books

Consider reading a book on Time Management:

First Things First Every Day: Because Where You're Headed Is More Important Than How Fast You're Going by Stephen Covey, A. Roger Merrill, & Rebecca R. Merrill, Fireside, 1997.

Managing Management Time by William Oncken, Jr., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall, 1989. (Out-of-print classic. Look for it in your local library.)

The Time Trap by Alex MacKenzie, AMACOM, 1997.

How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein, New American Library, 1996.

Books

Read a book on Procrastination or Indecisiveness such as:

The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil Fiore, JP Tarcher, 1989.

Overcoming Procrastination; Or How to Think and Act Rationally in Spite of Life's Inevitable Hassles by Albert Ellis, & William Knaus, New American Library, 1983.

The Procrastinator's Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now by Rita Emmett, Walker & Company, 2000.

Books

There are many good books on Health and Fitness. Some of these include:

The Aerobics Program for Total Well-Being by Kenneth Cooper, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1985.

14 Days to Wellness: The Easy, Effective, and Fun Way to Optimum Health by Donald Ardell Ph.D., New World Library, 1999

Tired of Being Tired: Overcoming Chronic Fatigue & Low Energy by Michael Schmidt, Frog Ltd, 1995.

The New Fit or Fat by Covert Bailey, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991.

Tapes

Listen to an audiotape while driving or exercising:

Working Smarter: How to Get More Done in Less Time by Michael Leboeuf, Simon & Schuster (Audio Cassette), 1995.

Low Follow-Through

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Driving For Results

Activities

Organization skills can help you manage your activities. Take 10 minutes at the end of each workday (or first thing in the morning) to make a list of what you will be doing that day. Prioritize your activities and focus on the high priority tasks first.

Make sure that you keep track of deadlines. Use a whiteboard or an electronic calendar to remind you of important deadlines. Set interim deadlines to ensure that you are progressing on tasks.

Always finish what you start. You may find yourself in situations where you have taken on more than you can handle, and so you delay something to do at a later time. For some tasks this may be fine, and even necessary in order to focus on higher priority issues, but make sure you communicate this to others, and make sure that the task you delay is not something that others are depending on.

Try to avoid overcommitting yourself. Do not agree to do something you cannot deliver. Be honest with others. Everyone is busy, and most people understand that there is only so much you can do. Try saying something like "Typically, I would not mind taking on that project/task, and would be happy to do it, but unfortunately this is a really busy week and I have many deadlines. Is it something that can wait until next week?

Keep a record of how long it takes you to complete certain projects and tasks. This will help you to better project how long it will take you to complete something, and better predict a completion date.

Develop a time-organization system. Write down all meetings, commitments, and deadlines so that others can depend on you.

When you complete a project, try to follow up with all those involved and give a status report. Set a reminder on your calendar to ensure you close the loop with others.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

1001 Ways to Take Initiative at Work by Bob Nelson & Matt Wawiorka, Workman Publishing Company Inc., 1999.

Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt: Do What You Love, Love What You Do and Deliver More Than You Promise by Harvey Mackay, Ballantine Books (Trd Pap), 1996.

Seminars

Dealing with Competing Demands: Mastering the Managerial Balancing Act provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2267.htm]

Fundamentals of Successful Project Management provided by Skillpath Seminars.

Managing Multiple Projects, Objectives and Deadlines provided by Skillpath Seminars.

Advanced Supervisory Skills provided by Skillpath Seminars.

Time Management provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2233.htm]

High Assertiveness

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Negotiation

Activities

Develop your listening skills so that you can become better aware of the impact your strong style has on others. You may find one of books listed below to be helpful.

Temper your directives to others with statements acknowledging that you hear and understand their opinions and comments.

To avoid sounding abrasive, remember to confront the issue instead of the person when you have a problem that you want to resolve.

Find other areas or activities where you can vent aggressiveness, such as running, walking, swimming, tennis or other vigorous exercise. (Be sure to consult a physician before starting any exercise program.)

If you tend to control and direct others rather than approaching things from a "we" or "team" orientation, consider participating in a team building development exercise.

Attend an assertiveness training course at your local community center, community college, university, or other source of adult education. In particular, look for one where you will have the opportunity to role play and receive feedback on the difference between assertion and aggression.

