The Kolbe A Index: Building an Organization on Individual Strengths

Jami Mullikin • September 1, 2024

An Introduction to Kolbe Wisdom™ for Leadership, Team and Personal Development

In the ever-evolving landscape of career development and team dynamics, various assessment tools have emerged, each offering unique insights into personal and professional aptitudes. Among them, the Kolbe A Index stands out as our recommended tool for helping individuals discover work they love. As a certified Kolbe Consultant with over four years of experience using the Kolbe Index, I've gained deep insights into its effectiveness and how it complements other popular assessments like the Predictive Index™, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, CliftonStrengths, and DiSC.

Understanding the Kolbe A Index

The Kolbe A Index differs fundamentally from other assessments by focusing on the "conative" part of the mind, which governs how a person takes action or reacts when striving - or when applying effort. Unlike the affective domain of personality tests (encompassing feelings, desires, and attitudes), which is the focus of tools like DISC, Myers-Briggs or the Predictive Index, the Kolbe A Index taps into innate instincts that are stable over time. This makes it an incredibly reliable tool, with a proven reliability of a 90% retake rate, in contrast to the around 44% test-retest reliability of some affective domain tools.

Four Primary Zones of the Kolbe A Index

Information: How a person gathers and shares information.

Organization: The natural method of organizing tasks and projects.

Change: The individual's instinctive approach to change and risk.

Physical Space: How one interacts with and manages their physical environment.

Complementing Other Assessments

While the Kolbe A Index focuses on the conative, doing domain, other assessments measure traits within the affective domain. This distinction is crucial, as it means these tools are not redundant but rather complementary. For example:

The Predictive Index and Myers-Briggs can shed light on a person’s desires, values, and personality, offering insights into what a person wants or wishes would happen.
The Kolbe A Index, on the other hand, reveals how a person will naturally act and react, highlighting innate methods of problem-solving and action-taking.

Practical Application of Kolbe with Teams

In team settings, combining the insights from both conative and affective assessments can be transformative. The Kolbe A Index's WAREwithal® software predicts how people will naturally work together and the potential roadblocks in collaboration. It focuses on how individuals will act, react, and interact, while tools like the Predictive Index can explain interpersonal dynamics, like why people like or dislike each other.

Assessing Tension in a Current Job with Kolbe B

A significant advantage of the Kolbe B Index is its ability to identify sources of tension in one's current job. This tension often arises from a misalignment between an individual's natural instincts and the demands or expectations of their role. The Kolbe B Index can pinpoint where this discord occurs across the four primary zones (Information, Organization, Change, Physical Space), helping individuals and their managers understand potential areas of stress or dissatisfaction. For instance, an individual with a strong instinct for detailed information gathering may feel overwhelmed in a role that requires quick, high-level decision-making. Similarly, a person with a natural tendency towards maintaining structured organization might struggle in a dynamic environment that demands constant adaptation.

By identifying these areas of tension, the Kolbe B Index enables individuals and their employers to make informed adjustments. This could involve tweaking job responsibilities, providing additional support or training, or even reevaluating the role to better align with an employee's conative strengths. Such insights can lead to increased job satisfaction, reduced stress, and higher productivity.

Increasing Hiring Success with Kolbe C

The Kolbe C Index plays a crucial role in defining the right strengths for a role and increasing hiring success. Unlike the Kolbe A Index, which assesses an individual's natural instincts, the Kolbe C Index measures the attributes and behaviors a manager believes are required for success in a specific job. This assessment helps in creating a job profile that aligns with the company’s goals and the specific demands of the role.

When the results of Kolbe C are compared with a candidate's Kolbe A results, it provides a clear picture of how well the candidate's instinctive methods of operation align with the job requirements - Kolbe calls this the Range of Success. This alignment is critical for ensuring long-term job satisfaction and effectiveness.

For example, if a role requires a high degree of innovation and adaptability, but a candidate's Kolbe A results indicate a preference for routine and structure, there may be a misalignment that could lead to challenges down the line. Conversely, a strong alignment between a candidate's natural strengths (as identified by Kolbe A) and the role's requirements (as outlined by Kolbe C) suggests a higher likelihood of success and job satisfaction.

