| I receive many jokes in my inbox. Jokes are brilliant | | | | skills, strategies, behaviours and motivators. |
| because not only do they make you laugh, but if you | | | | This indicates that there is very little revolutionary |
| pay attention, you can usually find an imbedded lesson. | | | | information unearthed by the assessments, whether it |
| The fascinating aspect is that the same joke can | | | | is Myers Briggs, DISC or various other assessment |
| impart a different message depending on the | | | | tools. Does this mean that participants do not find any |
| recipient's head space and time. | | | | value in assessing themselves? Quite the contrary and |
| In my training and coaching practice, we often start | | | | as the saying goes, there's more to the truth than just |
| with assessments. Let me share this joke with you | | | | the facts. |
| and then I'll describe the lesson I learned from it with | | | | The participants positively glow with praise over the |
| relation to assessment tools. | | | | assessment process. Notice the use of the word |
| A woman brought a very limp duck into a | | | | process. When an assessment is completed in isolation |
| veterinarian's office. As she laid her pet on the table, | | | | it has only limited value. Assessment reports contain a |
| the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the | | | | wealth of "nice to know" information and most people |
| bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his | | | | appreciate the focused time spent on getting to know |
| head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, your Duck Cuddles | | | | themselves a little bit better. |
| has passed away!" | | | | However, what can make an assessment |
| The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure? | | | | consequential is not so much the information it contains, |
| "Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," he replied. | | | | rather how that information is framed. The intelligence |
| "How can you be so sure," she protested. "I mean, you | | | | gleaned from good assessment reports is framed in a |
| haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might | | | | context that enables it to be a starting point for the |
| just be in a coma or something." | | | | process of self development; personal, professional or |
| The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the | | | | both. |
| room. He returned a few moments later with a black | | | | The process of developing one's potential starts with |
| Labrador retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in | | | | self-discovery. |
| amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his | | | | Imagine you are about to take a road trip out west to |
| front paws on the examination table and sniffed the | | | | see the Rockies. Your car, while not ancient, does |
| duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet | | | | have some mileage on it, so it's prudent to take it to a |
| with sad eyes and shook his head. | | | | mechanic to have some diagnostics run. On the basis |
| The vet patted the dog and took it out, and returned a | | | | of the mechanic's assessment you may decide to |
| few moments later with a cat. | | | | chug along as is and hope for the best or youmay |
| The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed | | | | choose to rotate your tires to improve your |
| delicately at the bird from head to foot. The cat sat | | | | performance. You may even invest in a Global |
| back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly | | | | Positioning System to monitor your progress and help |
| and strolled out of the room. | | | | find your way back on track if you get lost. Whatever |
| The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but | | | | you decide, it is a decision based on all the intelligence |
| as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead | | | | you have available to you at the time and that is the |
| duck." | | | | most responsible way to make important decisions. |
| Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few | | | | In the case of my clients, these decisions can include |
| keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the | | | | the deployment of identified leadership strategies to |
| woman. | | | | evoke desired results, undertaking training and/or |
| The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. | | | | coaching to build strengths for greatest success, |
| "$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!! | | | | seizing a new career direction and restructuring |
| The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word | | | | environments to achieve greater effectiveness. |
| for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab | | | | To fully exploit the power of assessments, it is |
| Report and the CAT scan, it's now $150.00. | | | | important that you view it as a first step in the process |
| Cute, but what is the imbedded lesson regarding the | | | | of personal and professional development. It involves |
| use of assessment tools? | | | | learning what you already know in a frame and |
| The lesson in this joke is that sometimes you have to | | | | perspective that enables you to have concrete |
| pay someone to learn something you already | | | | outcomes based growth. |
| inherently know. Does it mean that you shouldn't waste | | | | In the joke I told, I believe the woman knew that her |
| your money on tests and self-assessments? | | | | beloved duck was dead but she needed professional |
| Absolutely not and I'll explain why. | | | | or at least house pet confirmation before she could |
| After a client completes an assessment, we review | | | | move on and make appropriate decisions. In real life, I |
| the report in detail and explore the significance of the | | | | believe that most people have a sense of their skills, |
| findings. At this time, I see a lot of nodding and hear | | | | strengths and behaviours and their impact, but there |
| many knowing chuckles. The consistent feedback is | | | | are challenges in articulation and execution of goals. |
| that the client is in total agreement with the | | | | Objective assessment tools give the perspective and |
| assessments reports. They are astonished at how a | | | | lay the foundation for you to act with intention to |
| simple questionnaire can so accurately describe their | | | | realize your potential. |