Results are in!

Congratulations on completing the assessment, it is now time to look at your report. This document will
help guide you through the various aspects of the report, how to interpret the sections and where to go
next.

Within this document, you will learn about the assessments developed through a partnership between
APT and IBM Watson Talent & Kenexa Solutions and how to interpret the results designed to measure
the IBM Manager Success Profile.

❖ APTMetrics is the only human resource consultancy that builds world-class talent
solutions and is nationally recognized for its employment litigation support services. This
combination ensures that the talent management programs they deliver are highly
accurate, valid and legally defensible. AptMetrics design, assess and support the
development for over 3 million people each year.
❖ IBM Watson Talent & Kenexa Solutions is an industry leader in end-to-end workforce
solutions. Ranging from attracting & hiring, engaging & growing employees, to
optimizing talent & culture, IBM Kenexa applies workforce science and Watson analytics
to enrich how people work and improve their impact on the business. Ultimately, IBM
Kenexa uses cognitive talent management solutions focused on employee
performance, engagement and experience.

1. About the Assessment

In this section, you will find more information about the assessments mentioned above, how and what
they measure, why they are used, as well as who will see your results besides you.

The assessment is intended to provide insight into your readiness to become a manager at IBM and the
report helps you navigate your development process by highlighting your development opportunities and
strengths as it relates to being an IBM manager.

The assessment also provides your manager and the business an indication of your individual readiness
to become a manager as well as a more holistic picture of team’s “bench strength.” It should be noted that
this assessment is one of many data points that factors into a manager promotion consideration and your
career growth and development.

The report is available to both you and your manager; however, it is up to you with whom and how you
share your report with others as you work on your development, should you choose to do so. Your
manager is best positioned to provide you with actionable feedback and opportunities for growth and
development. His/Her perspective about your results is important to capture and integrate into your action
plan.

It is important that employee data is used responsibly and ethically. At IBM, we have very strict guidelines
and principles about using employee data even when legal policies are not established. To that end, we
must ensure the global applicability of our program as we utilize data in an ethical manner.

APT Metrics has contributed to IBM’s commitment to leveraging industry “best-practices” in the use of a
multi-trait, multi-method approach. IBM has committed to assessing several different attributes that are

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most predictive of managerial success in the organization. Further, IBM has employed many different
tools and approaches to ensure reliability and relevance across these same attributes. IBM has created a
holistic approach, capable of providing invaluable insight to the organization and IBM’s aspiring
managers. These insights regard the strengths and opportunities for development across three (3) key
dimensions related to success, beginning with success in one’s current role:

• Foundational – Personality & Reasoning

• Growth – Learning & Motivation
• Career – Domain Expertise and Manager Capability (i.e. IBM’s Competencies)

IBM Manager Success Profile

This next section focuses on the attributes against which we are measuring you, our aspiring managers.
All sound assessments begin with a specific role profile; in your case, one specifically developed for first
line managers at IBM. These criteria / behaviors assess your capabilities against this managerial role.

Developed in 2014, the Manager Success Profile (MSP) is grounded in assessment science. Assessment
science is grounded in social science research to determine which behaviors lead to success in the role
and is validated by additional data. There are 16 behaviors that make up the MSP and are a result of the
aforementioned process. You can find this profile on the Leadership Academy as part of first line manager
development.

Original Manager Success Profile

The IBM Watson Talent & Kenexa Solutions team led the research to develop and validate the IBM First
Line Manager Success Profile. They have since modified the original MSP by aligning the 16 attributes
more closely with the capabilities necessary for agile practices, which will ultimately enable IBM to
compete into the future. Additionally, to better support the unique development challenges of aspiring
managers, they configured the 16 attributes in a version specific to their development needs. The new
format allows you, as an aspiring manager, to isolate not only the attributes on which you should focus,
but also in what capacity – whether it is leading self, others and/or the business. Ultimately, the profile is
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designed to help provide self-awareness and inform you of the areas to which you should pay closest
attention.

