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HELLO, AND WELCOME TO AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OCTOGRAM A TEST FOR IDENTIFYING AND MEASURING
A CANDIDATE'S WORK AND LEADERSHIP STYLES. MY NAME IS RICHARD AND I AM THE CHIEF SYSTEM
DEVELOPER FOR ONLINE TALENT MANAGER, A PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST DISTRIBUTOR BASED IN THE NETHERLANDS
AND THE DEVELOPER OF THIS TEST.
THE OCTOGRAM TEST WAS DEVELOPED BY ANDRE TJOA AND BERT GOOS TO IDENTIFY THE PERSONALITY
TRAITS THAT UNDERPIN QUINN'S COMPETING VALUES FRAMEWORK.
IT IS USED FOR SELECTION, MATCHING HOW YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF A PARTICULAR
POSITION. IT IS USED IN TRAINING SITUATIONS TO HELP COWORKERS RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND
HOW AND WHY THEIR TEAMMATES DO THE THINGS THEY DO.
AND IT IS USED IN CONSULTANCY SITUATIONS TO IDENTIFY THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF AN
ORGANIZATION.
BEFORE I GO INTO THE 8 STYLES, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THAT THE RESULTS OF THIS TEST
DO NOT SAY WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF DOING A PARTICULAR JOB.
BUT IT WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU WILL HAVE TO STRETCH OR CHANGE OR SPEND ENERGY TO DO
THAT WORK. YOU CAN WORK AGAINST YOURSELF, BUT IT'S GOING
TO COST YOU EFFORT TO DO SO!
SCORES IN THE OCTOGRAM, AND IN ALL OF OTM'S TESTS, ARE DISPLAYED IN SOMETHING CALLED THE
STANINE SCALE. IT'S A HANDY WAY OF DESCRIBING HOW YOUR SCORES COMPARE WITH THOSE OF A GROUP.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT LARGE GROUPS OF CANDIDATE SCORES AND GRAPH THEM OUT, THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED
AS A BELL CURVE. MOST PEOPLE SCORE AROUND THE AVERAGE MIDDLE
POINT WITH FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE SCORING AT THE OUTLYING EXTREMES.
A SCORE OF 5 IS NORMAL AND GENERALLY INDICATES THAT YOU CAN PEFORM TASKS IN A TRAIT COMPETENTLY.
AS YOU MOVE AWAY FROM THE MIDDLE, TOWARD A 1 OR A 9, YOUR BEHAVIOR BECOMES MORE AND MORE
DIFFERENT THAN 'NORMAL'. A SCORE OF 1 MEANS YOU SHOULD AVOID POSITIONS
THAT REQUIRE YOU TO PERFORM THE DESCRIBED TRAIT.
A SCORE OF 9 MEANS THAT YOU CAN PERFORM THOSE ACTIVITIES EASILY, BUT YOU HAVE TO WATCH OUT
THAT YOU DON'T GET LOCKED INTO THAT BEHAVIOR SO STRONGLY THAT YOU CANNOT BE FLEXIBLE WHEN
THE SITUATION DEMANDS
THE OCTOGRAM GRAPHIC IS SOMETHING PSYCHOLOGISTS CALL A 'CIRCUMPLEX'. THAT MEANS THAT TRAITS
CLOSE TO EACH OTHER TEND TO BE SIMILAR AND TRAITS ON OPPOSITE SIDES TEND TO BE DIFFERENT.
AS A QUICK EXAMPLE, IT'S RARE TO FIND SOMEONE WHO IS A TEAM PLAYER AND A COMPETITIVE ACHIEVER
AT THE SAME TIME. IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, JUST RARE. KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE DIG IN TO THESE
TRAITS IN MORE DETAIL AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THEY RELATE TO EACH OTHER.
