A consultant like Pam Fox Rollin who has such depth of knowledge and experience in using the MBTI works with clients in a completely different way than someone in the early days of using the instrument. Pam sets the context for her use of several assessment tools:

I’ve been an enthusiastic learner of type for (oh my!) 26 years; and I have used type in my professional practice for 10 years.

I follow Pam on Twitter @pamfr and through The Presencing Institute community so I have an idea of her expertise, her passion and commitment. I will be attending a session she is giving on working on identifying “blind spots” with clients this Friday and I was curious about how Pam approached using assessments in her consultancy.

Her answers are just what you would expect from a professional – crisp, clean and insightful.

How do you ascertain that it is the right time to use a particular assessment with a client?

When they want to figure something out that an assessment can help them with.
Obvious, I know

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What do you do in your consulting practice now after years of experience with regards to assessment tools that you didn’t do in the early days?

Great question!
– I link the learnings more explicitly to their goals. When someone is just learning a new model, those links may not be obvious
– I slow down for what they’re captivated or puzzled by. If we don’t “get through it all” so be it.
– I tune workshop activities to the (probable) types in the room. If there’s a strong preference for Introversion, for example, the first activities are usually small-group and silent.
– I engage them more actively in considering the gifts/benefits of other types – and how to incorporate those points of view into their own leadership
– I’m more able to use multiple models… I’ve learned how to space them and make the connections from one to another to strengthen understanding and reduce overwhelm.
– I use more striking visuals and memorable stories.

What is “top of mind” for you these days regarding your work with clients?

How to use type (especially the cognitive processes) to help senior teams upgrade their decision-making. The tendency at that level is to assume they already use good decision-making and that any improvement is a matter of quality of inputs and analysis, rather than how they frame the decisions and consider what’s in scope.