korn/ferry assessment

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Korn/Ferry’s ProSpective Assessment is an online assessment tool created by Korn/Ferry International to assist LinkedIn users with their career

development. Leadership characteristics are based on research by Lominger International, a Korn/Ferry company.

ProSpective Assessment

Stephen Walker's Assessment Results

These are your Top 5 Leadership Characteristics:

Focusing on the Bottom LineYou are achievement oriented. You are eager to take action and see results. Even when youencounter obstacles, your energy and perseverance keep you going. You are motivated andoptimistic. At your best, you ensure that your actions are focused rather than lettingmomentum take over. You attribute much of your strong performance to your sense ofurgency, drive, and resilience.

Getting OrganizedYou are steady and calm in situations that others find overwhelming. When you are faced withever-increasing demands, when you are under pressure to keep up the pace, you approachyour work with focused attention and careful planning. You manage your time well. You havethe ability to call upon the appropriate resources at a moment’s notice in order to advance theproject or deliverable. You are constantly monitoring, thinking ahead, and making timelyadjustments in order to avoid obstacles and keep things moving on track.

Dealing with TroubleYou are willing to stick your neck out. You have the courage to challenge the status quo andbring up ideas that may make others uncomfortable. People count on you to stand up, speakyour mind respectfully, and not let others off the hook. It’s something they admire about youbecause they know it’s not easy to do. With you, people know where they stand. You do nothesitate to confront problem performers, deal with conflict, or deliver negative feedback. Yourapproach is productive, not threatening. And you are able to keep your own personal feelingsin check. Challenge, conflict, and hardship do not deter you from leading. In fact, you areenergized by tough challenges.

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Stephen Walker's Assessment ResultsTop 5 Characteristics (Cont'd)

Caring About OthersPeople matter to you. You take a personal interest in their well-being. You care about others,and you’re willing to help them when they are in trouble. You may be focused on gettingresults, but you make time for people. You take time to check in and see how they are doing.You are not afraid to show kindness and compassion. You recognize that you can be both astrong, respected leader and a caring, compassionate person. It is not a paradox for you. Youbalance caring and confidence as complementary leadership qualities.

Managing Work ProcessesYou understand and manage processes well. You know that the best processes are dynamicand require constant evaluation and tweaking. You see how all the pieces fit together and howone affects the other. You build in feedback loops and monitor key metrics. Optimizing forefficiency is something you focus on—you are always looking for continuous improvement.

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Potential Blind SpotsBlind spots are characteristics that you overestimate. You are likely to see yourself as stronger in these skills thanothers see you. A self assessment can give you insight on potential areas for self improvement, however, askingothers for their input by doing a network assessment will give you far greater insight on your blind spots. Here areyour potential blind spots and some ideas for next steps:

Balancing Work/LifeDoes your boss care if you have a life outside the office? Probably not. But most bosses knowthat a happy employee is an employee who spends time with friends, writes an occasionallimerick, and reads stories to his or her kids.

Just say no – You are the only one on earth who can push back on work when its time toeat a healthy lunch, exercise, attend your child’s recital, or have a relaxed dinner with yourpartner. In the long run, forgoing these things will likely decrease, not increase, your overallproductivity.

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Reset your standards – If you’re striving for perfection at work and at home, you’re in fora tough ride. Take a cue from the world’s most productive, successful people and giveyourself room to be pretty darn good most of the time. This means you’ll get almosteverything done by the end of the day and still have time for a quick round of Ping-Pong®.

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Team up – Try teaming up with coworkers to create a backup system. Everyone needs totake a day off, sometimes unexpectedly. Serving as backup for one another can take thepressure off when you really need a break.

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Demonstrating Personal FlexibilityClearly, our world is in constant flux. And as the pace of change accelerates on all of us,organizations have become keenly aware of their need for people who can tuck and roll andkeep their balance in a context of continuous change.

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Stephen Walker's Assessment ResultsDemonstrating Personal Flexibility: Blind Spots (Cont'd)

Keep learning – Getting better and better at something you’re already good at does notgrow you as fast as pushing past your comfort zone and entering unfamiliar terrain. Seekout classes, opportunities to cross-team, or even lateral moves that will allow you toexercise new muscles and break up your routine.

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Start again, and again – Resilience used to be a term used mostly in psychology andsports, but it’s creeping into the business lexicon. It refers to one’s ability to bounce backfrom setbacks, losses, or simple failure. Your grace in the face of such challenges and yourability to get back on the horse will communicate your resilience.

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Think solutions – Where there’s a problem, there’s always a solution (or at least a braveattempt at one). Identifying problems is an important part of any job, but looking deep intothe heart of a problem and coming up with a recommended course of action is whatseparates the truly nimble from the rest of us.

