Steve Lear

Why should you use the Kolbe A™ Index?

Your creative process is defined by three dimensions of the mind that work together– Cognitive (thinking), Affective (feeling), and Conative (doing). While many assessments measure intelligence and personality, the Kolbe A Index is the only validated assessment that measures instinct– how you innately take action. This is defined by the word “conation,” which means action derived from instinct.

More than one million people have discovered the power of their instincts through the Kolbe A™ Index. It produces a 4-number result that reveals your preferred method of operation (MO) in four Action Modes®:

• Fact Finder: how you gather and share information
• Follow Thru: how you organize and design
• Quick Start: how you deal with risk and uncertainty
• Implementor: how you deal with space and tangibles. [1]

Your preferred method of operation is based on how you work in each mode. [2] All Kolbe A™ results are equally good. No numbers are “better” or “worse”; they simply represent numbers on a continuum. Understanding how you operate best is the key to improving your performance. Read on to discover how your Kolbe A™ results can help you manage the following challenges.

Individual Challenges

Productivity

Your Kolbe result identifies productive and unproductive behaviors so you can make deliberate choices about how you spend your time. The key is understanding the tasks that deplete and energize you.  We procrastinate on tasks outside of our comfort zones because they often require more time and energy and deliver poor results. Nevertheless, a Kolbe result can never be used as an excuse not to do something because it’s not natural for you. There will always be times when you must work outside of your natural strengths. The solution? Collaborate with someone who thrives in a different action mode! Someone strong in Quick Start might motivate the Fact Finder to find a new approach. Trading problem-solving strengths is the best way to overcome productivity roadblocks and move forward. [3]

Stress

Managing stress is key to building a healthy team. One hidden cause of job stress might be work demands that push you to act outside your instincts. The Kolbe B™ Index measures your perception of the skills required to do your job. If this Index shows significant differences from your Kolbe A™ result—the way you instinctively act—it accurately identifies job stress. The more closely your Kolbe A™ and Kolbe B™ results match, the more likely you will be in a job that naturally fits your strengths. If you struggle with certain tasks, you might try to delegate those that don’t make the best use of your talents or use one of Kolbe’s helpful “work-around” strategies to ease stressful situations. [4]

Teamwork Challenges

Clear communication is essential to have a healthy team. Most of us communicate in the method that we prefer; however, to maximize team success, it’s crucial to deliver information the way that others like to receive it. [5]

Cloning

This occurs when too many people on a team operate in the same way. While they may get along well, their lack of diversity can impede progress and performance. For example, when there are not enough team members who have accommodating strengths, you can have a situation where the initiators (stepping on the gas) and the stabilizers (applying the brakes) talk past one another, spinning their wheels and getting nowhere. The solution is to balance the team with people who have different strengths. The more problem-solving methods team members provide, the better. [6]

The Right People in the Right Seats

Working with your instinctive opposite is challenging but necessary. Teams who best utilize each member’s strengths avoid disagreement, miscommunication, and duplicated efforts, reaching goals faster and with less frustration. [7]

Additional Resources

Activate Your A™ Guide

Get more out of your Kolbe Index results! Described on the Kolbe website as a “powerful companion guide to the Kolbe A^TM Index, this workbook is perfect for coaches or individuals. The three sections will take you through Kolbe Theory, highlighted portions of the Kolbe A™ Index result, and specific applications for productivity, stress, and communication.” You can purchase the Activate Your A™ guide through Amazon or place bulk orders (50+ copies) directly with Kolbe. (www.secure.kolbe.com)

Instinctive Advantage

Erin Werde is a Kolbe Certified Consultant and President at The Instinctive Advantage. Erin’s expertise is bringing Kolbe’s content to life. Her services include administering the 36-question Kolbe A™ Index, individual consultation (interpreting Kolbe A™ results), and group facilitation (using a team’s Kolbe A™ results to build team health). For more information, visit theinstinctiveadvantage.com or contact Erin at erin@theinstinctiveadvantage.com.

Endnotes

¹Activate Your A™, © 2019 Kathy Kolbe and Kolbe Corp. All Rights Reserved, 11.

²Activate Your A, 10-11.

³Activate Your A, 20-27.

⁴Activate Your A, 30-39.

⁵Activate Your A, 43.

⁶Activate Your A, 44.

⁷Activate Your A, 45-46.