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 EAS7 (Verbal Reasoning) is a measure of your ability to quickly analyze verbal information and deduce logical conclusions from that information.

• 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 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% Verbal Reasoning       Mental Alertness       Abstract Reasoning        Professional Norms:         Verbal Reasoning       Mental Alertness       Abstract Reasoning

 

You should have no difficulty reasoning through most verbal and quantitative information to quickly solve problems.

You should have no 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. Adapting To Change Adapting to changing situations and restructuring tasks and priorities as changes occur within the business and organization. Planning And Organizing Effectively organizing and planning work according to organizational needs by defining objectives and anticipating needs and priorities. Driving For Results Challenging, pushing the organization and themselves to excel and achieve. Managing Others Directing and leading others to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. Coaching And Developing Others Advising, assisting, mentoring and providing feedback to others to encourage and inspire the development of work-related competencies and long-term career growth. Motivating Others Inspiring others to perform well by actively conveying enthusiasm and a passion for doing a good job. Functional Acumen* Having the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to be effective in the specific functional content of a job. Integrity* Upholding a high standard of fairness and ethics in everyday words and actions.

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.

• You should take a practical approach when analyzing problems, and you should emphasize solutions that are workable in the organization.

• 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.

• You are relatively assertive and should be capable of confidently communicating the reasons for and the merits of your decisions when it is required of you.

Potential Concerns 

• While your fact-based approach will help you to objectively evaluate information and, ultimately, judge the merit of a solution to a problem, remember that many of the best solutions spring initially from hunches or intuition.

• You appear to be very careful and cautious in your thinking. You may be slow to commit on issues even when an immediate action or decision is needed.
   

Adapting to changing situations and restructuring tasks and priorities as changes occur within the business and organization.

• Your positive and resilient personality should be a strong asset when you are faced with change. You will be less affected than most by the inevitable frustrations and irritations.

• You should enjoy some variety and change in your work.

Potential Concerns 

• Your pragmatism may lead to an overreliance on how things have been done in the past. Because of this, you may not always be flexible and open-minded to new approaches or ideas.

• Because of your high need for personal independence and freedom, you may not always accept changes to your work requirements or task priorities. This will be more apparent in situations where you do not agree with the value or necessity of the change.
   

Effectively organizing and planning work according to organizational needs by defining objectives and anticipating needs and priorities.

• You appear to be willing to apply a certain amount of logical and systematic thought to the planning process. This should help you to conceptualize and plan work activities.

• Strongly pragmatic by nature, you should emphasize realistic goals and the development of workable plans.

• Your interest in variety and capacity for multi-tasking should facilitate your ability to plan and organize, especially when faced with multiple, competing demands.

Potential Concerns 

• Without proper self-discipline, you will not be as organized in your personal work as is needed for this competency.
   

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

• Capable of being assertive, 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.

• Your strong desire to follow through on commitments should help you to carry projects through to completion. Others are likely to view you as persistent.

• Resilient in the face of frustration, you should be able to remain positive in difficult and challenging 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.
   

Directing and leading others to accomplish organizational goals and objectives.

• You should be comfortable in a leadership role and be capable of being forceful and directive when necessary.

• Not overly concerned about being well liked, you should be able to take an unpopular position or make tough decisions when necessary.

• 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 optimistic outlook should have a positive impact on the morale of your group. Others should appreciate your positive attitude.

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 somewhat low interest or comfort in casual social interactions could sometimes inhibit your effectiveness with subordinates. You may feel ill-at-ease in some situations and may avoid situations that require you to interact with subordinates on a personal level. Thus, some may perceive you as unapproachable. Consider the developmental suggestions that follow later in this report to help you develop your social skills and increase your social comfort.

• 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.
   

Advising, assisting, mentoring and providing feedback to others to encourage and inspire the development of work-related competencies and long-term career growth.

(There are no areas that were identified as Helps for this competency.)

Potential Concerns 

• Cautious by nature, you may be slow to develop the kind of trusting relationship needed in a coaching role. In order to be more effective, make a special effort to reach out, on a personal level, to those you coach. A good starting point is to disclose some of your own weaknesses or limitations and how you have worked to overcome them.

