THE MANAGEMENT GUIDE TO
UNDERSTANDING THE PEAC SYSTEM® EVALUATION RESULTS
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The PEAC System evaluation results may seem complex, and it is true that there
are several dynamics that are revealed in each report. In an effort to
help make the PEAC
evaluation a little clearer, many of these basics are spelled out herein.
Studying these for the first several evaluations can save you time by lessening
your need to review
with a Reader.
Keep in mind that the PEAC
evaluation is designed and validated for high school graduates as a minimum. If
you are assessing those younger, they are not qualified at this vocabulary level
and the results may be improperly interpreted. Within this website are the full
validation, deviation, reliability, and the EEOC information you or your
company may need on file. Return to the Mgr Guides and click on Validations...
The Norm Line, marked so
at the foot of the center double vertical line in the top chart, is like any other evaluation
for marking the center of the statistical population. Bars that end to the left of
that line indicate a lesser trait than the average person. Traits ending to
the right indicate more than the center of the population.
The second purpose for the centerline is labeled, again at the bottom of
that vertical line, ERL, or Energy Reserve
Line. This indicates a quatifiable available energy to make changes in one's
profile to adapt to a contact, prospect, or client. This applies as well,
in-house, with employees and supervisors. Below 45 is more of a
problem in high interaction positions. A 30 is pretty much what you see
is what you get, while 47-55 is much more adaptable. Above 56, however, is excess
energy and moves into the visible realm, which may indicate a scattered,
unfocused side, especially into the 58-62 range. Psychologists
consistently rate this upper level as ADHD territory, undiagnosed herein, but
something to be aware of when considering a hire. Scattered style profiles are
inconsistent and very often difficult to manage.
EEOC demands that the report that you must pull up, every time, the Basic
Self Report, at the bottom of the physical chart, along with a clean copy of the
graph, are printed and kept on file for one year. Printing is a
requirement in case the individual seeks their own copy of the results. These
copies cannot be computer-generated at the time of the request. These are
shallow enough to avoid offending the evaluatee, but are satisfying the EEOC
requirement to have available for that request. It is their right, and you need not
discuss any part of it. Do NOT include this page.
On the Basic Self Report is a link to further
instructions that will lay out the individual definitions and more.
Print a copy and keep it with these pages. You need not print any of the
instructions or these pages more than once if you keep them at hand. Again,
none of the instructions or these helper pages are to go to the evaluatee.
It is also important that your decision to interview,
hire or such, is not based solely on an evaluation. This PEAC evaluation is but 25% of the entire process. Making a decision solely based on a
test of anything other than a skills test is illegal in
EEOC mandates. If you turn away from a candidate, it is because you are
'processing others and you will call them if you need to return to them.' It is never 'because' of any kind of style or intelligence evaluation.
THE
BASIC SELF
The most important aspects are in plain
view and become basics within a few reads. You can reason them out
here. Right above the graph, at the center, you should see the words
Profile and
Stress. In each case, the letters that follow simply lay out
the chart below the words, left to right in order of their right end on the graph.
The numbers that follow Profile and Stress can be extremely important,
depending on the position or responsibility that you are evaluating the
individual against. Here, the information is dynamic and should require
a Reader to walk you through the first several times. These numbers are
'zones,' with those to the left of the 0, or Norm Line, are negative, and
those above are positive. Suffice it to say
that anything above zone 4 or below zone -4, is usually a strong
indicator that change to lessen or control it will be difficult on you and on your
evaluatee. If you are a mild-mannered individual, even a +/- 4 may be too strong for you. You can simply put those respective numbers, +/- at the end of the bars to
understand the zones.
The PEAC System evaluation is tailored around trait pairs. The top
two,
Power and
Extroversion are Influencers, how the individual
interacts with other people. It is a matter or persuasion, control,
poise, or in the event of high Extroversion alone, hope. The next two,
Analysis and
Conformance are
Parameters, or the traits that control the two above. Thus there are
many shades of those Influencers, from wild and free (and hard to manage), to
subdued, even repressed, and helpful only in the right positions. You can draw a
bracket to encompass each pair on the far left and label them until you are
familiar with this concept.
This
Basic Self
(shown by the dark bars) is pretty much in place from early childhood, and it is not easily changed to something else. Intensities, the distance from the Norm Line can vary depending on health, sobriety, drug use, and such, but the Basic Self will seldom change the general shape of the profile pattern by much. It is true, however, in our over thirty-five years of evaluations, that we see a
slide toward the position from the basic self over a long period of time. It is
a form of therapy, where the constant application of style required forces the
individual to adopt a different basic profile that may be midway between his or
her position requirements and their own basic self. But that requires many
years, and is not valuable if you expect faster results.
