Extended DISC March 2011 Newsletter "Extended DISC March 2011 Newsletter") GreetingsWhat a few weeks that was! We have longstanding clients and friends in Christchurch and we were so relieved to learn that they are all safe and well.........but certainly shaken! The after shocks seem to never end. And as a small country everyone seems to know someone affected by the earthquake tragedy. Even watching the tevelvision coverage, it is difficult to comprehend the extent of the devastation, knowing full well that the damage to property and lives is far worse than can be shown on a television screen. Our thoughts are with you Christchurch. Let’s not forget either what some of our Australian friends have just been through, and despite their pain, isn’t it great to see the immediate response from our neighbours in the form of very tangible support! The two countries have a very special bond. There is an increasing awareness of assessment tools and they seem to be everywhere! But we wonder sometimes, whether some businesses are getting the best from their investment. Commercially, we would expect our clients to ask us “How can the use of your tools improve my organisation’s performance and the return to our shareholders”? We have quite a number of very good clients who do understand the value of behavioural style assessment and the value it can add to their clients, and of course this is very satisfying for us. For this reason our team follow up new clients and maintain contact with existing clients. The important issue for us is that the use of Extended DISC is contributing to a better performance and outcome. We take a look at this issue in this edition of FactSheet. Our Open 360 tool is becoming more popular but is not used widely by all our clients. This may be because it is not that well known and tends to be used by our more experienced consultants focusing on more specific HR assignments. We have included a brief explanation of the tool in this month’s issue. We ran out of space last month when talking about Team Analysis Reports, so this month we have featured, in table format, a summary of some of the benefits and challenges in team dynamics as they relate to the four basic styles in table format this month. We hope you find this a useful reference.
Assessment Strategy – how to maximise the benefits of behavioural style assessment
Assessments are now used in almost every organisation, from small businesses to international corporations. They seem to be everywhere! We see them used by online dating services through to Government Departments and every type of organisation in between!
There must be compelling reasons for this. And there are! But from a puely commercial viewpoint, why should an organisation invest in assessment tools? Often we see organisations that use assessment tools not relating or tying them back to their business goals. They are almost used in a vacuum and although everyone seems to agree that they are “valuable and useful”, the users often have difficulty clearly articulating the impact they have on their organisation. But shouldn’t the main reason for using assessments, or any other business tool for that matter, be that it improves the business? If they do not help in achieving the business goals, assessments are not doing what they should do. Of course there are many very valuable one-off applications of assessments. For example, they can be a very effective addition to a training programme or help in making better hiring decisions. However a more strategic approach to using assessments will have a more significant impact on the top and bottom lines. Some months back I read a study that concluded “63% of companies did not believe their workforce was adequately prepared to meet their future plans” and in the same study “human capital issues took four of the top ten most pressing issues on a leadership’s agenda”. And this is not the first time many of us would have been made aware of such statistics. So how can we ensure that businesses are getting the most out of our assessments? Our consultants tell us that the best results are achieved when an organisation develops an assessment strategy that clearly addresses why it is using assessment tools. Rather than use them as a one-off application that addresses just one specific issue, they develop a holistic approach to ensuring they really receive and use the information to improve their business. The question they ask is “What should we do differently?” Typically, our clients that receive the greatest business impact from the assessments take the following steps:
If you take these steps as well, you will ensure that you are using your assessment tools strategically and in a way that drives your business forward.
Extended DISC Open 360°Our Open 360° is a customisable and flexible tool for measuring skills, competencies and behaviours. It is an excellent tool for applications such as coaching, leadership and management development. Open 360° can be used in any application where feedback from others is helpful in developing the performance of employees, teams and organisations. How does the process work?
How customisable is Open 360°?Extended DISC®’s versatility allows the instruments to have:
To learn more contact us today!
Extended DISC – Benefits and Challenges to a TeamLast month we looked at a case study that involved the use of our Team Analysis Report in identifying some fundamental issues that required the attention of management. When writing the article I intended including a summary of benefits and challenges to a team, but we ran out of space. So this month, we have included the summary, which we hope you will find useful.
Please contact us to discuss how Extended DISC can assist you or your organisation Turn Talent into Performance.Email us, or call 61 7 3103 0177Author:Extended DISC Australasia |
