These Tests Will Give You Fits by David Beardsley Fast Company, November 1998 issue, pages 88-90 How Well Do You Fit Your Job? by Mary Krentz, Sibley County

He has the skills, but hes just not the right person for the job. Bruce M. Hubby has heard those words thousands of times. Founder of Professional Dynametric Programs Inc., Hubby has created a series of surveys that evaluate what makes people tick and what gives them job satisfaction. Over 3 million people have taken his PDP surveys; thus, they have gained insight regarding how well they fit their job. The survey also assessed the strength of their work team and measured individual job performance. Hubby believes four traits are essential to predict how a person will perform. Those traits are dominance, extroversion, pace, (or patience), and conformity. Identifying the type of environment where you or your co-workers will thrive can be easy if you understand which of the four traits is most dominant and how the other three factor in. Which trait describes you?

DOMINANCE People whose main trait is dominance are big thinkers and risk takers. They are innovative and confident, and they aspire to leadership. These folks are often entrepreneurs, as they like to control their environment.

EXTROVERSION Extroverts are outgoing and social. They tend to focus on the big picture and rarely get caught up in details. Politics, sales and public relations are of special interest.

PACE (OR PATIENCE) People with pace tend to be more focused, loyal, persistent, and adaptable. Being a good listener is a characteristic of this trait. Athletes often have pace as their dominant trait. It gives them the ability to handle pressure and the discipline to train.

CONFORMITY These people have a strong sense of right and wrong. They are structured, detail-orientated, and sticklers for quality. They are attracted to fields like engineering and accounting as they have a tendency to avoid risk and change.

Now that youve identified what type of trait you are, consider the traits of the people you work with or the friends you enjoy being around. Are their traits similar to yours? Hubby believes that its human nature to gravitate toward people who are like us or we try to change people who arent like us so that theyll be more like us. Do you agree? What trait do you think is most dominant among Extension Service employees and why? In addition, Hubby believes that it is easier to reshape the environment to fit a person than it is to reshape the person to fit the environment. Think about your place of work. Have you ever experienced a situation where a position was tailored to the strengths of a person rather than training a person to fit a particular position which may not suit them. I believe the Extension Service should look for its employees most intense traits and create a work environment that capitalizes on those traits. Think of all the money that could be saved in training and retraining! Too often in organizations, upper management spends too much time investigating employees weaknesses and building training on that rather than identifying peoples strengths. People are more apt to gain confidence when you build upon their strengths. Confidence promotes job satisfaction, which in turn reduces turnover. A reduction in turnover may result in saving thousands of dollars over a short period of time. Do you believe there is a trait profile that is right for Extension? If so, should people with that trait be hired? What would the implications be?

I shared this article with several colleagues. They found it fascinating to consider the questions posed. They agreed that the Extension Service is made up of people representing each of the four traits. They viewed this as a positive thing. For example, one co-worker may be more of a risk taker and big thinker, while another may be task- oriented and more suitable to handle small details. Both qualities are equally important and necessary. Another colleague explained, I think the conformity and pace traits tend to be found more in Extension. This is probably due in large part to the great time demand and long hours expected in this profession. I believe long-term employees especially, carry these traits. They all agreed it is easier to reshape the environment to fit a person than it is to reshape the person to fit the environment. I believe an organization, such as the Extension Service, could benefit from the Professional Dynametric Programs. If each individual is right for their job, they are better understood and appreciated, which enables them to perform at their highest potential. In the end, the organization will excel and succeed thus providing optimal quality!

If you would like to learn more about PDPs behavioral assessment services and management tools, visit their website at www.PDP-INC.COM

-- Anonymous, December 09, 1998

Answers

You are probably familiar with the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator which is used to determine the personalilty type of individuals. This sounds as if it has some similarities. This topic is studied a lot in organizations. There are arguments both for and against hiring individuals who have similar personalities or traits. If you have greater variety, you will have more creativity in your organization. It is generally seen as better. However, you will also have greater conflict because of this variety.

Studies also show that we tend to hire people who are most like use. This causes organizations to select people who will think and act most like the others who are currently there. Again this is not always positive. It can lead to groupthink which often results in poor decisions.

Other studies look at person-organization fit to determine what it takes for a person to fit the culture of the organization. This is often helpful when selecting employees. It helps to decrease the amount of turnover due to an improper fit.

You can find a great deal of information on these topics, and it would make a fascinating area of research.

Thanks for your comments.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 1999