A: Forté (a French word meaning “one’s strengths”) is an interpersonal communication system that identifies a person’s natural communication style preferences and strengths, how they have been adapting to a specific individual and/or environment, and how they are most likely coming across to others. Forté also identifies an individual’s current logic style, current stamina level, and current feelings about goal attainment. Designed to enhance interpersonal relationships, Forté identifies and maximizes the positive strengths of individuals in teams, and minimizes their chances for misunderstandings and conflicts.

If you happen to be familiar with “personality” tests, then you will appreciate the 3-5 minute Forté communication style survey. Forté is not a test, nor does it survey “personality.” However, Forté can be used effectively as a great next step to any profiling you have used previously. Going beyond “personality testing,” Forté identifies very specific self-motivators for each individual and provides interaction reports between two individuals... guiding them on how to best communicate with each other to build and, more importantly, maintain a trusting relationship.
Forté is a lifespan system. Individuals and teams can complete Forté adapting updates as often as every 30 days.

Forté never leaves the person, or the team.

Forté is an Internet-based, online, interactive system used by organizations of all sizes throughout the United States, Canada and the European Union.

A: Customer service does not just happen... it’s very much the people side of any business and has become regarded as a key strategic element in most of today’s leading organizations. Before someone can be highly effective in customer service, they need to know their own individual strengths and how to apply them in positive and productive ways.

The Forté communication style profile helps each customer service representative gain an instant understanding of how to best utilize their strengths, how to most effectively communicate and listen to the customer, how to effectively adapt to the needs of that customer, and finally, how to understand the follow-through process so important in achieving higher levels of customer service satisfaction.

In fact, the Forté system is often used with the customer in building a stronger or preferred relationship. If your organization has identified key customers you want to keep especially happy, then the Forté system has a process that involves both your organization’s customer service representatives and those they serve in the customers organization. This bridge will give you a strategic advantage over your competitors in serving your key customers.

Look at it this way, too: Customer service builds business. The Forté system helps you build people and customer relationships. Forté also provides ongoing adapting update information for customer service representatives to best serve specific customers and/or specific individuals within each client organization. Gone are the days when “cookie cutter” customer service programs work. By using a computerized Forté process, Forté develops a written strategy specific to your service program and also provides trending information to measure the adapting styles of your customer service representatives on a customer-by-customer basis.

A: Leading people... at all levels... is more important today than ever before. Most of us have to do much more with less-faster and better than before. Forté has a tool that helps each team leader, and those they lead understand each others’ strengths and work together to maximize those strengths for the benefit of your organization.

The team leaders are asked to complete Forté surveys using the simple question: “How your team members expect you to act.” The question can also be more specific: “How team member Jim expects you to act at work.” The Forté system will provide the team leader with current information on how he/she is adapting to either a general or specific team member or environment. The team leader will also be given a very specific set of communication directions to follow for the next 30 days to most effectively communicate with that team member.

In addition, the Forté system also provides the team member being supervised a profile of their strengths, as well as a specific report that indicates how they are currently adapting to their team leader, and how the team leader is most likely perceiving their communication style. The team member also is given a very specific 30-day prescription of how to best communicate with the team leader to accomplish both their goals.

Yet another service is provided by Forté... the system generates what is known as a Forté Interaction Report between the team leader and the team member, sharing with them how to best communicate with one another and build a lasting relationship of trust.

All of this information can be updated as often as every 30 days, keeping the team leader and the team members on track, effective and productive. The Forté system predicts employee burn-out or rust-out, and also identifies those leaders or team members who continually maintain higher levels of interpersonal productivity. Studies have shown Forté Performance Coaching (the coaching of top “A” performance styles to “B” and “C” performers) can help organizations achieve 13 months productivity and a 12-month period.

A: The secret to a successful team is building an underlying foundation to insure that long after the team building training is over, the team will continue to be productive.

