Coaching by MO for the Kolbe A™ Index

If we recently implemented the Kolbe System™ with your team, you may have some questions about how to optimize your team’s Kolbe A™ Index results. Here are some coaching tips provided by Kolbe Corp. that will help you better enage with your team.

Use the following chart to follow along with the coaching tips in this article.

Fact Finder

For people who Simplify (CounterAct):

Encourage them to give you bottom-line summaries and key points.
Avoid limiting their contribution by requiring traditional or “appropriate” solutions.
Allow them to give information a once-over-lightly.
Don’t measure their work by the number of written words or amount of time it took; they sometimes uncover key points in moments—within work that took hours fo rsomeone else to assemble.

For people who Explain (ReAct):

Give them the editing, fact checking, and opportunities to reconsider the priorities.
Have them review written material for content and errors—they have a good sense of balance between oversimplifying and over explaining.
Give them opportunities to provide executive summaries.
Ask for their input as they are inclined to wait until someone seeks their help before they make their contribution.

For people who Specify (Initiate):

Support their need to ask lots of questions so they get sufficient background information.
Get their buy-in on objectives, then encourage them to set their own priorities fo raccomplishing them.
Provide them with opportunities to allocate resources and they will contribute their ability to focus on practicalities.
Remind them of significant deadlines to engage them in decisions to cut off debate that might otherwise be endless.

Follow Thru

For people who Adapt (CounterAct):

Give them a break when they don’t finish everything they start. Their forté is keeping lots of balls in the air at once—toss them as many as possible, recognizing they are likely to drop some in the process.
Give them diverse challenges so no two days are the same.
Don’t worry about interrupting them—they thrive when able to switch gears rather than getting stuck in routine functions.
Don’t drag things out or be too repetitious—you will lose their attention.

For people who Maintain (ReAct):

Point out what is wrong with a system and encourage them to assist in redesigning it.
Seek their assistance in smoothing out rough edges in workflow.
Provide them with opportunities to realign the process, pattern, or system.
Since they are inclined to follow procedures and stick with the plan, if you expect them to find shortcuts, you will need to clarify that as a goal.

For people who Systematize (Initiate):

Ask them to provide the flow for a project or problem.
Suggest they sort all the pieces of a situation, assuring everything necessary is available before tackling the problem.
Provide as much continuity as possible. Provide uninterrupted time for them to work on projects.
Reduce their stress by having them consider worst-case scenarios and plan for them.

Quick Start

For people who Stabilize (CounterAct):

Count on them to keep things stable.
Seek their involvement in critiquing possibilities for change and they will minimizerisk.
Seek their view of the benefits of sticking with the status quo.
In times of change, help them identify what will stay the same.
Avoid creating an unnecessary sense of urgency and short deadlines or—if those are the realities—protect them from those frustrations as much as possible.
Always try to emphasize what is constant and unchanging.

For people who Modify (ReAct):

Give them a chance to respond to change after a little time to let the notion settle in.
Qualify the amount of risk that is involved when asking them to help test new approaches.
Try limiting the sense of urgency to a few issues at a time.
Impose only essential deadlines and risks; they respond well to what their instincts tell them are critical risks and deadlines, but not to those that seem imposed merely for the sake of creating an intense effort.

For people who Innovate (Initiate):

Challenge them with bet-you-can’t scenarios.
Since deadline-intense situations are best for them, give them short-term projects or milestones for long ones.
Provide compensation based on bonuses and commissions—they thrive in a competitive atmosphere.
Provide flexibility—they will work intensely on projects, immersing themselves for several days, but then should be freed from regular hours in return.
Encourage them to brainstorm.

Implementor

For people who Envision (CounterAct):

Praise them for their ability to “see” an idea or concept without the physical piece.
Allow them to judge a concept based on what they know in their heads.
Don’t force them to build the model to show what they think will or won’t work; allow them to simply describe it in written or verbal form.
Take their suggestions for cost- and time-saving materials into account—it’ll help you cut corners and maintain quality.

For people who Restore (ReAct):

Ask them to repair, or rebuild equipment or models, since this gives them a chance to shine.
Have them participate in hands-on or technical demonstrations, which will help them retain information.
Provide them with projects that will give them an opportunity to get out from behind the desk.
Since they can function with both abstract and concrete communication, broaden their contributions by having them interpret for those who prevent and initiate inthis mode.

For people who Demonstrate (Initiate):

Provide the best possible tools and space for them to craft solutions for which they can personally attest to the quality.
Communicate with them in person, whenever possible, and encourage them to give you information by using props.
Avoid slick presentations or too much verbiage if you want to convince them of anything.
Handle their work—pick it up to see the solid product of their efforts; they appreciate you taking the time to see their work in person.

Kolbe and Leadership

Understanding your strengths has a major impact on optimizing your leadership impact and influence.

Use the chart below to understand your leadership and problem solving strengths based on your MO. By practicing your strengths and performing inside your zone, you will reduce conative stress and ensure that you are not working against your grain.