Additionally, the profile assesses your inclination toward intentional learning, otherwise known as a
“Growth Mindset.” Your motivation and openness to commit to additional growth underpins the profile
itself and provides you with insight of how willing you are to step outside of your own comfort zone to
grow.

Modified Manager Success Profile

This assessment consists of three different assessments embedded into one:

• Kenexa Online Assessment

The assessment IBM Watson Talent & Kenexa Solutions built in partnership with IBMers helps identify
your “foundational areas,” your natural characteristics that drive how you approach work and lead others.
Specifically, this section of the assessment targets your work style or personality, reasoning ability, and
judgment.

We conducted research with a large group of IBMers to identify the key characteristics, which
differentiated those who excelled in manager roles. From this research, we included those characteristics
which were most critical in predicting performance. In addition to the initial research, we have conducted

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ongoing research with IBMers in the manager readiness program and have found the assessment to be
an effective predictor of key outcomes.

• Simulation
The Multi-Media Business Case Simulation offers a realistic business case designed to present
leadership challenges that are critical for First Line Managers at IBM. The Business Case Simulation is
comprised of a video component, resources (i.e., news articles, emails, etc.), and multiple choice test
items. These elements serve the dual purposes of assessing learners’ attributes and providing them with
a realistic preview of what it is like to be a First Line Manager at IBM.

• The Growth Factors Assessment

The Growth Factors Assessment consists of multiple-choice test items about a participant’s personal
experiences, characteristics, and preferences that are designed to measure their Growth Mindset.
Growth Mindset is an essential dimension of
leadership potential that encompasses learning,
which requires openness and agility.
Additionally, leadership potential also includes
motivation, which necessitates drive, energy,
achievement motivation, and career ambition.

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2. Do’s and Don’ts
Do Don’t
Do take your time to understand your report Don’t look at one result in isolation
Do remember this assessment is here to Don’t assume you cannot develop an area
support your development
Do consider all aspects as a whole Don’t focus exclusively on growth opportunities –
consider how to leverage strengths
Do use as a guide for targeted development Don’t be discouraged but rather take action for
development

3. Interpreting Your Report and Results

1. First, don’t get distracted by your “scores.” The purpose of the report is to give you a gauge of where
you are on your journey in becoming a manager, while highlighting your strengths and areas of
opportunity.

2. Read through the report and identify areas that either aligned with how you understand your strengths
and opportunities and identify those areas that surprised or conflicted with your expectations.
3. Next, think about the role you are aspiring to attain. No two manager roles are the same, so some of the
Manager Success Attributes will be relevant given your area or function. Consider which attributes are
most critical for the role you are working towards and consider your results against those attributes. If
and where you have a disconnect in results, discuss that with your manager, coach, or peers.

You are able to achieve your best results when you can focus on two or three developmental priorities. Do
not try to take on too much and be realistic about what you are trying and able to achieve.

This not a pass/fail assessment and in no way encompasses everything about you. This simply provides
another lens into your strengths and opportunities as it relates to becoming a manager at IBM. We often
do not get feedback on our behaviors or insight into our characteristics and ability on the job; this is a
unique opportunity to understand and reflect on these critical attributes. Discuss your readiness rating
with your manager and focus on the critical areas of development that your next role will require.

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Your Manager Success Profile Dashboard

a Gray-shaded cells indicate that attribute is not measured by assessment(s).

b The Growth & Career score is based on the scores on the Growth Factors assessment.
c The Overall Attribute score is based on the weighted average of the individual attribute scores, converted to a three-point scale.
d Weighted more heavily in calculating your Overall Attribute score.

The dashboard provides a comprehensive snapshot of each person’s results across the continuum of
tools administered for the assessment relative to IBM’s Manager Success Profile. Starting from left to right
the dashboard reflects IBM’s Manager Success Profile as 16 Attributes grouped into three broad
leadership categories: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading the Business, in addition to the Growth
Mindset.

Each of the assessments administered are listed along the top of the Dashboard and correspond to one
of the three assessment dimensions.

