I love sharing stories from my life journey. I have been privy to many meaningful experiences of untapped human potential due to conditioning and ego battles. I present to you one such instance.  

Rajesh was sent to me by his company to study his profile and talent. I was working with his company to understand their talent pool and help in giving them more appropriate roles at their workplace. Rajesh was identified as capable to work in sales and soon head the team.  

When I met Rajesh, he came across as a good natured, polite and a high energy personality. His past record in sales was very good. He was thought of as a good employee making good on his targets.  

The company had a very experienced Human Resources Chief who understood the importance of testing and profiling people. So my job became very easy.  

I started by giving Rajesh psychometric tests. This time, I added one on ‘creativity’ by Pradeep Khandwala. I really enjoy this tool as it studies seven blocks to creativity. I usually decide what tests to use based on the requirements and brief on the position at the work place.  

Rajesh showed high blocks on conformity, fear of failure and starved sensitivity. However, history from childhood did not warrant any of this. He came from a small town, he was multitalented, took part in many extracurricular activities and was often class leader. That along with strong parenting, no pressure on achievement, healthy sibling relationships, friends and a chance to have healthy exploration was all part of his past.  

But things changed as he got into his job. His first stint at work was a great experience. He was excited, bubbling with energy and eager to do more. Soon, he became a favourite of his boss, but it all changed as he got promoted. Competition, peer rivalry, ego battles caused fear and he started to play safe. 

This gave an understanding of his scores. Although his potential showed creativity, leadership and an energetic mind, work conditions changed the course. We started doing some coaching sessions and soon his scores improved.  

My experiences with many companies over the years has revealed a gap in the potential and performance of a person at work. There are many reasons, but some of the most common are to do with company culture. Companies need to be clear about what kind of environment they want to develop, what kind of profile to reach out to and if they are driving people to growth and success.

The SEVEN BLOCKS to watch out for 

Emotional Blocks   : Symptoms (S) and Dysfunctionality (D)

High as well as low is a block. Moderate scores show freedom and creativity.  

Allergy to Ambiguity

(S) Tendency to avoid unclear tasks and complex brain teasers. 

(D) In a virulent form it makes a person shun the path of invention, discovery and creation because of their feeling of ‘messiness’.  

Conformity

(S) Fear of social criticism or punishment, herd mentality, lack of independence in judgment, excessive attachment to tradition and a dislike of innovations that counter them.
(D) Resistance to innovative ideas and divergent thinking; missing of opportunities for growth and self-actualization. 

Rigidity / Stereotyping

(S) Tendency to stereotype; tendency to dogmatism; tendency to get fixated on very particular uses, tools, ideas, arrangements. Inability to assimilate new information. Inability to learn and change.  

(D) Serious impediment to growth, experimentation and innovation. 

Fear of Failure

(S) Tendency to stick to safe options, avoid competitive situations, or to participate only in those activities where one is sure of winning. Tendency to look for alibis for failure.  Excessive fright and nervousness in test situations. 

(D) In a virulent form, it can prevent one from taking risks and in getting involved in activities in which one initially has low skills. This impedes divergent thinking and activities.  It can paralyze one due to stresses arising from taking on off-beat, path breaking activities. 

Starved Sensibility

(S) Feelings of dullness. Inability to feel or experience, or imagine richly.  
(D) Starved sensibilities reduce the supply of stimuli that may trigger divergent thinking.  They reduce curiosity and openness. 

Resource Myopia

(A feeling of remorselessness)

(S) Tendency to get dependent and become passive.   Feeling of helplessness.   Participation in a very narrow range of activities.  

(D) Inhabits innovation and divergent activities.  Inhabits risk taking. 

Touchiness

(Fear of Humiliation)

(S) Aversion to meeting interesting strangers, tendency to seek flatterers, wanting to stick to the same old group and coldness towards ‘threatening’ persons. A bearing of false hauteur.  Excessive shyness. 

(D) In creative activities that require interpersonal collaboration, touchiness can be a major impediment. It may also make a person averse to seeking feedback indispensable in the uncertain vista of creative activity.