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The Tilt Alternative to Traditional Personality Assessments

September 14, 2023

by Pam Boney

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Understanding oneself and others is a cornerstone of success in the ever-evolving landscape of personal and professional development. Traditional personality assessments like Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness (DiSC) have long been staples in this arena. However, Tilt365 has emerged as a notable and modern alternative. Even new offerings like 16personalities are still based on old concepts that profile people, putting them in the box as a set "type." Whereas Tilt's innovative personality and character strength assessments offer a fresh and more modern perspective on personality, behavior, and growth, setting it apart from its more traditional counterparts. Here's how Tilt's assessments are different from typing assessments: 

A Paradigm Shift in Personality Assessment 

Tilt365 represents a significant shift in how we perceive and utilize personality assessments. It's not just another tool; it's a comprehensive framework that acknowledges the multi-dimensional nature of human identity. While traditional personality tests tend to pigeonhole individuals into rigid personality types, Tilt365 recognizes that people are inherently complex and cannot be reduced to a single category. The underlying problem with the previous approach is rooted in a major flaw assumed by the traditional assessments that personality is static and unchangeable. In 1890, William James first published “The Principles of Psychology,” which claimed personalities do not change, which led to nearly a century of personality profiling. Nevertheless, in 2003, the American Psychological Association noted the changing consensus in the field—that personality does, in fact, change over time.

A Scientific Foundation 

One of Tilt365's strengths lies in its robust scientific foundation. Unlike some personality assessments that lack empirical support, Tilt365 is rooted in well-researched psychological principles. Tilt's suite of assessments is built upon a framework that has undergone rigorous scientific scrutiny, ensuring its validity and reliability as a tool for self-awareness and development.

Adaptability and Flexibility 

In a world that demands adaptability, Tilt365 shines by emphasizing flexibility and adaptability in behavior. Rather than locking individuals into fixed personality types, it introduces the concept of Tilts. These tilts represent different personality traits and preferences, offering a more nuanced view of an individual's behavior. This adaptability-focused approach recognizes that people can tilt or flex their behavior to suit different situations or roles.

Overused Strengths and Blind Spots

Tilt365 takes a step further by addressing overused strengths that can become career derailers. Based on Aristotle’s Golden Mean, this long-accepted concept acknowledges that personal preferences, when overemphasized, can become liabilities. This aspect helps individuals identify their potential blind spots and work on balancing their behavior, thereby enhancing their overall effectiveness. For example, compassion is a positive social trait that increases trustworthiness, but if used too frequently, a leader will be seen as permissive and have trouble holding others accountable. Likewise, honesty is a positive trait, yet others can experience the overuse of honesty as unnecessary bluntness. 

Action-Oriented Development 

Tilt365 doesn't stop at providing insights—it offers actionable personal and professional development steps. It empowers individuals to leverage their character strengths and manage potential weaknesses, fostering practical growth and change. Rather than focus on over-used strengths that can be derailers, the recommended development path is to integrate new character strengths that balance one’s tendency to focus on a preference too much. This emphasis on actionable strength development makes Tilt365 a valuable tool for those looking to effect real change in their lives.

A Memorable Visual Framework 

Tilt365's user-friendly visual framework is another key differentiator. This visual representation fosters a common language within teams and organizations, promoting effective communication and collaboration. Unlike assessments that rely on obscure psychological language and acronyms, such as MBTI, Tilt's framework offers an approachable architecture that is easy to understand and remember. Additionally, Tilt was designed for the purpose of being utilized in an organizational setting, using memorable business vocabulary with a clear path for integration. Whereas MBTI was initially created by psychologists for patients and not originally intended for business application. 

Balancing Diverse Polarities 

Tilt365 incorporates balance among twelve specific and diverse polarities of behavior, reducing divisiveness, style bias, and unproductive (ego-based) conflict within teams. Encouraging a balanced perspective and respect for different viewpoints enhances team dynamics and overall productivity. 

Develops Agility and Generativity

Tilt365 introduces the concept of six levels of consciousness represented as mindsets that shape organizational social norms. The mindsets of the Tilt365 framework range from protective/competitive to agile/generative, showcasing how attitudes influence behavior within human systems. For example, if leaders operate from a protective mindset, they may have a blind spot about letting go of enough control to empower others. Likewise, if a leader is overly flexible, it may communicate that others can’t predict where they stand in their convictions, creating confusion and chaos. All six mindsets are helpful in moderation, but none should dominate the ideal approach in all situations. By learning the Tilt365 mindset levels, leaders can leverage generativity, or ego-transcendence, to inspire team members to behave in ways that serve the organization’s mission versus their own more of the time. In this way, the expectation that leaders have a path that spells out precisely how to embody a growth mindset is clear. 

Embracing Complexity of Identity

A fundamental differentiator that sets Tilt365 apart from traditional personality assessments is recognizing that a person's identity is far more intricate than simply fitting into a predefined "type." Tilt365 celebrates the complexity of human identity. It understands that individuals cannot be neatly categorized into fixed personality types. Instead of reducing people to labels, Tilt365 acknowledges the multifaceted nature of personality and behavior, respecting the unique combination of traits that make each person distinct.

In conclusion, Tilt365 offers a comprehensive and modern approach to personality assessments. Its robust scientific foundation, emphasis on adaptability and overused strengths, actionable development, user-friendly visual framework, and incorporation of balance among diverse polarities make it valuable for personal and professional growth in a highly connected economic environment. Furthermore, its focus on embracing complexity and recognizing the multi-dimensional nature of human identity positions it as a forward-thinking approach to understanding and harnessing the human potential to cultivate a culture where top talent loves to work because there is less ego-drama. As the world changes, tools like Tilt365 are essential for individuals and organizations striving for growth, collaboration, and exponential success.