Revisiting A Natural Behavioral Styles Report

“It is necessary ... for a man to go away by himself ... to sit on a rock ... and ask, 'Who am I, where have I been, and where am I going?” - Carl Sandburg

Bizet Human Asset Management provides employee selection, retention, development, and transition services to organizations throughout the world. The AVA MFE (Managing For Excellence) Report is a product of Bizet that provides a description of an employee’s most likely behavior patterns, based upon his or her response to the AVA assessment. The AVA interpretation helps an employee’s manager or direct superior to be aware of and understand his or her subordinate’s style.

My AVA assessment in hard copy

Psychologists believe that a person’s natural behavioral style will have a significant influence on whether or not a he or she will achieve her goals. The way we manage emotions, the way we motivate ourselves, the way we respond to stress and frustration, and the way we deal with other people are important influences.

My AVA assessment result was printed on January 24, 2012 when I was, (I think), at the peak of my career in Convergys. It stated that my overall fit for HR manager was very good, although it never occurred to me that I could even work in the human resources department. Today, I want to immortalize this valuable piece of information, and I hope you would reflect about your own natural tendencies in the same behavioral activities being described.

Raquel is an empathetic individual who listens carefully to what people have to say. Her high degree of empathy leads her to be understanding of people’s needs and emotions.

Raquel works well in one-on-one relationships, in small groups and work teams. This is primarily due to her cooperative and collaborative approach, her patience, her calmness, her listening skills, and the natural respect she holds for people. Raquel’s assertiveness could lead her to take control of a group, however, if she believes things are not going well. She is less likely to be comfortable in a large group situation, especially if the group is made up of strangers.

Raquel is controlled and introverted in her approach to people in general. Therefore, she will be on the restrained side until she gets to know a person. With her comfort level built up, Raquel will be a quietly friendly, loyal and genuine individual. Her introverted tendencies also lead her to be able to work well on her own doing planning, thinking, and problem-solving tasks.

Raquel’s work approach is poised, consistent, and dependable. She is calm, patient, and steady in just about all situations, including stressful ones. Raquel is quality-oriented and thorough in her approach to tasks and problems. She is persistent in her pursuit of goals. Raquel is an independent-minded individual who is willing to take action on her own, with little or no direction and guidance from others.

Raquel has a broad range of interests. She shows curiosity about the causes of events and problems. Raquel tends to take a logical, thorough, steady and persistent approach when dealing with problems.

Raquel is primarily a “big picture” individual. She works in a systematic, methodical, and controlled manner. Raquel operates much as a “problem solver” who uses her logical and analytical thinking skills in an objective and rational fashion. Her primary approach to innovation is “continuous improvement”; seeking out logical, incremental, and ongoing improvements in methods, systems, processes, and results. 

Raquel tends to be logical in her decision-making approach. She prefers to operate from a base of facts and, once she has thought things through, she will be decisive. Raquel will be confident she has made a good decision.

Raquel may feel stressed by losing in a competition, losing control of a situation, and by giving up power to someone else. In response: Raquel may fight back (perhaps too quickly), may become very blunt or argumentative, or may become very demanding and domineering. 

Raquel is likely to feel stressed by not enough “private time,” too much intrusion into private matters and thoughts, and having to deal with irrelevant or marginal matters, such as social “small talk.” In response: Raquel may withdraw from people, be “too quiet” when talking might help, or may keep too many thoughts to herself.

Raquel can be very stressed by a lack of time to effectively complete projects, pressure to make fast decisions, and facing too much unpredictable change. In response: Raquel may become tense and anxious, may compromise on things to avoid conflict, or may hesitate and miss some opportunities by waiting too long.

Raquel is likely to be stressed by not being able to present a point of view, working under tight controls and rules, and by having to take care of too many details. In response: Raquel may overlook details, forget to follow-up on small matters, and look for “loopholes” in the rules and operate independently.

As you better understand your natural behavioral style, you may also begin to find that your natural behavioral style will make it difficult to attain some goals. In that case, you may want to modify or even drop some of your goals.