We are expanding our leadership team and want to ensure the next executive we hire shares conative synergy with our existing team instead of creating cognitive friction. How do we use conative screening tools like the Kolbe A Index during our hiring process to protect our team chemistry?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Hiring for chemistry is usually based on gut feel, which often leads to teams filled with people who think and act exactly the same way. To build a highly productive, balanced leadership team, you must look past personality and evaluate conative synergy, which is how people naturally take action and solve problems.

We use the Kolbe A Index as a conative screening tool during the hiring process to understand a candidate's innate conative strengths. This assessment measures their instinctive approach across four Action Modes: Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quickstart, and Implementor.

Before you interview candidates, run a conative audit on your existing leadership team. Use software tools to analyze your team's overall conative makeup. Look for gaps in your operational styles. For example, if your current team is packed with high Quickstarts who initiate change but struggle with follow-through, you should target a candidate who initiates in Follow Thru to bring stability.

Compare the candidate's Kolbe A Index results with the requirements of the seat. If the seat requires building structured processes but the candidate resists Follow Thru, they will experience conative stress and ultimately fail, regardless of their resume. Using this data ensures you hire for the actual needs of the seat while building a diverse, harmonious team.