• Your relatively low need to please others may interfere with the development of a close coaching relationship. You may need to make a special effort to become more supportive and helpful.

• You may not be as perceptive about people as desired for this competency and may sometimes overlook the need to adapt your coaching approach to fit the differences among people. As you establish a coaching relationship, take time, and ask questions to ensure that you develop a true understanding of the individual, their circumstances and needs.

• Your low need for personal attention may interfere with your ability to praise and recognize the successes of others. Remember that many people need more praise than you do. Use it to encourage the people you coach.
   

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

• Your highly optimistic nature should contribute to your ability to generate enthusiasm in others.

• You appear to be assertive enough to motivate and inspire others and should be comfortable challenging people to perform, when necessary.

Potential Concerns 

• At times, your tendency to be more skeptical than trusting in your view of others may detract from your ability to inspire and motivate. You may need to make an effort to place more focus on others' strengths rather than their weaknesses and encourage them to try harder.

• 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.
   

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.

High Serious-Minded Thinking

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Decisive Judgment

Activities

When faced with a decision, consider the time sensitivity of the situation. Give yourself a strict deadline by which you must have completed your necessary research, evaluated the alternatives and determined your course of action.

Remember that sometimes it is better to just decide and move on. Especially for less important decisions, balance your need to carefully consider the situation with the investment of your (and others') time and resources.

Practice taking small risks to increase your general comfort with the unknown. Look for opportunities where you can be less cautious in your approach and take some calculated risks.

Try to maintain an open-minded attitude when considering new business ideas or opportunities.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

Risk Assessment and Decision Making in Business and Industry: A Practical Guide by Glenn Robert Koller, CRC Press, 1999.

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

High Fact-Based Thinking

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Decisive Judgment

Activities

Challenge yourself to "read between the lines" rather than assuming things are black or white. Make a conscious effort to look for the subtleties of situations before coming to a conclusion or forming an opinion. Guard against being stubborn or overly opinionated in your views.

Before making a decision, ask for input from those who will be affected by the decision. Try to use (or at least consider) this input when making your decision.

Play devil's advocate for yourself. Look at the other point of view before defending your own.

Remember that intuition can be just as important as (and sometimes more important than) facts. When others feel strongly about something, take time to consider their perspective. Allow them the opportunity to build a case for their opinion.

Make a greater effort to remain open-minded to new ideas. Truly innovative concepts may not yet have had a chance to be proven or supported by data. Rather than discounting, try to conceive of a way to test the theory.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

Breakthrough Thinking: The Seven Principles of Creative Problem Solving by Gerald Nadler & Shozo Hibino, Prima Communications Inc., 1998.

Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step-by-Step by Edward De Bono, Harper and Row Publishers Inc., 1990.

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

High Realistic Thinking

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Adapting To Change

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
• 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 Work Organization

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Planning And Organizing

Activities

As you approach projects, make sure you take the time to think through the important steps. Are there things you need to do before you can proceed from one step to another? Are there tasks that can happen at the same time? What should be done during each step?

Take ten minutes at the beginning of each workday to prioritize what you will be doing that day. Keep a short list of things that are necessary to accomplish and work the list.

Once every few weeks clean your office area. File away unnecessary clutter or any finished projects. Keep in reach only the information or paperwork that you will need in the near future.

Use an electronic calendar to remind you about deadlines and to help you remember important meetings. Using the reminder features of these calendars, set intermediate deadlines to ensure that you are progressing toward your goal in a timely fashion.

Identify someone who is organized and good at planning activities. Ask them what tips and strategies they use to maintain organization.

Books

Consider reading the following books:

The Organized Executive: A Program for Productivity: New Ways to Manage Time, Paper, People, and the Electronic Office by Stephanie Winston, Warner Books, 1994.

Stephanie Winston´s Best Organizing Tips Quick, Simple Ways to Get Organized and Get on With Your Life by Stephanie Winston, Fireside, 1996.

Shortcuts for Smart Managers: Checklist, Worksheets, and Action Plans for Managers with No Time to Waste by Lisa Davis, AMACOM, 1998.

