23Apr

Size Matters. Here’s Why

Trevor SmithBehavioural Assessments, Recruitment, Success, Teams

As a practitioner that relies heavily on behavioural assessments, I have been asked to make a distinction between the traditional DISC tools and my preferred solution – Extended DISC®.

As I said in the subject, size matters.

DEPTH OF ANALYSIS

I remember before I transitioned to Extended DISC® having individuals in an intervention get the same exact report. Many tools are happy to identify 16 unique styles.

Extended DISC® identifies 160 behavioural styles – 40 for each of the four quadrants.

Many DISC tools identify a fraction of those styles. This gives the appearance of generic reporting and impacts negatively on the credibility of the tools among users. In large groups, there is the high probability that participants may get identical reports.

In addition to the depth of the identified styles, Extended DISC® has over 200,000,000 unique DISC results to ensure employees receive very personalized and specific results.

THE MISSING ELEMENT

Just this week an executive shared with me that the close colleagues with whom she had shared her Extended DISC® Leadership DNA report had not seen her Natural Style as reported. They just did not know that part of her. However, she was fully aware of the difference between her presented persona and who she is in her safe space. Not everyone is as in tune with themselves as she is. Consequently, many experience constant internal conflict bridging the gap of the conscious and unconscious domains. This can be stressful and may lead to early burn out or high turnover levels.

Traditional DISC tools fail to capture that inner self and miss a critical component of meaningful behavioural assessment deployment.

Extended DISC® provides insights into both the conscious and unconscious domains. The reports address the individual’s Natural Style and the Perceived Need To Adjust.

Let’s have a conversation about how Extended DISC assessments on the revolutionary FinxS Platform can make a difference for you.

Trevor E S Smith

Success with People Academy

INFOSERV People Tech Solutions

16Apr

Did You Know?

Trevor SmithCompetency Framework 2.0, Success, Technology

E-COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK 2.0 (ECF2.0) is the answer to modern Workforce Planning.

In a nutshell, it lays out in clear terms the pathways to performance excellence in an organization. ECF2.0 captures, gains consensus and communicates the behaviors that are aligned to the values of the organizations and which in turn drive high performance.

Unlike staid, fixed competency-based approaches, ECF2.0 infuses technology to give the framework a dynamic role from Recruitment & Selection, through Training Needs Analysis, Learning & Development planning, Work Plan development, Performance Management, Career & Succession Planning and Reward structures.

The WHY

ECF2.0 cascades values through the organization in such a way that it is communicated at all levels in terms of not only what is done but critically, why it is done and how it is to be done.
ECF2.0 defines the knowledge, skills, personality, attitude, values and norms that are required at each level for each role.

The WHO

ECF2.0 informs the recruitment & selection of staff to achieve right person, in right role under right style of leadership. It matches existing competences against what is desired (Gap Analysis) and pivots Learning & Development to fill gaps.
ECF2.0 lays out transparent career pathways and supports succession planning. Above all, it provides a pervasive reminder of “who we are” and what behaviours and actions are aligned to that common understanding.

The HOW

ECF2.0 is a boon to Performance Management and Appraisal. The descriptors/identifiers that are linked to each level in respect of each competence spell out in clear, easy to follow language how things are to be done.
ECF2.0 outlines observable behaviours which facilitates daily performance management and productivity enhancement. Contentious performance appraisals are rare.

Why Employees Love ECF 2.0

  1. Gives clarity about what your unit does and how it does it.
  2. Shows the relationship of your role with other positions.
  3. Outlines the key skills, abilities, knowledge, aptitude and attitude required for your role.
  4. Supports identification and analysis of skill gaps.
  5. Provides structure for process review and strategic planning.
  6. Places your role in the context of the overall structure.
  7. Adds objectivity to personal and group performance appraisal.
  8. Supports Career Development & Succession Planning by defining role requirements at all levels.
  9. Lays out learning objectives for roles with clarity.
  10. Supports SWOT Analysis and identification of gaps.

Let’s have a conversation about ECF 2.0. Happy to answer all your questions and to discuss how ECF 2.0 can provide the framework for building resilience and future-readiness in your organization.

Trevor E S Smith

INFOSERV People Tech Solutions

Success with People Academy

26Mar

Why We Gravitate To Behavioural Classification

Trevor SmithBehavioural Assessments, Success, Teams

Finding two people who are exactly alike is an exercise in futility. However, the idea that we will have to live with such unpredictability is daunting.

That is why there is gravitation to a reliable framework that assists us in bringing some consistency and predictability in relating to others. Being able to communicate with others in their preferred behavioural language is a skill that dramatically improves our interpersonal relationships!

What we do and how others see us is a function of our unique blend of temperaments. Learning to recognize preferences in ourselves and in others provide a platform for improved interpersonal communication and the enhancing of individual, team and organizational cohesiveness and performance.

THE MODEL

We use the DISCerning Model of Communication, Leadership and Conflict Management to capture this process of communicating in the language of behaviours. Behavioural Assessments (psychometric analysis) provide us with the grammar and syntax that underpin the language of behaviours.

There is no doubt that the ‘people factor’ is one of the most important issues to be dealt with as we strive for better communication, harmony and increased productivity. We have to bring new strategies to bear on this challenge. People skills are central to personal and organizational success. Behavioural styles and Interpersonal approaches require the same rigorous analysis and training investment as technical areas.