The Forté interpersonal communication system:

• Helps team members understand each other strengths.
• Provides specific interaction reports between each team member on how to best communicate and maintain an ongoing, successful, productive relationship with each other.
• Provides measurement... as often as every 30 days... as to how the team is continuing to grow and what communication styles are driving the team’s top performance.

The Forté system takes what you learn... in your very own environment... and molds it into a top performance coaching process that constantly monitors how top performers are adapting and in shares/coaches the top “A” performance styles in ways that “B” and “C” performers become successful, too.

Forté helps move the critical mass of your teams up a notch or two in productivity and success.

A: Turnover is often the silent stalker within an organization. High levels of turnover mean that low productivity is a primary product... not a by-product... of the work environment. The Forté system has helped organizations throughout the United States, Canada and the European Community to hire the right person the first time.

Don’t think of Forté as a screening tool to eliminate or select someone. Instead, think of Forté as an identifier of an applicant’s communication style strength and how those strengths can best be used... along with their other skills... to be most productive for your organization. Through Forté’s breakthrough interpersonal technology and research, organizations are learning that top performance is the direct product of an individual’s competency, skill set, adapting communication style, and flexibility.

The Forté system identifies the applicant’s primary communication style, how they are currently adapting, and how they are most likely coming across to others. At the point of interview or employment... you decide... organizations share with the applicant the top performing adapting styles for the person they are seeking to fill. The applicant is given specific information on how they will best “hit the street running” with the team or fellow employees, and most importantly... why this particular style of communication is working. They will be adapting to the work environment anyway... so, why not the right way?

Anyone can adapt to any environment. Forté has developed a technology that continues to monitor top interpersonal performance. As customer needs or market shifts occur, the top-performing style is reassessed, updated and shared with the employees. So, irrespective of who the individual is or what their away-from-work preferences may be, Forté helps you coach them to maximize internal and external customer relationships in ways that keep productivity high, build the business and maintain touch with the styles that keep the business on track. Also, this entire process is very measurable and can be correlated to other standards are goals your organization tracks for performance or productivity.

Forté interaction reports are shared between the new hire and their team... thus the team is energized, not diluted, as the new member comes aboard.

A: The Forté interpersonal communication system can overlay virtually any training process or program.

Typically, it is best to start at the beginning, but you can utilize Forté to immediately create an environment of rapport, mutual understanding, and mutual respect in any environment. Organizations can use Forté:

• As a way to begin teambuilding processes.
• As a way to maintain teambuilding processes.
• As a great kick-off event for a strategic planning retreat.
• With their customers, so those key relationships can be built upon and expanded.

Forté is particularly effective in narrowing the gap between high-tech skills and people skills. Through use of the Forté interpersonal communication style reports, individuals and teams come together as they never have before.

A: The Forté process is one that focuses on individuals’ “soft” skills, their people skills. It is sharing the assets of highly accurate, focused, and effective people that makes an organization more effective. Think of Forté as quality control management for people. The Forté process has measurements-the Forté adapting profile can be updated as often as every 30 days. Forté interaction reports bring people together quickly, sharing insight and interpersonal mastery skills some individuals would never learn otherwise.

Forté is very visual... the computerized system generates graphs that show each employee how they are adapting-over the long term-and provides positive coaching prescriptions for top performance.

If you’re familiar with the book “EQ” by Daniel P. Goleman, which deals with how the EQ (emotional quotient) is probably more important than the IQ (intelligence quotient) in the workplace, think of Forté as CQ... meaning the pathway to building the interpersonal communication quotient within your organization. Forté is what soft skills are all about, and the beauty of it is that Forté continues to help you maintain the soft skills growth so important for organizations to succeed in today’s environment.

A: In many ways, Forté is the ultimate diversity tool... in that it deals with individuals on a Homo sapien level. That is, if they are human, speak English as either their primary or secondary language (a Spanish version is being developed) and are age 10 or older, they can utilize the Forté system.

In situations where language diversity is an issue, typically the multi-lingual supervisors coach the employees on the completion of the Forté survey based on definitions of the Forté survey words provided those supervisors.

