If you would like to get this assessment for yourself
***NOTE: This assessment was taken in 2018
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Based on Rachel's responses, the report has selected general statements to provide a broad understanding of her work style. These statements identify the basic natural behavior that she brings to the job. That is, if left on her own, these statements identify HOW SHE WOULD CHOOSE TO DO THE JOB. Use the general characteristics to gain a better understanding of Rachel's natural behavior.
Rachel prefers an environment with variety and change. She is at her best when many projects are underway at once. She has high ego strengths and may be viewed by some as egotistical. She needs to learn to relax and pace herself. She may expend too much energy trying to control herself and others. She displays a high energy factor and is optimistic about the results she can achieve. The word "can't" is not in her vocabulary. Rachel is forward-looking, aggressive and competitive. Her vision for results is one of her positive strengths. She seeks her own solutions to problems. In this way, her independent nature comes into play. Nothing bores Rachel more than the status quo, things becoming routine and people always agreeing, or pretending to agree. She can be aggressive and direct, but still be considerate of people.
Other people realize that directness is one of her great strengths. Rachel is extremely results-oriented, with a sense of urgency to complete projects quickly. She is comfortable in an environment that may be characterized by high pressure and is variety-oriented.
Rachel finds it easy to share her opinions on solving work-related problems. Many people see her decisions as high-risk decisions. However, after the decision is made, she tends to work hard for a successful outcome. Sometimes she becomes emotionally involved in the decision-making process. Sometimes she may be so opinionated about a particular problem that she has difficulty letting others participate in the process. Rachel will work long hours until a tough problem is solved. After it is solved, Rachel may become bored with any routine work that follows. She prefers authority equal to her responsibility. She is decisive and prefers to work for a decisive manager. She can experience stress if her manager does not possess similar traits. She should realize that at times she needs to think a project through, beginning to end, before starting the project.
Rachel likes people who present their case effectively. When they do, she can then make a quicker assessment or decision. She may sometimes mask her feelings in friendly terms. If pressured, Rachel's true feelings may emerge. Her creative and active mind may hinder her ability to communicate to others effectively. She may present the information in a form that cannot be easily understood by some people. She likes people who give her options as compared to their opinions. The options may help her make decisions, and she values her own opinion over that of others! Rachel may lack the patience to listen and communicate with slower acting people. She tends to influence people by being direct, friendly and results-oriented. She may lose interest in what others are saying if they ramble or don't speak to the point. Her active mind is already moving ahead. She challenges people who volunteer their opinions.
VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION
This section of the report identifies the specific talents and behavior Rachel brings to the job. By looking at these statements, one can identify her role in the organization. The organization can then develop a system to capitalize on her particular value and make her an integral part of the team.
- Spontaneity.
- Innovative.
- Accomplishes goals through people.
- Self-starter.
- Will join organizations to represent the company.
- Change agent--looks for faster and better ways.
- Challenges the status quo.
BEHAVIORAL HIERARCHY
The Behavioral Hierarchy graph will display a ranking of your natural behavioral style within a total of twelve (12) areas commonly encountered in the workplace. It will help you understand in which of these areas you will naturally be most effective.
CHECKLIST FOR COMMUNICATING
Most people are aware of and sensitive to the ways with which they prefer to be communicated. Many people find this section to be extremely accurate and important for enhanced interpersonal communication. This page provides other people with a list of things to DO when communicating with Rachel. Read each statement and identify the 3 or 4 statements which are most important to her. We recommend highlighting the most important "DO's" and provide a listing to those who communicate with Rachel most frequently.
WAYS TO COMMUNICATE
- Come prepared with all requirements, objectives and support material in a well-organized "package."
- Read the body language--look for impatience or disapproval.
- Put projects in writing, with deadlines.
- Be isolated from interruptions.
- Be open, honest and informal.
- Provide systems to follow.
- Understand her sporadic listening skills.
- Support and maintain an environment where she can be efficient.
- Verify that the message was heard.
- Be clear, specific, brief and to the point.
- Provide time for fun and relaxing.
- Ask specific (preferably "what?") questions.