By leveraging both Kolbe A and C indices, organizations can make more informed hiring decisions. This approach not only increases the probability of hiring candidates who are naturally inclined to excel in their roles but also promotes a workplace environment where employees' natural strengths are recognized and utilized effectively.

Leveraging Kolbe RightFit™ Hiring

Incorporating the Kolbe A and C Indices into the hiring process and ongoing job performance assessments can significantly impact workplace dynamics. The Kolbe RightFit™ hiring software provides a comprehensive understanding of both an individual's innate strengths and the specific demands of a job. By aligning these two aspects, organizations can foster a more harmonious, productive, and satisfying work environment, leading to greater success for both employees and the company as a whole.

Kolbe is Your Retention Strategy

The Kolbe Index, particularly in its A and C variants, serves as a pivotal anchor for both professional and personal development within an organization. By offering deep insights into an individual's instinctive action modes (Kolbe A) and aligning them with the specific requirements of a role (Kolbe C), it creates a powerful framework for growth and fulfillment. This alignment not only enhances job satisfaction and performance but also fosters a culture where personal strengths are recognized and valued. As employees become more engaged and their natural talents are leveraged effectively, the organization as a whole benefits from increased innovation, efficiency, and team harmony. Thus, the Kolbe Index not only guides individual development but also shapes the organizational ethos, making it a vital tool in nurturing a thriving and dynamic workplace.

Kolbe Certified Consultants™

At Wonder, we chose the Kolbe A Index™ is our primary retention strategy to help ourselves and our clients hire great talent, enhance career development and optimize team performance. Its unique focus on innate instincts, combined with its high reliability, makes it an invaluable resource for understanding natural instincts in the dynamic agency workplace. When used alongside other assessments, it provides a comprehensive view of an individual's professional and interpersonal aptitudes, paving the way for more effective team collaboration and personal career satisfaction.

Working with a Kolbe Consultant offers distinct benefits for both job seekers and employers, streamlining the process of finding the right fit for each role and enhancing workplace dynamics.

Kolbe for Job Seekers:

Self-Awareness: A Kolbe Consultant helps job seekers understand their instinctive strengths and work styles through the Kolbe A Index. This self-awareness is crucial in identifying roles and careers where they are most likely to excel and be satisfied.

Career Alignment: Consultants guide individuals in aligning their natural talents with potential job opportunities, ensuring a more fulfilling and sustainable career path.

Personalized Advice: Job seekers receive tailored advice on how to present their strengths in resumes and interviews, helping them stand out in the job market.

Kolbe for Employers:

Improved Hiring Accuracy: By using the Kolbe C Index, a Kolbe Consultant assists employers in defining the conative requirements of a job, leading to more effective and accurate hiring decisions.

Enhanced Team Dynamics: Consultants help in understanding the diverse instinctive strengths of team members, fostering better collaboration, conflict resolution, and productivity.

Employee Retention: By aligning employees' natural strengths with their roles, employers can significantly improve job satisfaction and retention, reducing turnover costs.

In summary, a Kolbe Consultant acts as a bridge between job seekers' innate strengths and employers' needs, leading to more harmonious, effective, and satisfying workplace environments. If you're interested in learning more about Kolbe, please reach out and let us know. We'd love to help.

You can also order your Kolbe Assessment directly on our Kolbe Store.

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How Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Creates Stronger B2B Sales Pipelines