One of the key advantages of the Forté system in diversity is use of the interaction reports, which spell out specific ways each individual can best communicate with others.

The fact that we offer adapting updates (as often as every 30 days) helps break walls down forever as the continuing positive communication between the individuals is the true and only solution as time goes on.

Diversity can develop into a strength, there is not a quick fix. Use of the Forté 720-degree approach... whereby team members complete the Forté Adapting Survey by as many teammates/environments as they experience during their workday, further broadens interpersonal understanding. As Forté adapting information is updated the respective teammates continue to find ways to work through whatever issues may have existed previously.

The Forté system does not dwell on the past... rather it presents solutions for today and the future. Forté never leaves the process.

Many times diversity programs create even wider gaps between individuals if they accentuate what is different versus what is common. While is extremely important an individual... from any background... understands what may make them unique in special ways, for purposes of self-understanding, it’s significantly more important, particularly in the business environment, to celebrate diversity in positive communication style processes and solutions.

A: First, personality generally refers to the characteristic way that a person behaves, the pattern of beliefs, actions and feelings that distinguishes one person from another. Part of one’s personality includes the way a person views him-or her-self, or the self concept. This can also include, through the extension of self-concept, the physical and psychological traits.

A personality test, examples of which would include Myers-Briggs, DiSC, California Personality Inventory, MMPI, etc., provides much of what constitutes the definition of personality. In some cases they are a test in that there are “right” and “wrong” answers. The results are typically scored by hand, some are now computerized, and… if in a clinical or therapeutic setting… are interpreted and shared back with the respondent by an individual familiar with or trained in that specific test. Some personality tests are of the “paper and pencil” variety and that they are both answered and then scored by the respondent. The interpretation is left to the respondent and it is usually a one-time event.

The Forté interpersonal communication style system, based on a survey with no “right” or “wrong” answers, is a step or two beyond the personality test. In its development by C. D. Morgan III in the mid to late 1970’s, personality theory and practice were certainly a part of the very early development, but the development extended well beyond to provide understanding and pathways for positive and successful interpersonal communication. Rather than staying at simply an individual level, the Forté process has grown and now centers itself on the respondent’s primary communication style preferences (Primary Survey) and how they are currently adapting (Adapting Survey) to a general environment, to specific individual, and/or to a specific individual in a specific environment.

By understanding the individual communication style and how that individual is adapting, Forté then computes the Forté perceiver profile… which shares with the respondent how they are “most likely” coming across to others currently and for the next 30 days. Thus, Forté has come to represent a lifespan interpersonal communication process and coaches an individual(s) throughout their lifespan on the most effective ways to communicate and achieve the higher levels of interpersonal communication. The Forté process has applications in business, the family, community services, and virtually any environment in which interpersonal effectiveness is important.

As an integral part of the Forté process… particularly as compared to a typical “personality test”…present and ongoing measurements are provided for the respondent’s current logic style, current stamina level and current goals index. While the Forté primary communication style changes very little throughout a lifetime, the current adapting and perceiver profiles, along with logic, stamina and goals, can be updated as often as every 30 days. Completion of the Forté Adapting Survey and “How others expect you to act” triggers short term memory and one’s adapting style over the most recent 30 days. By comparing and cross tabulating one’s primary communication style data with their current adapting data, Forté… through this demonstration alone… leaps well beyond a personality test. It provides the respondent with an actionable communication style strategy with others for the next 30 days. With each update, via the Forté Adapting Survey, a new communication style strategy is developed.

By as many relationships/environments a person has, they can complete and the Forté Adapting Survey and receive coaching on the best ways to communicate effectively to the respective person/environment. Focusing no more than 30 days out, the coaching is actionable, immediate and easily measured by specific results.

In addition, the Forté interpersonal communication style system provides four-page interaction reports that gives specific information to two or more individuals on how they can best communicate with one another to build and maintain a relationship of trust. This can be updated every 30 days as well.

