The Balancing Act of Psychometric Testing in Career and Leadership Development
What’s your thoughts on psychometric testing (think MBTI, DiSC, Insights, etc) and have you ever used it for career development?
To be honest, I have a complicated relationship with psychometric testing. I initially was quite skeptical and it wasn’t something I recommended or used much until I was introduced to strengths-based assessments in my Masters. Maybe I thought of the assessments as outdated, and I certainly didn’t agree with them being used as hiring tools, or to provide lists of potential jobs.
While I still don’t think they should be used for those reasons, I have introduced some psychometric tools to the career and leadership development work that I do. I now believe that when used with a light, balanced touch, they can be useful for developing self-awareness, or as a common language to support team and leadership development.
First off, let’s talk about self-awareness. There are no psychometric assessments that are 100% accurate, we are all far too complex and nuanced, however, they can still reflect our traits, strengths, preferences, and behavioral tendencies. They can act as a spark that ignites self-discovery, fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves. Completing an MBTI or strengths assessment can be a great first step when re-assessing our career choices, or understanding how we work best.
Building Bridges: Common Language for Effective Communication
The right assessment can provide a common language for teams and leaders to communicate effectively and understand each other better. I remember doing an assessment with my team when I first started at Google. I can’t remember which one exactly, but I still remember the color I was assigned, who was with me in that group, and what groups my colleagues were in! At the time, it was helpful to understand how others prefer to work and how I work best too.
Leadership Development:
The first few years as a leader can be tough when you are trying to find your own leadership style. By uncovering individual strengths, preferences, and behavioral tendencies, an assessment can provide invaluable insights into your preferred leadership approach. They act as a mirror, reflecting one’s natural inclinations and areas for growth, enabling leaders to better understand themselves and their impact on others.
My top contenders: Strengths Assessments, MBTI, and DISC
Let’s shine the spotlight on my 3 top assessments; strengths-based assessments, MBTI, and DiSC.
Strengths Assessments identify your strengths and those of your team. On an individual basis this can be powerful to help with career decisions, understanding what makes work meaningful, and boosting confidence. At a team level, understanding each team member’s strengths, allows teams to work efficiently so that each person’s strengths are maximized. It builds trust and mutual respect and maximises performance.
MBTI: MBTI categorizes personalities into 16 types, offering insights into how individuals perceive the world and make decisions. Carl Jung, a psychologist, created this team personality test. His theory was that humans experience the world with four psychological functions: sensation, intuition, feeling and thinking. These four functions affect a person’s work style, how they relax and rejuvenate, their strengths and weaknesses, and more. It was Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs who would later format these four psychological functions into sixteen personality types. Your personality type describes whether you are extroverted or introverted, how you process information, how you make decisions, and how you go about doing things. I often use it as a first step with career coaching clients to support them in becoming more self-aware.
DiSC: This assessment is all about behavior. It segments individuals into Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness categories. It is helpful for understanding work styles and adapting communication to suit different personalities. It also helps to understand how to motivate team members, resolve conflict and understand your leadership style.
My preference: Strengths Assessment
Although I am certified in all of the above assessments, the strengths assessment would be my preferred method and the one I use most. Why? Because it focuses on what you’re naturally good at. It’s less about fitting into a type and more about embracing individuality.
There is an abundance of research on various strengths-based assessments that show knowing and using strengths can boost confidence, motivation, and overall job satisfaction, contributing to a more fulfilling career. It’s also a positive, uplifting way of team bonding. When team members know their own strengths, and understand their colleagues it leads to increased collaboration, mutual respect and better communication.
The Caveat: Handle with Care!
While these assessments are incredibly insightful, they should be used with a sprinkle of caution. When working with teams, or 121 I always emphasis that they are not fortune-telling devices but rather guides to help you develop. Over-reliance on these tests can confine us to narrow boxes, limiting our potential for growth and exploration.
While psychometric assessments have their uses, like any tool, their true power lies in how we wield them—with balance, awareness, and the option to question & decide our own results.
So, go ahead, take those tests, explore your strengths, decipher your personality type, and participate in a team event, but always remember: you’re a kaleidoscope of talents, skills, and potential and no test can encapsulate the entirety of who you are.
Feel free to contact me if you would like a coffee to chat about how we could create an event using psychometrics for your team.
I’d love to know your thoughts on psychometric assessments below; good, bad, neither?
