Using Assessments In A Career Development Plan

Your personality is your most valuable professional asset - and your biggest potential liability. The difference? Understanding how to leverage it effectively. Many professionals struggle to understand their strengths and weaknesses, leading to missed opportunities and stalled careers. You've probably tried self-reflection or asked for feedback, but these methods often fall short. That's where personality assessments come in. But not all assessments are created equal. ---Class A Assessments--- ▪ Used for psychiatric or mental health evaluations ▪ Highly validated and reliable for clinical use ▪ Example: MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) ---Class B Assessments--- ▪ Trait-based assessments used in professional settings ▪ Validated for use in hiring, development, and team building ▪ Examples: Hogan Assessment, Birkman Method, Winslow Profile ---Class C Assessments--- ▪ Personal development focused ▪ Used for self-awareness and team dynamics ▪ Examples: MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), DiSC, EQ assessments Many assessments are built on the foundation of the Big Five personality factors, also known as OCEAN: 🔸Openness to experience 🔸Conscientiousness 🔸Extraversion 🔸Agreeableness 🔸Neuroticism (or emotional stability) These five factors are considered the fundamental building blocks of personality. Understanding where you fall on each of these dimensions can provide powerful insights into your behavior, preferences, and potential career fit. Over 20 years ago, I took the Hogan Assessment. It was like someone handed me a user manual for my own brain. I discovered strengths I hadn't recognized and blind spots that were holding me back. I didn't just file it away. I reviewed it annually, using it as a roadmap for my personal and professional growth. Each year, I'd focus on leveraging a strength or addressing a weakness. The result? A more intentional and successful career path. You might be thinking, "So what?" ----Here's how you can apply this---- 1. Choose the right assessment for your needs (Highly recommend Class B) 2. Take it with an open mind 3. Review the results with a certified interpreter 4. Create an action plan based on your insights 5. Revisit and revise annually It's not about changing who you are. It's about understanding yourself better so you can make informed decisions about your career and relationships. Here's a question to ponder: If you had a clear map of your personality traits and tendencies, what would you do differently in your career? Share your thoughts below. And if you've had experiences with personality assessments, I'd love to hear about them!  

One assessment method won’t cut it... Multi-methods unlock hidden potential. Relying on a single method misses the full picture: → It overlooks important skills and abilities. → It may lead to biased or incomplete evaluations. → It fails to identify specific areas for improvement. A multi-method approach paints a full picture: 1. Performance Reviews Deliver structured feedback to highlight growth areas. Focus on actionable steps to improve performance.     2. Surveys & Interviews Gain honest insights directly from key stakeholders. Uncover both strengths and hidden challenges.     3. Skills Gap Analysis Identify critical priorities for targeted development. Design plans to close gaps and build key skills.     4. Self-Assessments Encourage leaders to reflect on their unique strengths. Build self-awareness to fuel ongoing growth.     5. Team Discussions Foster collaboration to unlock team potential. Reveal hidden strengths within group dynamics. Mix at least three methods for real impact: ☑ Schedule regular feedback check-ins. ☑ Build impact skills like communication. ☑ Use tech for surveys and real-time data. Smart assessments drive future-ready leaders. Follow Jonathan Raynor. Reshare to help others.

So many assessments! Don't they accomplish the same goals? Assessments are widely used in professional development, but not all assessments serve the same purpose. Some introduce self-awareness, others help leaders apply insights to behavior, and a select few drive deep transformation. We’ve mapped key psychometric tools against Erikson’s Identity-Connection-Contribution model and Bloom’s/Kegan’s developmental frameworks to provide a clearer understanding of how different assessments align with leadership growth. Having personally taken most of the popular assessments, I understand their strengths, limitations, and how they can be best applied to leadership and team development. 📊 Key Insights from the Graphic: Early-Stage Awareness Tools (16Personalities, Indigo, MBTI, DISC) Help individuals understand leadership tendencies but often focus on categorization rather than deep development. They are primarily useful for exploration, self-labeling, and foundational leadership awareness. Developmental Growth Tools (CliftonStrengths, EQ-i 2.0) Move beyond awareness into applied leadership development, measuring strengths, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills. EQ-i 2.0 is scientifically validated to measure emotional intelligence competencies that can be developed over time. Advanced Transformational Tools (MSCEIT 2.0, EQ-i 2.0 at deeper application levels) Assess higher-order leadership competencies, including decision-making, emotional intelligence ability, and strategic leadership agility. MSCEIT 2.0 is ability-based. It measures how well leaders actually process emotions in real-world situations rather than their self-perception. Why Does This Matter for Leader Development? We should know the purpose of each assessment. Some provide insights, others drive action, and a few catalyze transformation. Assessments are not the final step. They might even be the beginning step. Leadership growth happens through reflection, coaching, and continuous development (Mezirow, 1991). Which assessments have had the biggest impact on your leadership journey? Educators and coaches, what do you think? Let’s discuss in the comments! #Leadership, #Innovation, #Management Multi-Health Systems Inc. (MHS), International Coaching Federation, SHRM 👇

Are leadership assessments useful tools or just nice thought exercises? 85% of organizations report using some type of leadership assessment for their leaders and emerging leaders. But all too often, they end up being a one-time nice thought exercise with no ongoing, sustainable action. The problem? Too often, leaders are given one assessment and left to their own devices. By themselves, leadership assessments are a great starting point, but are only one data point. When I oversaw leadership development, there was a stark difference between: 1️⃣ when we just administered the assessments and 2️⃣ when we started giving out assessments AND providing individual/group debrief sessions with action planning. People left with a clearer understanding of their style, how to build on their strengths, and how to flex their styles to work with specific people on their teams. Assessments can be really effective tools, but if you’re truly looking to fill that leadership gap, you can make these assessments really effective with these 3 tips: 👉 Turn insights into action with continuous feedback Assessments can help create ongoing feedback loops by training managers on how to coach leaders in implementing and building on their strengths and skills. 👉 Make development personal with tailored plans Even if everybody’s goal is to become CEO of your nonprofit, they all start from different places with different experiences, different strengths, and different areas of development. One size doesn’t fit all. Customize development plans based on individual assessment results to address specific strengths and areas for growth. 👉 Choose the right tool for the job to get better data I know there’s limited resources, but truthfully, one size truly does not fit all. DISC or Clifton Strengths are great individual assessments, but they don’t give you insights into organizational culture or team dynamics. To be most effective, you need to find assessments that cover these domains: - Organizational assessment (including succession planning and culture) - Team assessments - Individual Assessments Assessments are a great start, but without follow through, they're just paper. What you do with it makes the difference. What has been your experience with leadership assessments? 👇 ------- Follow me for more strategies on confidently aligning your processes, leadership, and culture to get things done in your organization. #supervisors #leaders #managers #empathyatwork #employeeengagement #communicationskills #difficultconversations #nonprofitleadership