Standout Student
A Peak into the Research Process
The opportunity to provide knowledge to youth is a grand endeavor. In the past few months, we have been hard at work designing a version of StandOut for students, targeted to young adults from 13-18 years of age. Currently, we are collecting data using the assessment to be able to calibrate and create a unique scoring algorithm, and we are excited by the progress we have made so far.
Similar to the research that we did to create the StandOut Assessment for working adults, this process is complex and completed in several phases. We are currently in the first phase and are gathering volunteers to participate. It is a little messy and not a complete product, but as we gather more and more data, our psychometricians can analyze and investigate meaningful patterns to develop and calibrate the assessment. Research behind an assessment like this one is crucial to make sure it is working properly for the given population.
ADVISOR
“I’ve found that I’m the friend others turn to when they’re stuck. I help them get unstuck.”
“People say I have a lot of common sense. They come to me whenever they want advice on the best thing to do.”
As an Advisor, you begin by asking, “What is the best thing to do?” You are excited by people who seek your advice. Since you love to be the expert, you are constantly on the lookout for information that will help people make better decisions. You pay attention to the little details of a situation, because these will help you give better advice. Others may see you as demanding or opinionated, but this is because you do not settle for “good enough.” You want more. Your advice is never general; you tailor it to each unique situation. There is always a better way or better result, and you want to be called upon to provide this solution. The reason people seek your advice is precisely because you are so assured, so confident in your intuition. Instinctively you know this, and you’re proud of it.
CONNECTOR
“I get a kick out of ‘wouldn’t it be great if…’ kind of thinking. I’m always cooking up new projects and plans.”
“I think I’m effective at persuading people to put aside their differences and join forces to get something done together.”
As a Connector, you begin by asking, “Whom can I connect?” The world for you is a web of connected relationships. You love to introduce people and are excited about the possibilities of these connections. Not because they will like each other–though they might–but rather because of what they will create together. You are very observant of people’s uniqueness and what makes them special. You are a naturally inquisitive person, always asking questions to learn about others. The world for you is a network of people to be linked to create and accomplish better things. You are a connector, weaving people together into the fabric of something much larger and more significant than themselves.
CREATOR
“I ask ‘why?’ a lot. I guess it can get annoying sometimes, but I can’t help it. I’m the kind of person who hates assumptions. I need to get to the bottom of why things are the way they are.”
“I don’t like rushing into things. I’m not a ‘ready, aim, fire’ person. I’m more a ‘study, ready, aim, fire, study again’ person.”
As a Creator, you begin by asking, “What do I understand?” You start with what you know before looking elsewhere. You like to find the patterns in life. You like to solve puzzles by understanding all the parts and pieces. For you, there’s nothing quite as thrilling as finding a pattern that can explain why things play out the way they do, or better yet, predict how things are going to play out. You are a thinker. You need time to think to make decisions. So you look forward to time by yourself–early in the morning, late at night, long walks–and you use this time to get clear. You are a creative person–not necessarily an artist, but someone who makes sense of things. You create things to organize the chaos in the world. You look at what you’ve made; you take pleasure in what you now understand, and then you move on to the next creation.
EQUALIZER
“I’m at my best when I’m persuading people to see what is right, and do what is right–even if they are tempted to do something else.”
“Sometimes I can be a little blunt with people, but I hope they come to see me as
someone whom they can always trust to speak truthfully.”
You begin by asking, “What is the right thing to do?” You are sensitive to how everything in the world is interdependent, how movement in one part of the world causes everything else to move as well. It is the butterfly effect. Knowing of these connections, you feel compelled to keep everything aligned. You are the friend that keeps the group together. When there are problems, you seek to find the solution to restore balance. You see the commitments we make to one another as threads that connect us and allow us to share in each other’s success. It pains you when you see these threads break, and so you are their passionate protector. At your best, you are our conscience, helping us realize how much we owe one another and how much we rely on one another. You hold us together.
INFLUENCER
“I make the first move a lot. I’m always telling my friends what we should do. I suppose sometimes I might push too much, but we always get a lot done.”
