APPENDIX B

STYLE INSTRUMENTS

The individual sessions are an opening for the parties to get to know their unique styles of behavior, learning, and conflict, as well as how these styles support or hinder their workplace dynamic. There are numerous online and printed self-assessment instruments, also referred to as profiles or inventories, which allow the individual to see their tendencies, trigger points, and reactive style under stress. Most can be given as individual profiles or as a 360-degree assessment, which has the advantage of showing not only how the taker perceives their style but also how others experience the taker's style when it interacts with their own.

Having each party complete one or more of these assessments offers insight that enriches the conversation and learning during the individual sessions. In the joint sessions, I invite the parties to compare results, talk about similarities and differences in style, and generate theories about how their different styles may have contributed to the conflict.

These instruments can be revelatory in demonstrating how different ways of viewing the world impact a relationship. For example, an introvert could be seen as unfeeling, arrogant, or unintelligent to an extravert. Similarly, an accommodating conflict style is less likely to express their point of view and might wait too long to bring up problems. When the parties see how their different (or similar) styles have been acted out in the workplace, they can view the conflict from a more objective place.

I've found the following style indicators to be helpful in generating learning conversations:

The Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI)

Used primarily as an individual assessment, the TKI reflects the taker's tendencies in five conflict styles: avoidance, competition, compromise, accommodation, or collaboration. You see the strengths and drawbacks of each style and the circumstances where each style is helpful or unhelpful.

The DiSC Personality Assessment

A commonly used assessment in teambuilding and communication training, this instrument measures tendencies toward certain behaviors. The DiSC letters stand for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness, and show how the individual taking the assessment relates to others.

As I See Myself

Offered by Effectiveness Institute, “As I See Myself” is a twenty-one-page booklet that reveals the taker's behavior style and summarizes the associated strengths and challenges for that style. “As I See Myself” is designed as an individual style instrument and can also be used in conjunction with “As Others See Me,” in which case, the taker receives feedback from others on their style.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®)

Historically used in organizational teambuilding, interviewing, and coaching, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator identifies, measures, and describes where the taker's basic preferences fall among sixteen distinctive personality types. The taker will find out, for example, if they are more extraverted or introverted, sensing or intuitive, a thinker or a feeler, and whether they prefer to get things decided or to stay open to new information. The MBTI requires special training to administer and help the taker to fully understand the results.

The Conflict Dynamics Profile

Specifically created to measure constructive and destructive behaviors in conflict settings, the CDP also measures hot buttons that trigger emotions. Examples of constructive behaviors are reaching out, reflective thinking, and expressing emotions. Some of the destructive behaviors measured by the CDP are retaliating, demeaning, and avoiding. Taken as a 360-degree instrument, it helps the taker see discrepancies between how they rate themselves on constructive/destructive scales and how others—peers, direct reports, and their supervisor—perceive their behaviors. The CDP requires training to administer and help the taker to fully understand the results.

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