This section of the report is a list of things NOT to do while communicating with Rachel. Review each statement with Rachel and identify those methods of communication that result in frustration or reduced performance. By sharing this information, both parties can negotiate a communication system that is mutually agreeable.
WAYS NOT TO COMMUNICATE
- Forget or lose things, be disorganized or messy, confuse or distract her mind from business.
- Come with a ready-made decision, or make it for her.
- Use paternalistic approach.
- Dictate to her.
- Be redundant.
- Let disagreement reflect on her personally.
- Assume she heard what you said.
- Forget to follow-up.
- Ramble on, or waste her time.
- Reinforce agreement with "I'm with you."
- Try to convince by "personal" means.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
In this area is a listing of possible limitations without regard to a specific job. Review with Rachel and cross out those limitations that do not apply. Highlight 1 to 3 limitations that are hindering her performance and develop an action plan to eliminate or reduce this hindrance.
RACHEL HAS A TENDENCY TO...
- Be inconsistent because of many stops, starts and ever-changing direction.
- Have difficulty finding balance between family and work.
- Fail to complete what she starts because of adding more and more projects.
- Resist participation as part of the team, unless seen as a leader.
- Be crisis-oriented.
- Overstep authority and prerogatives--will override others.
- Have trouble delegating--can't wait, so does it herself.
- Be disruptive because of her innate restlessness and disdain for sameness.
TIME WASTERS
This section of your report is designed to identify time wasters that may impact your overall time use effectiveness. Possible causes and solutions will serve as a basis for creating an effective plan for maximizing your use of TIME and increasing your PERFORMANCE.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Crisis Management is defined as a management style that is consistently driven by uncontrolled external issues as the preferred method of managing. This style allows crises to precipitate rather than anticipating them and being pro-active.
Possible Causes:
- Lack planning
- Place unrealistic time requirements on people and tasks
- Always looking for problems to solve
Possible Solutions:
- Have a well defined operational plan
- Target key individuals to handle specific problems
- Ask for recommendations from key people
- Delegate authority and responsibility when possible
POOR DELEGATION
Poor delegation usually means the inability to discriminate between tasks needing your time and attention, and those others are capable of accomplishing.
Possible Causes:
- Do not want to give up control
- Do not trust the abilities of others
- Do not understand the abilities of others
- Fear the talents of others
- Do not want to overload others
Possible Solutions:
- Train and mentor others
- Develop a support team
- Give people the opportunity to help
- Recognize the time spent training others on routine
- Tasks will result in gained cumulative time for higher priority tasks
LACK OF A WRITTEN PLAN
A plan in this context may be an overall business plan including mission, goals, objectives, task requirements and utilization of resources. It may also simply mean written priorities and a written daily plan of action.
Possible Causes:
- Do not want to give up controlAction oriented, want to get things done now
- Priorities keep changing (self- or other-imposed)
- Have been successful without a plan in the past
- Want to "go with the flow" and not be stifled by a written daily agenda
Possible Solutions:
- Write down personal and job-related values and prioritize them
- Write out a long-term plan that will support those values
- Recognize that by having priorities clearly in mind, constant change will be replaced with change-by-design
SNAP DECISIONS
Snap decisions in this context are those decisions that are made too quickly without having all the necessary information.
Possible Causes:
- Impatience overrides need to wait for more information
- Try to do too much
- Failure to plan in advance
- Lack specific goals
Possible Solutions:
- Ask for recommendations
- Establish process for decisions prior to situation occurring
- Establish standard operating procedures and alternative procedures for possible problems
FIREFIGHTING
Firefighting is often defined as being pulled away from priority tasks to answer questions, offer solutions, delegate or solve problem-related minor issues. These issues usually "flare up" quickly and are "put out" quickly.
Possible Causes:
- Desire to solve problems quickly and sometimes without adequate information
- Lack of delegation
- Lack of standard operating procedures
- Poor/wrong priorities
- Failure to fit intensity to the situation
Possible Solutions:
- Establish a plan
- Create operational procedures for tasks and known problems
- Establish a "management by objectives" approach