Practitioner's Guide

The Coach's Advantage

Traditional assessments give clients insight. PSI gives you leverage.

When you show a client their 24-point gap between self-perceived warmth (82) and demonstrated warmth (58), you're not sharing an opinion—you're presenting behavioral evidence they can't dismiss. That gap becomes the coaching contract. The reassessment becomes the proof of ROI.

Traditional Approach	PSI Approach
Client self-describes their challenges	Data reveals challenges client didn't know existed
Coach observes and interprets	Assessment provides objective behavioral evidence
Progress is subjective	Reassessment quantifies improvement
Stakeholders get satisfaction scores	Stakeholders see pre-post delta metrics

Trainable Skills, Not Fixed Traits

If interpersonal skills were fixed traits, coaching would be futile—you'd be helping clients understand their limitations, not change them. The PSI operates from a fundamentally different premise: traits describe tendency; skills describe capability. An introverted person can develop sophisticated public speaking skills. A naturally anxious person can learn emotional regulation techniques.

This isn't optimism. It's evidence. Meta-analytic research has definitively answered whether "soft" leadership skills can be developed:

• Leadership Training Meta-Analysis (Lacerenza et al., 2017): Effect size d = 0.82 for job transfer of leadership behaviors
• Teamwork Training Evidence (McEwan et al., 2017): Team performance d = 0.99 for intact teams
• The PACE Study (MIT/University of Michigan): 256% ROI within eight months of soft skills training

The Assessment Experience

Understanding what clients experience helps you debrief more effectively and set appropriate expectations.

Module	Name	Duration	What Happens
A	Rapid Judgments	5-7 min	Video scenarios, one-time playback, free-text responses
B	Social Perception	3-4 min	Microexpression recognition tasks
C	Expressive Impact	3-4 min	Voice recording of professional voicemails
D	Written Communication	4-5 min	Email refinement tasks
E	Self-Assessment	3-4 min	Likert scale self-perception

What Makes PSI Different

One-time video playback. Clients can't pause, rewind, or rewatch. This captures "first instinct" capability—the trained intuitions that determine effectiveness in live situations.

Multimodal behavioral observation. Unlike self-report instruments that measure what people believe about themselves, PSI measures what they demonstrate when facing realistic challenges.

Blind spot detection. The gap between Module E (self-perception) and Modules A-D (performance) reveals where clients overestimate or underestimate their capabilities.

Interpreting the PSI Report

The Three-Layer Structure

Layer 1: Self-Perception Scores (Module E) — What clients believe about their capabilities. Use these for entry point exploration, motivation mapping, and change readiness assessment.

Layer 2: Behavioral Performance Scores (Modules A-D) — What clients demonstrated when facing realistic challenges. These reveal current capability level, contextual variation, and skill gaps.

Layer 3: The Blind Spot Gap — Self-Perception Score − Performance Score = Awareness Gap.

Gap Range	Interpretation	Coaching Implication
+15 or more	Significant overconfidence	Priority coaching target; requires careful navigation
+5 to +15	Mild overconfidence	Development opportunity; client may be receptive
−5 to +5	Accurate calibration	Strong self-awareness; focus on skill building
−5 to −15	Underconfidence	Hidden strength; boost confidence and visibility
−15 or less	Significant underconfidence	Possible imposter syndrome; validate capability

The Blind Spot Conversation

The awareness gap creates the most powerful—and most sensitive—coaching conversations. Research by Tasha Eurich (2018) found that 95% of people believe they are self-aware, but only 10-15% actually demonstrate accurate self-awareness.

The "What, Not Why" Principle

"Why" questions lead to rumination and defensiveness. "What" questions lead to insight and action.

Instead of: "Why do you think you rated yourself so much higher on warmth?"

Ask: "What specifically do you do when you're being warm? What happens to those behaviors when you're under time pressure?"

Coaching Frameworks by Dimension

Relational Warmth: The Connection Protocol

Low warmth often correlates with task-focused identities. Clients may believe warmth compromises competence.

The "First 30 Seconds" Exercise

1. Baseline recording: Client records a typical meeting opening
2. Warmth audit: Identify markers present or absent (name usage, inclusive pronouns, connection before content)
3. Enhanced version: Client re-records with intentional warmth additions
4. Comparison: Review both for perceived warmth difference
5. Practice: Apply in three real interactions, then debrief

Diplomatic Assertiveness: The Boundary Builder

The Assertion Spectrum

Level	Approach	When to Use
1	Request	Low stakes, relationship matters
2	Recommend	Moderate stakes, expertise relevant
3	Require	High stakes, clear boundaries needed
4	Refuse	Non-negotiable limits

Presenting to Stakeholders

For HR/L&D Leaders

• Lead with business connection: "The assessment identified capability gaps that relate directly to the retention challenges we discussed."
• Quantify development targets: "Four of eight team members score below 65 on Diplomatic Assertiveness. That explains why difficult conversations get avoided."
• Position reassessment: "Reassessment in six months will demonstrate measurable improvement, not just satisfaction scores."

The Development Cycle

Phase	Timeline	Activities
Assessment	Week 1	Client completes PSI. Coach reviews results before debrief.
Debrief	Week 2	90-minute session: overview, deep dive, development targeting, action planning
Development	Weeks 3-12	Regular coaching using D3 framework: Dig, Demonstrate, Do
Reassessment	Week 12-16	Quantified demonstration of growth; evidence for stakeholders
Integration	Ongoing	Periodic check-ins, pulse assessments, role transition prep