By Mark Henderson • March 10, 2025

In B2B sales, the traditional approach has been clear-cut: marketing drives awareness and generates leads, while sales takes those leads and closes deals. But the reality is more complex. Buyers don’t move through a predictable funnel, and purchase decisions aren’t made in isolation. This is where Account-Based Marketing (ABM) changes the game. Rather than focusing on individual leads, ABM aligns sales and marketing around target accounts—companies that fit the ideal customer profile (ICP). It’s a dynamic, data-driven approach that helps teams work together to engage prospects throughout their entire buying journey. Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Not a New Idea, But a Better Execution The concept of ABM has been around for years—previously known as “Key Account Marketing.” What’s different today is the power of digital data and technology. With a combination of first-party and third-party data, advanced targeting, and personalized messaging, ABM enables teams to: Identify the right accounts with precision Engage the full buying team within each organization Deliver the right message at the right time based on where each prospect is in their decision-making process By focusing marketing efforts on accounts that sales has already prioritized, ABM ensures that resources are spent on the highest-value opportunities. Why ABM Works Better for B2B Sales 1. B2B Buying Decisions Are Made by Committees Very few B2B deals are decided by a single person. Instead, purchase decisions often involve 8 to 13 stakeholders across different roles: Initiators - those who start the buying process Researchers - team members gathering vendor options Influencers - stakeholders pushing for features they favor Decision-makers - leaders signing off on the purchase Traditional marketing often targets just one individual, but ABM engages the full buying committee, ensuring the right people receive relevant content and messaging throughout their journey. 2. ABM Uses Data and Technology to Deliver Meaningful Engagement One of ABM’s biggest advantages is its ability to meet buyers where they are—not just with broad awareness campaigns, but with targeted content tailored to their stage in the buying process. Using marketing automation, CRM data, and intent-based signals, ABM delivers messaging that speaks to the unique priorities of each stakeholder—whether they’re just starting research or narrowing down vendors. The result? Higher engagement, shorter sales cycles, and stronger conversion rates. Account-Based Marketing: A Smarter Way to Drive B2B Growth ABM isn’t about generating more leads—it’s about generating the right opportunities. By aligning sales and marketing around a focused list of high-value accounts, engaging full buying teams, and leveraging data-driven insights, ABM helps B2B companies win more deals with the right customers. If you’re ready to refine your sales and marketing strategy with ABM, let’s start the conversation. Let’s talk.

Are We a Brand or a Marketing Agency?

By Jami Mullikin • February 13, 2025

Are we a brand agency or a marketing agency? At Wonder, we’re a strategy, marketing, and media firm that helps visionary B2B brands grow. We break down the key differences between brand strategy and marketing execution, explain our Next 90™ Marketing Operating System, and share what to look for when hiring a brand agency. Plus, take our free Brand Health Assessment to see if your brand needs a strategic refresh.

A Simple Way to Assess Your Brand Health

By Jami Mullikin • February 10, 2025

Strong brands start from the inside out, ensuring clarity, trust, and long-term value. Our Brand Health Assessment helps measure internal alignment across leadership, messaging, perception, and consistency. Take the free assessment to uncover strengths, identify gaps, and track your brand’s health over time.

Why We Created the Next 90™ Marketing Operating System

By Jami Mullikin • February 2, 2025

In most organizations, marketing teams are expected to do a lot with very little. They’re often under-resourced, understaffed, and stretched thin. In these situations, every person, every penny, and every strategic priority must be planned wisely. But how do we ensure that the work we’re doing today builds momentum for desired results 18-36 months from now? At Wonder, we believe that brands are built from the inside out. If we want to market effectively tomorrow, we must first have absolute clarity on who we are today. Building from the Core The foundation of any strong brand starts with Core Values. These values define who we are, how we operate, and what we stand for. Once we’re clear on that, we can establish our Core Focus—a concept from EOS® (Entrepreneurial Operating System®) that helps businesses define their niche and target market. With our values, purpose, and vision in place, we can build out the critical elements of our brand: Brand Pillars – What makes us different and why our audience should care. Brand Personality – How we communicate and our voice and tone. Brand Promise – The commitment of value we make to our customers. This foundation is what we call the Brand Platform, and it gives us the clarity we need to move forward strategically. Marketing with a Clear Vision Once we’ve established our brand foundation, we can start looking ahead: 5-10 Year Vision – Where is the organization (brand) headed long-term? 3-Year Picture – What does success look like in the mid-term? 1-Year Marketing Activation Plan – A focused, strategic approach to marketing for the next 12 months. The Marketing Activation Plan is where strategy meets execution. It aligns 4-6 key objectives with 4-6 strategic initiatives, ensuring that marketing is leveraging its resources—time, talent, and budget—in the smartest way possible. This plan is structured over 12 months with clear quarterly priorities, keeping the team focused and accountable. The Next 90™ Marketing Operating System: A Smarter, Healthier Way to Market for the Short and Longterm Marketing isn’t about one-off campaigns or disconnected initiatives. It’s about continuous, focused action. That’s why we built the Next 90™ marketing operating system. Our process starts with the First 90™, where we onboard clients by balancing immediate marketing activities with long-term strategic planning. At the end of this phase, our clients receive a One-Year Marketing Activation Plan and a set of Next 90™ priorities—a clear roadmap of projects and initiatives to drive growth one quarter at-a-time. By aligning marketing with long-term vision and mid-term sales objectives, we ensure that every move we make today builds the future we want tomorrow. The result? Smart, strategic marketing that makes a lasting impact—with sales and marketing working together toward the same end goal. Want to learn how the Next 90™ can help your business? Let’s talk.

