I just can’t understand the guy. It seems every time an issue comes up or a decision has to be made, he lands on the opposite side from me and most of our colleagues on the executive team. What the heck is wrong with him? Is he stupid? Is he trying to be an irritant? Does he enjoy being at odds with us?

I try to follow his arguments, his line of thinking, but he seems to come from another world. Well, maybe that’s it. I grew up in a small town, he in a city. I’m from the East Coast, he’s from Seattle. I’m an engineer, he’s a business major. Yes, I can catalog the differences, but does that really explain the conflict? Perhaps, I simply don’t like the guy.

This little scenario is from my experiences in a large corporation. The fellow successfully ran organizations where conformance and strict guidelines were exceptionally important. If I had taken the fellow out to lunch, spent more time with him, we could have found a way to work more harmoniously. In retrospect, our talents, and preferences, though different, complimented each other and thus added value to the organization. Yes, with time, I could have understood him better.

But there is a quicker, surer way. Suppose each of us had taken personal assessments and compared results? Better still, suppose we engaged a third person, a coach, to help us interpret the assessment reports and guide us to a common understanding?

We have those tools today.

Our Driving Forces assessment tests twelve distinctive elements of motivation and rates each element’s importance for the person tested. It identifies the four top driving forces the person is likely to employ in many situations, i.e., what drives the person? If my colleague and I had taken the test and found our top driving forces were totally different, we could have begun to understand each other. The test could have answered, “Where is this guy coming from?”

The test doesn’t stop there. It provides suggestions to help communicate with a person with the resultant driving forces profile. That helps two people compare notes and develop strategies to work together better. And…best of all, the assessment provider can provide a joint report comparing the two assessments to further enrich the conversation.

Driving Forces is just one of several instruments in our assessment offerings. We can customize a package for you and your team.

There are data-driven ways to explore the mysteries of human relations.