SPM Profiling Tool: Innovative, Cross-cultural and 21st century ready.

The idea of making a series on 12 women speakers, one each month in 2010, came from my experience of coaching hundreds of executive women and men, providing in depth constructive and personal feedback with a model called the SPM.

• What is the SPM?

Spony Profiling Model is an international profiling tool for individuals, teams and organisations.

SPM reveals motivations, preferences and flexibility, all valuable insights for modern executives. SPM highlights areas of tension; key challenges and opportunities for development, with individual advice for adaptation to different international environments.  This is achieved by measuring individuals’ work values and how others see them at work, manifesting their values through their management style

• What is the research and academic background behing the SPM?

SPM combines & extends Hofstede’s work on cultures with Schwartz's work on values systems.

• Who developed the SPM?

Dr. Gilles Spony  researched SPM at Cranfield School of Management,  winning First Prize for the best Doctoral Thesis presented in Europe in 2001, from the European Association of Personnel Management. 

"Forecasting the boom of current issues in cross-cultural mergers and acquisitions and the management of cross-cultural teams, Gilles’ has developed an analytical model aimed at analysing the impact of personality and cultural differences on managers’ decision-making style within the modern work context. His model represents a truly innovative step to adapt traditional personality profiling to the modern context of internationalisation and globalisation."

Nathalie Turner Founder of Entheo
 

• What are the twelve SPM styles?

Each style is always seen as half of a pair of dilemnas : two styles that are both good, yet opposite styles of management. I will share thumbnail sketches for each style, as I illustrate them each month.  

About the Persuader Style, read Meg Whitman The Laser Light with a Big Smile (January)

Although Meg Whitman display mostly characteristics from the persuader style, she demonstrates sensitivity, friendliness and empathy with others. She 's "stretching" on the relationship dilemna of the Persuader- Moderator.This flexibility makes her a brilliant communicator.

About the Pioneer Style, read Play like a Man, Win like a Woman, with Gail Evans (February)

This post provoked some polemic,(read the comments!) maybe because I stressed the Pioneer dimension of Gail Evans, at the expense of the opposite style: the Maintainer, that I will develop further, with an original example.

About the Achiever Style,opposed to the Facilitator, watch out for my next post,... with Ursula Burns (March)

                                                                                                                                                                             

• What can you learn, thanks to the SPM?

Understanding your styles and how others see you at work means you can make conscious or deliberate choices about the way you manage, with particular outcomes in mind.  You can find a way to focus on creating good working relationships, even with those whose styles you do not like, which often leads to diversity becoming a positive aspect within your workplace. 

 

• What about cultural differences?

When working across different cultures, SPM is particularly good at showing people where they need to pay attention to their styles, to ensure the best possible outcomes. SPM is still unique in being able to offer individual insight at the cultural level with a an Individualised Cultural Map.

 

• How can you take the SPM?

Contact Future to Be. Future to Be is a pioneer in the impact that culture has on individual value systems and how this impacts ways of working.

www.futuretobe.net

Accessed online, with online results instantly available, this tool is also statistically proven to offer valid colleague observation with just three responders.  It is easily described as efficient and insightful. With detailed written reports, for individuals, teams and organizations, SPM is perfectly integrative and 21^st  century ready.

 

• Who does it apply for?

Utilizing the same base axes for individual, team and organizational profiling, SPM provides a common foundation for integrated development for organizations, teams and individuals. A rigorous consultant qualifying programme means that the standards are carefully controlled.  

• What's the Philosophy?

 "We believe that there is much more power in learning to accept and leverage different styles, personalities, skills and backgrounds."

Looking at successful women leaders more closely, I realized that they displayed characteristics similar to aspects of the SPM styles.  Although they have not yet taken the SPM Questionnaire, it is possible to see that some elements are clearly displayed.  By thinking of their styles in terms of SPM, it is possible to understand one’s own styles and undertake development to enhance management styles for more successful outcomes.  Adopting styles of those who are successful is a good way to realize success for yourself. 

 

It has been my privilege to work with senior executives women, and men using SPM and I am convinced that this sophisticated tool is a solid foundation for development activity.  As is already evident, this approach has provoked comment and debate and hopefully will lead on to improved leadership development and greater diversity at the workplace.

 

Below are a number of case studies that illustrate how the SPM can be applied and the effect that it can have in a variety of different environments:

• Outplacement, Personal Coaching & International Management Development
• Working with Teams
• Aligning HR and Corporate Strategy
• Designing objective Roles and Job Descriptions
• Addressing Cultural Issues in the work place
• Financial Times Article 16.12.04 - "Job tests begin to score highly" (21KB PDF)
• Expatica Article - 12.04 - "Virtual culture trainer?" (48KB PDF)

 

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