How do our individual Kolbe A Index scores actually change the way we interact during our session days, and how do you use this data to help us resolve deep operational disagreements?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Your Kolbe A Index score measures your conation, which is your natural, unchanging method of taking action. It is not a personality test or an IQ test. It tells us how you naturally handle information, organize systems, deal with risk, and manipulate physical objects. Understanding these scores is a game changer for how we run our session days, especially during IDS®.

For example, if we have a leader with a high Fact Finder score, they naturally need to gather extensive data before making a decision. If they are paired with a leader who is a high Quick Start, that second person will want to take action immediately based on pure intuition. Without understanding their conative differences, these two leaders will constantly clash, viewing each other as either reckless or obstructionist.

During our sessions, I use these scores to facilitate healthier discussions. When we hit a deep operational disagreement, we look at the Kolbe profiles in the room. I will call on the high Fact Finder to provide the necessary data points, while leaning on the high Quick Start to help us take the necessary leap once we have sufficient information. By aligning our problem solving methods with our natural conative styles, we stop fighting our biology and start making faster, more effective decisions.