Tools
Unique Sources applies tools to support personal and organizational development. These tools will aid and enlighten you on organizational processes, mirror team performance and provide insights into value systems, thinking patterns, preferences in leading styles, and cultural differences. We at Unique Sources are licensed to work with the following tools.
Management Drives
Management Drives improves the performance of organizations, teams and people. To achieve this, Management Drives is used in a number of different, concrete ways. Management Drives can be used as a tool in individual coaching, to improve teamwork and team performance and organizational dynamics, even analyzing organizational cultures. The on-line questionnaire, based on the research of Dr. Clare W. Graves, generates a profile. This profile offers a surprising view of what motivates people, how they behave in a team and of the culture of that team. The results and discussions offer recognition and insight, and excellent start for improving the team results and changing the team culture.
Exchanging differences and similarities in profiles within a team leads to the analysis of underlying value systems and improves team cooperation. Because each profile is unique, the respect for differences grows. Recognizing different management styles, decision making processes and group profiles can all add to improving results of teams and organizations.
Diversity Icebreaker/ Trialogue
Diversity Icebreaker, also known as Trialogue™ is a dynamic group training and development concept based on a questionnaire measuring preferences in communication, teamwork and problem-solving styles. It was developed by Bjørn Z. Ekelund of Human Factors in Norway. The classic Trialogue™ workshop begins by asking individuals to map their own preferences using the questionnaire. Then in dynamic group work, participants are encouraged to discuss their own preferences and their perceptions of others, creating a fun and motivating environment to reflect and to identify ways to cooperate more effectively.
Trialogue™ is different of many concepts applied in management practice. Using three categories termed Red, Blue and Green, the questionnaire does not intend to label individuals to single types, but provides a profile of preferences across these three fundamental interpersonal styles, giving individuals greater scope to explore their flexibility and interaction with others.
IRC
Intercultural Readiness Check
The Intercultural Readiness Check (IRC) is one of the leading tools for assessing intercultural competences, developed by Ursula Brinkmann and her team. More than 25,000 people from all over the world have filled in the IRC in order to reflect on how they can improve their intercultural effectiveness.
The IRC assesses individuals on four vital intercultural competences:
- Intercultural Sensitivity: How actively are you interested in other people, their cultural backgrounds, needs and perspectives? How much do you notice when interacting with people from other cultures?
- Intercultural Communication: How mindful are you when communicating with others? How effectively do you adjust your style to meet their expectations and needs?
- Building Commitment: How much do you invest into developing relationships and diverse networks? How creative are you in developing solutions that satisfy the interests of different stakeholders?
- Managing Uncertainty: How well do you deal with the complexities of greater cultural diversity? How effectively do you use cultural diversity as a source of learning and innovation?
MIDAS
Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales
Bring the power of the multiple intelligences into your personal, educational, career development and professional lives.
MIDAS™ was created by Branton Shearer, Ph.D. in 1987 as a means to enhance a person’s intellectual performance, career development and personal satisfaction. The MIDAS™ Profile has been described as the Swiss Army knife of self-assessments that guides people to a deeper appreciation for their intellectual and creative lives.
The eight multiple intelligences, being Linguistic, Mathematical, Interpersonal, Intra-personal, Spatial, Kinesthetic, Musical and Naturalistic are indicated in a self assessment profile, that one can use to stretch and match with their work life.
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“To my knowledge, The MIDAS represents the first effort to measure the Multiple Intelligences, which have been developed according to standard psychometric procedures. ”
Howard Gardner, Harvard University
DISC
Dominance, Influence, Stability en Conscientiousness
In 1928 the DISC dimensions were described for the first time in William Moulton Marstons book ‘Emotions of normal people’. Marston identified four primary emotions and the behavioural styles connected to those, that we know today as Dominance, Influence, Stability en Conscientiousness.
DISC can very well be used for
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explaining reasoning in selection processes;
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identifying (personal) leadershipstyles;
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implementing reorganisations and change management processes;
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resolving conflicts;
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teambuilding processes or increasing team effectiveness.
Diversophy
Diversophy® is a powerful game that helps you engage successfully with people of other backgrounds as well as understand the dynamics of your own culture. Diversophy® brings people together, not only to learn about each other’s cultures, but to connect in a very human way. Players are enriched by each other’s stories, values, knowledge and skills. The 'us versus them' mindset is replaced with mutual appreciation.
A large selection of intercultural learning games is available for facilitators, trainers, business owners, teachers, social workers and individuals. The games are generally played in small groups with a deck of theme-centered cards. Participants take turns responding to 5 kinds of questions and challenges found on the cards and discuss their reactions with each other.
Diversophy® games come in several formats as:
— As a full game focused on a specific culture, cultural topic or culturally relevant skills to be developed
— As a mini-game, with a smaller selection of cards, more practical for fewer groups or smaller one-time learning events
Barrett Cultural Transformation Tool
Method of Richard Barrett to identify value systems of people and organizations. The return of value driven organizations is a lot higher than the return of organizations where the value systems of individuals are not synchronized with those of the organization.
More background in Richard Barrett’s books: “Liberating the corporate soul” and “Building a Values-Driven Organization: A Whole-System Approach to Cultural Transformation”.
Connection Scan
Connection Scan is a unique and powerful diagnostic tool that reveals communications between people in a team, a department, or even a whole organisation. It can improve performance with new insights into communication.
Connection Scan enables you to address issues of politics, cliques, inclusion, commitment, accountability and trust
Looking like an MRI scan it shows hotspots of active connections and cool zones of inactivity in a network of human relationships. Looking at a Connections Scan is like looking inside the brain of your organisation to see the pathways of connection and activity. Scans are easy to understand and reveal patterns in relationships between people you will have never been able to see before.
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In a networked world connections drive performance. In an interconnected world the ability to understand and influence human networks is vital for individual leaders, teams, organisations and societies to succeed.
Connection Scan uses ground-breaking Artificial Intelligence to create visualisations that reveal how people are connected. By accurately visualising complex networks of relationships it gives unique insights, reveals new meaning and makes relationships easier to understand and change.
As “Command and control” is replaced by “Connect and Collaborate” the web of informal relationships that connect people in your organisation has become more important than ever.