How Your Brand Can Change Your Culture for the Better

By Jami Mullikin • January 11, 2025

Changing an organization’s culture is no small task. It requires commitment, clarity, and visible proof of change. Whether you’re looking to turn around a struggling business or simply realign your team with a stronger sense of purpose, two key levers— rebranding and leadership change —can catalyze meaningful cultural transformation. For organizations running on EOS®, culture change aligns with the foundational values of Vision , Traction , and Healthy . Vision provides clarity on where you’re going and why it matters, Traction ensures you take consistent action to move forward, and Healthy focuses on building a cohesive team and culture. Together, these values set the stage for a thriving organization. Here’s how rebranding and leadership change can help reshape your culture while staying aligned with these EOS principles. Rebrand: A Visible Recommitment to Values A rebrand isn’t just a new logo or website—it’s a visible recommitment to your values. It’s a statement to employees, customers, and stakeholders that the organization is evolving, and it provides clear evidence of that change. But here’s the key: a rebrand must be authentic. If it’s simply a cosmetic update with no deeper alignment to the organization’s values, it will fall flat. Successful rebrands are built from the inside out, starting with a reassessment of your purpose, core values, and vision. At its best, a rebrand embodies the EOS concept of Vision : aligning everyone in your organization around a shared understanding of where you’re going and how you’ll get there. A rebrand signals: A recommitment to what matters most to your organization. Alignment between your internal culture and external messaging. A clear direction for where you’re headed and why it matters. Remember, marketing is an activity, but brand is an interaction. While marketing messages can evolve with trends and market demands, your brand is grounded in the values and culture that define your organization. An effective brand strategy should provide 10+ years of runway toward a clearly defined vision, ensuring consistency and building trust over time. Leadership Change: Leadership Committed to Change In any organization, culture starts at the top. When a new leader steps in—whether it’s a Visionary or Integrator in an EOS® company or a new President or CEO in a non-EOS organization—it represents a tangible commitment to change. A leadership change is one of the most visible signals that an organization is serious about transforming its culture. But for it to work, the new leader must embody the values and vision that the organization is striving for. Their actions, decisions, and communication style set the tone for the rest of the team. Here’s why leadership change works: It resets expectations. A new leader often brings a fresh perspective and an opportunity to realign the team. It inspires confidence. Employees, customers, and stakeholders see visible proof that the organization is committed to improvement. It reinforces accountability. New leadership often comes with new goals, priorities, and a recommitment to delivering on the organization’s promises. Leadership changes are deeply tied to the EOS value of Traction , as they create momentum and accountability for executing on your vision. By ensuring the new leader is aligned with your values and vision, you can build a stronger, more cohesive culture. Values-Driven Culture: The Key to a Healthy Organization At the heart of both rebranding and leadership change is a commitment to values. In EOS, Healthy is about fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and collaboration. A healthy culture ensures that your team isn’t just aligned on goals—they’re engaged and thriving as they work toward them. While marketing value propositions may ebb and flow with the market, your brand should be driven by values that rarely change. These values provide the compass for decision-making, hiring, and customer engagement, ensuring that your culture evolves in a way that stays true to who you are. When combined with a clear vision and effective brand strategy, this values-driven approach gives your organization the consistency and clarity needed to thrive to achieve even bigger, hairier, audacious goals. Does Your Culture Need to Change? If your culture needs a shift, maybe it’s time to consider a rebrand. At Wonder, we specialize in helping organizations activate their brand from the inside out—connecting their purpose, values, and vision to their culture and customer experience.

Crafting Authentic Core Values for Your Brand

By Jami Mullikin • January 9, 2025

Core values are not just words on a wall—they’re the foundation of your organization’s identity, culture, and brand. When crafted thoughtfully, they guide decision-making, shape company culture, and attract the right people to the right seats on your team. But creating authentic core values that truly resonate with your team and brand takes intention, collaboration, and time.

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