Want to Be More Successful at Work and Everywhere Else? Invest in a Psychological Assessment

Written by: Amy Wood

Published: May 2016

Psychological assessment is the process of administering a series of tests and measures to get an in-depth, well-rounded picture of an individual and how they operate.     Intended to clarify what makes a person tick, a psychological assessment gets to the bottom of what might be a holding a person back and what can move them forward.

When performed by a psychologist qualified to interpret evaluation data, a psychological assessment can provide the edge you need to advance in a variety of areas.  

Here are four powerful reasons why you may want to participate in a psychological assessment to reach your professional goals more quickly:

It’s a short-cut to what you want:  Most of us grow and develop as professionals through a drawn-out process of experimentation.  We learn from our mistakes how to do things better next time, and eventually we reap the rewards – the promotion, the raise, the corner office – of trying and trying again.  Because psychological assessment uncovers self-defeating tendencies you didn’t know you had, and associated talents and potential you weren’t aware of, it can pave the way to the outcomes you desire with less trial and error.

It’s objective:  A central key to success is being open to feedback about your performance so that you can alter your behavior when necessary to accomplish your agenda.   Knowing how you’re doing is especially important as you mature as a leader – because you can’t lead effectively unless you stay engaged with your followers.  The irony here is that the more powerful you become, the less forthcoming your followers are with constructive criticism.  Because psychological assessment measures don’t seek your approval, you can count on them to deliver the truth about not only what you’re good at but what you need to improve on.

It helps you to solve problems and make better decisions.  No matter how smart and experienced we are, getting stuck in the face of obstacles is a part of life.  All of us at every level, for example, have difficulty dealing with stress, adjusting to change, handling disappointment, staying motivated, and recovering from loss.   Since psychological assessment is designed to show you how you’re unwittingly making work and life more complicated and difficult, it can open you up to new and better ways of dealing with all of these things and other challenges.   

It gives you a stronger foundation to build on and new horizons to strive toward.     One secret to success common among the most admirable leaders is that they retreat from their professional lives regularly to regroup and recharge.  After contemplating where they’ve been and where they want to go, what they need to let go of and what they need to bring in if they expect to get there, leaders are able to come back with a surer perspective and sounder game plan.   By giving you a sort of balcony view of yourself, psychological assessment can help you to sum up from a distance what’s working, what’s not, and what might be.  The result is that you can create a whole new vision for your career, along with an updated strategy for making it happen.

Maine-based psychologist Dr. Amy Wood has helped countless professionals to become more successful through coaching, assessment, speaking and training.  She now offers psychological assessment through Priority Learning. 

Amy Wood

Phycologist Amy Wood has helped countless adults from all walks of life and work to articulate and accomplish their own versions of success. From her encouraging perspective that every human being is a unique and valuable individual with the inner resources necessary to overcome any challenge, Amy facilitates growth and change through speaking, writing, consulting and one-to-one sessions. Visit the author online at www.amywoodpsyd.com