Assessment CentersApproach

The Great Profile identifies the “difference-making” capabilities that drive performance

Unlike competency modeling which focuses on generic skills and abilities across a broad range of roles and levels in an organization, The Great Profile identifies the “difference-making” capabilities that drive performance in the form of behaviors which reflect the client’s own language, culture and differentiating business strategy. The Great Profile provides the foundation for all talent management systems (e.g., selection, succession, development, performance management) and is uniquely tailored for your goals. Great Profiles can be developed for critical roles (e.g., general manager) or particular levels (e.g., director and above) within a company. Our development processes are systematic, objective, valid and legally defensible. We use an iterative process designed to include stakeholders and focus the content on that which is most critical for current and future success. We also apply qualitative and quantitative research methods that best fit your needs.

A Great Playbook codifies the critical challenges an incumbent faces on the job and the choices they should and should not make to succeed against each one based on highly tenured SME input.

Challenges are important events that the incumbents encounter and/or that have large impact on the business and/or its employees

• The playbook frames the challenges around a specific cycle invoking an existing execution rhythm (e.g., sales cycle, project phases) or a career stage (e.g., First time Country Manager, New Store Manager)

Choices are divided into two categories of behaviors:

• Behaviors that “GREAT” incumbents engage in when faced with the challenge and find success
• Behaviors that the ‘Not So Great’ incumbents display when faced with the challenge and discover failure
• Behaviors that are depicting preferred choices may come from various capabilities
• No established limits exist on the number of challenges or choices that can be included

The virtual assessment center provides a web-based platform that allows candidates, assessors, and client stakeholders to work together virtually and simultaneously regardless of where they are in the world.

It facilitates “a day in the life” experience, in which participants actually try on the job for a few hours, use familiar, simple technology and interact with real people playing real roles. Our simulations include multiple exercises (e.g., inbox, role plays, case study presentations) that are delivered virtually to individuals via an internet-enabled device (i.e., computer, tablet) and VoiP, webcam or phone. The results highlight participant strengths and development needs that can be used to inform selection decisions, high potential identification, and development planning. Simulations include off-the-shelf and customized solutions.

Virtual Assessments for Development leverage the world’s leading approach to diagnosing development needs to provide an environment in which development needs can be assessed.

Effectively providing a sandbox in which participants display various leadership behaviors, virtual assessment for development allows remote assessors to observe participants while they respond to realistic challenges, leading to robust uncovering of participants’ development needs. Information gleaned from the assessment is compiled into individual feedback reports and feedback and development planning sessions take place between assessors and participants to ensure there is a clear path to improvement. Follow-up coaching sessions then help the participant stay on track and leverage learnings back on the job.

180° and 360° feedback assesses employee performance from the perspectives of those who work most closely with the individual (e.g., peers, managers, direct reports).

No organizational action has more power for motivating employee behavior change than feedback from credible work associates. Using the feedback to understand personal strengths and areas for development, participants can then target those development goals that are most critical for their success. The results are used to provide individual developmental feedback and diagnose skill gaps for groups. 180/360 feedback can be designed for survey implementation, interviews or a combination of the two. Our 180/360 instruments are custom, designed, typically built from your Great Profile and do not require third party coach interpretation.

The Leadership Lab uses business simulations (e.g., BA1) to observe and assess individual and group behaviors.

A Leadership Lab solution catches participants “in the act of being themselves” during the course of a program. Multiple rounds of individual and group level feedback are key takeaways, along with opportunities for on-going development.

MyLead is a virtual experience for the accelerated development of mid- to senior-level managers and professionals.

During this multi-week program, participants spend several hours each week working as a leader facing realistic business challenges within an individual-level business simulation. An executive coach works with participants throughout the experience to provide feedback and guidance as well as plan for further development.

Senior selection generally requires bringing together a suite of tools that will best address the needs of the role for which selection is being made.

These tools typically include interviews, psychometric testing, review of background experience, case study review, and more.

There are two types of program coaching – Coaching with a big C and coaching with a small c.

Coaching with a big C involves a long-term relationship between a participant and an executive coach, in which development goals are identified (generally via 360 data and psychometrics) and then an action plan is put in place to address the participant’s needs. A coach can also act as a sounding board for the participant during a role transition, helping to guide the participant through the change. Coaching with a small c is generally coaching that is provided along with another intervention (virtual assessment, for example), in which the lead assessor for a given participant works closely with the participant over a few sessions to design a developmental action plan based on the assessment results and together they begin to implement the recommendations.