$Account.OrganizationName
The Leadership Advisor
"The ability to lead well is the defining characteristics of great people and organizations."
May 2006
In This Issue
Sign Up
Happenings ...

"The noted value of any assessment comes from recognizing that people are different and giving a vocabulary to those differences."

Business man1
by Phil Eastman
When we first engage with a client that is interested in developing or enhancing their teams’ leadership abilities, we are usually greeted by a request for some sort of training. That training may take the form of a workshop, small group coaching, or even one-on-one coaching. Our immediate response is to want more information about the needs of team so we can tailor an approach that fits their situation. We aim to know more about the challenge the client is attempting to meet. To clients the period of assessment often seems like time that could be spent working on the situation but for us being able to apply the most appropriate service to every situation is not only key to success, but a matter of professional desire. Thus, we almost always want to assess the situation in some form.

Assessments fit into broad categories and based on the type of engagement we may use either approach or both. The first type of assessment is to conduct individual or small group interviews with key people in the organization. We most often use interviews when the client is requesting we help them with organizational direction, structure or process issues. Interviews allow us to understand the issues in the organization, they allow key individuals to be heard in regard to their concerns and potential solutions to particular challenges. Interviews allow us to build rapport with people in the organization. All three of these purposes are essential to effectively helping leaders and organizations meet their challenges. The benefits of interview assessments are that they are highly personal and informative. The down side of the interview process is, they are time consuming and thus more expensive than standardized assessments.

Standardized assessments comprise the second major way of assessing organizational situations. Standardized assessments include all types of organizational measurements where people provide numerical answers to specific questions about management, leadership and/or team effectiveness. Standardized assessments also include customer service and employee satisfaction surveys. Our practice uses several different standardized assessments to understand where to direct our consulting expertise in a client engagement. For management and leadership assessments we use both validated and non-validated assessments. Validated assessments are based on scientific research.

The best example of a validated assessment from our library is the Managerial Assessment of Proficiency (MAP). This classic assessment has over 75,000 participants in its data base and thus participants who use MAP find out not only where they stand on 12 essential management competencies but also how they rank among the previous users of MAP. This type of assessment is best used in situations where the company or the participants highly value a scientific approach to assessment. Much more common however, in our assessment library are assessments built on research and opinion. These assessments still offer valid results for the participants but participants are not necessarily compared to previous participants. Within this type of assessment we use fixed competency models and open ended assessments. The fixed competency assessment is one in which the creator of the assessment has already defined the essential competencies of the leader and the participant is rated against those pre-determined categories. The open assessment is quite popular and allows the client to choose the particular leadership or management competencies they want to measure and thus build a customized assessment for their organization. The major benefit of the open-ended assessments is flexibility and ease of continuing administration.

As you look at our website you will see assessments embedded in nearly all our programs and services:
  • The Managerial Assessment of Proficiency: validated self-assessment
  • Perspectives: multi-rater assessment
  • PS Leader: multi-rater assessment
  • Leadership Advisor: open ended multi-rater assessment
  • High Performance Teamwork: team assessment in a multi-rater form
  • The BEST Style-Personality and communication style: self-assessment
  • Dealing with Conflict: self or multi-rater assessment
  • Situational Leadership: self or multi-rater assessment
  • The Naked Truths of Leadership: self or multi-rater assessment
  • Customer Service: self and organizational assessment

With all these options, the essential question for our clients is, “why do we need to conduct assessments?” I think the best way to understand the need for some level of assessment prior to a consulting engagement is to think about visiting a theme park. If you have ever visited a major theme park you know that one of the essential elements of having the type of experience you want, is to pick up a map. The first thing you must do when encountering the nearly endless possibilities of the theme park is to determine where you are in relation to the choices the park has to offer. There is limited time and money for most people who attend these parks; so putting your resources toward accomplishing what you want most is very important.

There are an infinite number of options you can undertake but the most important part of the development journey is to find out where you are now and where you should put your development resources. The assessment performs the role of the theme park map. First, you find out where you are and then you plan how to use your development resources to meet the challenges you have.

Phil Eastman, a partner in the Boise-based consulting firm, Leadership Advisors Group, helps clients enhance their leadership effectiveness. He combines more than 20 years of leadership experience with his passion for consulting, coaching and teaching to help people grow personally, build teams, and improve performance.
Business Man
by Lorene Rasmussen
Organizations have been using assessments for decades to predict, measure, and modify employee performance. When applied correctly, assessments are an excellent tool for determining and understanding an individual’s core competencies.

Leadership Advisors Group believes in using assessment tools at all levels of an organization. Obviously, specific assessments should be used for various positions throughout the company. However, the noted value of any assessment comes from recognizing that people are different and giving a vocabulary to those differences. In our practice, we have found that a common language emerges from the assessments that can be used to form cohesive teams, help resolve conflicts and build individual competency.

Assessments held at regular intervals can be used to document an employee’s real and perceived value to the organization, and assist the employee on understanding what is actually expected within their current role. The benefits of assessments for some employers have been increased productivity, creativity, and revenue due to the employee’s empowerment and personal satisfaction. (Studies have shown that these two traits alone can significantly aid employee retention.)

Employers and employees should view assessments as a written plan for rewarding excellence and supporting change when needed. Using assessments as a planning tool, instead of an evaluation will minimize negative attitudes and offer opportunities for rewarding positive aspects of an employee’s performance. Success will follow when employees receive the necessary tools from feedback that is timely and specific.

When choosing assessments, consider what your people can learn from the tool and how it can improve their performance. If the assessment results are hard to understand and an individual development plan can not be constructed from the results then it’s not the assessment for you.

Lorene Rasmussen, partner for Business Operations, guides and supports the daily and strategic operations of Leadership Advisors Group. She combines a unique sense of fun and organization to insure operations run smoothly and that clients receive the highest quality service possible. Lorene’s background in corporate, nonprofit, and family leadership brings a wide range of experience to the Leadership Advisors team.

Phil Eastman & Lorene Rasmussen
Leadership Advisors Group

phone: (208) 344-0471
Email Marketing by