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Author Archives: Pat Hutchinson

1. Emotional Intelligence – how to measure it

   July 16, 2015 11:14 am Leave a Comment

   At Harrison Assessments we are often asked if we can measure the behavioural traits that make up Emotional Intelligence.  The short answer is that, because HATS utilises working preferences the whole system measures emotional intelligence.  If we enjoy what we are doing then emotional behaviour will reflect that, if we don’t then our emotional behaviour will reflect that too.

   However, now we can measure Emotional Intelligence in a way that has never been done before.  The unique SmartQuestionnaire™ measures 175 behavioural preferences in a way that is highly accurate.  The Emotional Intelligence profiles can be assessed against the SmartQuestionnaire™ answers with precise results.  Each profile is made up from a set of essential traits, some desirable traits and some traits to avoid.

   Take ‘Relationship Leadership’ for example  –

   • Essential traits include influencing, analyses pitfalls, authoritative collaboration, collaborative, effective enforcing, enlists cooperation and wants to lead.
   • Desirable traits include diplomacy, frankness, handles conflict, persistent, planning, experimenting, negotiating, provides direction, assertiveness, organised, pressure tolerance, psychology, research/learning, teaching, risking, tolerance of bluntness.
   • Traits to avoid include bluntness, authoritarian, defensive, dominating, harsh, insensitive, permissive, rebellious autonomy and sceptical.

   The other 3 constituent parts of Emotional Intelligence have their own profiles under the headings –

   • Knowing Oneself
   • Self-Motivation and Self-Management
   • Social Awareness and Service Orientation

   All 4 are pulled together in one report enabling organisations to measure individuals for emotional intelligence and create development plans accordingly.

   If you would like to know more about measuring emotional intelligence please call 44 (0)7768 922244, or complete the enquiry form below.

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2. Quadrant 1 Supports Oxford Against Cutting

   June 23, 2015 11:29 am Leave a Comment

   Oxford Against Cutting (OAC)

   OAC is committed to working to help prevent female genital mutilation (FGM) of girls and women living in Oxfordshire.

   Mission Statement

   Oxford Against Cutting is a rights-based group working to help prevent female genital mutilation (FGM) of girls and women living in Oxfordshire.

   We believe in the personal integrity and dignity of the female body.

   Our mission is to:

   • Raise awareness.
   • Share information.
   • Develop projects to empower young people to champion anti-FGM initiatives.

    

3. HATS Training – From A Novice’s Perspective

   April 22, 2015 1:20 pm Leave a Comment

   I attended a Harrison Basic Accreditation Training Course  in the spring. The course took place at the beautiful Middle Aston House nestled in the picturesque Oxfordshire Countryside.

   I am not a HR specialist my background is firmly rooted in marketing. I now run my own IT & Marketing Consultancy business. I have in the past been responsible for recruitment and in one role I had to recruit an entire marketing department after a relocation and an acquisition left us 8 members of staff down.

   I understand the pressures of writing job descriptions, endless calls from recruitment agencies, trawling through CV’s, shortlisting and interviewing while also ‘doing your day job’.

   I wanted to attend the course partly driven by my desire to learn more about myself and partly because how can 2.2 million people worldwide be wrong. Some of the biggest names in the industry subscribe to Harrison. What do they know that I don’t?

   The preparation for the course involved completing the Smartquestionnaire™. Which is a report based on Paradox Theory. The report focuses on 12 paradoxes that relate to the workplace. It provides a view of your tendencies (human traits and behavioral competencies) related to each of the 12 paradoxes. I found the report fascinating and an accurate overview of how I behave in the workplace and under stress. Pat talked me through my report and I found her feedback positive, accurate and intuitive.

   The report was the catalyst for me, they are onto something here. The questionnaire took 30 minutes to answer and I’m presented with a report that I would confidently describe as ‘me’. So how does me knowing myself better help me recruit and retain the right staff for my business?

   The answer is beautifully simple, Harrison allows you to map human traits and behavioral competencies against Job Success Formula’s and Key Performance Indicators. You can then get an overview of a candidate suitability and eligibility for a particular job role. You will know before you interview which candidates are best suited for your job role. In a nut shell you’ve got some hard evidence that they are worth looking at and would fit into the culture of your organization before you interview. You can also tailor your interview questions more effectively to really get to know your candidates.

   You can also use Harrison to develop existing teams and manage the talent pipeline. Harrison allows you to set up career planning systems to keep the talented people in your organisation in your organization. It helps with team building, a talented executive board is not an effective board if the individuals within it cannot work as a team.

   After 3 days of intensive but enjoyable training I left clutching my certificate in ‘Basic Accreditation for Recruitment and Employee Development’ 4 weeks later we need to recruit a Project Manager for a global company and  we are selecting candidates for interview through Harrison. We cannot afford to get this appointment wrong.

