Unfortunately, people do not work that way. The interactional nature & change that happens while we are together cannot operate like a machine or a game with firmly defined inputs, outputs & pieces that can be removed and then added or changed. That deterministic belief creates Trust, Repelling organizations that constrict creativity & cause underemployment.

We are not deterministic machines with our personality, behavior, or organizational culture placed into boxes of 4, 16, 32, etc. Then handed a recipe on how to make things better.

People, teams, and organizations searching for a deterministic fix can sometimes be fooled or convinced that assessing peoples’ personalities or organizational culture or matching the person–team – organization to some external list of traits is the solution.

“once a belief or expectation is found, especially one that resolves uncomfortable uncertainty, it biases the observer to notice new information that confirms the belief and discount evidence to the contrary. This self-perpetuating mechanism consolidates the original error and builds overconfidence in which opponents’ arguments are seen as too fragmentary to undo the adopted belief.” – Forer Effect.

We all want to be understood. We all want to believe that someone can use a tool and understand us. We want to believe simple positive statements that affirm our feelings, fears, and personal beliefs are accurate. Unfortunately, it is not so simple.

In the video, Nolan shares his research into the vulnerability of organizations & the collective ‘us.’

Belief Confirming Statements

Like the original Forer Effect experiment, all the companies that took Nolan’s organizational assessment received the same responses/ results from the assessment. The results from the organizations showed a ~84% validity rating.

• Your company has a great need to develop positive brand awareness
• You have a great deal of untapped potential which you have not turned to your advantage
• Some of the organization’s aspirations are unrealistic
• The company appears to be disciplined & well-organized from the outside, but the internal workings are often worrisome & messy
• Forming business partnerships has presented some problems
• Above is from hex induction “The Forer Scam.”

In the video, Nolan’s closing statement around 11.17 shares a poignant view that this experiment is about “Vulnerability, not Gullibility.”

Organizations & people are not gullible because they believe statements that appeal to them or would like a way to make sense of a complex interactional workplace. The experiment shows that 84% of us have shared concerns, beliefs, needs, & areas where we feel weakness BUT do not think others share these challenges. Understanding that most organizations & people have this in common may create more empathetic workplaces. Workplaces are Trust Attracting because people can be themselves & work to their total capacity.

I do not think you need an assessment for that to happen.