I am delighted to inform you that psychometric profiling was a key factor in deciding who would be best suited for the nerve-inducing moment. In interviews leading up to the game, BBC news reported that this was one of the key techniques for forming the England national team, to ensure that we could cope, and win where we had not succeeded before.
We think of psychometric profiling as a tool that is used in a more traditional office workplace. However, its applications in high-pressure sporting events are likely to be even more effective. Deciding who has the mental fortitude to take a penalty in front of millions of people, with the long walk from the half-way line to penalty spot is no easy feat. One would think this type of resilience is not something you can easily calculate.
Psychometric profiling tools, however, such as Lumina Spark, which we use regularly for coaching, recruitment (at the shortlist stage) and team-building, enable us not only to analyse key characteristics including those such as competitiveness, but also things like creativity, resilience and the like. Lumina also shows how a subject’s personality might change under stress. In Lumina, the way our characteristics change when under stress, is referred to as the ‘over-extended’ personality level.
This makes Lumina perfect for preparing for a situation such as penalties, as it does not get much more stressful than performing in front of the nation’s eyes, where a tiny mistake will lead to years of criticism, and the right decision and action will lead to years of adoration. We can use it to win, not only in areas of sporting activity, but also extremely effectively in the workplace for selection, promotion, team building and creating self-awareness.
If you’d like to find out more about psychometric profiling, and how it can be used to help your organisation, then do please get in touch.
