Below is a chart that depicts the differences between a coach and consultant approach to the selection, administration, and review of assessments with a client. I encourage you to adopt the consultant approach in order for your clients’ learning to be enhanced which in turn will lead to their motivated actions.

Copyright 2005-2010. Nancy Branton, PCC, M. A.

This article is dedicated to Jean Haldane who passed away last month and to her husband Bernard Haldane (deceased) for their lasting legacy of the Dependable Strengths® Articulation Process (DSAP). Today DSAP is in use worldwide in schools, colleges, churches, businesses, correctional facilities, human services agencies, and more.  The Bernards left behind two organizations that continue to carry out their work: Center for Dependable Strengths (CDS) in Seattle, WA; and Dependable Strengths Foundation in South Africa that fosters job creation, worker motivation, and enhancement of skills.

Bernard created the DSAP in 1945 to assist WW II Veterans transition to civilian life. Dependable Strengths® (DS) represent people’s special talents for excellence and are discovered through a peer-assisted group process. Participants identify good memories of what they did well and which gave them a sense of pride and/or accomplishment. In dyads and/or quads, they share their stories of what they did as they were making it happen. Then, their peers give them feedback. Through a process of prioritization, participants walk away with clarity and ownership of their DS—“a skill or talent that shows itself three or more times in the person’s top seven Good Experiences”—and know how to demonstrate their value to employers.

I interviewed Carmen Croonquist, a Dependable Strengths® facilitator and career coach. She said, “The main difference between DS and StrengthsFinder 2.0 is that DS are generated based on people’s memories of life experiences and to which they’re emotionally connected. Whereas, the StrengthsFinder 2.0 provides test takers with data on their top natural talents and provides them with further information to confirm them.” Carmen has applied her knowledge of DS with college students, career clients, and career workshops/classes. She feels it equips them to demonstrate their value to current and future employers.

CDS offers DSAP 5-Day Facilitator Training and public workshops. Through CDS you can purchase resources to learn more about DS. I have found the following three books authored by Haldane/s to be valuable:

1. Gifts: Dependable Strengths for Your Future is a great resource on DS and contains activities to discover one’s DS;
2. Job Finding Power is for lay leaders and has useful information for them to assist the unemployed; and
3. Ministry Explorations: A Total Ministry Support System is a total ministry support system.

CDS, along with Center for Learning Connections and WOIS/The Career Information System, just launched the initiative “Coming Home: Dependable Strengths for Veterans.” You can donate to this cause online.

Wishing you success as you assist your clients in discovering their Dependable Strengths®!

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton.

SkillScan’s Career Driver Online Assessment

This inexpensive assessment is geared for clients that are ready to embark on a professional career or desire to make a career transition. It is taken online.

Coaches can set up an administrative account to purchase, administer, and download reports for their clients. They can access a Counselor’s User Guide that provides complete information on how administer, interpret, and coach clients on their results. For each section of the report, it provides suggested strategies and sample questions to use with career launcher and career transitioner clients. Also, coaches can download many helpful materials.

It will take your clients approximately 25 minutes to complete this online assessment. They can select either a Career Launcher Report (for people that are new to a professional career) or a Career Transitioner Report (for people that have two or more years of professional experience). After they’ve completed the assessment, they can download their report as a pdf. Coaches can download their clients’ reports through their administrative account.

The SkillScan’s Career Driver report provides a report overview and has four sections.

1.    Your Skill Road Map: lists their top four (out of six) skill categories (analytical, communication, creative, management/ leadership, physical/ technical, and relationship) in rank order, along with their highest rated skill in these categories. Coaches can encourage their clients to review this information to determine how well it aligns with their current or anticipated career.

2.    Road Work: shows skills most critical to their career development, along with development tips. Coaches can work with their clients to create a development action plan.

3.    Road Closures: displays the skills they have little or no interest in using or developing. Coaches can ask their clients how many of these skills they use in their current position. If they’re using a lot of their least favorite skills in their current position, it will bring clarity about which aspects of their job are least enjoyable.

4.    Your Trip Guide: shows their strongest preferred skill sets (out of 18 skill sets), in priority order, with common traits and suggested career options for each of them. Coaches can encourage them to focus attention on their top 2-4 skill sets and identify which of the relevant career options are most appealing. Then, they can explore relevant options in their current or future organization.

