Inside-the-head manuals: more remodelers are turning to values and behavioral profiling tools...

Each month. Grant Mazmanian gets a call from a contractor who exclaims: "I've got a production guy who's a great change order guy. I want to make him a salesman. Man, he'd make a good salesman--look at all the work he brings in!"

And every month, Mazmanian, of Pinnacle Group International,

Inevitably, Mazmanian tells the owner it isn't a match. His production guy is a "warm call" salesman. While he's very capable (he loves to please customers), he doesn't have the high assertiveness, or "D" personality trait, to cold-call prospects.

In fact, the production guy is afraid of customers.

Mazmanian suggests that the production guy take a Saturday to try selling. "They realize it's not for them, and no status is lost," Mazmanian says.

What makes Mazmanian, a certified professional behavior analyst, so certain of the qualities of his client's employees is a combination of experience and tools. He has been working with contractors for 15 years and uses the DISC, a behavioral profiling tool used since 1945 on about 20 million people, and the PIAV, a 20 year-old personal interests, attitudes, and values assessment that measures why people act the way they do and what drives them.

Very quickly, often within hours if they're taken online, assessment tools like the DiSC and the PIAV provide detailed behavioral and values feedback to help build productive teams, develop effective leaders, train sales threes, improve customer service, and ease frustrations and interpersonal conflict.

Some view such tools as voodoo. "No damn computer can tell me all about me," said one production manager who fought DiSC profiling for years, but who is now a devotee. They wonder how answering a short question set (24 questions for DISC; 12 for PIAV) can pinpoint their operating style. But it does. Real and anecdotal evidence proves that these tools work well--uncannily well.

"We wrestled with things like, 'Is this manipulation?' But it's good manipulation" says Mark Scott, of Mark IV Builders, Bethesda, Md., who has worked with Ruhmann Associates of Raleigh, N.C., for seven years on DiSC and PIAV assessments. "It's mole communication than manipulation. We have a hard enough time doing our jobs. Why not use a tool that makes it easier?"

TOUGH GUYS FINISH FIRST

Joe Almendarez, a field superintendent with Mark IV, admits that he's an exacting person. "Don't give me theory, give me fact," he says. Andy Hannan, his production manager, puts it another way. "Joe was a tough employee." Almendarez is the oldest superintendent on a 15-employee production team and has very defined values of what he believes. He was a loner who didn't like group situations. But working with DiSC and PIAV assessments, Hannan learned Almendarez's communication style, which was very unlike those of his younger superintendents. Slowly, Almendarez came to understand the team's communication styles, and they learned his. "The hardest thing we've done is getting him involved in the team," says Hannan. "Now, they wouldn't do without him."

Key to the solution was the team's "Do and Don't List," a brief compilation of communication styles, obtained from their Ruhmann Associates assessments (see "Contractor Cue Cards," page 114).

If there's a conflict now, "we sit them down and we say, 'Here's Joe's Dos and Don'ts and here's Paul's Dos and Don'ts,'" Scott says. "And within 30 seconds, whatever is an issue between them is gone. It eliminates the BS."

Almendarez says he carries everyone's Do and Don't list in his briefcase. He pulls the list out as needed.

Rich Ruhmann of Ruhmann Associates says Do/Don't lists can be powerful, because they quickly show how people with different communication styles can talk to one another, be understood, and solve problems. Many contractors, he notes, are high "Ds" on the DiSC assessment tool--very quick at decision-making and very direct. Yet production employees tend toward the "S" side--they're steady, organized, tremendous team players who dislike conflict and sudden change. Interacting with high "Ds" is loaded with potential conflict, because the high "D" challenges everything.

DECIPHERING DISC AND PIAV

Research shows behavioral characteristics can be grouped into four major personality styles: Dominance (or Drive), Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness (or Compliance). People with similar styles exhibit specific characteristics common to that style.

Mazmanian says sales, administration, and production should ideally be a dysfunctional family, meaning they should all have different communication styles. Salespeople and owners tend to be high "Ds." Administrative staff or bookkeepers tend to be high on the "T" or "S" scale. Production people tend toward the "S" and "C" side.

Yet all people share these styles in varying intensities. And, while they communicate differently, in an ideal situation the PIAV can tell if they all value the same things. Mazmanian says that because remodeling contractors are service businesses, each person is a crucial link in a small chain, so understanding others' behavioral styles and values is critical.