Further, the Forté system presents Performance Coaching processes that identify top performing adapting patterns… for example, in a business setting… and facilitate the coaching of employees performing similar tasks toward the top performing communication styles that have been proven to work in that particular business, that location, with real people doing it right. No theory now… real time answers, real people, real productivity.

The Forté system also presents each responded with a graphical, longitudinal mapping of how they have been adapting to the same, similar, or very different individuals/environments over the lifespan. Forté helps the respondent achieve relativity, thus rapport.

In 1978, C. D. Morgan III developed a theory… now proven and practicality… centered around the belief that successful interpersonal communication could only occur after an individual understood the convergence of their own communication style preferences, how they were adapting to others, and how they were “most likely” being perceived. Morgan also recognized that those with charisma or rapport were good at adapting to others. How then, Morgan asked, could one learn the best ways to adapt to others, communicate most effectively, and continue to refine the communication and trust over a lifetime? Most importantly, how could this knowledge serve everyone? Forté was born.

Now, in the 2000’s, it is recognized that the success of an individual or organization is based on competency, flexibility and interpersonal communication skills. Through the Forté process, Morgan has also proven that one can adapt, successfully, to as many relationships/environments as they experience throughout the lifespan. Knowledge is power. Forté facilitates the successful adapting process, providing a never-ending stream of current, real time coaching to successfully support interpersonal communication in both the short and long-term for the Forté user.

In the final analysis, you can think of personality tests as Point A on a map. Then, think of Forté is providing directions for how to get from Point A to Point B, and ongoing directions to wherever you want to go from there.

A: In the study of behavior and communication styles there are two sources from which to develop information regarding communication styles and then build models that can predict different communication styles with high degrees of accuracy. Those sources are 1.) self-perception and 2.) behavior observed by other individuals… either professionals or others close to an individual.
The Forté system is unique in that it provides the respondent with:

• Their primary profile; their life-long communication style and self- motivational preferences.
• Current adapting profile; how, over the last 30 days, they have been reacting to either a general or specific environment or individual/environment.
• The perceiver profile (updated as often as every 30 days); how they are “most likely” coming across to others now and for the next 30 days.
• Forté communication style strategy; constructed from the last three points of information, a non-linear model computes a 30-day prescription for the respondent to follow so they best communicate their concerns and common needs in the most effective ways.

Hence, the Forté perceiver profile was developed through a convergence of self-perception AND observed behavior by Forté R&D. When you think about it, it’s fairly simple. First, if we know an individual’s primary communication style and strengths, plus… accurately… how they are currently adapting to a general or specific individual/environment, then it is quite possible… and practical …to learn from those individuals and those observing the individual …how they feel they are and how they are coming across to others. From this data Forté shares with the respondent how they are “most likely” coming across to others — and what to do about any “gaps.”

The perceiver profile was developed following numerous requests by various Forté clients seeking to avoid the time and expense of multi-rater or 360° survey systems that require input from a number of others because:

1. They were actually filtering their perceptions of another individual through their own primary profile.

2. By the time the results were back, the behaviors or communication styles driving the multi-rater or 360° responses typically had come and gone.

3. The feedback process was typically negative, anonymous and there was very little follow-through.

Thus, the Forté perceiver profile is computed as a result of the respondent completing the Forté Adapting Survey, (as often as every 30 days) over one’s lifetime. The results are instantaneous, the Forté perceiver information is updated instantly in the communication style strategy is very specific to whatever general or individual/environment the respondent was reacting to. The individual’s logic, stamina and goals index are also specific to whatever environment the respondent was thinking of as they complete the Forté Adapting Survey.

The Forté perceiver profile responds to many considerations.

First, in a multi-rater or 360° the environment… whether it’s an anonymous or identified respondent(s) … there is opportunity for manipulation of the responses to achieve a hidden agenda or “gotcha” purpose.

Secondly, the typical 360° or multi-rater is not a statistically validated instrument. It’s not that they are not useful… it’s an approach issue and how to make the most of information over the long term.

