Why do I think that Certification will be more popular over the next year?

Two reasons.

Apparently, when the economy is down, people begin to care more about experiential training and the quality of their experience at work (since they can’t count on more money for encouragement). They also involve themselves with longer and more recognized continuing education programs, so when things do turn around, they are ready to launch themselves forward.

CPP’s certification programs are helpful in that regard because they offer CEU credit, and offer a great experience as well, so people can have fun and increase their motivation, while earning units for their resumes.

It makes a lot of sense that uncertain economic times prompt job-seekers and currently disengaged members of the workforce to seek out continuing education programs.  If I were looking to “up” my dollar-worth, but couldn’t return to school or leave my job, I would be looking for ways to gain recognized accreditation in something as well.

If you are currently educationally eligible to purchase assessments, but want to compete more effectively with other practitioners, it might be worth it to look into certification. Even if your interests lie outside of assessment practice, maybe you want to look into a coaching credential, or something along those lines, to make sure you can continue to compete.

When CPP first released the new FIRO Business™ assessment, one of the biggest objections people had was that the new tool lacked the same breadth of support materials as its big brother, the FIRO-B®. Well, it seems like CPP took this feedback to heart (and fast too) because they just released a new support tool for the assessment, the Introduction to the FIRO Business booklet. I saw this 38-page booklet myself this morning, and found it to be extremely helpful when I revisited my FIRO Business results.

I took the FIRO Business assessment right when it first came out, and although I thought the FIRO Business™ Leadership Report was very thorough and helpful, I was curious to learn more about ALL the scales, and what all the different combinations meant (especially since I was talking with friends about our differing scores at the time.) With this guide, you can flip to any combination of needs (Ex: High Expressed and Low Wanted versus High Expressed and Medium Wanted) and get the full picture of what your behavior says to the world, and situations in which your needs may not be getting met.

The other helpful aspect of this guide was the brief discussion of how scores on the various scales can interact (something I always wonder about when I get results from any assessment.) If you have scores indicating High Expressed influence, Low Wanted Influence and Medium Expressed Connection, what does that mean? In addition to this short discussion of this in the front of the booklet, there was also a short discussion about how to respond to your results, and what to do if you or someone you’re coaching disagrees with the results.

The last thing I’ll mention is the described practical applications of the FIRO Business results – I could actually see how my scores affected one-on-one relationships as well as group situations, so I could get a fuller picture of what the scores said about my behavior in a variety of relationships. I thought that was a great addition which made the tool instantly applicable.

If you are using the FIRO Business, or are considering using this tool, this guide is a great resource to have. Go to CPP.com to read more or to purchase Introduction to the FIRO Business Instrument.

Since my last discussion was on the avoiding mode (the distinction between good and bad avoiding), I thought it might be useful to address another important distinction about this mode: Even if you choose to avoid for the right reasons, does it make a difference what you actually say to people just before you withdraw from the situation?
One person might avoid a conflict by expressing himself this way: “I’ve had enough of this nonsense! I’m not going to waste any more of my time. I’m out of here.” Another person may take this approach: “I’ve just realized that I need more time to think about this topic and to discuss these issues with my colleagues. It’s starting to overwhelm me.  Let’s set up another meeting for next week. By then, I’ll be ready to address the matter.”
In the first instance of avoiding, the person would probably come across as insensitive, condescending, and even demeaning. Because of the manner in which he left the situation, the other people involved might feel rejected or abandoned.

In the second instance, the person shows regard for the other people in the conflict situation. Although he is still withdrawing, it’s more likely that everyone concerned will have an easier time understanding and accepting his avoiding behavior because the reasons for it have been explained to them.
Essentially, (1) what conflict mode you choose and (2) how you then use it are two very different things! Let’s consider the same principle applied to collaborating.

One person may choose to express her desire for collaboration this way: “We have to discuss these issues! You have no choice! I’m tired of superficial solutions that aren’t based on our joint needs. If you don’t sit down and share your deepest concerns with me, I’ll no longer support your priorities in the workplace.”
Another person may express herself like this: “I really need your help. I’ve been very frustrated with our previous decisions, which haven’t seemed to address our most important needs. I’d like to share with you what matters most to me. And then, if you are willing, I’d really like to hear your most important concerns. Maybe we can figure out how to change the situation for both our sakes. Let’s give it a try.”