Books

Read one or more of the following books on listening skills:

Listening: The Forgotten Skill by Madelyn Burley-Allen, John Wiley & Sons Incorporated, 1995.

How to Speak, How to Listen by Mortimer Adler, Collier Books, 1997.

Effective Listening Skills by Dennis Kratz & Abby Kratz, Irwin Professional Publishing, 1995.

Books

Read a book on win-win negotiations:

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher, William Ury, & Bruce Patton, Penguin USA, 1991.

Getting Ready to Negotiate: The Getting to Yes Workbook by Roger Fisher & Danny Ertel, Penguin USA, 1995.

Getting Past No: Negotiating Your Way From Confrontation to Cooperation by William Ury, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing, 1993.

Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People by G. Shell, Penguin USA, 2000.

Books

Consider a book on positive assertiveness:

Managing Assertively: How to Improve Your People Skills: A Self-Teaching Guide by Madelyn Burley-Allen, John Wiley & Sons Incorporated, 1995.

Developing Positive Assertiveness by Sam Crisp & Michael Lloyd, Crisp Pubns. Inc., 1995.

Tapes

Use driving or other down time to listen to one of the following audiotapes:

The Secrets of Power Negotiating: You Can Get Anything You Want (Audio Cassette) by Roger Dawson, Nightingale-Conant Corporation, 1989.

Getting to Yes: How to Negotiate Agreement Without Giving In (Audio Cassette) by Roger Fisher & William Ury, Simon & Schuster Trade, 1986.

Low Need to be Liked

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Managing Others
• Negotiation

Activities

Focus on cooperation and being a team player when working with others. Try to avoid unnecessary competitiveness.

Pay attention to the needs and concerns of others. Make a concerted effort to give people credit for their contributions and pay attention to the way in which each person you work with contributes to the success of your organization.

Work on developing more of a "win-win" style in dealing with others. Recognize that compromise and accommodation can be can important in developing and maintaining effective work relationships.

Consider the development of your human relations skills in general. You will find that the payoffs, in terms of commitment and support from others, can be very large.

Below are some books you may find helpful in developing your ability to work with others.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

People Skills by Robert Bolton, Simon & Schuster, 1986.

People Styles at Work: Making Bad Relationships Good and Good Relationships Better by Robert Bolton, Dorothy G. Bolton , AMACOM, 1996.

20 Communication Tips at Work: A Quick and Easy Guide to Successful Business Relationships by Eric Maisel, New World Library, 2001.

Working Relationships: The Simple Truth About Getting Along With Friends and Foes at Work by Bob Wall, Davies-Black Pub, 1999

Romancing the Room: How to Engage Your Audience, Court Your Crowd, and Speak Successfully in Public by James Wagstaffe, Three Rivers, 2002.

Seminars

Building Better Work Relationships: New Techniques for Results-oriented Communication provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2235.htm]

Responding to Conflict: Strategies for Improved Communication provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2115.htm]

How to Excel at Managing and Supervising People provided by Skillpath Seminars.

How to Become a Better Communicator provided by Skillpath Seminars.

Coaching and Teambuilding Skills for Managers and Supervisors provided by Skillpath Seminars.

Low Positive About People

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Customer Focus
• Managing Others
• Motivating Others
• Negotiation

Activities

Ask yourself if you maintain a balanced perspective on others -- that is, do you place equal emphasis on others' assets and liabilities (their strengths and their weaknesses)?

Work on being more tolerant and also more realistic in your expectations of people. Try to judge others as you would like to be judged, and try to give people the benefit of the doubt and not assume their intentions are always suspect.

Give others a second chance once in a while.

Work at establishing relationships with others who are different from you. Interacting with people of different backgrounds will help you learn about the unique contribution others have to offer.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

Truth, Trust, and the Bottom Line: 7 Steps to Trust-Based Management by Diane Tracy & William Morin, Dearborn Trade, 2001.

Trust in the Balance: Building Successful Organizations on Results, Integrity, and Concern by Robert Shaw, Jossey-Bass, 1997.

Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace by Dennis Reina & Michelle Reina, Berrett-Koehler Publishing, 1999.

