The Thinkers Quarterly - Winter 2025
A new Managing Director joins the team, insights on impression management and team trust, coaching strategies for workplace tension, and PPI's new Team Optimization Program.
Welcome to the freshly rebranded PPI Newsletter — a place to stay informed, get engaged, and be entertained. We have lots of exciting news and updates to share. Make sure to get in touch for further discussion!
Internal Churn
We're excited to announce that Mike Sanger has joined PPI as a Managing Director, based in the ATL Metro area. Mike brings a wealth of experience in Hogan Assessments, particularly related to leveraging the tools for:
- Interviewing and developing sr. executives
- Onboarding and succession planning
- Helping teams optimize effectiveness
- Cross cultural applications
With a rich career history in international consulting and a uniquely versatile skillset, he can be counted on to bring a fresh perspective and collaborative approach to each and every client engagement. Please join us in welcoming ···@···.··· to the team!
Reading Subscale
Fun and enlightening recommendations from our Readership Team:
- Paul — Does personality make you more persuadable?
- Kirsten — 3 ways to build team trust
- Mike — The origins of trust and collaboration
A Note from the Desk of Sr. Manager, Impressions
Each variety of impression management can get in the way of reaching out for help or communicating an issue, even though they tend to surface at times when partnership would be most beneficial. Privately dealing with setbacks and concerns makes a situation more precarious by jeopardizing safety, innovation, and quality. It also erodes trust. If decisions keep going sideways, and under pressure they often do, those who prioritize their reputation can become increasingly vulnerable to feelings of insecurity and… impression management.
Notable Quotable
"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." ~ Will Rogers
Coaching Corner
Dear Prudence,
I have a colleague (let's call him Lee Jurely) who always seems so agreeable. But the more we collaborate on something, the more I pick up on underlying resentment for interrupting his flow. I've tried charm. I've tried flexing my principles. But nothing seems to get him to tell me what's wrong. Now I just feel like doing things off on my own when something's needed. Is that the only way to deal with this situation?
I'll try anything,
Miss Chievous
Dear Miss Chievous,
Trying to maneuver around someone's development opportunities will rarely work to solve the issue. Better to offer reflective, behaviorally-based coaching questions that expand Lee's perspective as you work toward rebuilding trust. Are you better off without Lee? I'd want to evaluate how he reacts to feedback and development. Resources like HDS Coaching Strategies can help, in this area. This comprehensive reference supports a coach in cultivating the strategic self-awareness necessary for individual transformation when working on derailers. Understanding the different ways derailers show up, reasons for their emergence, and the resulting performance implications can all be very helpful insight for driving positive change in Lee.
Stay on track,
Prudence
PPI Team Optimization Program
Get better acquainted with PPI's new Team Survey and Workshop Service
PPI's Team Optimization Program facilitates a goal-oriented discussion amongst team members while also providing a platform for continued team development. Leveraging predictive assessment data, a proprietary pulse-survey, and customized exercises, we discuss the implications of a team's shared strengths, collective blind-spots, and underlying drivers on performance and results. Through feedback and discussion, we explore what's working well and where there's room for improvement, culminating in an action plan with clear ownership and accountability.
Want to learn more?
Hogan Certification Workshops, Fireside Chats, and other PPI events
Hogan Certification Workshops Focused on Your Needs
Convenient — PPI facilitates Hogan's 4-day Certification Workshop days across 2 weeks, keeping our attendees highly engaged and ensuring the experience doesn't take too much time away from their jobs in one workweek.
Personalized — We ensure a facilitator-to-participant ratio that gives our clients ample opportunity to dig into the areas that will help support their practice.
Supportive — PPI provides two complimentary Hogan IDs and consultation to ensure fresh interpretation skills are leveraged right away.