unstuck-minds-profile-report Download
Based on your responses to the Unstuck Minds assessment, this report describes your tendencies when facing a daunting challenge, a persistent problem or an uncertain future at work.
The report matches your responses to a model called The Unstuck Minds Compass™ and provides insight into the types of information you’re drawn to when a situation is changing and there is no obvious path forward. The report is not a personality assessment and should not be used to draw conclusions about your behavior in general.
An overview of the The Unstuck Minds Compass™ Model
You received four scores, each related to one dimension of the model. Your score will either fall into the high, low or middle range for each dimension based on how your responses compare to those of all others who have completed the profile. Scores that fall into the “high” and “low” range indicate tendencies; they do not reflect skill and should not be considered “desirable” or “undesirable.” A “high” or “low”tendency or orientation simply means that when things get complex or chaotic, you have a preferred way to feel organized and in control.
A Word about Your Scores
Scores that fall into the “high” and “low” ranges indicate tendencies, they do not reflect skill and should not be considered “desirable” or “undesirable.” A “high” or “low” tendency or orientation simply means that when things get complex or chaotic, you have a preferred way to feel organized and in control.
A mid-range score means that you are less likely to have a preferred way to feel organized and in control; you are more likely to adjust your approach based on the situation. A person with a moderate score can flex their style depending on who they work with and the nature of the challenge.
For scores falling in the mid-range, read the descriptions for both the “High” and “Low” orientations. You will likely feel that one of the descriptions fits you better. The description is more important than the score! Sometimes a mid-range score means the survey items did not work well for you.
Critical Inquiry
To navigate complexity, people with a critical inquiry orientation are drawn to facts, data and cause and effect relationships when getting unstuck.
A High Critical Inquiry Orientation (67 – 100)
When encountering a situation that does not respond as expected or when pursuing an opportunity in uncharted territory, you start by gathering facts. You want to understand the nature of the situation and you may attempt to grasp what is happening by comparing the current state to what you have experienced in the past. Early in the process of getting unstuck, you will want to know what has happened that has led to the current situation.
You are interested in explanations that connect causes to effects. If there are data available about the current situation, you will be eager to learn about trends, patterns, correlations and aberrations. You may feel uncomfortable being asked to pursue a vague opportunity without boundary conditions or criteria for success. You are attracted to questions that establish clarity and constraints.
A Low Critical Inquiry Orientation (0 – 45)
If you feel stuck and see no obvious path forward, you are not likely to seek out data and facts to help you get oriented. In fact, you may believe that facts and data could be misleading because they are rooted in what has already happened. You may also believe that adherence to the status quo may be part of the problem.
You may lose patience with presentations that quantify everything, but offer no real insights into the nature of the situation. You suspect that something has changed, which renders traditional analysis and methods ineffectual. You would prefer to hear people’s opinions and learn about emerging trends that could impact the organization’s strategy and priorities.
Contextual Inquiry
To get unstuck, people with a contextual inquiry orientation are drawn to changes in the external environment and emerging trends.
A High Contextual Inquiry Orientation (70 – 100)
When encountering a situation that does not respond as expected or when pursuing an opportunity in uncharted territory, you want to know what is changing. You pay attention to social and technological trends. You detect patterns that lead you to make predictions about the future. You build theories to explain the emergence of trends.
You often work backwards from the preferred end state in order to set direction or prioritize next steps. You find it difficult to hear an analysis of recommendations about changing the current situation without first hearing about the big picture. You want to know why a topic became a priority and how solving it contributes to larger goals. You are attracted to questions concerning goals and strategy.
A Low Contextual Inquiry Orientation (0 – 55)
If you feel stuck and see no obvious path forward, you are not likely to look for answers outside of the team, function, or organization. You may feel impatient with conversations that seem overly theoretical or conceptual. You prefer to get unstuck by talking through relevant examples or concrete next steps.
You do not find presentations or recommendations that lay out the pros and cons of multiple options helpful. When asking for criteria or success metrics, you don’t want to hear, “it depends.” You prefer to work within the constraints of stakeholder preferences or knowing what is in scope and what is out of scope. You may even feel that in some circumstances, it’s best to just try something and learn from what happens.
Collaborative Inquiry
To get unstuck, people with a collaborative inquiry orientation are drawn to people and the way they think and feel.
A High Collaborative Inquiry Orientation (63 – 100)
When encountering a situation that does not respond as expected or when pursuing an opportunity in uncharted territory, you want to gather input from people so you can consider a variety of perspectives. You often feel that organizational dilemmas can be traced to breakdowns in social processes. You are attentive to the politics of a situation. Early in the process of getting unstuck, you will want to know who is involved and what are their motivations.
You recognize that nothing changes if people are unwilling or unprepared to adopt new behaviors. You often ask presenters about who was involved in providing input to an analysis. When hearing about an implementation plan, you are likely to recommend a more robust communication and change management strategy than the one being described. You are attracted to questions about people’s inner lives.
A Low Collaborative Inquiry Orientation (0 – 46)
If you feel stuck and see no obvious path forward, you are not likely to look for a variety of opinions. You believe that a high quality or highly creative option should take priority over a popular option. You can be suspicious of giving too much weight to the perspectives of internal stakeholders reasoning that most people are focused on their own needs or agenda. If you are going to be swayed by an opinion, you prefer to hear from a recognized external expert.
You sometimes think that employee engagement and employee satisfaction surveys are given too much emphasis when making strategic decisions. If the organization needs the cooperation of people to get unstuck, you would rather talk about incentives and performance metrics than how people may be thinking and feeling when they hear about an upcoming change. You may even feel that in some circumstances, it’s in everyone’s best interest to disrupt the status quo with a quick implementation of a big change.
Creative Inquiry
To get unstuck, people with a creative inquiry orientation are drawn to ideas and unconventional connections.
A High Creative Inquiry Orientation (50 – 100)
When encountering a situation that does not respond as expected or when pursuing an opportunity in uncharted territory, you feel energized by the possibilities. You often believe that the reason people feel stuck is that they impose artificial constraints that limit options. You tend to notice the assumptions someone is holding about the nature of their dilemma.
When hearing a recommendation about a challenge you might adopt a contrary point of view just to see what alternatives get generated. You are likely to question the premise of the problem statement. You are quick to see analogies that help you discover the essence of a dilemma by comparing it to something different, but familiar. You are attracted to questions that reveal something no one is paying attention to.
A Low Creative Inquiry Orientation (0 – 31)
If you feel stuck and see no obvious path forward, you are not likely to generate a variety of options. Having too many options adds to the stress of feeling stuck. You want to take direction from an authority figure or use an established methodology as a way to make progress.
You feel impatient when people give all options equal consideration, especially when everyone knows that some are clearly impractical. You believe that reinventing things for the sake of doing something new is irresponsible. You think that teams and organizations sometimes get stuck because shiny new opportunities distract them.