Thirdly, the highest value to the respondent is that they are the ultimate judge as to the accuracy of the communication style strategy. The Forté perceiver profile is an important component of the Forté performance coaching and communication.

Fourthly, concerning the sensitivity of the adapting to perceiver profile, if the respective adapting and perceiver pattern points are more than two points different… either way… the appropriate communication style strategy paragraph is printed on Page 9. Research indicates that a gap of two points is the potential threshold for miscommunication. A gap of eight points or more warrants special attention.

The long-term gain from utilizing the Forté perceiver profile is the real world trends on Page 12 of one’s adapting update report. This trending information will share with the respondent how they proactively adapt to similar situations over time. Much of how they feel or need will become effectively communicated… the first time. An individual’s interpersonal communication skills and productivity will grow positively.

A: The answer ties these questions: “What leads individuals to believe that they are the same person across time and place?” and “How is it that even though they are doing different things at different times with different people, they remain the very same person?” or, how does one claim, “I’m not the same person that I was five years ago.” Or, “My sister and I have the same parents, live in the same environment… why we so different?”

The Forté Primary Profile identifies an individual’s core or genetic communication style preferences/strengths.

The Forté Adapting Profile identifies how one has been adapting to either general or extremely specific environments/individuals over the past 30 days.

The Forté Perceiver Profile is a correlation based on: If we know an individual’s primary profile, how they are currently adapting, then we can compute and share with them how they are “most likely” coming across to others now and for the next 30 days.

The Forté Primary Profile
The Forté primary profile deals with the core individual, which gives each person their sense of who they are. Additionally, it is this core self that enables individuals to stand out from others.

Our primary profile has four especially important features. First, it provides a sense of control, that we are the deciders and controllers of our own actions (C. F. Yalom, 1980) and correspondingly, we are not the controllers of other people’s actions (nor they of ours).

Secondly, an individual’s primary profile fosters a sense of physical unity; this is my body…my body and mind are me.
Third, it validates the sense that the emotions one experiences are part of what contributes to the growth and maintenance of the primary profile; how I feel about it.

And finally, the primary profile promotes the sense of self-history, the perception of our continuity in time, the storage of these emotions over the lifespan. Rather than thinking “I have changed” or “I’m not the same person” think in terms of “I have evolved through experiences, always adding to what life is given me over my lifespan.”

As long as these elements of the primary profile remain strong, we remain strong. If there is, for example, a breakdown in the feeling of control, when an individual feels “things are happening to me outside my control,” uneasy feelings occur. Such feelings would not exist if there weren’t a primary profile. We would, literally, be numb to the world.

The Forté Adapting Profile
The Forté adapting profile can be thought of as one’s “reactive” self. Interestingly, researchers have discovered that the “reactive,” or adapting profile, emerges at about 7-9 months of age and facilitates the development of interpersonal communications (the sense that we understand each other’s intentions and feelings, as well as the sharing of experiences about things and events). At this age, children begin to draw their parents’ attention to things, sharing that attention. They communicate intentions. The result is meaningful exchanges between the infant and their caregivers, exchanges that are characterized by empathy and a sense of common understanding.

Typically, high performance and relationships occurs when we feel that how we are adapting is “received as truly intended” and understood by those around us. Uneasiness occurs when we lose the feeling of successful interpersonal communication, being connected to other people, empathizing with them, or understanding their true feelings. Many times, if experience has shown us that the “message” will not be well received, we don’t express are exact feelings and the seeds of conflict are sown.

There is a second, evolving element to the Forté adapting profile known as the verbal self. The verbal self emerges at about 15-18 months of age, as we begin to accumulate our own storehouse of knowledge and experience. Our verbal style develops by using symbols and language. The use of language, of course, opens a world of infinite variety and action for the infant, and we carry it forward through our lifespan. So, we have moved from actions alone to both action and words. Life, as we knew it at this very young age, would never be the same.