Over the years, he has developed profiles for 48 job titles within remodeling. For long-term clients like Thomas Capizzi Jr. of Capizzi Home Improvement, Cotuit, Mass., and Charles Gindele of Dial One Window Replacement Specialists, Santa Ana, Calif., Mazmanian can benchmark the behavioral attitudes and values of top performers. So nine times out of 10, he knows what personality will work in key positions. The DISC, he says, is not enough, and that's where the PIAV comes in--telling him what drives and motivates people.

"DISC is like an X ray; the PIAV is like the genetic pattern of a person," he says. "We call it the DNA. What moves and motivates is tremendously important. But you have to have both. And then, we have a database to match them to, with the results of 15,000 people in contracting companies."

Mazmanian insists he doesn't provide services to contractors who want to "fix" people. He works with accountable and responsible business owners who want to "polish the polish," who want to make their office manager or production manager, for instance, more effective. More often than not, self-realization helps budding leaders realize they're not right for the job.

Gindele recalls an employee who had been with him 17 years. Gindele promoted him to production manager, and the employee completed a DiSC questionnaire after his promotion. "He was a good guy, but certain things were not getting done," Gindele recalls. When Mazmanian reviewed his profile, he called him "The Human Do-er."

"He comes to work, gets there early, stays late, is always busy, flapping his arms, always has a crisis, but gets a lot done," Gindele says. "His downfall was, although he was self-assured, he didn't delegate or manage people well, or hold them accountable."

Mazmanian gave Gindele tips on coaching his production manager. But six months ago, the employee left the company. Gindele believes he scared him because he shared his growth plan, showing 25% more volume each year. "In his mind, all he saw was himself, doing more work," Gindele says.

BENEFITS FOR ALL

Mazmanian says assessment tools are powerful, so much so that he is able to tell small business owners whether the second generation will go into business with them, even if the second generation is just 8 years old. He claims 80% accuracy, with 1,800 families in his database.

He also helps contractors better communicate with customers. For one client, he developed a customer style identification chart (see "Mapping Customer Styles;' page 116).

Scott of Mark IV does this too. He tries to learn customer styles to interact better and to make the remodeling process go more smoothly. He assigns field superintendents that best fit the client's estimated profile on the DiSC scale.

Besides customers benefiting, however, owners open to change may be the ones to most benefit from assessments, once they realize the tools' inherent power for self-improvement.

"I couldn't see how these questions asked related to the conclusions," says Paul Zuch, of Capital Improvements in Allen, Texas. "It was eerie how accurate it was. This thing nailed me to a "T"--traits, personality, my characteristics, values. It was pretty scary." But when he assessed his staff. it "also showed him he had the right people in the right positions.

Gindele says he first had himself profiled five years ago. Having never met Mazmanian, he was floored when the consultant nailed his behavior and why he behaved that way. "This is scary," Gindele thought. "This guy has been in the back seat of my car for six months following me around!"

Since then, Gindele has hired and promoted dozens of people using the DiSC and PIAV tools.

Scott says he took page 10 of his 18-page assessment, which contrasts how he sees himself with how others see him, and also how others may see him under stress, pressure, or fatigue, and taped it to his desk by the telephone for a year. He slowly began to see that while he was pioneering and competitive and positive and assertive, he also could be seen as demanding, egotistical, abrasive, and arbitrary. It has made him a better leader and manager.

"I'm aware that in my dealings with one employee, my estimator, I can't go 'blue sky,'" he says. "I have to slow down and be more deliberate."

Based on the profiling, Scott moved his estimator to that position from field superintendent, where he didn't have the commandeering personality the job required. "The change in his attitude and job satisfaction was a night-and-day change," Scott says. Through estimating, he can be more collaborative than confrontational, and he can prove points through numbers, not by being loud and in-your-face. "He's becoming a powerhouse at it," Scott says. "And he kicks my production manager's ability to win by confrontation by using this. It's fun to watch, to see them grow in their positions, using this information."

Expert Sources

There are many assessment tools and providers, and many assessments are offered online. Cost for the DiSC and PIAV together is about $375, and that usually includes interpretation of the results with a behavioral expert.

* Direct Insight LLC, King of Prussia, Pa., www.directinsight.com.

