PIAV: Attitude Is Everything!

By Allyn Cutts, President
Cutts Group, llc

You've already learned a little bit about how the language of DISC can help you discover how people act. Now, how about learning why they act the way they do?

With PIAV - Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values, we're going to teach you how to maximize your own or your employees' attitudes for the career you or they are best suited.

If I were to ask you what kind of attitude you have, you'd probably answer the typical "good" or "bad." But guess what? There ARE no bad attitudes!

It's true! What makes a person's attitude seem bad to us, is that they're simply not valuing the interaction the same way we are. Attitudes are the way we view the world and the actions we take in it.

If I take a shy, ingressive person and put them in a high-volume sales position, chances are, they're going to fail miserably.

What's worse is, the customer who comes through the door and sees a salesperson avoiding them isn't going to say, "Oh, poor dear - she must be shy," or "How considerate! She doesn't want to push us into something we may not want."

No, what WILL happen is that the customer is going to think they're being ignored. They'll feel the salesperson doesn't value their business - and they'll take their business elsewhere!

What happened here? We put a person with a non-sales attitude in the wrong situation! The best way to position yourself or another person in a career is to let them become what they are.

This means, find out what values they place on certain things, and then you'll know what they want to do with their talents and skills. Someone who values the beauty in nature probably won't make a good destroyer of rain forests!

Someone who values money and results isn't going to be happy sitting around doodling 90% of the time with no room for advancement in their company. What you have to do is find out what your attitude is, and then guide your career to where you'll be most happy.

As a leader in your corporation, you are responsible for matching the person with the position. With the PIAV test results, you'll know right away what values that applicant holds most important to them, and you can find the right fit within the company.

How are attitudes formed, really? Well, what happens is, you go through an experience and use some or all of your senses to subconsciously evaluate that experience. You "rate" it, if you will.

For instance, you might go on vacation to Ruidoso, New Mexico one year and go for a walk and stumble upon a bear. The bear is with her cubs. You see her. You hear her roar. You touch her - or, more accurately, she touches you as she lunges for you while you run for cover. And you're so close you can smell her from 10 feet away - and it's not pretty.

You might not like bears too much after that incident. You've had a negative experience. You don't listen when the forest ranger tells you on a tour that bears are harmless and will leave you alone for the most part - you know better!

What happens if you run into another bear the following year, and the same thing - or close to it - happens? Then you've experienced multiple negative incidents, and therefore, formed a set of beliefs that bears are bad!

If that bear had been able to communicate with you - or if you had realized at the time what values she held most dear to her - her cubs, then you'd have understood why she lunged at you and tried to protect her babies. She didn't understand you, and you didn't understand her. With the PIAV, this won't happen with your human contacts.

These sets of beliefs cluster into the attitudes that shape your mindset. It creates what we call a Hierarchy of Attitudes. That means - there is a certain blend of all 6 existing attitudes within each of us. Usually, we have two dominant traits that color the other attitudes in our lives.

What are the 6 attitudes?

Utilitarian:

A Utilitarian candidate needs a return on their invested time. If there are no bonuses, or room for advancement, you'll eventually lose this employee to a company that does reward performance.

They are efficient, practical people who don't waste time or money and work best in an environment that sponsors that type of workplace. Humanresourcearticles.com: As a human resource professional, you'll do best to incorporate this person into a field that has no glass ceiling. They're going to want to outperform all others, and that's a trait that can be beneficial to a company, if the person and the job match up.

Theoretical:

Theoretical employees are great at researching the facts and figures of a problem and coming up with the best possible solution based on that data. They're good at becoming in-house experts on issues you may need help with in the future.

Theoretical individuals are not opposed to going the extra mile for continuing education and training seminars. They love to challenge existing knowledge, and are great at mastering their fields.

If you're in charge of positioning applicants in a company, or are seeking the best position for yourself, and if you're PIAV results show a high level of Theoretical attitude, then you might want to consider finding a position in a company where the department is just being created. One where they are looking for someone willing to do research - the legal and medical professions are good examples of this.

Aesthetic:

Hectic environments don't sit well with these individuals. They appreciate being placed in a harmonious, beautiful space where they're given the freedom to perform and grow at their own pace and desire.

Aesthetic individuals don't like to feel the pressure of corporate politics. Instead, they prefer to be able to openly express their ideas and opinions, as this will enhance their personal well-being.

Social:

Community outreach positions are a great fit for Social attitudes. They prioritize people over profits, and prefer harmony to hassles. If your organization is on a mission to improve society, then these are the ones you want to employ.

Those who hold Social attitudes in high regard are ones you can count on to be focused on the coaching you provide to direct your employees in the company's cause. They're dedicated to helping others, including their employer, but won't see the bottom line unless it relates to humanity.

Individualistic:

The name says it all. They love empowerment and public recognition. They quickly learn to foster relationships with key contacts in their field - people they might someday want to call upon to help them advance their careers.

They have great leadership abilities, and thrive on the material rewards that go with it - a nice desk, a spacious office. They love to make decisions and wield authority.

Traditional:

This is definitely an attitude where the business has to be in sync with their beliefs. If what you're doing can be conveyed as unethical or controversial, if the Traditional employee doesn't agree with your actions or methods, they'll be gone in the blink of an eye.

Traditional employees also value the person over the job. They thrive on the freedom to involve themselves in good deeds and respect and admire companies who are dedicated to the community. So if you're dumping oil in the ocean, better steer clear of these attitudes!

In the coming months, we're going to dive deeper into the PIAV - how to read the graphs for personal knowledge, to improve your perceptions of others, and to help improve others' perceptions of you! We'll discuss how to blend the attitudes and discover how you might thrive in several types of positions based on your dominant attitudes and Hierarchy levels.

With DISC, you learned to recognize behaviors you can see. Each month, we'll use the PIAV to teach you how to recognize others' attitudes based on the passion of the person - not by observation, but by interaction.

Proper People Placement (PPP) is a comprehensive system that utilizes the most advanced, accurate and in-depth diagnostic, assessment and measurement procedures and tools available. For more information, contact the Cutts Group at (800) 482-7280, or (610) 437-4106 outside the U.S. and Canada or visit us on the web at http://www.cuttsgroup.com.

The Cutts Group partners with clients who are committed to continuous growth. We provide the organizational development, team building, employee selection, executive coaching, and sales training resources our clients demand for measurable results and return on investment. Satisfaction and investment are always guaranteed, always.