Our Grandson playing video games inside his new kid’s furniture. Modular furniture for kids is sturdy enough for kids to sit on top of and climb on, and then turn around and rearrange the blocks to align with their creativity in the moment. It offers them new thinking about how they want to sit, play, and interact with one another.
When you need new thinking
Dear Assessment, let me count the ways I love you….
I know, why would someone write a love letter to an assessment?
It could be because an assessment allows people to see themselves in a positive light. Which, for many, is a refreshing way to look at their strengths, characteristics, and how frequently other people see them at their best. We get so hung up on improving that we forget to honor what we do well, how we think uniquely, and what gifts we need to keep developing and offering so we find joy in all that we do.
The first time I took an assessment, it opened my eyes to appreciate who I was as an individual - not a wife, mother, sister, daughter, volunteer, or coworker. It was gratifying on more levels than I expected. It also made me hungry to see who I could continue to become because of my gifts. That’s the cool thing about assessments when they are used correctly. They invite you to meet yourself where you are, and then open you up to go places new.
Gary Hensel writes: “I AM”: Two of the most powerful words; for what you put after them shapes your reality.
If you were to start a sentence with ‘I am’, what words would you use to complete it?
Often, we hesitate here because it can feel like a loaded sentence due to the responsibilities we now have to take; to be who we say we are. To help that road feel easier, assessments become secret weapons of insight.
Assessments invite you to meet yourself where you are, and then open up new thinking to take you places you can choose to go next. It brings permission to be who they are while preparing the foundation of who they want to become next.
I always offer my clients at least 1, if not 2, assessments to help increase their self-awareness, their self-appreciation, and self-acceptance. Even when a client comes with a clear challenge to tackle, unpacking the stories behind why the challenge exists is a worthwhile endeavor for both of us. Assessments jumpstart both the thinking around the challenge and the acceptance of new perspectives.
For individuals who’ve never taken any type of assessment, I love to start with the Strength Finder assessment. Acknowledging someone’s natural strengths is like revealing their gifts in ways they have never considered. This assessment is designed to heighten how to value one’s gifts while suddenly increasing their ability to recognize and appreciate the gifts of others. It is a true DEI gift to teams who need to innovate faster.
For leaders, I also offer The Leadership Circle Profile 360 assessment. This assessment includes a self-assessment for the leader and the input of a group of people they have selected to give them a better understanding of how often other people experience their display of leader characteristics that research has identified as crucial for building successful teams. I love this assessment because it only asks about the frequency of experiencing specific behaviors and leaves little room for opinions or quality statements as quantity tells a better story.
Both assessments give a foundation for many other assessments floating around the workplace and heighten the understanding behind many, including DiSC, 5 Geniuses, Enneagram, etc.
In both assessment journeys, you are not asked to become different. You are asked to Mature your GIFTS.
To explore an assessment that may be useful for your success at work, just reach out and ask. I’m happy to offer the insights behind so many assessments out in this world. No single assessment is a panacea for everything. Use these tools wisely.