To “know thyself” is the primary order given by many masters, prophets, and avatars in this world; i.e., philosophically, knowing thyself is the objective of our life and when we do so, we know and can master our inner universe. From a practical perspective, as coaches, we’re charged with a similar task – to help our clients know themselves so we’re able to support them in producing the most out of their coaching experience.
It’s been said, “You’re not one person but three; the one you think you are, the one others think you are, and the one you really are.” When I read the above, I think of three circles with each circle representing one of those “realities.” It’s my belief that when those circles (realities) are concentric, the individual has achieved a balance both in their life and in their relationships with others. Unfortunately, for most of us, that’s not the case. While we think (and often times insist) we know ourselves, it’s a pretty safe bet we really don’t know the person others think we are and, truth be told, we’re often at a loss to accurately define who we are at our core.
The beginning of any evolutionary process is to first know where we are. Therefore, before beginning the first coaching session, it’s extremely valuable for the coach to use a series of assessments with their clients to help with the discovery process. In doing so, a coach is also able to establish a performance benchmark so as to measure the effectiveness of the coaching and establish a baseline for measuring the return on investment of the coaching itself.
So, what is an assessment? The U.S. Department of Labor in their current guide to good practices says “any test or procedure used to measure an individual’s employment or career-related qualifications and interests can be considered a personnel assessment tool. There are many types of personnel assessment tools. These include traditional knowledge and ability tests, inventories, subjective procedures, and projective instruments.” While the use of assessments in coaching would not normally be held to the same legal requirements as would assessments in the hiring/selection process, it’s still critical to use assessments which are both valid and reliable (a subject unto itself).
Given the above, the focus of this article is not on the typical exploratory exercises used to ascertain a client’s value and goals; our focus here is on psychological assessments which may be used to understand the three persons we each are … the one we think we are, the one others think we are, and the one we really are. That having been said, inasmuch as many organizations already use assessments, as a coach it’s prudent for us to become familiar with and use our client’s assessment tools.
The One You Think You Are
“Four Quadrant Social Style” assessments are often used to measure a person’s view of “who they think they are.” These types of assessments typically identify four behavioral styles (Driver, Expressive, Amiable, and Analytical), each with positive and negative attributes related to productive work relationships. Most individuals have developed a preferred behavioral or operating style within their specific work environment; but, having said that, it’s also true that many individuals will easily alternate between two or more of the styles. There are literally thousands of four quadrant social style assessments available in the market.
The One Others Think You Are
The most commonly used assessment to provide feedback on “who others think you are” is a 360-degree, or multi-rater, feedback assessment. These types of assessments typically collect different perspectives about an individual’s performance from their boss, peers, and direct reports. This allows the individual to see their performance from a variety of viewpoints and creates a more complete picture of their strengths and development opportunities. Most 360-degree assessments measure a variety of leadership competencies and skill sets; e.g., task management, communication, leadership, adaptability, relationships, development of others, production, and personal development. There are literally hundreds of 360-degree assessments available in the market.
The One You Really Are
An assessment designed to accurately measure “the one you really are” ideally should contain sections which reveal consistent, in-depth, and objective insight into an individual’s thinking and reasoning style, relevant behavioral traits, and occupational interests; i.e., a multi-purpose “Total Person” assessment. Research (Hunter and Schmidt in Psychological Bulletin, 1998) reveals that general mental ability is the number one predictor of success on the job; and, as a consequence, any assessment which only measures behavioral traits is missing a significant piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding people and who they are at their core. Again, there are thousands of behavioral type assessments available in the market; but there are only a few assessments which contain all three critical pieces.
A Practical Application of Identifying Gaps and Root Causes through Assessments
In the beginning stage of working with one of my clients, we were reviewing the results of his assessments. In his 360 multi-rater feedback assessment he was getting mixed feedback when it came to “providing direction” (a skill set of leadership). His boss rated him relatively low, his peers gave him a moderate rating, and his direct reports gave him a moderately high rating. When we looked at his four quadrant social styles assessment, he had described himself as being fairly high (73 percentile) on the Driver (dominate) scale; yet, when we looked at his core competency assessment, he was low on the Assertive (behavioral) scale; i.e., at his core he is a relatively non-assertive individual.
My comment to my client was, “when you get up in the morning, you likely put on your body armor before you go to work.” As he thought about it he finally said, “Yes, that’s exactly what my wife and kids would say.” In the ensuing conversation, it became apparent to my client, given his low assertive score, he was relatively comfortable providing direction to subordinates, less so with his peers, and even less so when it came to upper management. Recognizing the root cause of this gap gave us insight as to the work which needed to be done in his fundamental operating habits.
In summary, valid and reliable assessments can be a useful tool to both the coach and client. Being able to quickly understand what traits and behaviors are dominant or lacking and what might be easy or difficult to change can be a valuable complement to the coaching engagement.
