Behavioural Profiling is a tool not the answer
Its timely that I write about behavioural profiling as I recently became certified in PRISM behavioural profiling. PRISM brain mapping is a neuroscience-based behavioural profiling system designed to enhance understanding of human behaviour and performance. It provides insights into individuals preferences, strengths and work styles, enabling tailored personal and professional development. PRISM enhances leadership, team dynamics and recruitment strategies. PRISM empowers organisations to unlock potential and drive growth with actionable insights that empower your people to thrive and excel.
Whilst PRISM and other behavioural profiles or any other similar tests are great, they are a tool not the answer. They are a tool to sometimes confirm what can be observed however they can go deeper and offer more insight offering awareness, but it’s still a tool. I have always worked intuitively in my role assisting and advising clients with their recruitment, teamwork, leadership, development and culture. But with a tool like PRISM, it confirms and illustrates and shows people what I can mostly see playing out, what that means and how to move forward with better outcomes, but still, it is a tool – however a good one at that!
Aside from the number of ways or reasons that a tool such as PRISM can be used and the benefit to the organisation, what an opportunity for growth for the individual. How often does someone get to, during a debrief of their profile, focus on them – talking and listening about themselves. Its invaluable time for individuals and a privilege for me to be able to have that time with them to assist in their development or simply awareness depending on the circumstances.
Leadership can be enhanced using the tool in several ways. Firstly, general development with the tool of an individual profile with the options of a role benchmark to see the comparison. Another option is, a 360-report providing again a comparison of an average of combined responses for each category of behaviour preferences and different competencies which is useful as we all know that others can certainly perceive us differently to what we may think and what wonderful feedback to have for further growth. Again, it’s a tool to include in development plans and programs.
Finally in terms of enhancing leadership, and certainly overlapping into team dynamics, team building, team performance, the leader and team profiles can be overlapped to assist the leader in managing the team, team members to understand the leader and how team members can best work together to improve performance and productivity – and a number of other things! Again, it is used as a tool to combine with other initiatives to get the best results.
Recruitment can be enhanced by comparing the behaviour required in the role and again as mentioned earlier, creating a role benchmark for required behaviour to be successful in the role and therefore comparing the individual profile. Again, this isn’t to be used as a decision-maker but rather a tool to assist in selection but also for how to get the most out of that employee, how they may work with their team and peers and how to communicate with them.
As you can it isn’t isolated to leaders, teams and recruitment and also a great tool to be used in general personal development, coaching and mentoring of employees, not to mention conflict resolution! Its not the answer but a great tool to use to enhance initiatives and an option for managing poor performance or conduct, conflict, behavioural issues and so on rather than a strict Industrial Relations approach. Lets also not forget about simply self-awareness which is the first step to someone changing, organisational development, communication, interactions and succession planning.
At HR Business Direction we are keen to help you manage and develop your people, so if you would like to discuss our PRISM profiling can help contact us here if you’ld like to discuss.
Leisa Messer BBus(HRM); GradDipIR; FCPHR
Managing Director | HR Strategist
leisa.messer@hrbd.com.au
07 3890 2066
hrbd.com.au