The Kolbe System™ is a proven, scientific approach that shows us how we are born to take action and how to leverage those instincts to optimize our potential. What it measures is different than “IQ” and “personality”. Knowing about Kolbe and being able to quickly understand my clients’ natural problem-solving patterns has made me a more effective coach. It helps me empower leaders and their team members to have the freedom to be themselves. When they do so, their results increase and so do their ease and energy levels! Here’s what I learned about leaders, teams, and people by using this tool.

#1

Whether at home or at work, people are happiest and most fulfilled when using their natural problem-solving patterns.

When we honor our natural style of working, we are more productive, more comfortable, more successful….and we have more fun!

#2

Even without knowing their Kolbe scores, people are attracted to professions that fit their innate way of working.

For example, most accountants and lawyers are naturally detail-focused and process-oriented. In Kolbe terms, they often have high scores in their Fact Finder and Follow Thru Action Modes®. This isn’t to say you can’t be effective in those professions if you have different inclinations. It just means you bring other problem-solving skills to the table. Your Kolbe scores can show you which tasks you should consider delegating to avoid exhaustion by “working against yourself.”

#3

Most leaders hire people like them because they think they are smart. Once they know and understand the Kolbe System, they realize that the smartest thing they can do is hire people who approach tasks differently than they do!

Team members who work in the same fashion have a harder time collaborating than members with different problem-solving patterns. As Kathy Kolbe, the creator of the Kolbe System likes to say, “We already have my talent here; we need something different on the team.”

#4

People often end up leaving jobs that don’t align with their instinctive strengths.

When we are in a role that forces us to go against our innate instincts, we encounter a mental energy exhaustion, frustrations, and even fatigue. In most cases, knowing your Kolbe scores can help you change the way you approach your job to bring more ease and flow into it. However, sometimes you are better off finding a job that is a greater fit for your natural talents. Kolbe gives you the awareness of what to look for in your next role to fulfill your potential.

#5

People tend to be judgmental towards those who approach the work differently than they do.

Once they are exposed to the insights that emerge from the Kolbe Assessments, they have more patience and even respect for other people’s instinctive way of operating. They begin to see the value of each person’s contribution and how they can help each other perform at their very best. This brings the team closer together! And it certainly creates more team collaboration.

#6

The instinctive attributes that the Kolbe System shows don’t just apply to our work.

How we manage our homes, make meals, buy a car, plan vacations, and approach challenges always fits our innate instincts as well! Since these are our natural inclinations, they stay the same throughout the course of our lives.

#7

When people get on each other’s nerves, it is often due to a difference in their natural patterns of action.

For example, one person gets annoyed when the other tells a much longer story or has a much faster or slower sense of urgency. Knowing and understanding our Kolbe scores helps us handle our differences better. This is very useful on the job and in marriages!

#8

Many people’s friends have problem-solving patterns similar to them.

Quite simply, most of us like to be around people like us. The Kolbe System just proves this. For example, I am quick, have an intense sense of urgency and come up with innovative solutions. And all my favorite pals do as well.

#9

Having great talents on your team doesn’t do much unless you know how to leverage the synergies between them.

Leaders must understand how to make the most of their team members’ innate abilities and the dynamics they create when working together. When there is no awareness of individual patterns (and how they impact the whole), people end up working against each other, causing team conflicts and misunderstandings. This can lead to valuable talent quitting the team.

#10

We must be mindful of the challenges our innate abilities can present.

Our instincts have the potential to derail us if we are not paying attention. For example, I am high in Kolbe’s Quick Start. My speed can be a wonderful strength. However, when I am coaching, I need to make sure I don’t interrupt clients because I am too excited to slow down and let them ponder a question I have asked them. This awareness of my patterns makes a big difference! I’d love to know what you have learned about yourself and others through Kolbe, so leave a comment if you like. And if you are new to it and want to get an assessment, feel free to contact me! The Kolbe System™ and the Kolbe Action Modes® are the trademark of Kathy Kolbe and Kolbe Corp. All rights reserved.