“I’ve found that I’m more decisive than most people. And more impatient. I like to move fast.”
As an Influencer, you begin by asking, “How can I move you to act?” In virtually every situation, your eye goes to the outcome. You challenge authority because you don’t like settling for the way things have always been done. You know a better way. Whether you are helping a friend get his work done, or talking a friend off a ledge, you measure your success by your ability to persuade the other person to do something he didn’t necessarily intend to do. Why? You can see the end goal and have momentum to get there. But mostly because you just can’t help it. People think you are pushy but the truth is that you are just impatient. You are not at your best while waiting for people who won’t take the initiative and get the job done. It’s simply fun for you to influence people’s behavior through the power of your personality. It’s challenging and mysterious and thrilling, and, in the end, of course, it makes good things happen.
PROVIDER
“People seem to trust me quickly. Why? Because I don’t judge them. I find it really easy to see things from their perspective.”
“I am an intensely loyal person. Sometimes to a fault. But I have lots of long-lasting friendships and I stand by my friends no matter what.”
You begin by asking, “Is everyone okay?” You have a big heart. You are acutely aware of others’ feelings, particularly if you sense they are feeling hurt or slighted. You want to include others, and make them feel wanted, heard, and appreciated. You pay close attention to the differences between people, each person’s likes, dislikes, and weaknesses. You are protective of other people and will get angry or upset if you see behavior that is inconsiderate or rude of people’s feelings. You are an intensely loyal and forgiving friend, but you are no pushover. At home and school, many will come to trust you and rely on you. You are a consistently supportive friend in a world that doesn’t care. And they love you for it.
PIONEER
“‘Try it and let’s see what happens.’ That’s my motto.”
“People see me as determined. I just keep moving forward.”
As a Pioneer, you begin by asking, “What’s new?” You are, by nature, an explorer, excited by things you haven’t seen before, people you haven’t yet met. Often times you are the first of your friends to try new things, because this excites you. Whereas others are intimidated by the unfamiliar, you are intrigued by it. It fires your curiosity and heightens your senses–you are smarter and more perceptive when you’re doing something you’ve never done before. With new things comes risk, and you welcome this. You are a trailblazer. You are at your best when you ask a question no one has asked, try a technique no one has tried, and feel an experience few have felt. We need you at your best. You lead us into the undiscovered country.
STIMULATOR
“Some of my best times are when I can get people together so we can rally ourselves and cheer ourselves on.”
“I need to be out with people almost all the time.”
As a Stimulator, you begin by asking, “How can I raise the energy?” When you enter a room you can feel the energy. If people are feeling down – you are compelled to elevate their energy. You are an instinctively positive person. You are the cheerleader that gets people excited. You do this with your humor–the smile in your voice. Because you are an energy-giving person, other people are attracted to you. You aren’t soft and gentle. On the contrary, you challenge people to unleash their own energy, and you become impatient when someone refuses to do so. You are willing to share your energy but hate it when others will not follow suit. You cannot help but be encouraging. They sense that your natural reaction is to celebrate all that is good in them, to illuminate their strengths, and shine a light on their achievements. Even on your darkest days, you know they are right.
TEACHER
“I never give up on anyone. In my heart I know that everyone can find success somewhere–we just have to persevere with them and discover where. Of course, it might not be within their current roles.”
“I love giving my people ideas. I’m constantly reading up on stuff so that I’ve got something to share with them when they call on me.”
As a Teacher, you begin by asking, “What can he learn from this?” You are not necessarily a teacher but your desire is to have everyone learn. Your focus is instinctively toward the other person. You see each person as a work in progress, and you are comfortable with this messiness. You don’t expect him to be perfect; in fact, you don’t want him to be perfect. You see the possibility in imperfection. You know that imperfection creates choice, and that choice leads to learning. You want others to learn from their past mistakes and grow. You do not offer solutions to problems but help others figure it out for themselves. When someone has a problem you ask him a lot of questions to figure out what he knows and what he doesn’t, how he learns best, what is important to him, and what journey he is on. These questions help you devise an appropriate solution to help him learn.