Sometimes,
the individual will blow off the evaluation, altogether, or leave enough
questions that it is tempting to have them try again. There is a warning, however. Asking an individual to retake the
evaluation will almost always cause them to play with it, trying to
come up with a better profile. We do not run additional evaluations for
no cost, and it is our recommendation that you do not
do this, even a few years into employment with you. The first evaluation
is the most important, and best trusted, assuming you administered it
properly. More on this below.
PEOPLE VS. SYSTEMS- The broader brush
As a broad brush indicator, there are two basic styles. Critical to most give and take,
people oriented positions are the Extroversion and/or Power to the right. High E is friendly, talkative, often and sometimes cannot close. This is not an issue in most product sales where the product itself does a good job on its own. Service sales and intantigible sales require a higher than average (ERL) level to assist on the close.
To provide the drive necessary to make this profile successful in sales, persuasion and the like, the Analysis and Conformance should be to the left. Again not so far that they are too difficult to train and manage. See the left graph, above. If all of the dark bars lie on that 1 to 7 line on our clock, they are just about ideal for all give and take type sales, consulting, and so on. They are not wind-up toys, for they still need training, but with the instincts in place, they take to it much more
easily than the other basic, systems-oriented people.
If it is only one to the right, as in Power, especially with lower Analysis and Conformance, they can close hard, show strong control tendencies and such, and are harder to handle from a management standpoint. In some arenas, such as personnel, they can close deals easily, but their fall-off rate is terrible. Sort of like hammering it home, only to have it fall apart.
On the other hand, if it is Extroversion by itself, they come across correspondingly higher people-oriented, depending on the zone, talkative, friendly, even, then, if over zone
4, more insecure, especially without Power to the right to help. They sell by hoping. They love great products that sell themselves. They might not
close or ask for the business. They may talk too much. You have probably heard of a salesperson talking his or her way out of a sale after the client has said, YES, but they cannot stop talking. Usually found in
product sales, rather than services. Training can help, but the farther off
the traits are, the more difficult it is to bring them to the
performance you seek.
The other basic style has low Power and Extroversion,
on the negative side, with high Analysis and Conformance
to the right, and are systems-oriented.
See the graph above in the center, above. They prefer working without the give and take of
people they do not know. They can make good friends, but limit the
number to those they most trust. If you put them in an environment where they believe
they must 'pester' people, turnover is too often the result. This is partly because, as systems people, they, too, do not like being 'pestered.' But, in addition, because of their analytical side, where they must understand every facet of a conversation or a concept, they are not comfortable in the give and take of cold calls or discussions that require quicker thinking. In system or function, they do it well, take their time, and have pride in their work... usually.
Intelligence plays a factor here, too, and
the PEAC evaluation does not measure that category. The guideposts are a good GPA level at the university level, or a high success rate in similar positions as they are working their way to you. Of course, if you are
unsure, a discussion with a Reader can make all the difference.
The higher the zone
numbers, of course, the more intense these traits and the styles become.
If the entire profile is closer to the Norm Line, as in a very narrow profile
(all zone 1), many can adjust,
especially with ERL above 50, but it is always more effective to start out with what your requirements are
for the proper 'people vs. systems'
orientation.
SPECIAL PROFILE IDENTITIES- Deeper strokes.
There are a couple of special
patterns that are readily identifiable and measured not only in the PEAC
evaluation, but proven in other studies.
One
is the Counselor, the combination of low Power, high Extroversion, and high
Analysis. Friendly, likable, but slower, more careful to learn and to handle the give and take
of sales and the like. This is a matter of a deep need to understand all
situations, a trait of high
Analysis people, sometimes to the point of 'Analysis Paralysis.' Replacing high
Analysis with high
Conformance can simply make them do everything by the numbers, often very
civilized and polite, doing only what they
know, or have been taught, and little else.
Counselors are often
found in HR positions, content to wait for a call than to
have to make them without purpose, as a resume in hand. Returning calls,
screening and such are their domain. Customer service applies, assuming the
Extroversion is stronger than the Analysis by at least one zone or more. It is
better to show the care, rather than just going through the motions. Selling is seldom the issue. Do not expect quick service, fast paced performance, and a
willingness to make cold calls, if that is your requirement.
