Our Tools

We know that a single assessment or instrument is only one data point. That’s why The People Skills Group uses a myriad of tools, models and self-report assessments to provide you with a holistic and dynamic picture of you, your employees, your leaders, and how you can best work together.

We use cognitive models and tools (Psychological Type and the MBTI® Assessment), measures for managing emotions (Emotional Intelligence), conversational behavioral models (Conversational Intelligence™ and Interaction Styles™) and core needs models and assessments (Essential Motivators™ and FIRO-B®).

The EQ-i 2.0® Emotional Intelligence Assessment

Research shows that emotional intelligence (EQ) more than cognitive intelligence (IQ) or technical skill accounts for a great deal of workplace success.  Emotional intelligence is not one trait that we do or don’t possess. EQ is a set of emotional and social skills that collectively establish how well we: (1) perceive and express ourselves, (2) develop and maintain social relationships, (3) cope with challenges, and (4) use emotional information in an effective and meaningful way (MHS). Essentially, EQ is a person’s ability to manage emotions in a manner that results in successful interpersonal relationships. And EQ skills can be developed.

The People Skills Group uses the EQ-i 2.0 to help people identify, understand, develop and balance emotional intelligence skills for managing productive and effective workplace relationships. The EQ-i assesses how you operate emotionally, your areas of strength and potential areas for development on fifteen individual skills related to five EQ dimensions. The assessment can be administered individually, in team sessions or in a 360 multi-rater format. The EQ-i 2.0 is the world’s leading measure of emotional intelligence.

Based on the work of Dr. Reuven Bar-On, it is the most reliable and valid of the current emotional intelligence measure on the market.

Conversational Intelligence® (C-IQ) for Teams and Leaders

Conversational Intelligence®, created by the late Judith E. Glaser, a world-renowned, master-level Executive Coach and organizational anthropologist, is the next generation of social science that provides us with a model for managing and creating effective workplace conversations for mutual understanding and workplace collaboration. Based in neuroscience, C-IQ is a methodology and set of powerful tools that teaches us to intentionally engage our brains in conversational techniques that build trust, and keeps us open to new ideas through minimizing defensiveness. The methodology integrates proven and effective conversational techniques with what neuroscience is telling us about how the brain actually works; in particular, how our brains process communication.

Interaction Styles™

Dr. Linda Berens, a well-known and distinguished organizational psychologist created the Interaction Styles™ model.  An upgraded and more refined and modern approach to personality than the DiSC® or Social Styles®, Interaction Styles are inborn energy patterns that are observable, and stem from the neuro-physiological drives that we have to interact with and relate to both the environment and other people. The model is a holistic model that provides people with an awareness of how their energy  patterns drive core beliefs, talents and aims, in relationship to communication and decision making. There are four Interaction Style patterns with distinct energy patterns and drives, yet they have many things in common with one another. The Interaction Style model links seamlessly with Psychological Type to provide a fuller and richer picture of personality.

Essential Motivators™

We all have core psychological needs with interrelated with values (what we believe to be innately important), talents (natural gifts and abilities) and behaviors (everyday actions that can be demonstrated and observed). There are four psychological motivators or temperament patterns. Within those patterns the core needs of each are the driving force of these interwoven components of personality. They represent the ‘why’ behind much of what we do, and what we like, and the talents at which we excel. This psychological model had its beginnings with David Keirsey in his book, “Please Understand Me” and has been updated, refined and modernized by Linda Berens, Ph.D. Our needs are so important, that when they are not met, they are often a cause of severe stress. Knowing and understanding our core psychological needs adds depth to the model of Psychological Type.

The FIRO-B®, FIRO-Element B® and FIRO®-Business

The FIRO-B® Instrument is based on social needs theory and was outlined by the author of the model, Will Schutz, in The Human Element. The FIRO tool helps people understand their interpersonal relationship needs in the three major areas of: Inclusion, Control and Affection (or in the Business Report – Involvement, Influence and Connection). In every interaction, with someone else, or with oneself, people have specific relationship needs related to these three areas. The FIRO instrument results help team members and leaders understand the frequency with which a person tends to express those behaviors toward others and wants others to display those behaviors toward them.  Awareness of needs on this level has the potential to positively influence all aspects of team communication and leadership.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team™ 

Patrick  Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team model is a powerful framework for guiding teams to build competence in five key components of teamwork: Building Trust, Mastering Conflict, Achieving Commitment, Embracing Accountability and Focusing on Results. Each of these five areas of team development are completely integrated, and build on one another, starting with the foundation of Trust.  If Trust is not realized on a team, then none of the other building blocks of team development can be fully realized.

Lencioni provides a comprehensive Team Assessment Report that allows team members to rate their team on each of the Five Dysfunctions. Reported results serve as a benchmark for assessing Team Health, providing a starting point and path forward for Team Development.  Ask about our new offering: Five Dysfunctions of a Virtual Team and how this can be implemented with your remote workforce (also known by Lencioni as The Five Dysfunctions of a Quaren-team!)

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

Psychological Safety refers to a team climate in which people feel safe to speak up and contribute thoughts and ideas, even controversial ones. The term was popularized after Google published the results of its famous study of 180 of its high performing internal teams. According to the company’s research, the one key characteristic that accounted for team excellence was Psychological Safety, not expertise.

Their conclusion, “Who is on a team matters less than how the team members interact, structure their work, and view their contributions”.

We help teams create climates of Psychological Safety through the team assessment created by Tim Clark, 4 Stages Team Survey™. Clark, the author of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation defines the term using the 4 stages that teams go through to achieve a solid foundation as the following: “Psychological Safety is a condition in which you feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo – all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized or punished in some way (click here to see Tim Clarks model).

The Intentional Leadership Audit (ILA)

The Intentional Leadership Audit (ILA) was created by Executive Coach, Type Expert and award winning author of more than 21 books, Jane A.G. Kise. The model is outlined in her seminal work, Intentional Leadership, 12 Lenses for Focusing Strength, Managing Weaknesses, and Achieving Your Purpose, and embeds a 12-lens framework for exploring the essential tasks of leadership. The 12 lenses of leadership include 40 leadership priorities for reviewing from a developmental perspective. The Audit helps leaders to understand and explore more fully their natural paths for leadership and potential areas for growth within the roles they are in or are aiming to fulfill. Integrating the frameworks of psychological type, emotional intelligence and polarity thinking, this model helps leaders highlight development areas to create a robust development plan, by maintaining who they are and balancing opposite skills in the context of particular team and organizational situations.