If you were six feet tall, a great ball handler, and played good “D”, and someone asked you to put together a basketball team what type of players would you look for? Probably not four other players like yourself. To succeed you recognize the need for players with other strengths and skills that compliment your own.

Physical strengths are evident in practice and on the court but mental strength and attitude are a bit more difficult to figure out. These non-cognitive strengths are only evident during certain times and in certain situations. Your challenge as a team builder becomes one of time and uncertainty. Do you wait for something to happen and then react? Or is there a better way to predict how individuals will perform during adverse conditions. Fortunately, the answer is yes!

Employing scientifically validated professional personality assessments backed by research and a proven track record, coaches and business leaders can get a pretty good idea of how an individual will perform in different sets of circumstances.

When business managers are putting their teams together assessment tools become even more valuable. In business there are not as many opportunities to observe performance before you hire someone to join your team. Can the candidate perform under pressure? Will the candidate perform well in our culture and business environment? Does the individual have the potential to be a future company leader?

Though these questions can never be answered with 100% certainty, the interpretation and application of professional assessments can not only predict behaviors on the job, but the appropriateness of an individual for a specific job.

The best way to give your team that slight edge is to know their strengths and put them in a position to use those strengths to succeed. You’ll be surprised how much easier it is to prepare for success once you understand the personality traits of your team and can match them to specific positions and work environments.