The other special pattern is a low Power and higher Extroversion, especially when they
are at least four zones apart, i.e. -2Power and +2Extroversion. This is an area
identified by an evaluation
solely focused on this in the early eighties, called 'Call Reluctance.' Despite
the evaluatee's claim to the contrary, they hate the
phone, hate cold calls, and are purely ambitious, rather than driven. Effort can
fade quickly, all too often. This can hold true even if the Power is right, say
+1P and the Extroversion is +5E or more. Still four zones apart. Keep in mind
that volume outbound calling, as in call centers, is not a give and take
environment, and most profiles can do this, at least for a while. It seldom
applies to the rest of the business world.
Ambition is
turned on, intellectually, and can easily be turned off, creating turnover. High
Power profiles, with low Analysis and low Conformance are drivers, and this
determination is more
instinctive. Of course, too much a driver, as in a wide profile above zone 4, can be much harder to
control from a manager's perspective. It is our recommendation that you seek the balance of a mid-level profile.
Our Reader can help with understanding this.
The two
patterns as they are described are along zone lines no wider than plus and minus
3. However, if the traits are more than a zone wider than these guidelines, as in
5 or more,
then additional difficulties can ensue.
In either case, 'systems' or 'people' oriented, much of the success of the
individual rests with the manager and his or her own profile. A demanding, fast-
paced, 'my way or the highway' manager will need strong profiles to handle the
constant heat. Wilting profiles will often wash out all too quicly. On the
other hand, a mild-mannered, soft-spoken manager should not take on very strong
profiles without caution. Those styles can dismiss a soft manager and become
very difficult to train and direct. Again, a Reader can help in this area.
THE FACADE
The
Facade can change quickly, like
clouds, daily, hourly, and so on, and is not useful in hiring, for the
most part. It is unpredictable. It is in the realm of 'mood orientation,'
for it can indicate how a person feels in their current or past position...
which might be why he or she is looking to you. The differences, taking
into consideration the energy level, are rated in Current Fit, discussed down
below. An interesting aspect of 'mood orientation' is that a very high
percentage of evaluations on the market for the past few decades and today identify that mood as the style of
the individual, proven time and time again against the PEAC evaluation, where
the basic self is what you must train and manage. Mood styles are inconsistent, unpredictable, and too
changeable.
Decisions are important in any give and take arena involving myriad contacts. Anywhere within the middle box, right above the dark bar, the easier
it is for
the individual to relate to people across the scale. Heavier logical
people, fact-oriented, have difficulty communicating properly with the 'feel good', emotional people
and vice versa.
Current Fit, (CFIT)
mentioned above, is a mild guideline to existing
stress in a current or past position (their indicated Facade) against the individual's basic
self. The indicators for a corresponding urgency to leave their current
position, which might be in your company, should you, like most managers, assess
your own people, are a lower
CFIT in the neighborhood of 20-30. The higher the number, the less the
stress. Find the number by drawing a straight line downward off the right end of
CFIT bar to the ruler below. Fifty and over is considered no stress and nothing
is gained above that number. Forty to fifty is an ideal range for simply
supplying enough challenge for most profiles.
Energy Type is very critical in many arenas. There are two distinct
classes of people that are extremely valuable to us all, yet have very
different Energy Types. Look at the graph to find the AB marker under the
last bar at the bottom of the graph. Those
that have their Energy Type end inside the small space will show flashes
of Type A, and occasionally, Type B. The realm of Type A people is often
some form of give and take, sales, multitasking, interruptions, over-extension
(taking on too much at once- failing to complete one task before changing
direction, especially above 65-70), and so
on.
On the other hand, Type B is the realm of the single purpose
functionary. Programmers, engineers, bookkeepers, accountants, and
many of that kind of work. Clinical Type B shows below 30 on the ruler.
The old saying, "There are no 'hurry-up' bones in an engineer," applies directly
at this level. Keep in mind that there are as many Clients who need Type B as
there are those who seek Type A, and again, for very different purposes.
Both are valuable in their own realms.
This is one of the principal mismatch areas that create turnover.
Half of that is the tendency for anyone with a Type B style to see all Type A
as hyper and scattered, while the Type A sees the B as moving in molasses. True
or not, it creates misunderstanding, frustration, and... turnover.
ACCURACY
Now, let's
consider one of the most
important areas in determining the individual's buy-in to taking the
assessment. Look below the graph about two inches. On the left, you will
see Consistency Factors. This is akin to comparing the answers to
Dominant and Yielding. You cannot be heavy in both (5), or very low in both (1).
