When I first discovered the Kolbe System™, it felt like someone had handed me the missing puzzle piece in understanding human performance.

Here was a tool that, unlike most other assessments, measured our natural, instinctive way of taking action. It showed us thateach person has a unique MO (Method of Operation) orcombination of four Action Modes®:

As a coach, I was thrilled! I quickly saw how Kolbe could help transform how we work…by bringing us back to how each one of us is uniquely born to operate and thrive.

ONE PERSON’S “WORKING SMARTER” IS ANOTHER PERSON’S “WORKING HARDER”

We live in a world that is obsessed with efficiency, and yet people are more burned out than ever.

Why? Because we have bought into an idea of efficiency that is constantly pushing us to conform to standardized ways of doing things, selling them to us as “THE right way” to succeed.

Kolbe proves there is no such thing. In fact, there are as many “right ways” as there are people. It shows us that whenever we work against our instincts, we become less effective and less productive. We also expend (a lot) more energy.

I see this all the time: brilliant clients trying to perform at their very best by mimicking someone else’s process or working within a system that’s been set up for them (but not for them), only to find themselves exhausted and stressed to the max.

I recently worked with a business owner who was constantly working to be more innovative with a great sense of energy. In theory, that sounds good. However, the issue is he is not wired that way, so he is exhausting himself.  In fact, he said he was mentally cooked by noon every day.  We talked about hires he might make to have others deliver that type of approach, as well as how he might revise his daily schedule and expectations to improve his approach to working.  

KOLBE GIVES US PERMISSION TO BE OURSELVES (EVEN IN THE CORPORATE WORLD!)

There is a moment of self-validation that happens whenever I review a client’s Kolbe results with them. Their entire posture changes as they realize, “Oh, that’s why I do it that way!”

What follows are relief and empowerment. Their guilt around not fitting a certain mold melt away.

This is what I love the most about Kolbe. It moves us beyond “fixing” and toward freeing people to be themselves more.

For example:

• The Initiating Fact Finder who was told she “over-analyzes” learns that her deep instinct for research is actually her superpower. Through Kolbe, she can understand how to use it without falling into analysis paralysis. She also becomes aware of how much information she can share with others who have a different MO without overwhelming them.
• The Resistant Follow Thru who felt “disorganized” discovers that it is flexible systems, not rigid routines, that help her thrive. She gives herself permission to redesign how she works to lean into her ability to be adaptable, create short cuts, and change processes on the spot.
• The Insistant Quick Start who was told he was “too impulsive” sees how his ability to innovate and act with urgency is vital to his company’s success, even when operating within a more traditional business. He then understands how to best collaborate with colleagues who might be uncomfortable with his fly-off-the-seat-of-his-pants approach. 
• The Insistant Implementor who thrives on solving hands-on, mechanical or spatial problems learns to show his team that his greatest value lies in turning their abstract ideas into tangible prototypes to refine and ensure their viability.

THE TANGIBLE GIFTS OF KOLBE

The shift that Kolbe creates in self-understanding changes everything, from how we plan our days to how we lead teams.

In the process, it helps us:

Build confidence and self-trust: We stop second-guessing our instincts and start honoring how we naturally take action.

Prevent burnout: It gives us a scientific method for aligning with our natural flow, making work energizing instead of draining.

Accelerate results: When we use our innate strengths, creative problem-solving and productivity become effortless.

Improve teamwork: Once team members understand each other’s Kolbe MOs, they no longer see friction as conflict; only as a difference in instinctive strengths. They develop compassion for each other’s way of being. And then they learn how to leverage every person’s instinct to the benefit of the entire team.

Just imagine the possibilities for our world if we all stopped trying to change how we are wired and instead learn to make the most of it!

Do you want to understand how your Kolbe score can help you and/or your team become more productive, more efficient, more energized? Let’s talk.

The Kolbe System™ is the trademark of Kathy Kolbe and Kolbe Corp. All rights reserved.