Based on basic definitions from the TKI, both individuals are in the collaborating mode. In the first instance, the collaboration will likely come across as bullying, followed by an ultimatum. Perhaps this is not the best way to elicit an open and candid dialogue about important and complex issues. In the second instance, collaboration is used in an inviting and reciprocating manner—one that is more likely to engender mutual respect and a genuine exchange of ideas. In the end, the second approach will surely lead to a more creative solution, while the first approach will probably put the other person on the defensive and shut down a conversation that is sorely needed.

Bottom line: Choosing a mode wisely, but also using that mode in the most constructive manner possible, will go far in producing well-being and effective resolutions of conflict, rather than bad feelings and a potential worsening of the situation.

Note: If you or your clients are interested in receiving advanced training for the TKI and conflict management, Kilmann Diagnostics offers an eight-hour, live, online course to do just that. You can get more information about our online course by visiting www.kilmanndiagnostics.com.

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.

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I read a great article today on Forbes.com featuring common qualities possessed by billionaires, and advice for those looking to become ridiculously wealthy. (I know we’re all motivated by the desire to see others succeed . . .  but a little cash never hurt anyone!)

The article suggests that great wealth is tied to three things:

• Your ability to face and move past failure
• Your capacity for innovation
• Support from a complementary life-partner

This all makes sense to me, I would add that in addition to these three things, it helps to have drive, and patience.

What else do you think contributes to the success of the mega-wealthy? I’d be curious to know what you’d add to the list.

As the co-author of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), I am delighted to announce that I’ll be providing an ongoing series of blog entries for CPP ICON Success.

Recently, I formed a new company, Kilmann Diagnostics, with my son Chris to help resolve conflict throughout the world. As a result, we are now offering an eight-hour, live, online course that enables participants to enhance their skills for using both the TKI and MBTI® assessments to manage complex problems in organizations (which, by nature, generate profound differences and challenging conflicts). Our online course is called “Advanced Training in Conflict Management.” You can get more information about this online course (and more information about both assessment) by visiting our website www.kilmanndiagnostics.com.

With this blog series, my son and I will share advanced knowledge about administering, interpreting, and using the TKI and MBTI assessments in a wide variety of situations-based on my nearly forty years of researching and consulting with these two assessments.

Here is one important distinction to get the discussion going. There are two kinds of “avoiding” to keep in mind: good avoiding and bad avoiding. Good avoiding is when you purposely leave a conflict situation in order to collect more information, wait for tempers to calm down, or because you’ve concluded that what you first thought was a vital issue isn’t that important after all. Bad avoiding, however, is when the topic is very important to both persons (and to the organization), but you aren’t comfortable with confronting other people. Instead, you’re inclined to sacrifice your needs for others-which undermines your self-esteem, leaves you perpetually dissatisfied, and prevents you from learning from others.

Bottom line: Only avoid when that approach to conflict serves to satisfy your needs as well as the needs of others-whether in the short term or long term. But don’t avoid conflict simply because that mode is unfamiliar or uncomfortable to you. With awareness and practice (which builds self-confidence), you can easily learn to get both your needs and the other person’s needs met-for the best of both worlds.

With the upcoming launch of CPP’s public certification programs, I have been getting lots of questions from ICONs about what being an MBTI Certified practitioner will mean for their career or practice. I have also gotten a lot of questions regarding the difference between being an MBTI Certified practitioner, and an MBTI Master Practitioner. I would love to hear from all of you out there who have gone through the advanced MBTI training. I’d love to know if it’s made a difference in your career, if you’d recommend it to others, and if there are some pointers you could give people who are currently going through the training.

Send me an email at icon@cpp.com if you’d be willing to share your wisdom! I’d definitely appreciate it.

One of the most important things you can do as a consultant is keep yourself informed about the latest news and trends within your industry. To that end, we have created the CPP Trendwatch. Compiled from all the most current Learning and Development publications by CPP’s Eugenia Wright, this edition of the CPP Trendwatch offers news relating to HR Management, Training, Learning, Succession Planning, Retention, and Leadership and Coaching.

Click here to view the latest edition of the CPP Trendwatch.