Too Perfect: When Being in Control Gets Out of Control by Allan Mallinger & Jeannette Dewyze, Fawcett Books, 1993.

The Leadership Triad: Knowledge, Trust, and Power by Dale Zand, Oxford University Press, 1996.

Resolving Conflicts At Work : A Complete Guide for Everyone on the Job by Joan Goldsmith & Kenneth Cloke, Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Built on Trust: Gaining Competitive Advantage in Any Organization by Arthur Ciancutti M.D. & Thomas Steding Ph.D., Contemporary Books, 2000.

Bridging Differences: Effective Intergroup Communication by William Gudykunst, Sage Publications Incorporated, 1998.

Low Criticism Tolerance

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Resilience
• Negotiation

Activities

To develop more objectivity in your interpersonal relationships:

• Ask yourself why your feelings are hurt. Is it because you demand perfection of yourself and overreact to any suggestion that you are less than the best? Keep in mind that everyone has assets and liabilities (strengths and weaknesses). Be easier on yourself. Try to be good, even very good, but not necessarily perfect every time.

• The next time you feel someone is being critical of you, step back from the situation and try to view it in a more objective manner. Maybe they are just trying to give you information, not making a statement about your personal value or worth.

• Remember that all of us need feedback, both positive and negative, to grow and develop. Try to accept both gracefully. If you respond too defensively, people may stop providing you with this valuable information.

To be more effective in receiving feedback:

• Recognize that, while others may not always know how to give feedback in the most constructive or most tactful manner, the information they are trying to convey may be very useful.

• Listen carefully and try not to interrupt. Take your time to analyze the feedback and try to respond objectively.

• Ask questions to make sure you understand. (For example, "Can you give me an example of what you mean?")

• Briefly repeat, in your own words, what you think the person is saying. (For example, "You mean I overreacted when you said . . .?") They will either agree with your restatement or they will refine their point in a way that will help you understand.

• Continue this process until you both agree that you understand their feedback.

• Acknowledge valid points. Think them through and discuss them carefully.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

The Power of Positive Criticism by Hendrie Davis Weisinger, AMACOM, 1999.

When Words Hurt by Mary Lynne Heldmann, Ballantine Books, 1997.

Breaking the Chain of Low Self-Esteem by Marilyn Sorensen, Wolf Publishing Company, 1998.

How to Raise Your Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1988.

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden, Bantam Books, 1995.

Honoring the Self: The Psychology of Confidence and Respect by Nathaniel Branden, Bantam Books, Incorporated, 1985.

Self-Esteem by Matthew McKay and Patrick Fanning, St Martins Mass Market Paper, 1987.

Tapes

Use driving or other down time to listen to an audiotape:

Pulling Your Own Strings: Dynamic Techniques for Dealing With Other People and Living Your Life As You Choose (Audio Cassette) by Wayne Dyer, Harper Audio, 1991.

Increasing Self-Esteem by Transforming Critical Voices (Audio Cassette) by Lynda Fudold, Genesis II, 1997.

Low Self-Control

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Resilience
• Negotiation

Activities

Pause a few minutes to think through your actions and words and their implications before reacting. Avoid being reactive.

Take steps to increase your diplomacy and tact in communicating with others. Become aware of how you phrase or present ideas to others. Consider how others may respond to your words and make the necessary adjustments to improve your communication style. In situations of conflict, try to remain calm. Rather than reacting, try to pause and calm down (count to ten). Once you have given yourself some time, try to respond in a manner that is productive and that will lead to a constructive resolution.

Do not be afraid to walk away from a situation until you have time to gather your thoughts and control your emotions. (If you are speaking on the telephone, ask the person if you can place them on hold for a moment.)

Avoid being too spontaneous or overly expressive. Ask a trusted friend to point out situations where you might have said or done things that lacked business maturity. When face with that situation again, come up with a plan on how to respond in a more appropriate manner.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

Managing Your Mouth: An Owner's Manual for Your Most Important Business Asset by Robert L. Genua, AMACOM, 1993.

How to Stay Cool, Calm & Collected When the Pressure's on: A Stress Control Plan for Businesspeople by John E. Newman, AMACOM, 1992.