THE BENEFITS

The DISCerning Communication Model is not designed to place individuals into boxes that define what they can or cannot do. Some things come more naturally to us and the assessment helps to identify things that require more energy and focus and those that we can perform more easily.

What we have here then is a guide at a particular point in time as to our tendencies, preferences, preferred ways of receiving and sending information, instruction and feedback. Armed with this knowledge team and group members reap the benefits of being able to:

  1. Understand themselves and the behaviour styles of others.
  2. Use the related concepts to modify their behaviour as needed.
  3. Communicate to others in their preferred behavioural language.
  4. Identify blind spots that could limit their effectiveness and development.
  5. Create a climate in which bonding takes place within the team/group.
  6. Lay the foundation for the development of high performance teams.

SUPPORT TOOLS

Extended DISC® Assessments

We use customized and powerful assessments from Extended DISC® on the revolutionary FinxS® Platform to facilitate the management of individuals, teams and organizations in all spheres of the enterprise.  They serve as a compass that guides organizations in identifying where they are and in determining where they need to be.

The Extended DISC® assessments and the FinxS® platform support a structured system for the more effective management of people and for fostering effective collaboration and enhanced productivity. Extended DISC® is the world’s fastest growing assessment system. Its revolutionary FinxS® Platform has transformed the assessment landscape and the FinxS® Playground is used by thousands daily.

Solutions

Extended DISC® assessments on the FinxS® platform are constantly being expanded. This has resulted in a constant flow of carefully developed assessments. These include support for:

  1. Recruitment and Employee retention
  2. Employee Engagement
  3. Screening staff for promotion, assignment and career planning
  4. Human resource database management and analysis
  5. Succession Planning
  6. People development, Counselling and Coaching
  7. Job and Role Fit Analysis
  8. Leadership, Management and Supervisory training & development
  9. Interpersonal Relations and Communication interventions
  10. Work Pair, Team Cohesiveness and Team alignment
  11. Sales Competence evaluation
  12. Marketing and Public Relations
  13. Customer Service 
  14. Sports Competence evaluation
  15. Remote Worker Assessment
  16. Organization Development
  17. Climate/Satisfaction/Engagement/360 Surveys
  18. Change Management and Corporate Entrepreneurship
  19. Reasoning Analysis and Capability Testing
  20. Team Mapping

Trevor E S Smith

INFOSERV People Tech Solutions

Success with People Academy

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26Feb

How To Negotiate With A Dominant Personality

Trevor SmithNegotiations, Success

Your Outlook

Develop a strategy that concentrates on their goal of personal control of their environment and fear of having someone take advantage of them.

Remember the Dominant individual (D-Style) wants to WIN!

Your interaction

  1. Limit the amount of socializing.
  2. Get to the point.
  3. Respond to their task-related/result-oriented needs.
  4. Be business-like.
  5. Ask ‘what’ questions that focus on their concern for results.
  6. Accept their bluntness.
  7. Show a desire for them to achieve added benefits.

Gaining their co-operation and commitment

  1. Highlight the key options available. Do not present only one option.
  2. Make it clear that you understand that the choice is theirs.
  3. Do not try to push them to make a choice or to accept your recommendations.

Develop a long-term win-win relationship by:

  1. Ensuring efficiency and delivery as promised.
  2. Drawing attention to your proven successes.
  3. Focusing on helping them to achieve their goals.

Remember the D-Style does not like:

  1. Waiting
  2. Idle chatter
  3. Slow responses
  4. Indecision
  5. Overly structured requirements
  6. Taking orders or losing control of the situation

Your arguments should always include phrases like:

“This means that you……”

“The benefit of this to you is…”

“The competitive advantage for you is …..”

Case study

Bill was part of a group of friends who wanted to sell the idea of sponsoring a radio program to his boss – Don. The group included highly trained sales reps and an elaborate sales presentation was developed. The presentation was derailed as Bill recognized that his boss was getting impatient. He went straight to the bottom line cost/benefit figures.

Don actually thanked Bill for not wasting his time with the ‘sales talk’ and approved the sponsorship.

The above approach may not work well with the I-Style because:

The relationship is as important (in fact, often more important) than any other factor in their decision-making. “Connecting” helps.

The above approach may not work well with the S-Style because:

The S-Style would prefer to get a full understanding of how the entire project would come together. They would prefer to have all the nuances and possibilities explained. There should be no surprises.

The above approach might work with the C-Style with some adjustment:

The C-Style is not keen on what they consider meaningless chatter. So, a direct reference to the hard facts is appealing to them.

It is not likely that a quick decision will be made. You should also be prepared to leave support documentation with C-Style and to follow up for a decision later.

ACTION

Remember we are all involved in some form of Negotiation. You can include principles from our online certificate course Negotiating To Success!

It incorporates our DISCerning Model of Communication, Leadership, Negotiation, Conflict Management and Sales.

Earn 18 Professional Development Credits that can be applied to SHRM CP or SCP recertification. The course deals with a principled approach to negotiating and covers the key foundation concepts, approaches and techniques that will consistently take you to win-win.

E-mail now for more information: info@infoservpeopletech.org

04Jan

3 Keys To Success In 2021

adminSuccess
2021 is really here!

Have you given serious thought about how to approach 2021?

Practice these three things consistently to come out on the other side of 2021 better than you went in.

Read More