   Emma Bailey

   Director EBC Consulting Ltd

    

4. Meet our Team of Harrison Assessments Consultants – Gerry Murray

   December 2, 2014 11:19 am Leave a Comment

   Welcome to the next blog in our series of ‘Meet our Team of Harrison Assessments Consultants’.  Today we would like to introduce you to Gerry Murray, a Master NLP Coach and Trainer who works with leadership teams to enable them to inspire their people and take performance to higher levels of excellence.

   What do you enjoy most about your work?

   I really enjoy people rediscovering their true power or what makes them tick. Watching somebody transform themselves before my very eyes is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do. I feel I’ve done a good job when I see that sparkle in people’s eyes and they tell me that they had an amazing experience.

   What is your most memorable assignment and why?

   I have so many memorable assignments that it’s not easy for me to single one out. However, I would say that what makes assignments memorable for me is when they provide an opportunity for me to learn something new. This often means that I learn how to adapt my approach as a result. The adaptation may just be adding more response choices or perspectives to what I do or it can sometimes be more profound than that.

   Because I work mainly with non-native English speakers I’m constantly learning about how each person experiences their world in a unique way and the role and power of language in how they express this. Therefore, there is tremendous value in exploring how someone lives their world in their native language and not assuming that because they speak English that it has true meaning for them. Some of my most memorable moments have come from realising this over and over again.

   What quality do you most admire in other people?

   Authenticity, integrity and compassion.

   In your experience, what is the most common trait hindering people’s performance?

   In general, people have a habit of getting in their own way. I’m always fascinated by the answers I get to the question: “What stops you from doing/achieving or being X?” The amount of times the response is “Myself” is quite astounding. I’m not quite sure if we can isolate it to one specific trait as all traits will be useful or not useful depending on the context in which they are deployed. However, what’s important is that people get to know their traits and how these contribute to their performance, good or bad, satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

   Anything else you would like to share?

   My research into the future of work has revealed that many people are not happy in their current jobs. This is linked to profound changes in the way we work and the conditions in which we work. The financial crisis of 2008/9 has affected people on a multitude of levels. There is a crisis of leadership, not only in business but across the board. Levels of employee engagement are at an all-time low, especially in the Western world where our competitive advantage on the global stage is likely to depend on the quality of our talent. The current levels of youth unemployment are unsustainable and have serious implications for society. And there appears to be a misalignment between the supply side of skills (education) and the demand side (work). And, it doesn’t have to be this way!

   Never was there a need for a way to realign and re-engage workforces than there is now. People deserve to enjoy their work and perform at their best. It’s a win-win for everyone in the long run. I’m pleased that there is a tool such as Harrison Assessments (HATS) that can facilitate this process of realignment and this brings me back to my first point above: when people receive coaching on their HATS reports I’ve seen them light up. They light up partly because they are rediscovering their true selves and partly because it gives them a renewed sense of belief in themselves and confidence for their future. Now, that’s got to be a good thing…

   Gerry Murray, Wide Circle

5. Meet our Team of Harrison Assessments Consultants – David Klaasen

   November 25, 2014 10:20 am Leave a Comment

   

   David Klaasen

   Welcome to the first in our series of ‘Meet our Team of Harrison Assessments Consultants’.  Today we would like to introduce you to David Klaasen, a highly skilled trainer, coach and facilitator who specialises in leadership and management development.

   What do you enjoy most about your work?

   It is always fascinating to go into businesses to meet the people and understand the culture that has developed. Often this culture has developed organically over time without any planning, attention or focus. It is very exciting to work with the Directors and Managers to help them shift the culture to one that underpins long term success for both the business and the people who work in it. Using powerful tools like HATS provide excellent insights that can be rapidly understood.

   What is your most memorable assignment and why?

   I have a lot of very long term relationships with clients so I can see how the business and the people in it develop over time. It is always very rewarding to see people be promoted and take on new levels of responsibility. A particularly memorable assignment was working with the Directors of a relatively new business that formed from the merger of 3 smaller businesses. Getting the Directors to discuss and agree their values was very powerful and raising their awareness about what really motivated them and what they enjoyed most released huge potential and led to very rapid growth.

   What quality do you most admire in other people?

   Drive , enthusiasm and self-awareness. The ability to bounce back from setbacks, and the recognition that getting things done through others is about getting to know them. It is great when managers recognise that they need a slightly different approach with different people while maintaining consistency and fairness. The insights provided by HATS give managers exceptional levels of self-awareness and also helps them understand their people more rapidly.

   In your experience, what is the most common trait hindering people’s performance?

   Lack of self-awareness and thinking that everything is other people’s fault. When we take responsibility for our actions there is often a lot of support available from others and they are more willing to help us.

   Anything else you would like to share?

   I love learning about the latest neuro-scientific research into how we think and behave. It is providing some excellent insights that can make a huge difference in the way we can communicate and collaborate to achieve mutual success.

   David Klaasen FCIPD, Inspired Working

   Watch out for the next in the series of ‘Meet Our Team of Harrison Assessments Consultants’.