Research Paper: Relevance of Harrison Assessments in Executive Coaching

Research Paper By Satish Chandra Rajasekhariah
(Executive Coach, INDIA)

Introduction

Executive coaching is designed to help facilitate professional and personal development to the point of individual growth and improved performance. Coaches need to have a strong understanding of individual differences in a work place as well as the ability to adapt their coaching style or strategies.

Executive coaches work their clients towards specific professional goals triggered by situations like

 Wants to decide on which career to choose from after having travelled many years in their current vocation.
 Join’s a new firm or starts a new career or a new role.
 Is promoted to new level
 Develop on competencies highlighted in their appraisals.
 Wants to improve their performance.

Organizations use Executive coaches to help the executive find their core issues and help them overcome these issues. Some organizations also support their executives by the use of psychometric assessments and give them access to qualified empanelled Executive Coach’s.

Different types of Psychometric Assessments

The word psychometric is formed from the Greek words for mental and measurement. Psychometric tests attempt to objectively measure aspects of an individual’s mental ability or personality. There are different kinds of Psychometric

Assessments catering to different needs of an executive’s career.

There are two main types of psychometric tests:

 Ability Tests – Measure an individual’s ability to perform or carry out different tasks.
 Personality Questionnaires – Measure an individual’s way of doing things, and specifically the way they interact with the environment and other people.

Some assessments are called ‘type models’, which classify tendencies and preferences, with no good or bad types, per se. DISC and Meyers Briggs fall in this classification. Meyers Briggs and DiSC are described as assessments, rather than tests. They are used to measure behavioral patterns or tendencies, with no right or wrong answers.

Other assessments are diagnostic, designed to point out problems and weaknesses. ‘360’ assessments fall under the ‘diagnostic’ label. Emotional Intelligence has been described as a way to measure both strengths and weaknesses.

These tests vary on the fundamental premise on which the tool is built and also what it intends to serve. Some tests provide perspectives which are relevant to an individual as a complete personality, while some tests are very specific to the executive’s Professional life only.