Understanding SPECTRUM

This blog post is in support of the SPECTRUM evaluation tool available online from www.evaluationstore.com. Although just one of a number of profiling tools available, SPECTRUM was initially designed for Evaluation Store by Poppyfish Associate Steve Jarrett and benefits from being one of the more affordable profiling tools for those taking their first steps with this approach.

 

What is SPECTRUM?

One of the key ways that learning and development programmes can promote organisational development is through changed individual behaviours. As we develop new skills and new awareness so we change our behaviour to achieve better outcomes. The SPECTRUM™ questionnaire provides you with valid information about your own behavioural preferences and your impact on the people around you.

 

What is behaviour?

Behaviour can be defined as the combination of what you do, what you say, how you say it and what facial expressions and body language you use in the process. On the basis of these elements, other people make assessments and judgements of you – and you make assessments and judgements about them – both consciously and subconsciously. Our behaviours are complex and open to many influences. Our education, our environment, our role models, our genetic heritage, our situation, our culture, our values and our society’s rules all combine shape our behaviour. However, behaviour is not set in stone – it is a choice. You can choose – and therefore change - what you do, what you say, how you say it and what facial expressions and body language you use. The ability to choose or adapt your own behaviour can generate a major increase in personal effectiveness. The key to development is being aware of, and able to use, the most appropriate behaviour for a situation. Your SPECTRUM™ report helps you to understand this.

Introducing the colours.

The SPECTRUM™ evaluation uses a simple system of colours to explain our different behavioural preferences and tendencies. The four basic colours – RED, GREEN, BLUE, YELLOW, give us the overview. Your responses to the questionnaire will generate two colours being assigned to you. One colour for ‘normal’ behaviour, and one for ‘stressed’ behaviour.  The colours are easy to understand:

 

Think of Red – what do you imagine? Fire, Blood, Heat, Danger. Change these words for assertive, risk taking, hot headed, strong minded, action orientated and you have a short profile of red behaviour.

 

Think of Blue and you could be thinking cold, water, sky, icebergs. Substitute these words for calculating, calm, unemotional, logical thinking and safety and you have blue behaviours.

 

Green might include nature, trees, ecological ideals, peace. Substitute these words for friendly, growing relationships, strong ideals of fairness and justice and you can understand how someone with a ‘green’ preference may behave.

 

Lastly, imagine Yellow and you may see the sun, brightness and maybe gold. Substitute these words for positive, smile, warm & happy and you will see the key characteristics of yellow behaviour.

 

But your assessment isn’t restricted to just four colours. Most of us use more than one of these behaviours and we prefer to blend maybe two, three - or in some cases all four - together. Your SPECTRUM™ report will explore this by blending the colours to give the balance that most closely matches your questionnaire response. For instance, if we mix blue and red we get purple –  describing a range of behaviours built around task focus and being self reliant. If we combine yellow and red we see orange – focused on the future and using intuition. And so on across the spectrum of colours. Your SPECTRUM™ profile will include full detail on your own results.

 

 

 

By completing the SPECTRUM™ questionnaire you may learn more about your own behaviour and the way that you are might be perceived by others, information that can be really helpful if you are wanting to make lasting change. And if a large number of people in an organisation can also take the questionnaire then we can start to get some insight and appreciation of the way the organisation, and the teams within it, might behave, and how they might appear to third parties. And knowing that can help us to reinforce and make the best of our strengths whilst also allow us to identify areas for potential developments that will deliver improved organisational effectiveness.