It is in this verbal dimension, or non-verbal (93% of our interpersonal communication is non-verbal; assumption and/or perception), that the journey of communication/miscommunication begins. Soon we learn that others understand what we have said through their own set of experiences, which are usually much different from ours. How well we develop our interpersonal communication skills determines the number of successes we have throughout life.

The Forté Perceiver Profile
The technology behind the Forté perceiver profile is driven by the relationship between one’s primary profile and how they are currently adapting to a general or specific person and/or environment. The correlation between Forté strength movements in the primary and adapting profile produces the Forté perceiver profile.

The Forté perceiver profile helps interacting individuals understand best how they are “most likely” coming across to each other. Forté technology coaches how one can utilize the Forté communication style strategy to accomplish general or focused adapting interpersonal communication styles to focus understanding and accomplish goals.

Think of the Forté perceiver profile as your pathway to understanding, building and maintaining rapport.

According to Carl Rogers (1902-1987), who was a leading theorists about one’s self:

“Each person lives in a continually changing world of experience of which he/he is the center”—Forté primary profile.

“No one can understand a person’s private world as well as that person does”—Forté adapting profile.

“But neither are we wholly barred from the private experience of others. Empathy is the gift and tool that enables us to understand others.” (Rogers, 1961; Kohut 1978)—Forté perceiver profile.

Communication Style/Values In summary, our primary profile is the aspect of ourselves that embodies our perceptions and values. There are two kinds of values: Those that are acquired from the experiences of each person, and those that are interjected or acquired from others. Values that arise from experience are the ones that most commonly contribute to personal growth and self-knowledge. Values that are interjected, on the other hand, maybe a source of confusion, where they often require that a person deny his own feelings in order to confirm the desires of another.

It’s when our Forté adapting and perceiver profiles are parallel to each other that we are most likely coming across to others exactly as we feel, and miscommunication is minimized. Otherwise, the communication style recommendations on Page 7 of one’s current adapting update will avoid many of the potentials for miscommunication.

The following definitions are taken from a standard dictionary of the English language. Note, descriptors are listed in the order in which they appear on the Forte surveys, not alphabetically.

Forté Primary Survey Definitions:
Individualistic - Quality of one who asserts his uniqueness by his independence of thought and action; one who advocates individualism.
Spirited - Full of animation, courage or vigor.
Shy - Bashful; reserved.
Stick-to-it - Unwavering; ability to see a task through to the end.
Understanding - Having comprehension, or good sense; compassionate and sympathetic.
Precise - Conforming strictly to rule or proper form; clearly expressed.
Spontaneous - Acting without apparent external cause.
Logical - Showing consistency of reasoning; in accordance with the nature of valid reasoning.
Cautious - Showing or practicing caution; wary; careful.
Talkative - Feeling the need to constantly talk.
Daring - Willing to take risks; fearless; bold; adventurous.
Demanding - Asking for urgently or firmly, leaving little chance for refusal or denial.
Persuasive - Having the ability to make someone believe something; convincing.
Outgoing - Friendly; sociable.
Earnest - Determined; eager; showing deep sincerity or feeling; serious.
Pleasant - Pleasing in manner, appearance, or other personal qualities; agreeable.
Stable - Resistant to sudden change of position or condition; solid.
Kindhearted - Having a kind heart; sympathetic; generous; helpful.
Enthusiastic - Having or demonstrating interest or excitement; eager.
Impulsive - Inclined to act on a sudden urge or desire rather than thought; uncalculated.
Aggressive - Assertive; bold; enterprising.
Industrious - Diligently active; constant attention to work or study.
Compassionate - Feeling or showing concern or sympathy.
Careful - Cautious in thought, speech, or action; thorough; conscientious.
Controlling - To exercise authority or dominating influence over; direct; regulate.
Thoughtful - Showing regard for others; considerate; contemplative; meditative.
Charming - The quality of being pleasing, attracting, or fascinating.
Calm - Not excited; composed; quiet.
Fussy - Easily upset; insistent upon petty matters or details; meticulous.
Agreeable - Pleasing; pleasant; to one's liking; in accordance; conformable.

