The ODScore™ Personality Index provides insight into those traits and characteristics that are critical for knowledge transfer, matches subjects with mentors, assignments and job profiles and reflects on the best developmental strategy for moving forward.

The index includes evaluation of:

• Section 1: Reference Point
• Section 2: Natural Talents
• Section 3: Motivation
• Section 4: Physical Learning Style
• Section 5: Sorting Style
• Section 6: Ideal Interaction Level
• Section 7: Resolution Style

Section 1: Reference Point (Internal Process)

Your reference point is the place from which you usually make decisions. To a degree it is also the filter through which you obtain information and how you tend to look at people and events. As a result, some of how you are perceived also relates to your reference point.

The reference points people use include:

• Gut – Has a strong sense of what to do, gets hunches, imagines the possibilities, focuses on the future
• Head – Focuses on principles and being objective, develops criteria, maintains standards
• Heart – Thinks in terms of impact on self and others, builds com munity, makes exceptions
• Hands – Sensible and hard working, grounded in reality, trusts in past experience, believes people should be responsible

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Section 2: Natural Talents (External Actions)

Natural drives are the things we do best naturally. They are also the things we want to do the most. Natural drives are perceptible through a desire to act or external actions, compared to Reference Points which are internal processes. Although people develop other strengths and talents, generally, people are driven toward one or more of the following:

• Facts – The natural drive for facts underlies a talent for pursuing and uncovering data, understanding in depth
• Order - The natural drive for order underlies a talent for putting things into logical systems, tracking and organizing
• Action – The natural drive for action underlies talents in catalyzing activity, focusing on the top line
• Building – The natural drive to build underlies talent as a master craftsperson, someone who appreciates design and specialized tools

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Section 3: Motivation

Underlying motivations (sometimes called needs) provide another framework through which we view life. When we are compelled to act, it is by one or a combination of these three core factors, understood to be common to all.

• The need for Achievement (n-ach)
  • The n-ach person is 'achievement motivated' and therefore seeks achievement, attainment of realistic but challenging goals, and advancement in the job. There is a strong need for feedback on results and progress, and a need for a sense of accomplishment
• The need for Influence and Power (n-pow)
  • The n-pow person is motivated to have an authoratiative voice. This driver produces a need to be influential, effective and to make an impact. There is a strong need to lead and for their ideas to prevail. There is also motivation and need towards increasing spans of influence.
• The need for Relationship (n-rel)
  • The n-rel person is 'affiliation motivated'. This drives a need for amicable relationships and interaction with other people. The affiliation driver produces motivation and need to be liked and held in popular regard. These people value being identified as valuable and effective team players.

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Section 4: Physical Learning Style

The physical attributes of learning style are the ways in which one takes in information most effectively for processing and using. An individual may have a very strong leaning toward one style or another, or may find they have a blend of the physical learning style traits.

• Visual Learner - The visual learning style often means learning takes place all at once, with large chunks of information grasped in intuitive leaps, rather than in the gradual intake of isolated facts, small steps or habit patterns gained through practice. For example, they can learn all of the multiplication tables in a chart much easier and faster than memorizing each fact independently. Strongly visual learners may:
  • Take notes and making lists to read later
  • Read information to be learned
  • Learn from books, videotapes, filmstrips and printouts
  • See a demonstration
  • Replicate or improvise from things observed
• Auditory learner - Auditory learners prefer to hear new information – even if it means reading it aloud or talking it through, rather than simply reading it. Like visual learners, auditory learners will learn a great deal more from hearing a complete story or discussion than trying to memorize facts and then apply them. Strongly auditory learners may:
  • Talking through the subject matter aloud
  • Listen to a lecture
  • Discuss in small or large groups
  • Listen to music in the learning environment
• Kinesthetic learner - Learning epiphanies and knowledge uptake in the kinesthetic style depend upon practice, imitation, and hands on experience. Once a kinesthetic learner has experienced something, they can now work with the concepts to apply in new ways. Strong kinesthetic learners:
  • Use a hands-on approach (manipulation, objects, simulations, live events)
  • Need physical involvement in learning
  • Gain knowledge through field trips
  • Benefit from small group discussion (2-3 in a group)

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Section 5: Sorting Style

There are two distinct sorting styles people employ - sorting for similarities and sorting for differences.

• Sort for Similarities
  • This style is generally more prevalent in populations. People with this style look for what is the same about new information or events as compared to existing information and past events
• Sort for Differences
  • When confronted with a new situation or information, someone with this style will evaluate it in regard to how different it is than what they have encountered, understood or experienced before

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Section 6: Ideal Interaction Level

Ideal interaction levels are determined by introversion and extroversion levels. People may be strongly intro or extroverted, or may be a blend.

Introverted – Introverts like space or territory around them. They typically look for depth in a subject rather than breadth across subjects. Most of their processing takes place internally, thus they need space, and typically have more active internal processing or brain activity. Introverts tend to conserve energy, and to evaluate their internal reactions.

Extroverted – Extroverts are energized by working with people. They look for a breadth of things to be involved in or work on, and prefer interaction to solitude – particularly when learning. Unlike introverts, extroverts look to expend energy on interaction, and focus on external happenings rather than their internal reactions.

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Section 7: Resolution Style

People tend to have one of two styles – they either look to bring things to closure, or they try to keep the options open.

• Opener - Openers look to become more and more aware of the sub ject matter and thus prefer not to close a topic prematurely in case there is more key information available. With this style, openers can sometimes appear as if they are resistant to making decisions.
• Closer – People who score highest as Closers look to move very quickly to a decision so they can conclude one topic and move to the next. Closers are typically uncomfortable with leaving topics unde cided and may at time be seen as trying to bring closure before all of the right information has been seen and heard.

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