Introduction: Would you like to take a look at the thinking profile of your organization? This guide will help you think critically about the thinking skills of your organization as a whole.
Too often, executives confuse their own IQ with that of the company’s. They look at an executive team that is bright, experienced and articulate and assume that those characteristics somehow combine to generate the best of the group’s thinking. It isn’t that simple.
You’ve sat through meetings where the whole range of ideas were not discussed, where the most aggressive presenter talked down a more thoughtful but less pushy teammate. You’ve lived with decisions that weren’t researched, but rather arose out of a cherished set of assumptions or the bias of the “big boss.”
Instructions: Take a few moments and carefully consider the questions. Search your memory for examples that support your answers. What does your experience show you when you stop and look closely at your organization’s thinking---its strengths and weaknesses? If you really don’t have specific information in response to one question or another, then trust your first impulse and answer with your best intuition.
One other caution; this is NOT an IQ test. Competitive people often take tests with the goal of achieving the highest scores that they can, or to demonstrate that they really are as good as they hope they are.
Do not think of this as a test. Instead, take this opportunity to take your measure. Done with integrity, this profile can give you insights that allow you to create more value with the assets you already have at your disposal.
Read each question independently. Consider you experiences within your current company and base your choices on that experience.
The answers for each question are specific. For every question, place a mark in the box that represents your answer (the answer choices are the headings at the top of the columns: This Is Unlike Us, A Few People May, Hit Or Miss As A Company, Common But Not Always, Always Or With Rare Exception).
Scores for each answer are weighted to facilitate the creation of a thinking style profile. The scoring template follows the questionnaire.
NOTE: If you prefer to have your scores calculated automatically, you can go to this website www.syntient.com where you can take this same questionnaire. We provide this version, which can be self-scored by hand, for situations in which you may wish to copy the questionnaire to administer to your people.