Selections

Getting 'Pegged' by Executive Assessment: One Executive's Story of Success

by Drew Brock (DB), Senior Consultant, Select International

Joe Moyenne (JM) is legendary in the south Louisiana bayou for being the go-to guy when it comes to plant start-ups. I first met Joe as his career was beginning to take off. He was taking a continuing education class at LSU in Baton Rouge, and we discussed management practices in the field – something that, at the time, I was interested in from a purely academic perspective. Recently, we got reacquainted, and I asked him to share with me some of his experiences regarding Executive Assessment.

DB: Joe, tell me how you came to leverage Executive Assessment to grow your human capital assets?

JM: I have no idea what you're talking about.

DB: Sorry. Tell me about your first experiences with Executive Assessment.

JM: Well, I was heading up a team wildcatting in the oil fields south of Baton Rouge and some of the muckety-mucks from HR came down to tell me I was a Hypo.

DB: That's "Hi Po" – you were a "High Potential" candidate.

JM: Right. So anyway, somebody thought I had what they called "natural leadership potential." So they gave me a whole bunch a tests – like a 1,000 questions, poked around in my noodle for a good spell and then interviewed me on top of that. A week later I had a report about me. And so did my boss.

 DB: What did you think about your first Executive Assessment?

JM: Totally nailed me. They told me some of the same things my momma used to say about me. Turns out, I did have some of that "natural leadership potential" they were talking about. But I was also sorry at some stuff too. Like strategic skills, thinking ahead and knowing what a good idea looks like. Stuff like that.

DB: What was your reaction to the feedback and report?

JM: Well, I was ticked. Thought the bad things they said about me would wreck my career. So then, I'll never forget this, my boss tells me: "They said you'd react this way. The assessment folks said you were 'elevated in defensiveness and somewhat sensitive to criticism'." {Laughs}

DB: That's funny to you?

JM: Funny now. They totally pegged me, then pegged me again about how I'd react to getting pegged. I remember thinking to myself, "Joe you're just sore 'cuz they nailed you so good."

DB: What is it about the feedback that has stuck with you over the years?

JM: At the time, I remember thinking about how much detail was in there. It wasn't like a horoscope type-thing. Like, "You are a green with shades of blue. You like people who are yellow." Instead, I had a list of things to do, books to read, classes I could take, all so I could make me a better me. A "Joe Moyenne Troubleshooting Guide." {Laughs wryly}

DB: Like your own management self-help guide?

JM: Yeah, something like that. The other thing about that first Executive Assessment was that it wasn't just the process of working through your problems and weaknesses. Like it picked up on me being good at listening to people and working well in a team and being good at sympathy.

DB: You mean empathy? Being able to understand other people's feelings.

JM: Right, whatever. Momma always said I'd be a social worker. I always thought that was a peculiar thing for her to say to a little ole Cajun boy, but now I get what she was talking about.

DB: So have you ever used Executive Assessment again?

JM: Sure... all the time. Heck, the first time they let me build my own plant, before I even started with construction and planning, I sent my entire team through Executive Assessment and gave 'em each a developmental report.

DB: And what was the reaction of your leadership team?

JM: {points finger like a gun firing off} Blam. Blam. Blam. Blam. Blam. Pegged every single one of 'em. I had me five troubleshooting guides for bringing my team together and moving forward with the start-up.

DB: What advice do you have for decision makers out there that are considering using Executive Assessment in their organizations?

JM: Well I figure engineers have their calculators and accountants have their ledgers... Executive Assessment is just another tool like that. We spend a lot of time trying to pick the right people at the bottom of the pyramid...

DB: You mean screening and testing for entry-level positions?

JM: Right. But the focus on doing a good job selecting folks seems to get less intense as the job gets more important. And that's kinda backwards to me.  Executive Assessment lets you see a person, warts and all – and I'd rather know than not know, ya know?

DB: I do. Thanks for your time, Joe.

JM: Happy to help you psychology fellers.

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Drew Brock is a Senior Consultant at Select International with a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from LSU. Joe Moyenne is a colorful figment of his imagination.

To learn how Executive Assessment can benefit your organization, Download "Executive Assessment Approach," a free whitepaper outlining Select International's philosophy on successful Executive Assessment.