5.    Driver’s Test (only in the Career Transition Report): provides focusing activities and actions for them to learn more about their skills, interests, values, and work environment. Coaches can ask their clients to complete these activities, and then, ask them questions to determine the main causes(s) of their career dissatisfaction. Next, coaches can suggest them to brainstorm careers that would better fit them.

6.    Side Trips and Resources: provides them with information and resources to further assess, explore, develop, and promote a future career direction.

In summary, coaching on flow, along with the use of the Knowdell™ Motivated Skills Card Sort or SkillScan’s Career Driver Online assessment, will enable clients to become more clear about the skills they most, and least, enjoy using. Then, the coach can guide their clients to identify a career(s) that will allow them to use their enjoyable skills and stay away from their least enjoyable skills. Finally, the coach can work with them to create a development plan in order to develop their enjoyable skills and move toward their ideal career.

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton

Often, my clients say, I don’t like my current job and I want to find more enjoyable work.” It’s important for coaches to assist their clients in disentangling work activities that are intrinsically motivating to perform from those that are not.  Mihaly Csiksaentmihalyi’s concept of “flow” is a great one to introduce to your clients. Also, have your clients take one of these two assessments to discover skills they’re motivated to perform: 1) Knowdell™ Motivated Skills Card Sort, and 2) SkillScan™ Career Driver.

Coaching on Flow
Mihaly Csiksaentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, conducted research on people and discovered that flow—enjoying what you’re doing and losing track of time—occurs when both the skills and challenge are high. Use some or all of the following questions with your clients to help them uncover work activities they most enjoy and the types of challenging situations they want to use them for.

• Think about a time when you were totally absorbed in what you were doing at work (or in life) and lost track of time? What were you doing? What was challenging about this activity and/or situation?
• When else can you remember being absorbed and losing track of time? (Ask this question several times to pull out various experiences.)
• What common threads do you see in these experiences?
• How could you have more of these experiences?
• What work roles include these activities?
• Where in your current company could you perform these activities?
• Where else you could you perform these activities and experience this same challenge?
• What’s your key takeaway about flow?

Knowdell™ Motivated Skills Card Sort

This is one of several card sorts developed by Dick Knowdell. You can order this inexpensive deck of cards and accompanying worksheets at Career Trainer. Or, you can order and administer this assessment online. Each card lists one activity with a brief definition, e.g., “Conceptualize: Conceive and Internally Develop Concepts and Ideas.” Cards are sorted based on two variables: 1) level of enjoyment, and 2) level of skill. The five levels of enjoyment range from ‘Totally Delight in Using’ to ‘Strongly Dislike Using.’ And, the three degrees of skill range from ‘Highly Proficient’ to ‘Lack Desired Skill Level.’

After your clients have finished sorting the cards, ask them to record their results on a “Motivated Skills Worksheet.” Next, ask them to review their motivated skills—highly proficient in and totally delight in using; burnout skills—highly proficient in and strongly dislike using; and skills to develop—possess little or no skill and totally delight in using their burnout skills. Then, use some or all of the following coaching questions to heighten your clients’ self-awareness about their skills:

• How frequently are you using these motivated skills at work? How could you increase your opportunity to use them?
• How frequently are you using these burnout skills at work? How could you decrease your use of them?
• How could develop the skills you enjoy using but aren’t skilled in? How else?
• What’s your most empowering insight from this card sort?

Note: Watch for Part II of this article during the week of May 24, 2010.

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton

I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand —Og Mandino

Often clients say, “I want more meaningful work.” Yet, they don’t know what it is or how to find it.  With the use of assessments, tools, and coaching your clients will discover their passion and purpose.

A free initial measure for your clients’ that are working on purpose is a10-question online quiz, “Power of Purpose Quiz” (http://inventuregroup.com/Resources/Quiz.aspx). After completing it, your clients can compare their total score with the average score of other test takers. Then, coach them to explore their answers to the various questions in the quiz.

“Calling Cards – A Journey of Discovery” (http://www.inventuregroup.com/inventure-store/Calling-Cards-A-Journey-of-Discovery-P5.aspx) is an inexpensive and easy to use tool to help clients focus on what’s most important to them. It’s a deck of 52 cards and each card has two or three words on it, e.g., “starting things,’’ “getting things right,” “building things.” Ask them to quickly review all the cards and select 8 to10 cards they’re most drawn to. Next, ask them to select their favorite card(s). Then, coach them on that topic by asking questions such as:

• “What about that card makes it your favorite?”
• “Say more about that.”
• “What work experiences are closest to the words on the card?”
• “What other work activities tie to that the words on the card?”

