Growing up in a family construction business, I know the value of the right tools for the job. From a leadership perspective, knowing that not every job is solved with a hammer is helpful.

As an organizational development consultant, assessments are tools for the trade. Like construction workers going to Home Depot or Lowes to select a tool, every project has many brands and types. Also, a tool can be only as good as a craftsman. Such an illustration could be applied to any test or instrument. In addition, the insight on the report is only as valuable for the degree to the participant learners and uses the information. O*NET Ability Profiler to help identify strengths and weaknesses valuable to align ability with vocational roles. It is a comprehensive nine job-relevant ability test: verbal ability, arithmetic reasoning, computation, spatial ability, form perception, clerical perception, motor coordination, finger dexterity, and manual dexterity (Cohen, 2021). The ability assessment can guide people toward a meaningful career path within their natural abilities.

When I started my coaching work with construction leaders, we used the Highlands Ability Battery (HAB), which includes 19 assessments for a broader understanding of strengths and weaknesses (THAB, 2013). The outcome of debriefing these assessments leads to awareness in a day-to-day work activity to be developed or delegated to other team members. Thus, the outcome creates a collaborative culture among teams. Computer-aided enhancement has modernized the HAB, allowing users to complete the battery online. These assessments were manually facilitated, which limited the processing of reports and required participants to be physically present. Computer-aided assessments have expanded the virtual reach along with the speed of reporting.

A solid complement to the HAB is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Myers and Briggs developed an instrument to learn how people take in and process information. Eight primary differences or traits include extroversion or introversion, perceiving or judging, intuition or sensing, thinking or feeling (Cohen, 2021). These traits help identify energized or deleting activities that relate to work performance. Big Five personality theory led to career interests such as RIASEC. The acronym includes 6 clusters of interest: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. Such a cluster may provide insights into an industry of work and specific departmental work within an organization.

Pros and Cons

The advantage of these tools is that aligning interest, aptitude, and personality can be a powerful perspective to help guide a person towards meaningful work. The risk of not using one or all three tools for a career pathway may result in dysfunctional work. The insight gained for assessment mainly changes the perspective of a "dead-end job" to a necessary stepping stone to a career goal.

The disadvantage to this assessment can be the subjectivity of the test takers. Research has identified "faking" as hindering accurate results (Hinrichsen et al., 1975). Earlier this week, a client emailed his updated MBTI personality results compared to his report from 5 years previous. He needed clarification on the change of the score from ESTP to ENTJ. He asked for insight on his wondering if his personality had changed in the last five years. His response was not an issue of faking but rather a significant change in job positions, personally moving cities, and a significant change in relationships. The underlying issue for my client was, which one is right? Due to the subjectivity of personality and interest assessment, creating validity scales to help stabilize varied responses helps the consistency of the reporting. However, the responses are only sometimes full proof, which requires some discretion when making career decisions using the report.

The utility benefit of these assessments can lead to a meaningful career working within the harmony of a high-performing team. In today's world, there are many options to explore to find the right work that motivates, satisfies, and challenges. Ability, interest, and personality assessment are a compass to help guide individuals to meaningful careers.

What's the right tool?

Whether building projects or leaders, selecting the right tools is essential. Today, my coaching toolbelt includes Birkman, Hogan, Workplace Big 5, Firo-B, Myers Briggs (MBTI), Strength Finders, Social Emotional Intelligence Profile, TKI Conflict Style, and 360s. Each tool can increase appreciation, awareness, and job-fit alignment.

As you plan your leader and team development strategies, consider first your desired outcomes, then select the best tools for the job. If you need a thought partner for your next coach assignment, mentor session, or team-building retreat, feel free to reach out for a complimentary personality assessment consult.

Enjoy your next building project!

Reference

Cohen, R. J. (2021). Psychological Testing and Assessment (10th Edition). McGraw-Hill Higher Education (US).

Hinrichsen, J. J., Gryll, S. L., Bradley, L. A., & Katahn, M. (1975). Effects of impression management efforts on FIRO-B profiles. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 43(2), 269. https://10.1037/h0076371

The Highlands Ability Battery (THAB). (2013, Sep 10). US Fed News Service, Including US State News Retrieved from http://library.capella.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fnewspapers%2Fuspto-issues-trademark-highlands-ability-battery%2Fdocview%2F1431052754%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D27965