CLI: The Connective Leadership Institute : Sample Situational Assessment (ASSET) results

Asset: The following styles are the ones that the organization tends to reward most frequently:

Collaborative (4.4)

This group's favorite way of accomplishing a task is to do it as a team project. Faced with a task, the group's first response is to call some or all of its members together to brainstorm about the project. The group feels an added surge of enthusiasm and creativity when the members work together on things. Group members do not like to work in isolation and usually try to avoid it. They enjoy the camaraderie of working with others and prefer team work over the solitude of doing things individually. Group members are willing to do their fair share of the work, but they also expect to receive their fair share of the prize. If the team does not succeed, each member accepts his or her portion of responsibility.

Contributory (4.3)

This group enjoys working behind the scenes to help others accomplish their tasks. Contributory groups excel in staff functions. Group members do their part so well that the party they help is usually successful. The group knows that its contribution to other associates' tasks has been a major factor -- sometimes even the critical difference -- in the successful completion of those projects, and this gives the group a sense of accomplishment. Group members see themselves as contributors to the other party's task, but they are always aware that the major accomplishment belongs to the other party. Group members are always pleased to participate in important projects and often volunteer to help other individuals or groups whose purpose they respect.

Personal (4.2)

This group tends to be self reliant. Its members use their personalities, intelligence, wit, humor, charm, personal appearance, family background, and previous achievements as instruments for further success. The members enjoy public speaking and usually can convince their audience to help the group accomplish its task. Group members have a flair for dramatic gestures and symbolism, selecting just the right symbol to convey the importance and central meaning of their task. Their knack for taking counter-intuitive or unexpected action surprises their supporters and opponents. Their charismatic approach attracts other people. The group has a highly developed sense of timing. Group members know how to utilize ritual and costume to convey the meaning and importance of their cause to their audience. Group members are very persuasive and use well-honed negotiation skills to resolve conflicts. Because Personal groups make their tasks so attractive and exciting, others like to work with them.

Intrinsic (4.2)

This group is very self-motivated. Most people in the group do not wait for others to help them. The group looks within itself both for its own motivation and standards of excellence. The group enjoys the sense of autonomy that comes from not relying on others. Being in control of themselves and how they do the task gives the group a sense of intellectual and creative freedom. Even when others assure them that the job they have done is good enough, they are often not completely satisfied, particularly if they do not feel they have given it their best shot. The group looks within itself for the resources to perform any given task, as well as for the evaluation of its performance. Tasks that represent a real challenge interest this group regardless of whether or not the group members will receive any external reward. Doing a task well is reward enough for you.

Social (4.1)

This group is skilled in selecting other people whose special skills are relevant to the task at hand. The group knows how to do things through other people and always recognizes the connections between people and tasks. Group members have strong networking and political skills, which they call upon comfortably. They maintain connections with many people and put many of their 'contacts' in touch with one another. Group members are more likely to pick up the telephone and call an associate(s) for help than go to the library or database to dig out the information for themselves. Their network is their database. This group has strong political skills which it uses to good advantage. The group believes it's not 'what you know, but whom you know' that counts.

Asset: Although the styles that the organization rewards most frequently are very useful and important, be aware that they have the following potential limitations. This is particularly the case when organizations reward those styles to the exclusion of other styles:

Collaborative (4.4)

Groups who prefer the Collaborative style may be reluctant to work alone or to take the initiative when more solitary work is necessary. Collaborative groups may be unwilling to work competitively when required. They may have difficulty taking charge of the task and delegating to others. Group members may tend to be self-effacing, when they should be putting themselves forward. They may wish to be involved in the group process as an equal, when it may be more appropriate simply to be a contributor to others' tasks. Group members may rely too heavily on the excitement of the synergistic effect for their own creative energy. Collaborative groups may expend too much time and energy on examining the social dynamics of the group.

Contributory (4.3)

Groups who prefer to use the Contributory style may tend to take a back seat when they really need to take the initiative, do it as equals, or do it by themselves. Group members may tend to be too self-effacing or reluctant to put forth new ideas or projects as their own. They may wait for others to take the first step. Group members may undervalue their own talents compared to those of others. They may take on too much of another's task and not delegate or entrust parts of the task to others. Group members may not be willing to take responsibility for failure and thus may prefer to attach themselves to others who take major responsibility for failure, as well as success. As such, members of groups that rely too much on this style may be willing to forego the excitement of first-hand success in order to avoid the despair of failure. In addition, because groups who prefer this style are so oriented towards helping others, they may be less inclined to call upon others who may be able to help them.

