Behavioral Scientists in Action 1 CCMC Corporate Comprehensive Management Consultants “People Drive the Process of Excellence” File-2

Behavioral Scientists in Action 2 Workshop on Method Engineering for Assessment Centers Dr. S. Pandey Corporate Comprehensive Management Consultants India, Bombay 16 th March, 2011 Pre-conference workshop of the Annual Conference of ACSG, Stellenbosch- South Africa

Behavioral Scientists in Action 3 What is a Method? In very broad terms, any Tool that can be used for measurement of Competency is called Assessment Tool or Method. It is a complex set of standardized Stimuli that has potential to elicit elements of observable Behaviors linked to targeted Competency. Defined in the above way Method would include all Paper pencil tests, Behavioral exercises, and Standardized observation of real life Task samples.

Behavioral Scientists in Action 4 What is a Method? In practice Tools that focus on simple recognition and recollection of information are generally not included in Method. Method is a designed purposive snap shot of complex reality more manageable (controllable) than Reality per se but has all the desired flavors of Reality. The purpose is the ‘use purpose’ of the Method.

Behavioral Scientists in Action 5 4.Unconscious competence 1.Unconscious incompetence 3. Conscious competence 2.Conscious incompetence Energy Level Effectiveness / Results Hi Lo Hi

Behavioral Scientists in Action 6 Who is the target or focus of a Method? A method is apparently meant for the use of Participants. They write analysis. They get into discussion. They make presentations. They get emotionally involved and so on. The participants voluntarily carry out tasks assigned and allow limited permission to view behaviors and its interpretation. (Contd.)

Behavioral Scientists in Action 7 Who is the target or focus of a Method? (Contd.) However, the truth is that methods are meant to supplement Assessor’s capability to observe and report truth about participants capability. It is meant to draw out symptoms (responses/ behaviors) of target competence such that the Assessor with clinical acumen can sense the pattern in the symptoms and infer truth about the participants reality. It is a way of reliably-utilizing the pattern recognition capability of one human brain to know another human’s potential. Method is designed by the Method Engineer to favor the Trained Assessor. Method has clear bias to Assessor’s Purpose and thereby to Assessment Objectives. It implies that a Method from a selection centre must be reviewed for suitability if it to be transported to a developmental centre. Even when everything else remains constant (e.g., same competency model, same client, same Assessors etc.) only the Assessment purpose changes.

Behavioral Scientists in Action 8 Who is the target or focus of a Method? Trained Assessor with Clinical Acumen, utilizing Pattern recognition and judgment Power of the human Brain Method is a Facilitative Tool Participants with hidden potentials and Capabilities

Behavioral Scientists in Action 9 Who is the target or focus of a Method? (Contd.) Note: The participants voluntarily subject themselves, for some personal gain, to the process dictated by a Method. The process should preferably be perceived as pleasant experience (at the least neutral) and by all means must maintain positive regard to Human Dignity. It has to be probing for the benefit of the client but the professional do’s and don’ts must be active, at all times, in the minds of the Method Engineer.

Types of Methods

Behavioral Scientists in Action 11 Types of Methods There are numerous different types of Methods that are being used all over the world. Following are some common examples: Leaderless Group exercises Assigned Role Group exercises Multiple group competition and cooperation exercises Case based written report analysis Case discussion Case based presentation Case based role play Case based interview Role plays (internal or external) - one-to-one meeting between a participant and a trained role-player which is observed by a Trained Assessor for evaluation. The Role can be cast as an internal member of the organization or an external member like customer In basket exercises Oral Presentation Exercises Strategy exercise or Annual Budget exercise Fact Find Exercises Performance games

Behavioral Scientists in Action 12 Types of Methods There is no consensus among the AC professionals about the classification and nomenclature (or taxonomy) of Methods or Tools. Similar method content with dissimilar names, and drastically different method content with similar/ identical name, both are possibilities. However some bipolar classification exists as proxy to types, following are some examples: Exercise vs. Non-exercise based methods Individual (includes individual method those can be administered in groups) vs. Group methods Simple vs. complex method (complexity in terms of information and/or task load) Single type (e.g., case discussion) vs. complex sequential or nested methods (e.g., case analysis, followed by presentation, followed by group discussion or negotiation exercise) Cognitive (e.g., Knowledge Tests, Mental Ability Tests, Analysis exercises etc) vs. Affective methods (e.g., Emotional Intelligence Tests, Temperamental Tests, Negotiation exercise, most Role plays etc.) Developmental Methods vs. pure Assessment Methods (as in a Selection centre)

Behavioral Scientists in Action 13 Literature is full with different examples. Off the shelf Methods are also on offer from multitude of organizations in hard, soft and online formats with varying Quality & prices. This however, did not make Method Engineers role redundant in AC team. Preparation of context specific Method is imperative for most AC designs. Even to decide what to buy, or how to ascertain Quality per se, or fitment with your AC/DC design, the knowledge of Method Engineering that we are talking about will be immensely useful.

Behavioral Scientists in Action 14 What are the criteria of a good method? Equivalent question ‘How can I identify a good method?’ Let’s see how a Method Engineer would respond to the Question: First, there is no universally acceptable simple/ complex set of criteria to differentiate Good Methods from bad. What is good in one Assessment context is unacceptable in another Context. The context refers to whole lot of things; Assessment purpose, Competency framework, background of the participant, the Management style of the Organization, the current business environment of the Industry and so on. Goodness of a Method is embedded into the concept of ‘degree of Fitment’ with the Assessment context. The context must be recognized, defined to estimate ‘degree of fitment’ and that is synonymous to Goodness. Second, irrespective of context there are generally acceptable criteria for; a good Test, a good case, a good role play, a good interview design, a good simulation, a good work sample and so on. A person must have intimate knowledge of many such Methods to qualify as a Method Engineer. Third, for a comprehensive response to the question, also see ‘Method engineering Task flow chart’ elsewhere in this presentation.