THE PIONEER TRAIT IS RELATED TO A CANDIDATE'S 'NEED FOR NEW', THEIR NEED FOR CHANGE AND
VARIETY IN THEIR WORK ENVIRONMENT. YOU NEED PIONEERS IF THE POSITION REQUIRES INNOVATION
AND GENERATION OF NEW IDEAS. A WEAK PIONEER WILL BE COMFORTABLE IN A JOB
THAT IS VERY STABLE AND UNCHANGING. A STRONG PIONEER CAN MAKE INTUITIVE LEAPS,
IS CREATIVE, AND INNOVATIVE. A VERY STRONG PIONEER SCORE CAN INDICATE THAT
THE CANDIDATE HAS TROUBLE FINISHING A PROJECT BEFORE GETTING BORED WITH IT AND WANTING TO
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT NEW THING.
THE NETWORKER TRAIT IS RELATED TO HOW EASILY A CANDIDATE CONNECTS WITH STRANGERS, HOW MUCH
THEY ENJOY MAKING NEW CONNECTIONS AND LEARNING ABOUT OTHERS.
A CANDIDATE WITH A LOW NETWORKER SCORE HAS TO OVERCOME SOME INTERNAL RESISTANCE TO REACH
OUT TO STRANGERS OR PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE TEAM. A STRONG NETWORKER IS ENTHUSIASTIC, ENGAGING,
AND ARE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. THEY NEED TO BE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT REQUIRES A LOT
OF CONTACT WITH NEW PEOPLE AND SOCIAL SITUATIONS.
THE ACHIEVER TRAIT IS A LOOK INTO A CANDIDATE'S ENERGY LEVEL AND ABILITY TO DEAL WITH STRESS
AND ACHIEVE GOALS. YOU NEED ACHIEVERS IN POSITIONS THAT REQUIRE HIGH PRODUCTIVITY, ARE PUSHY,
AND DON'T TAKE "NO" FOR AN ANSWER. A WEAK ACHIEVER IS PATIENT AND IS RELAXED
AND TAKES THINGS AS THEY COME, THEY DO NOT REACT WELL TO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS.
A STRONG ACHIEVER FEELS THE NEED TO BE COMPETITIVE, TO WIN, THEY'RE IN A HURRY. IF THIS TRAIT
IS VERY HIGH, IT SHOWS THAT THE CANDIDATE HAS NO PROBLEM STEPPING OVER THE BODIES AND
EMOTIONS OF OTHERS TO REACH THEIR GOALS.
WHERE THE ACHIVEVER IS THE DOER, THE STRATEGIST SCALE IS LOOKING AT THINKING. IT IS A MEASURE
OF HOW FAR A CANDIDATE'S HORIZON IS. YOU NEED THIS SCALE TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE, PLAN AHEAD,
AND SET GOALS. A WEAK STRATEGIST IS MORE CONCERNED WITH IMMEDIATE
NEEDS AND SHORT TERM GOALS. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE YOU WANT EXECUTING STRATEGY, NOT CONSTANTLY
STOPPING TO ASK 'WHAT DOES ALL THIS REALLY *MEAN*'
A STRONG STRATEGIST IS EXCELLENT AT PUTTING THINGS INTO CONTEXT AND SETTING LONG TERM
GOALS. VERY STRONG STRATEGISTS HAVE TROUBLE SEEING OR DEALING WITH SITUATIONS IN THE HERE
AND NOW.
THE ANCHOR TRAIT IS A MEASURE OF HOW MUCH A CANDIDATE ENJOYS ORDER, SYSTEMS, RULES,
AND DETAIL. YOU NEED WORKERS WHO ARE GOOD ANCHORS TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE 100% COMPLETE,
TO MOVE OUT OF BETA. THEY ENJOY BRINGING STRUCTURE AND ORDER TO SITUATIONS, AND MAKE SURE ALL
THE I'S ARE DOTTED AND T'S ARE CROSSED. A CANDIDATE WITH A LOW ANCHOR SCORE SHOULD
AVOID WORK THAT REQUIRES LONG TERM FOCUS AND DEALING WITH DETAILS. (ESPECIALLY NUMBERS)
A STRONG ANCHORS CAN FOCUS SHARPLY ON COMPLICATED AND EXACTING TASKS. A VERY STRONG ANCHOR WILL
HAVE TROUBLE COMPLETING THINGS ON TIME IF THEY ARE TOO PERFECTIONISTIC.
