Why Use Assessments

Nobody likes being put into a box.  In fact, I was so against making people feel that way that for the first few years of my coaching that I refused to use personality assessments.  And then, as I grew as a coach, I learned a few things:

Not all personality assessments are the same.  Most of the more recognized assessments are easily received because they are easily understood.  And that’s because they have a limited number of categories they place people in.  So yes, these can make you feel in a box.  Are they helpful? Certainly, in knowing how you are different than other people in large ways.  But when it comes to personal development, you need a tool that considers the nuance of you, and since you are complex, any tool that tries to understand you is going to be complex as well.  The two assessments I use look at people from a trait perspective, meaning the combinations feel almost endless.  Add to that the fact that you get the opportunity to describe how those traits show up means that your assessment will be as individual as you are.

 Assessments save time and money.  There is nothing that a good assessment shows that a good coach can’t discover over time.  But how much time?  And if the results are the same, why not save that time and speed up the process?  If, in one session, we can discover that you adjust to life’s obstacles quickly and to the outside observer, you seem apathetic and uninterested, we can work on that immediately.  But if it takes multiple conversations of hearing you express to me the different things people say and then me putting them together, progress is going to move much slower.  

Assessments are for you, not about you. Quality assessments won’t claim to solve the puzzle of who you are.  Rather, they compare your answers to a vast sampling of others, providing statistical norms to consider.  In areas where they don’t make sense, you can disregard them and say, “Whatever.” However, in the areas that do make sense, you might learn something valuable about how you present yourself to those around you.  The key is that you determine what is helpful, not the assessment or the coach.

Don’t be afraid of quality personality assessments.  Good doctors, mechanics, and computer technicians all use diagnostic tests.  Like any tool, its purpose is to provide efficiency in the work and helpful information.