Rapid progressive and technological advancement is a reality which is pushing professionals across industries to come to terms with the fact that they must either adapt or be left behind. PsyPotential has partnered with AQai in order to support individuals, teams, and organisations in identifying support, training or growth needs to ensure that people are able to adapt to the changes which they and their organisations will face. By completing a simple yet scientifically advanced psychometric assessment, professionals can learn about their unique strengths and weaknesses when it comes to adapting to change at work. Insights obtained from AQai data at individual, team, and organisational levels can therefore ensure successful change adoption across the organisation.
AQme Insights at an Individual Level
Individual AQme reports highlight the support specific individuals may need to thrive during and after change, as well as skills and areas they may need to develop further to be more effective and to function better within their team and organisation. One common instance is the impact of having a high score in Grit (the extent to which an individual perseveres in pursuit of a goal), and a lower score in Resilience (an individual’s capacity to recover quickly in the face of adversity, also known as ‘bouncebackability’). The speed and intensity at which the general population tends to work may serve as an influencing factor in this reality, as professionals may feel the need to be persistent and determined (or gritty) no matter the emotional cost. Although persisting steadily towards important goals is arguably a valuable and admirable skill, a high score in Grit can act as a double-edged sword. High Grit may lead an individual to exhaust their internal resources, and subsequently underuse effective coping strategies, lowering their ability to be resilient, or successfully adapt in the face of stressors. As both Grit and Resilience are trainable skills, it is important to be aware if one’s Grit is higher than their resilience, as such individuals may have a higher potential for adverse consequences such as stress and burnout, while decreasing their likelihood to respond well in the face of change. In simple terms, possessing high levels of Grit but low Resilience is likely to result in emotional, psychological, and ultimately physiological fatigue due to insufficient rest, reflection, and recovery.
From an organisational leadership perspective, data from psychometric tests has shown that professional growth and development does not follow a ‘one size fits all’ pattern. It is therefore important that leaders consider their employees’ unique strengths and weaknesses and provide individualised support to maximise both employee wellbeing and performance outcomes.
AQteam Insights at Team and Organisational Levels
At team and organisational levels, AQteam reports may also highlight strengths and weaknesses across teams and departments, bringing awareness to how an organisation can boost performance through higher level initiatives such as group training or coaching. One such example is that of an organisation which identifies it’s teams as having low Company Support and high Team Support. Company Support refers to employees perceptions of how their organization values their contributions and cares for their wellbeing. On the other hand, Team Support refers to the extent to which employees feel comfortable sharing knowledge, addressing challenges, and expressing their opinions within their team. In the case of organisations with low Company Support scores and high Team Support scores, this may indicate that collaborative strength lies solely within individual teams. A lack of strong synergy across teams and departments however may lead teams and individuals to struggle when adapting to company-wide changes, due to a lack of trust, communication, and collaboration. To address this, organisations may consider adopting initiatives which encourage cross-functional collaboration, such as company-wide teambuilding or developmental sessions where employees are given the chance to gain an awareness and appreciation of the challenges those in other departments may face.
The reality of ongoing and accelerated change is a challenge we all inevitably need to face. By enabling individuals and teams to pinpoint and work on strengths and areas for improvement, we foster both their personal and professional growth. PsyPotential aims to act as a partner with organisations navigating change to identify and support their workforce through consulting, training and coaching initiatives which enable business growth and success whilst prioritising employee wellness.