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Potential Hidden StrengthsHidden strengths are characteristics that you underestimate. You are likely to see yourself as weaker in theseskills than others see you. A self assessment can give you insight on potential areas for self improvement,however, asking others for their input by doing a network assessment will give you far greater insight on yourhidden strengths. Here are your potential hidden strengths:

Keeping on PointYou have discipline. Despite all of the tasks and challenges vying for your attention, you sortthrough competing priorities and stay focused. You have your favorite tricks for doingthis—setting aside blocks of time, finding ways to minimize interruptions, making decisionsquickly. You know that it’s not enough to be busy. Your concentrated focus producesmeaningful accomplishments.

Communicating EffectivelyYou are clear and credible when you communicate. You are knowledgeable about the topic.You have an interest and a passion in the message. And you are in tune with your audience.You adjust your message and delivery appropriately for the audience. You are an articulate,engaging speaker and a strong writer. Your use of stories, visuals, descriptions, and tonecaptivate the reader or the listener. You effectively inform, persuade, coach, and inspire.

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Problem AreasProblem areas can be hard to talk about. However, we want to arm you with as much information as possibleabout the roots of success as well as known causes of derailment. Through studying the career trajectories ofthousands of individual contributors, managers, and executives, we’ve identified the five most common barriersto career success. If you suspect one or more of these areas is a problem for you, the section below will provideinitial steps toward improvement.

This assessment did not generate any problem areas for you.

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Korn/Ferry InsightsHere’s how you compare to others:

Focusing on the Bottom LineFocusing on the Bottom Line is critically important. It is highly correlated with performance andpromotion at the individual contributor and manager levels. Most people tend to be good atthis, partially because organizations clearly communicate their desire for people who getresults, and it’s easy to identify and measure this skill in others. Focusing on the Bottom Lineis a non-negotiable for anyone who wants to succeed at work.

Getting OrganizedGetting Organized is important at all leadership levels, particularly at the individual contributorand manager levels where it is highly correlated with strong performance. Most people aremoderately skilled at Getting Organized, and for those who need to improve, it is easier todevelop than most leadership skills. Planning, marshalling resources, and multi-tasking arekey, especially for leaders who are charged with efficient execution.

Dealing with TroubleDealing with Trouble is highly correlated with strong performance at the manager level.Dealing with Trouble is a rare skill among individual contributors but is more common at themanager and executive levels. It takes courage to handle conflict, deliver tough feedback, andstick your neck out for an unpopular idea. These are the things that make Dealing with Troubleharder to develop. It is a good idea to begin to develop this skill as early as possible in yourcareer so that by the time you lead and manage others, you are prepared to handle tough,controversial situations.

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Stephen Walker's Assessment ResultsKorn/Ferry Insights (Cont'd)

Caring About OthersMost people are moderately skilled in Caring About Others, and it is moderately difficult todevelop. Leaders who are skilled in Caring About Others also tend to be skilled in ManagingDiverse Relationships and Being Open and Receptive. Taking an interest in others andshowing kindness and concern demonstrate how much you value others and can impact yourability to lead and influence others.

Managing Work ProcessesManaging Work Processes is highly correlated with strong performance at the manager level.Managers are often responsible for seeing the big picture and understanding how the piecesinterrelate. Most people are low in this skill, and it is moderately difficult to develop. The abilityto see a process as a dynamic system and to understand how tweaks create ripple effects is avital contribution to a business and will differentiate you from other leaders.

Keeping on PointKeeping on Point is very important across all leadership levels, particularly at the managerlevel where it is highly correlated with strong performance. However, the skill level for mostpeople in Keeping on Point is moderate when compared to other leadership skills. Fortunately,it is easier to develop than most leadership skills. The ability to set priorities and stay focusedis not common—it will differentiate you from your peers.

Communicating EffectivelyCommunicating Effectively is particularly important at the individual contributor level. Thenumber of people who are good communicators tends to be lower at the individual contributorlevel but steadily increases among managers and executives. With a little effort, this skill is nothard to develop. The ability to tailor your delivery and clearly articulate your points buildscredibility for both you and your message.

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Stephen Walker's Assessment ResultsKorn/Ferry Insights (Cont'd)

Balancing Work/LifeBalancing Work/Life ranks among the lowest skills for leaders at all levels, and it is harder todevelop than most leadership skills. Ultimately, the way you balance between work and life isa personal choice. The ability to consciously make trade-offs and get what you want out ofyour career and personal life will help you balance career achievement with other things youvalue.

Demonstrating Personal FlexibilityDemonstrating Personal Flexibility is a very low skill for most people. It is also harder forpeople to develop because it involves the willingness to respond to feedback and to change.Change can be hard for people, and personal change can be even more challenging. Peopleoften overestimate their ability in this area; it is a common blind spot across all levels ofleadership. Enhancing your ability to adjust, adapt, and flex in response to feedback orchanging conditions will make you a resilient and nimble leader.

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