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. Delivering Results Maintaining a high level of commitment to personally getting things done. Resilience Effectively dealing with work related problems, pressure, and stress in a professional and positive manner. Teamwork And Collaboration Effectively working and collaborating with others toward a common goal. Interpersonal Communication Communicating clearly and effectively with people inside and outside of the organization. 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.
   

Maintaining a high level of commitment to personally getting things done.

• Highly self-reliant, you should be comfortable working on your own with little support or direction.

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

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

• 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. You should make a special effort to increase your work pace and energy level to be effective at this competency.
   

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

• Optimistic by nature, you should bring a positive attitude to your work. When faced with difficulties or frustrations, you should recover quickly and easily.

• Objective in your view of the world and of yourself, you are likely to evaluate negative feedback from a factual perspective and not overpersonalize criticism.

• When faced with problems and day-to-day pressure, you should have the self-control needed to restrain your words and actions. You will likely consider situations before reacting.

Potential Concerns 

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

Effectively working and collaborating with others toward a common goal.

• Neither extremely outgoing nor shy, you should be comfortable interacting with others in a team environment without being excessively social.

• Not overly positive in your view of people, you should bring a balanced perspective to your working relationships. It is expected that you will value the meaningful contributions of others.

• Your optimistic outlook should contribute to the positive morale of your work group. Others should appreciate and reflect your positiveness.

Potential Concerns 

• Pleasing others and being liked are not strong concerns for you. For this reason you may sometimes be disagreeable or uncooperative in your work relationships. If you do not manage this characteristic, others may perceive you as a difficult person with whom to work.

• More self-reliant than most, you may do too much on your own and may not collaborate sufficiently with other members of your work group who will be impacted by your actions. Especially when faced with complex situations or important decisions, make a special effort to seek opinions, information and support from co-workers before making decisions or taking action.
   

Communicating clearly and effectively with people inside and outside of the organization.

• Your general social comfort should allow you to establish rapport and communicate effectively in informal situations.

• Your apparent willingness and ability to assert yourself should help you to offer information, ideas and opinions in your interactions with others.

Potential Concerns 

• Highly self-controlled you will choose your words and actions very carefully. While this can be an asset in some situations, it may cause others to perceive you as distant, overly serious or too formal for effective communications.
   

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

• Delivering Results

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.

High Self-Reliance

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Teamwork And Collaboration

Activities

Convince yourself that you do not need to "do it all." It is okay to rely on others.

Make a conscious effort to involve others in the decision making process. Subordinates (or others less capable or less knowledgeable than you) may not make decisions as good as yours the first time they try. However, they will improve with the practice they will get if you involve them. Furthermore, as they grow in their capabilities, you can spend more of your time on more important issues, more complex problems, etc. Think of this as a short-term investment for long-term gain.

Similar points could be made for sharing or delegating responsibilities. Others may not be able to do the task as well as you, but they will never get better if you continue to do things yourself. You will find that the extra effort you invest in overseeing the work of others while they learn (to do the task as well as you could have) will reap large rewards in the long term. They will become more capable and will need less help, and you will have more time to concentrate on the more important tasks in your job.

Some general suggestions for delegation include:

• Recognize the fact that others can assume responsibilities and can frequently accomplish tasks as well as you can.

• Delegating is an excellent way of training people and developing their skills.

• Avoid delegating only those jobs you do not want to do yourself. When you have to delegate a "dirty job," assure the employee that this job is important and that they will not always get the "dirty jobs" to do.

Steps in the delegation process include:

1. Periodically review your key tasks and evaluate the readiness of your subordinates.

2. Ask yourself which tasks could which subordinates do now, if they stretched themselves a little with your help.

3. Identify tasks suitable for delegation.

4. To each subordinate, communicate the task and your confidence in their ability.

5. Train, coach and offer performance feedback when needed.

6. Check on results or progress.

Books

Consider reading one or more of the following books:

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

Masterful Coaching: Extraordinary Results by Impacting People and the Way They Think and Work Together by Robert Hargrove, Pfeiffer & Company, 1995.

The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Kenneth Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr. & Hal Burrows, Quill, 1991.

In Search of Excellence: Lessons From America's Best-Run Companies by Tomas Peters & Robert Laterman, Jr., Warner Books, 1988.

Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Enjoy Helping Others To Excel by Alan McGinnis, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1985.

The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work by Peter Block, Jossey-Bass, 1991.

The One Minute Manager by Spencer Johnson & Kenneth Blanchard, Berkley Publishing Group, 1993.

The 3 Keys to Empowerment: Release the Power Within People for Astonishing Results by Kenneth Blanchard, John Carlos & Alan Randolph, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 1999.

Tapes

Do's and Don'ts of Delegation (Audio Cassette) by Gary Fellows, Simon & Schuster, 1988.

The One Minute Manager (Audio Cassette) by Kenneth Blanchard & Spencer Johnson, Simon & Schuster, 1994.

The One Minute Manager (Audio CD) by Spencer Johnson & Kenneth Blanchard, 2001.

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 to be Liked

Competency(ies) This May Impact

• Teamwork And Collaboration