1. The Growth and Career Dimension reflects the results of the Growth Factors
assessment relative to the applicable MSP attributes,

2. The Current Dimension illuminates the results of the Kenexa administered

assessments and,

3. The Future Dimension lists assessment results specifically from the Simulation by
each of the applicable attributes.

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The final two columns to the right provide overall assessment results by attribute and by broader
category, respectively.

The rating key at the bottom of the Dashboard explains each of the ratings of the attributes and broader
category in terms of “strength, proficiency, or as an opportunity for growth.”

The category represents the group of attributes associated with broader leadership responsibilities
associated with the Manager Success Profile (e.g. Leading Others), while each of the attributes reflect the
specific behaviors associated with manager success at IBM (e.g. Providing Clarity and Purpose or
Coaching for Growth).

Leading Others may be broadly identified as an opportunity for growth on a given participant’s report, as
the category alone will not provide sufficient insight to derive an actionable development plan. For
example, knowing that you could enhance your managerial effectiveness by providing greater clarity when
communicating with others and/or being more purposeful in your efforts by coaching others in a way that
will enable your reports’ growth, rather than just directing individuals on specific tasks. This will give you
the specific and necessary information to add to your repertoire of strengths, while advancing the efforts
of your entire team.

Developmental Guidance

Once again, when reviewing your report, you should consider which attributes are most critical for your
development. Depending on your role and the needs of the business, some attributes will be more
relevant for your circumstances. If are unclear about which attributes are most relevant for your career
goals, consider raising that question with your manager in your results discussion or career conversation.

Remember, don’t try to do everything; focus on two or three attributes and measure your progress in
those areas against your specific goals. When you understand which attributes are most critical, prioritize
them in your action plan through experiences, exposure, and education. This provides you an opportunity
to customize your journey. Pick some recommendations that are both challenging and will stretch you, but
that are also attainable and realistic to accomplish.

4. FAQs: Questions People Ask When Taking Assessments

What if the results are not what I expected?

This exercise is intended to facilitate your development into a leadership role. While the results may not
be as you expected, the assessment provides feedback to you as a way in which you can further
understand your opportunities, enhance your growth, and achieve the level of excellence to which you
aspire.

Remember that this assessment helps identify your readiness for a role as a manager and doesn’t reflect
performance in your current position. Becoming a successful manager requires new and different skills
which are possibly different from your existing job responsibilities.

Taking this assessment and following your developmental action plan to will indicate a level of
commitment and expand your potential career options. Your actions will signal to your manager and

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others your dedication to develop and improve your ability to be an effective manager. However,
completing the assessment doesn’t necessarily mean you will go straight into a management role. There
are other factors involved in becoming a manager, such as available positions, subject matter expertise,
field of candidates, etc.

Career progression is a two-way street: both management and employee must take initiative in and
ownership of the process. Taking this assessment and leveraging the development resources is an
opportunity for you to take charge of your career and have a clearer path to success.

What are the benefits of knowing your readiness for a managerial role?

IBM invests in its people and is committed setting them up for success. The assessment will help you
personally understand your current capabilities, strengths, and opportunities for development. Raising
self-awareness will help you isolate those areas to maximize and develop, determine an appropriate
action plan, and define individual development strategies, ultimately maximizing your future potential.

What happens when organizations don’t use assessments to support development?

Our assessments are grounded in assessment science conducted within IBM and provide a science-
driven approach to help aspiring managers become ready for the role of a manager. Without assessments
in place, managers may assume the best performer in their current role is the best person for a
management role, which is not always the case.

Additionally, the results provide further transparency into why someone may be ready for the next role
and where development should be focused if gaps exist.

5. Next Steps: Development Resources

Beyond understanding your assessment results, the most valuable part of this exercise will come from
your application of this information and your commitment to creating and following a developmental action
plan.

Good luck and remember to record your reflections in your Passport! When you are ready, please
progress through to the Coaching Cafe.

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