THE ANALYST TRAIT IS LOOKING AT A CANDIDATE'S NEED TO DEAL IN REALITY AND HARD FACTS. YOU
NEED SOMEONE WITH THIS TRAIT TO LOOK AT PROBLEMS FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
PITFALLS AND TO BE THE VOICE OF REASON. CANDIDATE'S WITH A LOW SCORE HERE DO NOT LOOK
AT THINGS CRITICALLY, THEY DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT COULD GO WRONG, THEY ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC
AND CAN TAKE RISKS. THEY TEND TO IGNORE FACTS THAT THEY DON'T 'LIKE'.
A STRONG ANALYST IS FOCUSED ON DATA AND INFORMATION, BUT THIS CONSTANT NEED TO KNOW *EVERYTHING*
BEFORE MAKING A DECISION CAN CAUSE THEM TO DELAY AND DELAY WHILE THAT INFORMATION IS
BEING COLLECTED. THIS CAN BE A PROBLEM IN SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE QUICK ACTION AND INTUITION.
THE TEAM PLAYER TRAIT IS A MEASURE OF HOW WELL A CANDIDATE CAN PLAY WITH OTHERS. CAN
THEY MAINTAIN WARM RELATIONS WITH OTHER TEAM MEMBERS? CAN THEY PUT THEIR SELF INTEREST
BEHIND THE NEEDS OF THE GROUP? THIS SCALE AND THE NETWORKER SCALE ARE BOTH 'SOCIAL'
TRAITS, EXCEPT WHERE A NETWORKER IS TALKING TO STRANGERS ON THE OUTSIDE, THE TEAM PLAYER
TRAIT IS TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION WITH CO-WORKERS.
STRONG TEAM PLAYERS ARE LOYAL AND ACT AS SOCIAL GLUE IN THE GROUP AND LOOK FOR WIN-WIN SCENARIOS.
A VERY STRONG TEAM PLAYER WILL HAVE TROUBLE BEING CRITICAL OF OTHERS, FORMING INDEPENDENT
OPINIONS, STANDING UP FOR THEMSELVES, AND AVOID CONFRONTATIONS AT ALL COSTS.
WHERE THE TEAM PLAYER TRAIT IS LOOKING AT INTERACTIONS IN A GROUP, THE HELPER TRAIT
IS MEASURING HOW WELL A CANDIDATE INTERACTS ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS. BECAUSE THEY HAVE A
LOT OF EMPATHY AND CARING, YOU NEED SOMEONE WITH THIS TRAIT TO ACT AS A COACH, MENTOR,
OR COUNSELOR. A HELPER IS SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING, THEY TAKE THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW YOU AS AN
INDIVIDUAL. A WEAK HELPER WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE BUSINESS
DECISIONS THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACT OTHER PEOPLE. A STRONG HELPER IS GOOD AT LISTENING, ADVISING,
AND UNDERSTANDING HOW OTHER PEOPLE FEEL. A CANDIDATE WITH A VERY HIGH HELPER SCORE WILL
HAVE DIFFICULTY IN MAKING DECISIONS THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACT OTHERS, THEY HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING
THE WORD "NO" OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS.
IN THE COMPETING VALUES FRAMEWORK, WE SEE THAT AN EFFECTIVE TEAM AND ORGANIZATION MUST
PERFORM ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES COMPETENTLY. THE OCTOGRAM IS A WAY OF MAKING THESE WORK
STYLES VISIBLE, MEASURABLE, AND UNDERSTANDABLE. YOU CAN USE THIS MODEL TO DESCRIBE ANY FUNCTION
IN AN ORGANIZATION AND IT IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO PLACE EMPLOYEES IN POSITIONS THAT USE
THEIR SKILLS MOST PRODUCTIVELY.
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO, CONTACT ONLINE TALENT MANAGER TO TAKE THE OCTOGRAM TEST AND
SEE YOUR OWN REPORT. IT CAN BE A REAL EYE-OPENER, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH
SOME ASPECTS OF YOUR OWN CAREER OR ARE TRYING TO DECIDE WHERE YOUR CAREER SHOULD BE HEADING.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TESTS OF ONLINE TALENT MANAGER
AND ABOUT PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING IN THE WORKPLACE.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!