Also, ask them to notice what Holland Theme is shown on that card, e.g., enterprising, realistic. If they’ve taken an interest inventory, encourage them to explore occupational areas that fit that both that Holland theme and the words on their favorite calling card.

To help your clients find their passions, start them out with a short passion quiz (http://www.thepassiontest.com/Offer/PTProfile/index.cfm). Ask them for feedback on their results. Coach them to brainstorm passions, and then, ask them to identify their top five. Continue to coach them to discover work that best matches those passions. If they desire further exploration of their passions, encourage them to take the full version of The Passion Test (http://www.thepassiontest.com). Or, they can take the Core Passion Assessment™ Tool (http://www.corepassion.com) online which provides people with a rank order of twelve core passions.

Discovering purpose and passion is an important step for your clients to find meaningful and enjoyable work. The discovery process can best be facilitated through coaching. Wishing you the best as you and your clients find purpose and passion!

Further Resources on Purpose and Passion:

• Authentic Happiness, by Martin Seligman.
• Beyond Halftime, by Bob Buford.
• Halftime: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance, by Bob Buford.
• Repacking Your Bags, by R. Leider and D. Shapiro.
• Something to Live For: Finding Your Way in The Second Half of Life, by Richard Leider.
• The Passion Test, by J. B. Attwood and C. Attwood.
• Wake Up…Live the Life You Love: Living on Purpose, compiled by Steven E. and Lee Beard.
• Whistle While You Work, by R. Leider and D. Shapiro.

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton.

Do you have clients that are dissatisfied in their current job but express an interest in staying in the same occupational area? For example, Jane is a teacher with a high need for achievement and currently works with a severely retarded population. She expresses frustration in not seeing a great deal of improvement in her students on a day-to-day basis. Instead, Jane might derive greater satisfaction in working with high-potential students.

The best kept secret for a free and excellent career values assessment is the Work Importance Profiler (WIP). It is one of the O*NET™ career exploration tools. The WIP is based on the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) that was developed as a result of extensive research conducted by Dawis & Lofquist in 1984. According to the TWA theory, clients have work satisfaction when they possess the skills and abilities needed to perform the job well and the job satisfies their important needs and values.

The WIP assessment is designed for clients who are 16 years or older and read at, or above, the 8th grade level. This assessment highlights the test-taker’s top two work values, and gives scores for each of six career values and the work needs that underlies them. The six career values and the needs associated with them are as follows:

1. Achievement: ability utilization, and achievement.
2. Independence: creativity, responsibility, and autonomy
3. Recognition: advancement, authority, recognition, and social status.
4. Relationships: co-workers, ethics, and social service.
5. Support: company policies and practices, supervision – human relations, and supervision – technical.
6. Working Conditions: activity, compensation, independence, security, variety, and working conditions.

Here are instructions for your clients to take the Work Importance Profiler (WIP):

1. Go to http://www.onetcenter.org/WIP.html
2. In the drop down box, select Work Importance Profiler.
3. Click on Software tab and download the WIP-Software; it requires Microsoft Windows application.
4. Take the assessment.
5. Print out the two pages that provide scores: one page shows the values, and the other page shows the needs.

I have found that it is not necessary or particularly helpful for clients to finish the last portion of the assessment in which they select a job zone and review occupations in that job zone that match their values.

For further information about the WIP, download the WIP User’s Guide. It can be accessed at the same location as the WIP-Software, mentioned above.

After your clients gain awareness about their top values, encourage them to search occupations in O*NET™ OnLine at http://online.onetcenter.org/find and compare their values, and other descriptors, with occupations. Each occupation description includes relevant information for the following things: tasks, tools & technology, knowledge, skills, work activities, work context, job zone, work styles, work values, related occupations, and wages & employment.

With WIP results, your clients gain a greater understanding of what’s important to them in a job. Do your clients a big favor by asking them to take the WIP and coaching them in finding a job that matches their highest work values and needs.

