08 Apr Do not be afraid of people with very low Ds
Do not be afraid of people with very low Ds, even when the D is the lowest factor. Here’s quick tutorial for those of you who don’t yet speak the Predictive Index (PI) lingo. PI measures an individual’s behavioral strengths and what I’m focusing on is specifically the low D or low Formality factor qualities. Someone with a low Factor D just means these folks can handle uncertainty and are comfortable with ambiguity. They need freedom from too much structure, when possible. Rules and details, meh. We know that those with low Ds can handle a lot more risk, especially if coupled with a High A (independent, self-starters). However, this doesn’t mean that they can’t be successful in an organization or that they won’t do the work.
In fact, I have seen many patterns where the widest factor combination is A>D and they are successful. These folks have excelled as entrepreneurs, managers, sales people, programmers, researchers, and other roles. It’s important to note that high or higher cognitive scores can also compensate for some of those low D qualities. A High A/Low D with a higher cognitive score can be a very analytical person. This is one reason cognitive is so critical to have and understand when creating our people plans. So, don’t be afraid of the Low D, especially if the person has the degree you need, or the skill set required, and their behavioral pattern is otherwise aligned with the ideal job pattern. Interview around the gap from the ideal job pattern.
Btw, this is not just about who are you going to hire. It’s who do you already have. Use coaching strategies to improve performance. As leaders in our organizations, we must know how people we currently have are best motivated, how to most effectively train them, understand how they will tackle their work and how quickly they will learn, helps us help them. Ultimately, these are the things that drive business results.