* Pinnacle Group International, Media, Pa., www.pinnaclegroupusa.com.

* Remodelers Advantage, Fulton, Md., www.remodelersadvantage.com.

* Ruhmann Associates, Raleigh, N.C., www.ruhmannassociates.com.

Contractor Cue Cards

Mark Scott of Mark IV Builders has a DiSC-based "cue card" for how to communicate or how not to communicate with all 10 of his employees. They, in turn, have cue cards on how to deal with their boss and other colleagues. Here's a sampling:

When communicating with ...

MARK   DO:                              DON'T:

       * Be clear, specific, brief,     * Forget or lose things or be
         to the point.                    disorganized or messy.
       * Come prepared with all         * Confuse or distract his
         requirements, objectives,        mind from business.
         and support material in a      * Be redundant.
         well-organized "package."      * Come with a ready-made
       * Read his body language for       decision or make it for him.
         approval or disapproval.
       * Motivate and persuade by
         referring to objectives and
         results.
       * Provide ideas for
         implementing action.

ANDY   DO:                              DON'T:

       * Be precise about the use of    * Offer assurance and
         his time.                        guarantees you can't
       * Provide solutions, not           fulfill.
         opinions.                      * Ramble.
       * Provide yes or no answers,     * Be vague; don't offer
         not maybes.                      opinions and probabilities.
       * Stress logic.                  * Keep deciding for him, or
                                          he'll lose initiative.

KIRK   DO:                              DON'T:

       * Provide details in writing.    * Leave things open to
       * Have the facts in logical        interpretation.
         order.                         * Manipulate or push him into
       * Give him time to analyze         agreeing; he probably won't
         the data before making a         fight back.
         decision.                      * Overuse emotion.
       * Be patient and persistent.     * Patronize or demean him by
       * Use an unemotional approach.     using subtlety or incentive.

Mapping Customer Styles

CUSTOMER STYLE IDENTIFICATION CHART (INCOMING CALL: UPSET CUSTOMER)

BEHAVIOR STYLE   Direct, decisive            Outgoing, enthusiastic

CALL LENGTH      Short                       Long

ISSUE            Loss of credibility         Loss of relatedness

TONE OF VOICE    Direct                      Enthusiastic

VOICE VOLUME     Loud                        Loud

EMOTIONAL        Inconvenienced              Confused
STATE

NEEDS            Results                     Appreciation

CONVERSATION     Fast, abrupt,               Fast, impulsive,
PACE             commandeering               disordered

QUESTIONS        When                        Who

DECISION STYLE   Quick, decisive             Quick, emotional

JUDGES QUALITY   Ability to respond          Ability to relate and
OF CALL BY       and resolve                 give

FORBIDDEN        I don't know.               You'll need to....
PHRASE

PREFERRED        I will find out for you     This can be taken care
RESPONSE         and call you back by        of easily.
                 5 p.m. today.

WRAP-UP          That covers it....          That about covers it....
                 Is there anything else?     Is there anything else?
                 No? OK, goodbye.            No? It was nice talking
                                             with you. Have a nice
                                             day.

BEHAVIOR STYLE   Steady, accommodating       Accurate, precise

CALL LENGTH      Long                        Short

ISSUE            Loss of security            Loss of trust

TONE OF VOICE    Friendly                    Direct

VOICE VOLUME     Low                         Low

EMOTIONAL        Concerned                   Suspicious
STATE

NEEDS            Assurance                   Restitution

CONVERSATION     Slow, calm, methodical      Slow, meticulous, careful
PACE

QUESTIONS        How                         Why

DECISION STYLE   Slow, deliberate            Slow, logical

JUDGES QUALITY   Ability to relate           Ability to respond and
OF CALL BY       and provide solutions       settle

FORBIDDEN        I'm not sure.               We can't do that.
PHRASE

PREFERRED        We have a procedure to      Here's how we can
RESPONSE         ensure that your problem    resolve the problem and
                 is resolved correctly.      ensure your satisfaction.

WRAP-UP          That covers it.... Is       That covers it.... Is
                 there anything else?        there anything else? No?
                 No? My name is Jim.         I've written a report for
                 Call back if you have       my file and will follow
                 any questions. Goodbye.     up in three days.
                                             Goodbye.

Source: Pinnacle Group International, www.pinnaclegroupusa.com.