Source: O*NET™ Work Importance Profiler User’s Guide

How did you select a college (or university) major? How many different majors did you declare? How many different colleges did you attend? Did you complete your college degree? Choosing a college major can be a very difficult and time-consuming process. Given the large investment for a college degree, it’s smart for prospective and current students to take career assessments and meet with a career coach or counselor as early as possible, in order to select a college major that fits them best.

The Career Liftoff^® Interest Inventory (CLII) is designed specifically to assist students in making wise choices for their college major. As career coach, I have found the CLII to be an extremely helpful tool for my clients, along with coaching, to identify their college major.

Jim Lewis and Gary Anderson formed Career Liftoff^® to create an assessment that helps people to select a college major. Gary Anderson, Vice President of Career Liftoff^®, was a former high school career adviser and college career center director, and saw the need for an assessment that would specifically focus on determining a college major. Jim and Gary, along with expert assessment developer Ronald Page of Assessment Associates International, developed the CLII.

The CLII report shows scores for the six Holland Occupational Themes (OT)—realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. And it gives scores for five occupational interest scales (OIS) that relate to each of the six Holland themes, for a total of thirty occupational interests. The report shows the test takers’ top OIS in rank order, and lists a sampling of careers for each of them. Because the OIS link closely to college majors, it’s great information to use when coaching people to select a college major.

The careers listed in the client’s CLII report, under the top six OIS, tie directly to occupations in O*NET™. It’s easy for students to use this web-based system to read more about occupations and compare their top OT with the rank order of the OT for the various occupations in O*NET™ Online.

As career coach (or counselor), ask students clarifying questions and actively listen to them to help them process the information in their CLII report and from their O*NET™ research. Encourage them to gain knowledge of occupations through volunteer work, informational interviews, and job shadowing. Also, ask them to read course descriptions for potential college majors to confirm how interested they are (or are not) in taking these courses.

The OIS link to both vocations and avocations. This information can be referred to as you coach people to determine which of them they wish to invest the most time in for their work and which are best suited for their hobbies.

Choosing the right college major allows people to move into occupations that are fulfilling to them. And, fulfilling work leads to overall happiness in life. Serve your clients well by offering them an interest inventory such as the CLII. Further information on the CLII can be found at Career Liftoff^®.

When I bring up assessments with clients, their reactions vary. I’m amazed at clients who arrive at my office with a briefcase full of assessments and still want to take more! By contrast, other clients are skeptical about taking assessments. However, the vast majority of clients are relatively open to taking a few assessments, if they see a direct link to how their results will help them move forward in their career. As coaches, how can we sort out the best use of assessments?

A good way to get started is to ask your clients what’s going on and what sort of assistance they’re seeking. Depending on the response, you can determine whether (or not) to use assessments and which assessments will work best. Here are some scenarios to help you sort out the appropriate use of assessments.

When clients say they know what their desired jobs and companies are but want a competitive edge, suggest they uncover their greatest assets and differentiators through a combination of coaching and a personal branding assessment, e.g., 360° Reach assessment (http://www.reachcc.com/360Reach) Then, you can assist them to incorporate their brand message into a verbal bio, resume, etc.

When clients share how much they dislike their current company’s management style and culture but like their work, you can suggest that you work together to heighten their awareness about their most important values. And, that can be accomplished through coaching and administering a values assessment, e.g., O*NET^® Work Importance Profiler^TM (http://www.onetcenter.org/WIP.html)

When clients indicate they dislike the work itself and want to find a more satisfying career, suggest a combination of assessments and coaching. In this situation, it’s best to use a combination of a personality type assessment, e.g., M.B.T.I.^® (http://www.cpp.com), an interest inventory, e.g., Career Liftoff Interest Inventory (http://www.careerliftoff.com), and a strengths or skills assessment, e.g., Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 (http://www.strengthsfinder.com), SkillScan (http://www.skillscan.com).

When clients say they desire more fulfilling work and want to leave a lasting legacy, coach them on their vision, purpose, values and passions. A card sort to help them zero-in on their purpose is Calling Cards: A Journey of Discovery (http://www.inventuregroup.com). Also, e-Life Plans (http://www.elifeplans.com) is a useful web-based system where your clients may record dreams, purpose, goals, actions, and timeframes, and then, set-up regular e-mail reminders for specific goals or dreams.

Referencing the above situations will help you determine a strategy to use assessments with specific clients situations. Feel free to let me know of other client situations you have and I’d be happy to post on them later.