Project Skills (New Skills Portfolio) by Sam Elbeik & Mark Thomas, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999.

Getting Organized: The Easy Way to Put Your Life in Order by Stephanie Winston, Warner Books, 1991.

Organize Your Office!: Simple Routines for Managing Your Workspace by Ronni Eisenberg, Hyperion, 1999.

Seminars

How To Get More Organized provided by Padgett Thompson Seminars. [http://www.pttrain.com/ptPGMO.cfm?Mode=D&Ecode=1218240]

Improving Your Managerial Effectiveness provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2508.htm]

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

Fundamentals of Successful Project Management provided by Skillpath Seminars.

High Need For Freedom

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Adapting To Change

Activities

Rather than focusing on your personal needs and automatically reacting to what you feel are attempts to control you, try to view the situation from your boss' or the organization's perspective. From this external point of view many of the restrictions and constraints may make sense and may, therefore, become more tolerable.

Recognize that you probably have more freedom in your job than you think. Most people can, if they approach the task in the right way, influence the amount of freedom and satisfaction they receive from work. Also, consider how you work with your subordinates and/or co-workers. If you are a manager of people, you understand that it is necessary to establish some rules and guidelines to coordinate the activities of others. If you are not a manager you probably have worked on group or team projects that were inefficient and unfocused until guidelines and objectives were established.

Develop organizational savvy. Take time to learn about how things are done in your organization. Rather than directly resisting others' efforts to control you, you may want to learn ways of working within the system so that you can better accomplish your long-term goals. Identify a co-worker or manager who is effective at involving others and getting things done. Observe that person's methods and adopt them if possible.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge by Geoffrey Bellman, Simon & Schuster Trade Paperbacks, 1993.

The Unwritten Rules of the Game: Master Them, Shatter Them, and Break Through the Barriers to Organizational Change by Peter Scott-Morgan, McGraw-Hill, 1994.

Influence Without Authority by Allan Cohen & David Bradford, John Wiley & Sons Incorporated, 1991.

Low Need For Attention

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Coaching And Developing Others

Activities

Make an effort to give others feedback about their work. When possible, give positive recognition for work that is well done. Don't assume that others know what you are thinking.

Consider awards or some type of special recognition for certain projects. Did someone meet his or her quarterly goal? Did someone exceed it? Did someone go out of his or her way to help a customer or co-worker? Take them to lunch, honor them in front of the team, give them a gift certificate to see a movie, etc.

Try using email to send short notes of encouragement or recognition for effort. Copy others who should be aware of the person's efforts.

Remember to pass on positive feedback to your team. Let them know that others value their efforts.

Consider reading the following books:

Books

How to Recognize & Reward Employees by Donna Deeprose, AMACOM, 1994.

Innovative Reward Systems for the Changing Workplace by Thomas Wilson, McGraw-Hill, 1994.

Care Packages for the Workplace: Dozens of Little Things You Can Do to Regenerate Spirit at Work by Barbara Glanz, The McGraw-Hill, 1996.

1001 Ways to Energize Employees by Bob Nelson, Workman Publishing Company, 1997.

101 Recognition Secrets: Tools for Motivating and Recognizing Today's Workforce by Rosalind Jeffries, Performance Enhancement Group,

Seminars

Motivating Others: Bringing Out the Best of People provided by American Management Association. [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2275.htm]

The Voice of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire, Influence and Achieve Results provided by American Management Association [http://www.amanet.org/seminars/cmd2/2130.htm]

Advanced Supervisory Skills provided by Skillpath Seminars.

Excelling as a Highly Effective Team Leader provided by Skillpath Seminars.

Low Sociability

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Managing Others

Activities

Set a goal for yourself to initiate some type of social interaction with co-workers or subordinates, such as having lunch with someone that you do not know particularly well at least once a week.

Join a Toastmasters Club. Toastmasters is a communication and leadership program that focuses on improving your interpersonal communication skills (both formal presentation and informal conversation skills). Contact your local Chamber of Commerce to obtain a list of clubs in your area.