Seminars

Managing Emotions in the Workplace: Strategies for Success provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2540.htm]

The Essentials of Credibility, Composure and Confidence provided by Skillpath Seminars.

The Essentials of Communicating With Diplomacy and Professionalism provided by Skillpath Seminars.

Overview

Many of the personality characteristics measured by ASSESS are relatively fixed by the time we reach adulthood and are slow to change. However, if we understand our basic nature and have the personal discipline to work on some of the things that can be weaknesses, we can learn to compensate for our nature. In a sense, we learn to behave in effective ways in spite of our nature. (For example, I might be very shy by nature but I can learn to talk with strangers, how to "work a crowd" and other conversational and social skills to be more effective, in spite of my underlying shyness.)

Ultimately, for most of us, how effective and successful we are in our current and future jobs is mostly dependent on the level of effort, self-discipline and self-development we apply.

This section of the report will help you set goals and write action plans to develop your areas of weakness as well as capitalize on your areas of strength. These Action Plans will help you manage, accentuate, or compensate for innate personal characteristics as you work to effectively display the competencies and behaviors needed to be successful in your role.

(Remember, as was discussed earlier in this report, ASSESS is designed to help you consider the impact of your personality and (in some cases) your general abilities on competency. A complete development plan should also consider the knowledge, skills and experience needed to display desired behaviors.)

Process

The career development process includes three stages:

• Awareness
• Goal Setting
• Action Planning

This part of the report will guide you through each of these stages. In the exercises that follow, you will take stock of your strengths and your weaknesses (self-awareness), select the most important areas on which to focus (goal setting) and write an action plan for your development.

As you work on your plan, think of self-development as a continuing cycle. You will not be finished when you complete your plan or even when you have completed all of the action steps in your plan.

To stay abreast or ahead of the workplace of the future, you will need to reassess yourself and your goals at regular intervals. Adjust or add to your development plans as you go forward. Remember that development is a continuous process to be worked throughout your career.

Additional Resources

Additional development resources are available through the ASSESS participant's website at https://www.bigby.com/systems/ASSESSv2/resources/employee/. In this website you will find sample action plans, goal setting & action planning worksheets, and more.

Self Awareness

Capitalizing On Strengths

Start first by recognizing your strengths and thinking about how you can build upon them or capitalize on them to be effective in your job. Your ASSESS results can help you to highlight these areas.

Review your ASSESS feedback for potential strengths. Think about your current job and potential future jobs. List on a sheet of paper those aspects of your personality and abilities that enable you to do your job well and could help you to be successful in the future.

Next to each strength, list how this strength could help you to contribute more in your current or future role. Try to really stretch your thinking and find at least three ways this strength helps you.

Finally, identify at least one specific way you will apply this strength in the next six months. For example:

Strength: I am assertive and enjoy influencing others.

Contribution:

• Helps me to promote ideas (mine and others)
• Others see me as a leader
• I am able to influence others to try new things

In the next 6 months: I will volunteer to be the presenter for our team at the next communications meeting where we have to request additional budget and resources.

Recognizing Areas for Improvement

The second part of self-awareness is recognizing your weaknesses. Remember that all of us have weaknesses as well as strengths; the key is to recognize them so that you can improve.

Again, review your ASSESS feedback and, especially, your development suggestions to identify areas for improvement. Think about your current role and future roles. List on a sheet of paper those aspects of your personality and abilities that might hinder you in your job performance.

Next to each area for improvement, list how it might limit your effectiveness now and how it might limit your potential in the future. For example:

Area for Improvement: High Realistic Thinking

Limitations:

• Not as creative as I would like to be
• I tend to rely on old ways of doing things
• I can be stubborn about change.

Goal Setting

Once you have identified your strengths and your potential weaknesses, you are ready to set goals for your development. These goals might help you to capitalize on a strength or compensate for a weakness.

Example goals to capitalize on strengths might be:

• Better utilize my social skills and interests to build networks within the organization

• Better utilize my reflective thinking style by becoming more involved in strategic planning

Example goals for improving a potential weakness might be:

• Increasing my assertiveness so that I am better at influencing others

• Becoming more flexible and creative in my thinking

• Improving my time management

• Developing a more positive outlook

After you have reviewed your ASSESS Feedback and your development suggestions, and after you highlighted your most important strengths to accentuate and your most important weaknesses to develop, write a list of development goals.

