Kolbe Fact Finder - Need To Know The Details

The Fact Finder is one of the four universal instincts used by people to creatively solve problems and is revealed by the Kolbe A Index.

When I took the Strengths Mastery Advantage assessment, I was revealed to have a strong bias as a fact finder.

How A Kolbe Fact Finder Works

Faced with a problem, my instinctive reaction is to want to know more about it and the possible solutions so that I can make an informed decision over what to do.

I rated an 8 on the Kolbe scale which shows that I am a strong Initiator on the fact finding dimension.

I view this as a strength in my role as a business coach/adviser/trainer since it keeps me searching for better ways to help businesses and makes sure that I understand the situation before I start prescribing a solution.

It also works well for me in my second career as an Internet marketer/reviewer of business improvement programs because I am prepared - no that should be eager - to get immersed in the detail in a way that many could not handle.

While I see this as an important strength the Kolbe Assessment doesn't recognise anything as bad, just a bad fit between your natural "doing style" and what you are trying to do.

A low Fact Finder score can be useful as it may help some see the big picture and take quick action while the hardcore fact finders are digging into the details and can even get caught in the analysis paralysis trap. Mind you "act in haste, repent at leisure" springs to mind as a ready justification for getting to the facts.

Kolbe A

Fact Finder is one of four instinctive paths we take.

The others are Follow Through (about systems and methods), Quick Start (about risk, innovation and change) and Implementer (about space, concepts and physical solutions).

What Causes Stress For Fact Finders?

One of the biggest reasons to know you natural strengths and preferred doing styles is that it can help you to avoid the stressful situations.

A low Fact Finder would hate to be given a big research project. The person would find the concept dull, the work boring and would struggle to handle the data and ideas that the research identifies.

A high Fact Finder enjoys looking at data and handling information. There is a feeling of power that comes from knowledge.

Stress happens when the high Fact Finder is asked or required to work without facts or to use "information" which may be unreliable or come from dubious sources.

I worked on a big project with a public company in the UK that had a big subsidiary in Europe which appeared to be out of control. Reports came in late, wrong and inconsistent but I was supposed to use this information to prepare reports for the main board of directors. Queries to the data only lead to more conflicting information or were ignored.

It tarnished everything I did on the garbage in garbage out principle and I found it extremely stressful and frustrating.

Adjusting Your Behaviour To Your Fact Finding Score

Are you fighting against yourself doing things that don't fit?

Or are you falling victim to the bad aspects of these instincts - analysis paralysis for strong Fact Finders or hasty decisions which prove costly for weak Fact Finders?

The person with strong Fact Finding instincts needs to play to the strength but at the same time recognise that there is a diminishing return on research as you find more stuff that just confirms what you already know rather than expanding your knowledge.

The weak Fact Finder needs to recognise the importance of working with the facts and to have people and systems that provide a limited number of key measures up-to-date so that there is more to back up decisions than gut feel.

But it starts by recognising your position on the Fact Finder continuum and you can do that by taking the Kolbe A assessment.

Strengths Mastery Advantage - this is Rich Schefren/Strategic Profits while label version of the Kolbe A Index assessment and it comes with some very helpful extra training to help you to interpret and apply the ideas. For a detailed assessment see Strengths Mastery Advantage Review

Disclosure - I am an affiliate for Strategic Profits and if you buy Strengths Mastery Advantage after clicking through from my link, I will be paid a commission.  

Comments

[Paul Simister]

It's nearly a year since I wrote this blog, and although traffic levels have been good, I haven't attracted any comments.

Are you a Fact Finder in the Kolbe A index?

Are you happy with the assessment or do you feel that your answers have been misinterpreted?

Since I took the Kolbe assessment, I see my ratings being confirmed more and more.

[Eric A.]

(The person with strong Fact Finding instincts needs to play to the strength but at the same time recognise that there is a diminishing return on research as you find more stuff that just confirms what you already know rather than expanding your knowledge.) This is me alright and because I am learning something which up to now has been foreign to me "Online Marketing" I continue to suffer from that paralysis from too much analysing. I took the Kolbe Index over a year ago, I have never been able to figure out how to put this information to use. I'm also wondering how would I determine when looking to outsource, my potential prospects index action modes?
I'm an 8-4-3-6 by the way.

[Paul Simister]

Eric it sounds like we are pretty similar except on the last score where you are a practical builder while I'm an abstract thinker.

I urge you to put what you know into action and move from "learning by learning" into a phase where you "learn by doing".

See the problems you encounter and then go back to your past training programs and recover the bits where you get stuck.

As far as delegating is concerned, list down all the things you need to do to get your business off the ground and rate your skill level, your experience level and rank in order what your deserved skill levels should be.

Delegate the stuff that you're not good at and the things that aren't at the top of your list of things that you want to be good at.

Take copywriting for example.
If you are a good copywriter and you want to be better because you consider it a core skill you must have, then do it yourself. Your skills improve with experience.

But if you're not very good at copywriting and you don't rate it as a core personal skill, then outsource it.

Someone had a lovely quote about you outsourcing what you work at but others play at. That makes a lot of sense to me.