What to Expect from a Predictive Index Read-Back: A Guide for Employees and Teams
OK, so you’ve taken the Predictive Index assessment. Maybe your supervisor or CEO asked you to take it. Or you are applying for a job, and the HR team gave you the assessment. You’ve answered a few really short questions, and you might be wondering what happens next and how this simple tool could possibly reveal much about you and your work style.
As a certified Predictive Index consultant, I like to demystify this process for my clients. Why? Two reasons:
- It never ceases to amaze people at how well it describes their personal motivations and needs at work. And understanding is the first step to improvement.
- It’s fun! I love seeing teams compare their results and begin to understand one another in new ways.
Let’s talk about what a PI readback feels like for an employee.
What is a PI Readback?
It’s a structured conversation where a PI Certified Trainer walks you through the results of your PI assessment. All PI profiles have a name (Scholar, Captain, Promoter, etc. ) and a scale along the PI behavioral drive spectrum. More on that in a minute. But the goal of the readback is to provide you with a deeper understanding of your own natural behavioral tendencies and how they might manifest in the workplace — how they influence your performance, your interactions with coworkers, and your role within the company.
During the readback, your trainer will explain your results and you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions. In an ideal scenario, your readback will be followed by ongoing coaching to explore how PI can make you more effective and happier in your role and on your team.
Key Focus Areas of PI Readback
Stop! Before we go any further, it’s important to note that there are no right or wrong PI scores, profiles, or patterns. None of these are inherently good or bad, and your score does not predict your overall strength or success as an employee! It helps you understand yourself and your teammates better, so you can make better decisions and enjoy more effective collaboration.
Behavioral Drives
PI measures four key behavioral drives: Dominance, Extraversion, Patience, and Formality. These drives are mapped out on a graph, creating a unique pattern that shows you how you are likely to behave in different work situations. During the readback, we’ll dive into where you are uniquely situated in each drive.
- Dominance (A): How assertive or influential you are in decision-making and problem-solving.
- Extraversion (B): How socially energetic and communicative you are in interactions with others.
- Patience (C): How steady and adaptable you are in the face of change or routine tasks.
- Formality (D): How comfortable you are following rules, structures, and attention to detail.
Behavioral Profiles
Your results are interpreted as part of a specific behavioral profile. These 17 PI Profiles represent combinations of the four behavioral drives and provide additional insights about your work style that falls into four categories: analytical, persistent, social, and stabilizing. This is often people’s favorite part of the feedback, and employees love learning their coworkers’ profiles, as well. (Some even write their Profile name on a placard and place it on their desk or office door!)
Your Unique Pattern
Your PI pattern is visualized as a graph, with each behavioral drive represented along a scale. The readback conversation will highlight where you scored high or low on each of these drives and explain how these results translate into your behavior at work. For example, if you score high on Dominance, you may be naturally assertive and prefer to take charge of projects. If you score low on Extraversion, you may prefer more solitary work or have a more reserved communication style.
Making It Click
One of the most important aspects of the PI readback is discussing how your behavioral tendencies apply to your current (or potential) job role. I’ll help you explore your PI Profile in relation to the demands of your position, identifying strengths you can lean into, and areas where you might need to adjust your behavior for better results. Here’s an example: If your job requires a lot of collaboration, group projects, and face-to-face meetings, but you have a lower Extraversion score, we can discuss ways to stretch your social behavior without exhausting or overextending yourself. Or I might work with you to find ways to verbalize your need for balance with your supervisor.
Ideally, the PI readback is just the beginning. Once you understand your motivations and needs at work, ongoing coaching sessions can help you troubleshoot problems as they arise and use your skillset to achieve your goals.
When we know better, we do better. And PI is all about knowing ourselves better so we can do better and be happier in our roles. For managers, that means knowing your team better so you can empower them to bring their best selves to their work.
Want to learn more? Or if you’re a PI client and need a refresher for your team, contact me!