Once you have written this list, set your development priorities. That is, if your time and resources were limited (which they are), which of these would you tackle first, second, third, etc?

Select your high priority goals (we usually recommend that you tackle between two and four goals) and begin building your Development Action Plans.

Building Your Development Action Plans

Much like the other projects you undertake at work, your Development Plan should be clearly outlined and well executed. For each of your goals, you should construct an Action Plan.

The key elements in an Action Plan are:

1. Your Goal - This is the personality or ability area you have identified either as an area to accentuate (an existing strength that you want to utilize more) or as a development area (something that could hinder your performance if not properly managed).

2. Desired Outcomes - As a result of working this plan, what new outcomes will be achieved? What competency or competencies will this impact? Try to tie these directly to your current job or to a desired future job. List at least three observable differences.

3. Action Steps - These are on-the-job activities that you will do, training and education opportunities you will complete, books you will read, role models you will enlist, or volunteer activities you will engage in. Ensure that your actions steps are detailed and specific, and will have a direct affect on the outcome of your goal. (If this is an area for development, the Development Suggestions included in your report should help you with the content of your action steps.)

4. Target Dates - The dates you will begin each action step and the dates you expect to complete them. Ensure that these dates are aggressive, but attainable and realistic.

5. Progress Indicators - Observable changes that will tell you that you are making progress toward your goal as a result of completing the action step.

6. Barriers - Anticipate what things may hinder your ability to complete the action step and develop a strategy to overcome them. Barriers might include time, resources, money, support from others, etc.

(Blank Action Plan Worksheets and examples of completed action plans may be printed separately from this report by going to https://www.bigby.com/systems/ASSESSv2/resources/employee/.)

Implementation

The best advice we can give you in implementing your development plan is to BEGIN NOW. TODAY, after completing your plan, you are motivated; tomorrow, as your work and personal life intrude, you will be distracted. Take action today.

• Schedule a meeting with your manager, coach or mentor to review your plan and refine it based on their good advice.

• Enroll in the necessary courses and training.

• Visit the library or local bookstore to obtain books or audiotapes.

• Make a list of other on-the-job activities you will begin this week.

Remember that you are ultimately responsible for making the change. As you continue your development process keep the following in mind:

• Do not give up. Commit to pursuing your goals and persist in your efforts.

• Review your action plan often to ensure that you are on the right path and working to achieve your goals within your time frame.

• Reward yourself when you meet your goals and desired outcomes.

• Continuous improvement is the key to self-development. Once you have achieved the goals in this action plan, reassess your situation, review your results, set new goals, and continue on your path of growth and self-improvement.

		Abilities
Mental Alertness	Low				High
Critical Thinking	Low				High
Abstract Reasoning	Low				High

		Thinking
Reflective	Low need to probe				Thoughtful, philosophical
Structured	Avoids step-by-step				Logical, systematic
Serious-Minded, Restrained	Quick to decide				Serious, careful, cautious
Fact-Based	Intuitive				Factual
Realistic	Imaginative				No-nonsense, pragmatic

		Working
Work Pace	Unhurried				Active, busy
Self-Reliance	With others				By self
Work Organization	Dislikes structure, order				Prefers structure, order
Multi-Tasking	Routine, one task at a time				Multiple tasks, variety
Follow-Through	Low				High
Acceptance of Control	Dislikes rules, controls				Welcomes rules, controls
Frustration Tolerance	Sensitive				Resilient
Need for Freedom	Low				High
Need for Recognition	Low				High
Detail Orientation	Dislikes details				Enjoys detailed work

		Relating
Assertiveness	Low				High
Sociability	Shy or uninterested				Outgoing
Need to be Liked	Low				High
Positive about People	Skeptical, cautious				Trusting, positive
Insight	Does not analyze others				Analyzes others
Optimism	Pessimistic				Positive, optimistic
Criticism Tolerance	Subjective, sensitive				Objective, thick-skinned
Self-Control	Expressive				Reserved, careful
Cultural Conformity	Low				High

		Others
Positive Response Factor 1	Low				High
Positive Response Factor 2	Low				High