On 18 Dec 2008, at 14:30, Paul Makepeace wrote: >> > > I am having trouble with this line: a) most of these tests bucket you > into one of 'n' where 'n' is not a particularly large number (MBTI is > 16; Enneagrams are 9; etc); b) if this test is adminstered to all > employees that hardly makes anyone special.
I apologise for my typically cryptic prose style. I think I am trying to say that in essence the process encourages you to focus on what differentiates you from other individuals, and many people find that sort of solipsism rewarding. There may only be a handful of buckets, but the assessment process is often lengthy, and there's commonly a personalised detailed report. > I think until you can find some hard examples of companies or > organisations actually doing this it's coming across as scaremongery. > I'm not aware in my contracting experience in three dozen + companies > of this ever happening. The most intense psychometric scrutiny I've > been under has only happened as an adjunct. > Well, I certainly wouldn't want to be scaremongering[1], so I'm sorry for giving that impression. It does seem to me to be an intrinsic part of social management - people like to reduce groups down to easy labels and categories, and it's justifiable to be wary of this. I wasn't trying to suggest that there's any crude formal process that involves not hiring type N or, pay reducing type B, and I'm probably guilty of over-egging the case by conveying that impression. However, I think there's a lot of potential for this sort of pigeon-holed labelling approach to broadly influence thought and process, and this seems such a natural fit for the 'dumbing-down' or shorthanding of fairly subtle concepts. -- Regards, Colin M. Strickland [1] If I was wanting to do that, I'd probably point out that scientologists commonly use 'personality testing' as an introductory gambit for recruiting :-) Yes, I realise this is a ridiculous basis for argument, they also use 'books' and 'therapy'. It's got a smiley. Relax. Now give me all your money... _______________________________________________ BristolBathPM mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.bristolbath.org/mailman/listinfo/bristolbathpm
