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. Championing Change Taking action to support and implement change initiatives effectively. 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. Relationship Management Developing and maintaining positive relationships with individuals outside their work group. Business Acumen* Understanding general business and financial concepts, understanding the company's business, and using both general and specific knowledge to be effective. Integrity* Upholding a high standard of fairness and ethics in everyday words and actions. Written Communication* Having the skills to communicate to others in a written format.

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.
   

Taking action to support and implement change initiatives effectively.

• Your assertive nature should be an asset in a change leadership role. You should be capable of persuading people to adopt new courses of action.

• Your generally positive and resilient personality should be an asset to a change initiative. You should be able to remain positive and resilient under most circumstances.

Potential Concerns 

• Because of your preference for a slower than average work pace, it may be difficult for you to bring enough energy to a change initiative to be effective. To the degree that your Work Pace score is a true indicator of your nature, you may have to discipline yourself to be more energetic than normal to instigate real change in your organization.

• Your very pragmatic orientation may lead you to resist new approaches or ideas. You may overrely on how things have been done in the past.

• You seem less restrained than most and may have a tendency to react too quickly. Be careful that you do not adopt or reject ideas without full consideration.
   

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.

Potential Concerns 

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

• Your preference for routine and working on a limited number of tasks at one time may sometimes interfere with your ability to manage the planning and organizational aspects of your job, especially when faced with multiple, competing demands.
   

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.
   

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.
   

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

• Thoughtful and perceptive about people, you should be able to recognize subtle differences among people. You are likely to take the time to ensure that you understand the needs, motivations and circumstances of those you coach and to try to adapt your approach accordingly.

• Your high need for personal recognition should help you to understand how meaningful praise and recognition can be to other people and the importance of using these motivational tools in coaching situations.

Potential Concerns 

• Apt to be guarded and distrustful of others, you may have difficulty developing and maintaining the kind of personal relationship needed in a coaching role. In order to be effective, you should 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.
   

Developing and maintaining positive relationships with individuals outside their work group.

• Your assertiveness score suggests a high level of self-confidence. You should have little difficulty initiating new business relationships.

• Your strong interest in understanding other people should help you to recognize their diverse motives and adapt your approach to fit the individual. It is likely that you will be more attuned to subtle social issues than most.

• Your interests in and comfort with the social aspects of work should allow you to develop and maintain relationships across the organization. You are likely to seek opportunities to network.

Potential Concerns 

• Your low concern for how you are perceived by others may interfere with your ability to build positive alliances. At times, you may be overly competitive even when collaboration would be more appropriate.

• Your tendency to be wary of the intentions of others may make it difficult for you to develop and maintain long-term business relationships based on trust. You may be reluctant to forge business relationships with people that you do not know well. Thus, if you do not manage this characteristic, you may miss opportunities important to your business.

• Your tendency to express your thoughts and feelings readily may sometimes be problematic. While some may appreciate your openness, others may perceive you as saying or doing things without appropriate restraint. This may limit your ability to maintain the respect of people who could provide important alliances.

• Your tendency to be somewhat sensitive to criticism may occasionally hinder your ability to maintain good business relationships. Especially in contentious situations, you may overpersonalize the issues and become defensive.
   

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
• Championing Change

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
• Championing 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

• Championing Change
• Driving For Results
• Managing 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.

Low Multi-Tasking

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Planning And Organizing

Activities

At the beginning of each workday, prioritize your tasks and allocate time needed to complete them. Tackle each task according to its order of importance, but make an effort to be flexible if priorities change.

Increase your comfort level by volunteering to work on a few additional projects, but be careful not to overextend yourself. The more experience you gain juggling multiple demands, the better your ability to effectively adjust your goals and priorities will become. Start by handling a few projects and increase these as you feel more comfortable.

Schedule specific time on your calendar to work on each project. Balance your time among activities and block the time on your calendar so that others will know your schedule.

Break projects down into defined work steps so that you can focus and achieve a sense of closure at the completion of each step, rather than at the completion of an entire project.

When you find yourself feeling stressful or frustrated take a few moments to relax. Discover a relaxation method that suits you. There are many techniques that you will find in most books on stress management. For example, meditation techniques, simple stretching, walking or yoga are known to be good relaxation methods.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

Managing Projects in Organizations: How to Make the Best Use of Time, Techniques, and People (Jossey-Bass Management Series) by J. Davidson Frame, Jossey-Bass, 1995

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

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

Seminars

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

Dealing with Competing Demands: Mastering the Managerial