The Myers-Briggs and FIRO-B Assessments Get the Gold!
posted by agammy
Well, not exactly. But I did just learn that the Myers-Briggs and FIRO-B assessments were used by the Vancouver Olympics organizing committee to help them prepare their staff for the 2010 Games. That’s pretty exciting news, and goes to show how versatile both assessments really are.
With such a diverse crowd in attendance at the Winter Games, it was extremely important that all staff and participants understand and respect different personality types, in addition to understanding and respecting different cultures. It was also important to ensure that people were assigned to positions that allowed them to work to their strengths, so teams could be highly functional, and ready to address unforeseen problems (like a lack of snow, or the crane malfunction during the opening ceremony!)
A unique challenge faced by the Olympic committee was the rapid hiring spree prior to the Games - about 40 people per month were brought on board as the committee geared up for the Games to begin. According to the Director of Workforce Engagement and Communications Erin Sills, “In a normal organization, hiring at that rate it may be difficult to maintain the culture.” However, it was extremely important that the values of the organization mirror those of the Olympics (excellence, fair play, respect for others, a commitment to full effort, dedication to larger goals, etc) so building a values-based, team-oriented culture in which new hires could quickly acclimate was especially critical.
Check out the full article here.
Obviously I am proud that my favorite assessments were used in the 2010 Olympic Games, it lessens the sting that I couldn’t be there in person . . .well, not exactly. But I do think that if the Olympics committee trusts the FIRO-B and MBTI to help their teams improve when all the world is watching, it’s a great testament to the power of the assessments.