Join any social organization like the Lions or Rotary Club that promotes social gatherings on a regular basis. This would provide an opportunity to interact freely with people whom you do not know and allow you to develop broader social skills in a safe environment - one that does not directly impact your career.

Look for networking opportunities in your business. Join professional organizations where you have opportunity to meet and discuss common interests with others whom you do not know well.

Volunteer for a task force where you will work with others outside of your daily group.

Books

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Pocket Books, 1994.

Conversationally Speaking: Tested New Ways To Increase Your Personal & Social Effectiveness by Alan Garner, Lowell House, 1997.

The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Rapport -- And Leave a Positive Impression by Debra Fine, CareerTrack Publications, Inc, 1997.

How to Work a Room: Learn the Strategies of Savvy Socializing - For Business and Personal Success by Susan RoAne, Warner Books Incorporated, 1989.

Shyness: What It Is, What to Do About It by Philip Zimbardo, Perseus Publishing, 1990.

The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie, Pocket Books, 1990.

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

Low Need to be Liked

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Coaching And Developing Others

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

• Managing Others
• Coaching And Developing Others
• Motivating Others

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 Interpersonal Insight

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Coaching And Developing Others

Activities

When you encounter difficulty in your dealings with others, don't just apply a "quick fix." Instead, spend some time to take a broad view of the problem and look at all the options available to you. Gather information about what others have done in similar situations and try to find ways of including others in problem solving or in implementing solutions. In this way, you will deepen your understanding of the problem, help solidify the support of others around you, and come up with more viable solutions.

Practice active questioning and active listening skills. The development of active questioning and listening techniques is likely to increase your positive effect on people and increase your ability to obtain useful information. Below are some guidelines to help you develop your active listening skills:

Listen for the total message:

• Listen to the specific words chosen to express thoughts and ideas.

• Try to view the thoughts or ideas from the speaker's perspective.

• Clarify any statements that are confusing or unclear to you.

Use open ended questions (questions that cannot be answered "yes" or "no"):

• They encourage the speaker to "open-up."

• They let the person know that his thinking matters to you.

Control distractions:

• Telephones . . . Ask others in your office to hold calls or take messages.

• Cross talking (separate conversations going on at the same time) . . . move away.

• Others . . . Move to a quieter area before continuing your conversation.

• Preoccupation with upcoming projects, events, assignments, etc. . . . Focus your attention on the speaker.

• Daydreaming or dazing, not paying attention at all . . . Force yourself to concentrate on the speaker.

Listen without interrupting:

• Over the next month, be especially aware of the number of times you interrupt.

• When you interrupt, think about to whom you were talking, what the situation was, and what was the topic of discussion. Look for patterns -- Do you tend to interrupt direct reports more often than your boss, family members more often than friends, etc.?

Summarize:

• Remember to maintain an overall picture of what the speaker is saying and feeling.

• Begin your summary in a non-threatening way with phrases such as "It appears to me that . . ." or "It sounds to me like . . ."

• Communicate your summary in a concise and non-threatening way.

Additional Tips:

• Try to follow this sequence: Hear . . . Understand . . . Interpret . . . Respond.

• Avoid jumping from "hear" to "respond."

• Ask for feedback from others about your listening skills.

• Reschedule a conversation if you cannot give it your undivided attention.

• Temper your emotional reaction to positions you disagree with by putting yourself in the other person's shoes . . . Empathize!

• Avoid interrupting people before they have finished their statement or have clarified their point.

Consider enrolling in a sensitivity training or interpersonal awareness course. Short courses under these titles, or something referring to "T Groups" (originally called "Training Groups" or "Tavistock Groups") or "Sensitivity Groups" are often offered at local community colleges, community centers, and churches.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

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.

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

Emotional Intelligence at Work: The Untapped Edge for Success by Hendrie Weisinger, Ph.D., Jossey-Bass, 1997.

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

The Art & Skill of Dealing With People: How to Make Human Motivation Work for You on the Job by Brandon Toropov, Fine Communications, 1999.

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
Verbal Reasoning	Low				High
Mental Alertness	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