So which profiling tool?

Team development and leadership coaching is teaming with interpretive frameworks, profiling tools and diagnostic instruments designed to help understand people better to support performance improvement.

Due to the diverse nature and purpose of each profiling tool or model, the choice of the right one will depend on many factors, such as the business case, your development programme requirements, management / team expectations and your desired learning outcomes.

In our view the right tools used in the right ways can have immense value and are often undervalued. Many teams and leaders we work with have found them to be helpful ways to think about leadership, team dynamics and organisational principles all with improvements in employee performance, engagement, and effectiveness in mind.

Here’s some of the reasons why incorporating profiling tools can add real value to targeted team or individual development:

• They create a common language across teams
• They can help to build synergy and more effective teamworking
• There is the opportunity to understand differences, respect and value them in self and others
• Increase awareness of individual and collective strengths and development areas
• They help teams and leaders think about biases and blind spots
• Add real insight to targeted team development
• Support active engagement of employees
• Some tools can be used alongside recruitment processes for selecting candidates
• They can support better decision-making, conflict resolution and even make for more effective selling.

Profiling isn’t about pigeon-holing people or sticking someone in a category or box. Each individual is continually changing and is always free to choose how he or she responds in the future. In fact, simply understanding a framework or profiling report is often enough for some people to make the changes required to be more effective.

We have spent years developing our skills and abilities using the tools and matching the right ones, in the right scenarios with the right teams and leaders. This will continue to be tweaked with our continued experience and practice.

Our work demonstrates time and time again how dialogue around team and leadership dynamics using good profiling frameworks and tools can be both enlightening and liberating. We never underestimate the human capacity for adaptability and growth.

We can help you to come up with a profiling strategy, clear any misconceptions, help you to follow up regularly so that reports are not left to gather dust. Used and understood correctly, profiling can be a key differentiator for your business: a way to maximise your success.

We offer a wide range of tools and techniques to suit the needs of you, your team and your business, helping you and your team improve how you work together.

• DiSC Workplace, DiSC for Leaders, DiSC 363, DiSC Productive Conflict
• Thomas International – Personal Profile Analysis (PPA), High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI), General Intelligence Assessment (GIA), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEiQ)
• TMS Development International Magerison and McCann – Team Management Profile, Opportunity Orientation Profile QO2, Window on Work Values, Leadership Behaviours Profile
• Strengths Profile
• VIA Institute on Character (values in action)

We use them in our coaching practice, in development programmes for leaders, teams and individuals, in team building events and in consultancy and other support. Contact us today if this piques your interest.