01 | Identity Profile Exercise
The Identity Profile Exercise is part of the IPSAT onboarding platform that walks a user through engaging with five pre-IPSAT assessments designed to help them understand each of the five components of their identity. For personality we use the a version of the 5 Factor Model called 16Personalities. For strengths we use Clifton Strengths (formerly StrengthsFinder 2.0), to simplify and standardize the process we use a skills inventory and personal values inventory created for the IPSAT, and for passion we use a resource called MyPassionProfile.
Users don’t have to retake assessments they have already completed, and they don’t have to do this all at once. They can logout and return every few days or over a few weeks depending on their schedule.
02 | Self-awareness Exercise
The Self Awareness Exercise is simply a response to 25 statements that are designed to guide IPSAT users into a much deeper and more practical level of reflection on how well they understand their identity and reinforce the idea that the pre-IPSAT assessments are a means to a bigger end.
The response to these 25 statements is what produces a score out of 100 and puts the user in one of four stages of identity self-awareness. We are very open about the fact that the score can be helpful, but it is not the most meaningful part of the process.
03 | Self Authoring Exercise
The Self Authoring Exercise is the most important part of our process. It is a technique that emerged from the research of two psychologists, one from the university of Toronto, the other from the university of Texas. In a nutshell what their research shows is that writing about yourself, especially when the subject matter is important, actually changes where your brain stores the information and how you feel about it. The self authoring exercise in the IPSAT process guides the user through writing five identity statements. The metaphor we’ve found helpful is to think of self authoring like you were a translator responsible for capturing the most important information about yourself from the five pre-IPSAT assessment reports and translating the computer generated language into personalized statements that are meaningful to you and helpful for the people around you.
The first of the five self authored statements is an identity overview statement. This is 100 words or less explaining what happens when the five components of your identity work together in your life. This is a description of you at your best.
The second is a best contribution statement. This is 50 words or less that explains how you can add the most value to others and make your best contribution to a team.
The third is a developmental priority statement. This is 50 words or less explaining what part of your identity you need to develop the most now.
The fourth is a potential derailer statement. This is 50 words or less explaining how your identity predisposes you to self-defeating behaviors that could sabotage relationships or derail your influence with others.
The fifth is a vulnerable settings statement. This is 50 words or less explaining the situations or environments in which your potential derailers are even more likely to surface. We think if you know how your identity could work against you and where or when it is most likely to happen you’ll be better positioned to design a mitigation strategy.
After completing the IPSAT users have a 75-minute virtual conversation with an IPSAT coach to process more deeply what they’ve learned and how to apply it with a focus on three specific outcomes.
First, the IPSAT experience gives people confidence and clarity about how they can add value to others and make their best contribution to a team.
Second, it will help them prioritize where they need to grow the most now.
Third, it will reveal the self-defeating behaviors that could sabotage relationships or derail their influence.
