Why Assess? How Using Assessments Will Positively Impact Your Life & Organization

Why Assess? How Using Assessments Will Positively Impact Your Life & Organization

You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

This familiar quote made famous by personal development speakers and business people such as Tony Robbins and Marcus Lemonis, holds a profound truth that should not be overlooked. When it comes to making progress, you are either moving forward or backward. You cannot stay in neutral.

Think about your personal goals. If you set a goal to eat a healthy and nutritious diet, you are either following through on your commitment and making forward progress, or you are entrenching yourself in familiar habits of eating. You are no closer to your goal, and in fact, likely more discouraged from lack of progress.

Let me give you another example.

If your goal is to pay off your debt in the next twelve months you have a number of options. You can make progress by setting a strict budget and following through on monthly payments. You can get financial coaching and management support. You could ask someone you trust to help hold you accountable to following through each week, month after month.  However, without a clear goal linked to your motivations, a strategy, and consistent monitoring, your habits of overspending will once again exert influence. You will remain in the same place.

You have a choice to move forward or backward; to let your goals grow and flourish or unravel and die.

This concept applies to professional organizations as well. Businesses and nonprofits alike, are either growing and strategically moving towards their goals, or they retain the status quo, remain stagnant and eventually lose relevance.

How do you ensure that your organization is one that lasts? How do you continue making forward progress? The answer is simple: continuous assessment.

One of the best means to know if your organization is growing and you are on track to meet your goals, is to conduct an assessment to identify your current position.

Assessments provide an effective means for collecting data.

According to Drs. Douglas Reynolds and Charles Cosenting, “assessments help organizations make better decisions about hiring and developing people.” “[T]hey also reduce errors when making decisions [and] provide insights that can accelerate an individual’s development.”

In other words, assessments are not merely helpful, they are a critical tool for maximizing progress, both for individuals and for organizations as a whole.

It is important to note that not all assessments are created equally. Different types of assessments will suit different needs. For example, organizations may use the Myers Briggs assessment to identify and best utilize the strengths of each team member. The U.S Military is one such organization.

The U.S Military utilized the Myers Briggs assessment tools to strengthen their officer training program. They data collected by the Myers Briggs assessments helped the U.S Military to “fine tune the curriculum for subsequent training programs and allocate strategic resources where they are most needed.”

Whatever tool you choose, make sure it:

  • Produces reliable results
  • Is free from bias
  • Is aligned with your overall objectives

If you are ready to take your organization to the next level and maximize your people, systems and organizational goal achievement, it’s time to learn more about choosing and implementing assessments.

In March, I will be hosting a Virtual Summit featuring assessment experts who will give you their best tips and tricks for selecting and implementing assessments that will change the course of your nonprofit or business. With their expert advice, the assessment process no longer has to feel daunting or overwhelming.

Be the first to claim your seat HERE when registration opens!

Resources:
https://www.ddiworld.com/DDI/media/white-papers/strategicvalueofacbuildingbusinessadvantage_wp_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf
https://www.themyersbriggs.com/download/item/e82cc1439e7f4f8a96334b8b87d4ea6b

You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

This familiar quote made famous by personal development speakers and business people such as Tony Robbins and Marcus Lemonis, holds a profound truth that should not be overlooked. When it comes to making progress, you are either moving forward or backward. You cannot stay in neutral.

Think about your personal goals. If you set a goal to eat a healthy and nutritious diet, you are either following through on your commitment and making forward progress, or you are entrenching yourself in familiar habits of eating. You are no closer to your goal, and in fact, likely more discouraged from lack of progress.

Let me give you another example.

If your goal is to pay off your debt in the next twelve months you have a number of options. You can make progress by setting a strict budget and following through on monthly payments. You can get financial coaching and management support. You could ask someone you trust to help hold you accountable to following through each week, month after month.  However, without a clear goal linked to your motivations, a strategy, and consistent monitoring, your habits of overspending will once again exert influence. You will remain in the same place.

You have a choice to move forward or backward; to let your goals grow and flourish or unravel and die.

This concept applies to professional organizations as well. Businesses and nonprofits alike, are either growing and strategically moving towards their goals, or they retain the status quo, remain stagnant and eventually lose relevance.

How do you ensure that your organization is one that lasts? How do you continue making forward progress? The answer is simple: continuous assessment.

One of the best means to know if your organization is growing and you are on track to meet your goals, is to conduct an assessment to identify your current position.

Assessments provide an effective means for collecting data.

According to Drs. Douglas Reynolds and Charles Cosenting, “assessments help organizations make better decisions about hiring and developing people.” “[T]hey also reduce errors when making decisions [and] provide insights that can accelerate an individual’s development.”

In other words, assessments are not merely helpful, they are a critical tool for maximizing progress, both for individuals and for organizations as a whole.

It is important to note that not all assessments are created equally. Different types of assessments will suit different needs. For example, organizations may use the Myers Briggs assessment to identify and best utilize the strengths of each team member. The U.S Military is one such organization.

The U.S Military utilized the Myers Briggs assessment tools to strengthen their officer training program. They data collected by the Myers Briggs assessments helped the U.S Military to “fine tune the curriculum for subsequent training programs and allocate strategic resources where they are most needed.”

Whatever tool you choose, make sure it:

  • Produces reliable results
  • Is free from bias
  • Is aligned with your overall objectives

If you are ready to take your organization to the next level and maximize your people, systems and organizational goal achievement, it’s time to learn more about choosing and implementing assessments.

In February, I will be hosting a Virtual Summit featuring assessment experts who will give you their best tips and tricks for selecting and implementing assessments that will change the course of your nonprofit or business. With their expert advice, the assessment process no longer has to feel daunting or overwhelming.

Be the first to claim your seat HERE when registration opens!

Resources:
https://www.ddiworld.com/DDI/media/white-papers/strategicvalueofacbuildingbusinessadvantage_wp_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf
https://www.themyersbriggs.com/download/item/e82cc1439e7f4f8a96334b8b87d4ea6b

About Author

Related posts

Leave a Reply