My name is Thad and I’m a Promoter. I’ll dive into more detail about what this Predictive Index (PI) Reference Profile is all about, but first, a little bit about me and my role. I am the team lead of end-user operations at PI. I am responsible for ensuring the success of our support team by managing the support agents directly, managing escalated cases, managing communication between our end users and product/engineering teams, and creating and driving initiatives to improve our level of service.
Just so you can get a sense of my day-to-day, some of my key responsibilities include:
- Holding bi-weekly 1 on 1s to help drive career advancement with direct reports.
- Holding a daily team standup to go over cases that require further assistance from the direct reports.
- Manage all case data reporting, making some hefty business decisions.
- Manage all escalated and critical issues by communicating with product or engineering teams to maintain product integrity with our end users.
At the end of the day, I talk to a lot of people and sort out varying issues, which my Extraversion drive feeds on.
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My behavioral pattern
I first took the PI Behavioral Assessment when I was applying for a job at the company in 2016.
The PI Behavioral Assessment essentially reveals where you fall on the spectrum of Four Factors:
1. Dominance: Dominance is the drive to exert one’s influence on people or events.
2. Extraversion: Extraversion is the drive for social interaction with other people.
3. Patience: Patience is the drive for consistency and stability.
4. Formality: Formality is the drive to conform to rules and structure.
Here’s my pattern:
To the uninitiated, that behavioral pattern may not mean a whole lot, which is where Reference Profiles come in. All behavioral patterns map most closely to one of our 17 Reference Profiles, which gives us a way to paint the picture of someone’s behavioral drives in broad strokes. You can think of these as easy-to-reference groupings of the characteristics of people who have similar drives.
My Reference Profile is a Promoter
A Promoter is a casual, uninhibited, and persuasive extravert, with a tendency for informality.
I find my Promoter Reference Profile description to be spot on. I’d like to think of myself as a persuasive talker while allowing others to provide input I will be sympathetic towards. With my team, when it comes to delegation I usually will delegate freely but I will try to do it in a way to make the task stimulating or exciting. Don’t let anyone tell you a Promoter isn’t the perfect Reference Profile (Note: There are no perfect Reference Profiles.), but us Promoters don’t like taking no for an answer.
“It all made sense to me and it allowed me to embrace the way I like to work and be confident while doing it.”
Promoter coming through!
I found that understanding my Reference Profile has allowed me to excel in multiple areas within my role, specifically when I am interacting with others, which takes up a large portion of my day. In almost all escalated cases I manage it typically starts with an end-user that had a bad experience with our software. With the Promoter’s ability to be fluent, persuasive, and sympathetic, it allows me to quickly de-escalate an issue that arises with our end-users, ensuring the client has a better experience the second they communicate with me.
Another large portion of my role is being the client advocate for any bugs experienced in the software. Like I mentioned, Promoters don’t take no for an answer, but we have a flexible approach to most situations. For example, if a client experiences a bug in the software I already know the engineering team will not fix the bug right that very second. Knowing this, I gather any information that may be helpful to them in prioritizing a fix, such as how many reports we have received about the issue, if it is a feature commonly used by clients, etc. I am able to place myself in the end user’s shoes so I can treat every bug escalation as if I were experiencing it myself.
The dark side of being a Promoter
I have a very high extraversion drive. While it helps in most cases in my role, there are times where I am a bit too sympathetic in delivering feedback to others. As a manager, it is important that I deliver the messages with some sort of sympathy, understanding, and levelheadedness, but I also need to remember to challenge directly, which that high Extraversion drive forces me to forget sometimes!
I have also found difficulty in work that is structured or micromanaged. My pattern likes freedom in work so when feedback is delivered directly to me, as a Promoter, I may take it personally or disagree quickly.
How to work with (and manage) this profile
Promoters need harmony and social acceptance; It’s that high Extraversion that is driving this. We look for that support from our team and managers, but be sure when assigning us tasks or working on projects with us that we have freedom from rigid structure.
You’ll like working with us Promoters. We are fluent and persuasive talkers. Don’t be hesitant to share what’s on your mind, Promoters are good listeners. As a Promoter, the ability to delegate is perfect for my management position. But just remember, on the flip side, Promoters do not appreciate micromanagement and often have a negative response to pressure. Reward us with your trust and little follow-up and we’ll provide you with creative out-of-the-box ideas.
And one other thing for our managers…Let us sell. We like to be recognized for persuading and motivating people.
“My Reference Profile has allowed me to understanding my true behavioral needs and drive and how they correlate with my work.”
After I took the PI Behavioral Assessment and learned I was a Promoter, it all made sense and it allowed me to embrace the way I like to work and manage others, leading to a more confident Sean. When I first started my career, there were multiple paths I was considering taking. I had no idea where my true strengths would lie in those positions or if those organizations would provide me with a working environment that would suit my behaviors. My Reference Profile has allowed me to understand my true behavioral needs and drives and how they correlate to my work. I now know my caution areas, where I will excel, what I need to work on, and, most importantly, how to effectively manage my team and work with others.