They are opposed and the answers should reflect it. Look to the end of
the paragraph for the results of the evaluation. Anything 68-70 is a negligible error. Above 70 is a non-existent error. Take this
concept over six hundred word combinations and any attempt, instinctive
or purposefully, to mask a trait will stand out with a low number in the traits
at the end of the paragraph.
P( ), E( ), A( )
and C( ) are simply the traits in the graph above. A 65 could be
as much as an inch in error, either way, left
or right. The difficulty is determining where in those two inches the
trait might lie. This can usually be overcome with references and more careful
interviewing, such as live role-playing. A 60 is close to two inches. A 50 is three inches either way!
Neither of the lower indicators is easily overcome without serious digging. As a caveat, if the above
indicators are empty, you did not copy the entire code before requesting the
profile. It leaves off this important facet. Your email should still contain the
full code. Highlight it all and try again.
Interestingly, with high
Type A profiles, especially with very low Analysis, Conformance and correspondingly high
Power, the consistency factors hover
around seventy, simply from taking the evaluation too quickly... or not paying
attention.
Any
indicator less than 60, especially with more than one trait out of place, is considered blowing off the evaluation and
your instructions. Even two at 65 can destroy the ability to interpret
the evaluation. Those instructions are important. See the 'Mgr Guides'
on our homepage, then click Administration for the proper approach to onboard or
candidate personnel.
As a recap, here, essentially, you are holding out
the carrot:"Should we bring you onboard, we want to make
you as successful as possible." Then the explanation:"To do this, we will try to train and manage to your profile." Then,
the close:"Fill out the profile online. I will send you
the required information for the evaluation. What is your email address?"
Nothing more.
All you provide with additional information is an indicator on how
to defeat the evaluation. If someone else is assigned this administration duty,
be certain that they send out the proper information in that email. You can find
this information in the boxes on the evaluation online, at peacsystem.com ...
then, to the evaluation and so on.
Similarly,
all of
our clients eventually wish to evaluate current staff. The main change is the
carrot: "I am sure you want us to help make you as successful as
possible." Then the explanation:"To do this, we will try
to train and manage to your profile." Put them online to take the evaluation. Do
NOT evaluate current staff to set a benchmark. It is illegal. EEOC requires
2,000 units to verify a particular profile as successful. We have over 300,000,
with far more than the limits in each arena to indicate the more likely
successful profiles.
One last bit of critical information will help you determine if the profile
should fit the individual. On rare occasion, especially with High Type A
styles, the individual will take the evaluation backward, ie, one is most
like and five is least like. Look under the graph, left side, for the
labels, Private Self and Public Self. To the right, find BnS, which
means 'bright' and 'smart'. Below are the answers to those two words, Almost anyone will indicate a four or a five as
reasonably bright or very smart. Only a few choose three's (or of average
intelligence). This is, of course, their opinion and does not indicate
how smart they really are.
Please understand that a very high Analysis profile can be
very 'intelligent'. Think psychologists and engineers, scientists, and so on.
'Bright', however, requires low Analysis to use that intelligence at speed. If
your position requires quick thinkers, higher Analysis will often prevent it and
limit success in a give and take arena. By the way, so will impulsive, impatient low Analysis types below zone -3
who can be abrupt, pushy and over the top closers.
A one or a two in either position, as in 12 or 23 or such,
less than 33, may indicate they actually took it backward and it is
thus invalid. It may also indicate a difficulty with vocabulary or
the English language. Usually, this shows up when the report and the interview
of the individual do not come close to one another. But keep in mind, the PEAC is designed
to get around that front. Further interview, references and such will identify
the basic self we provide as a match, almost every time.
Again,
with any reasonable intelligence, almost all people have no problem with the
evalulation. Be certain that they use a Windows environment on a desktop or
notebook, avoiding all Apple and mobile devices. That warning is spelled out on
the front homepage, clearly. Failure to follow instructions, or an unwillingness to listen
to you is probably indicators of pending problems in your hire, training, or
management.
So, with this in hand, plus
your reports and graph, if these still generate questions, you will need
to set an appointment with a Reader. Text our support at (813) 751-6759,
or email us at peacnet@peacsystem.com for assistance.
George W. Tucker, MS
President -
The PEAC SYSTEM® Finding 'Em, Training 'Em and Keeping 'Em