Personal (4.2)

Groups who prefer the Personal style use personal aspects of group members, such as their accomplishments and personal attributes, to attract others to participate in their tasks. They tend to evaluate their own and other individuals' achievements in terms of past accomplishments and the public recognition such achievements bring. Group members use personal charisma, wit and/or intellect to persuade or influence others to become involved in their tasks. Group members' use of dramatic or symbolic gestures to attract the attention of potential supporters or constituents may not always be appropriate or effective. Others may misinterpret the group's actions as too self-assured or overly dramatic. If carried too far, group members' charismatic behavior may be mistaken for 'con-artistry.'

Intrinsic (4.2)

Groups who prefer the Intrinsic style often push themselves to unrealistic or unnecessary standards of perfection. As a result, such groups may spend more time and energy on a task than it is worth. Group members often take the full brunt of the responsibility themselves in order to meet their own high standards of excellence. Sometimes the group is unnecessarily reluctant to delegate parts of the task that others could do equally well or better. Because they like their own ways of doing things, groups who rely too heavily on the Intrinsic style may cut themselves off from ideas and various kinds of help and support that others could contribute. Such groups also may court burn out.

Social (4.1)

Groups who prefer the Social style are adept at developing informal networks and receiving help from network members. A potential limitation is that these Social groups may look more to others than to themselves when they could do the task perfectly well on their own. Social groups may perceive others as more expert than themselves, even when that is not the case. Others may perceive the Social group as overly political or more concerned with process than with substance. Others may perceive group members as 'movers and shakers,' who take excessive delight in wielding influence.

Asset: The following styles are the ones the organization tends to reward less frequently. Organizations which reward these styles gain certain benefits that this organization may be foregoing unnecessarily:

Competitive (3.9)

Groups who use the Competitive style derive satisfaction from performing a task better than anyone else. Competition motivates these people to persist at a task until they succeed. By utilizing this style more, group members will learn to compare their performance with the performance of others' and learn to judge themselves against a more external and less personal standard. Groups who use this style tend to get a real thrill from winning and being the best. Groups who use this style are less driven by internal standards of exquisite perfection than by comparisons with the performance of others and realistic ambitions for being the best.

Vicarious (3.6)

Groups who prefer the Vicarious style derive a real sense of accomplishment when the people/group with whom they identify succeed. In using this style, group members will learn how to be good mentors, offering encouragement and guidance to others. Vicarious groups will willingly support others with reassurance, guidance and praise, but do not necessarily expect or need to get into the act. Their sense of pride in the success of others is sufficient reward; they do not need to take credit for the accomplishments of others whom they have encouraged. Group members will learn to feel very comfortable being spectators or supporters of others who are the main achievers, rather than engaging in action that leads to a direct achievement of their own. Members will try to offer sound wisdom and counsel to others and feel satisfied when that advice produces a successful result.

Power (3.2)

Groups who prefer the Power style like to be in charge. They like to be in leadership positions and are less interested in being followers. In using this style, the group will be better able to take control of tasks, situations and resources. Groups who prefer this style take responsibility for things, even though they may assign or delegate parts of the task to others. By learning to use this style, group members will improve their ability to coordinate and organize people and events. They will learn to commandeer resources and delegate parts of the task to others. Although they will learn the important skill of delegating, they will keep a close eye on how things they care about are being handled.

Entrusting (3.0)

Groups who feel comfortable with the Entrusting style know how to make people feel that they are counted on for important assignments. They entrust their goals and tasks to others with the belief that those whom they have selected can accomplish the task as well as, or even better than, the group, itself, could. Learning to use this style will enable group members to put their confidence in others, making others feel they can do the task that is important to the group. Entrusting groups empower and inspire others to try new things. When they give a task to an associate, they generally expect that person/group to come through with minimal supervision. In this way, the group empowers those who are relied upon, although, at the outset, some people/groups may quietly wish for more explicit directions and advice. Nonetheless, Entrusting groups are very good at bringing out the best in others. In most cases, such groups simply expect everyone around them to help with their tasks. They use leadership through expectations. Groups who use this style are less concerned than groups who rely on the Social style about selecting just the right person for a specific task, because they believe that people/groups will reach within themselves to live up to the Entrusting group's flattering expectations.