Forté Adapting Survey Definitions:

Competitive - Constantly striving or vying with another or others for profit, prize, position, or the necessities of life.
Sophisticated - Having acquired worldly knowledge or refinement.
Tolerant - Able to withstand or endure an adverse environmental condition.
Dynamic - Energetic; vigorous.
Serious - Concerned with important rather than trivial matters; focused.
Responsive - Readily reacting to suggestions, influences, appeals, or efforts.
Dominant - Exercising the most influence or control; governing.
Self-assured - Having or showing confidence and sureness.
Loyal - Faithful to a person, ideal, or custom.
Outstanding - Superior to others of ones kind; prominent; distinguished; excellent.
Persistent - Refusing to give up or let go.
Bold - Excessively forward and brazen in manner; fearless and daring; courageous.
Esteemed - Thought of with respect; favorable regard.
Eager - Intensely desirous of something; impatiently expectant.
Congenial - Suited to one's needs; agreeable.
Patient - Tolerant; understanding; capable of bearing delay and waiting for the right moment.
Steady - Not easily excited or upset; controlled; reliable; dependable.
Relaxed - Less severe or strict; less formal or tense.
Convincing - Persuading or satisfying by evidence or argument; believable.
Popular - Liked by friends, associates, or acquaintances.
Forceful - Full of strength and power; effective; persuasive.
Confident - Having assurance or certainty in oneself; self-assured.
Sympathetic - In agreement; favorable; inclined.
Accurate - Having no errors; correct.
Conventional - Conforming to established practice or accepted standards.
Charitable - Generous in giving money or other help to the needy; mild or tolerant in judging others; lenient.
Appealing - The quality of attracting or of arousing interest.
Neighborly - Showing the feelings of a friendly neighbor.
Assertive - Inclined to express oneself forcefully or boldly.
Gentle - Considerate or kindly in disposition; amiable; patient; mild.

A:   Any construct is the integration of diverse data in an orderly way. As it applies to the Forte Communication Style Profile we bring together four strengths that collectively share with the respondent (and others) how he/she most prefers to be communicated with (pages 5-7) and what his/her self-motivators are for the specific environment of the profile report (page 8). One's primary strengths extend over the lifespan.

Forte is a French word meaning one's strengths, thus the style of the report. By including how the respondent is also adapting to any individual/environment and how they are most likely being perceived by others (pages 9-12) the communication style construct loop is presented.

Forte adds the individual's current logic style for adapting strategy applications and provides current stamina and goals indexing for cause/effect and proactive communication practices over the next 30 days. This is why the longitudinal graphs are printed on pages 12 and 13...to see how the individual is adapting over time to specific individuals and/or environments...what's working and what's not working.

Completing the communication style construct is the Forte interaction report, which shares a person's preferences with others for enhanced relationships, thus enhanced productivity.

So, the definition of "communication style" as it applies for Forte is "a profile that identifies a person's preferences and how others can best communicate with and adapt to that person in order to accomplish common goals."

A:   Each of us is a blend of many strengths. We are complex and there is no computer that can "analyze" anyone. However, a computer program can use the power of a computer's math and text generation abilities to present to a person how their responses to a well-developed set of words compares to how others have responded to the same set of words and share the similarities and differences. From this process one learns their strengths and those of others.

Forte does not label or put a respondent into one specific category. Rather, Forte presents the respondent's communication style preferences in the form of a pattern or profile using four style preferences:

Dominance (wanting to be in on decisions) or Non-Dominance (preferring input from others prior to making decisions)

Extroversion (preferring to work with others) or Introversion (preferring one-on-one communications)

Patience (wanting time to think things over) or Impatience (preferring a fast pace)

Conformity (preferring tried and true ways of doing things) or Non-Conformity (seeking new ways of accomplishing tasks/goals)

All are fine, and the Forte focus is communication style strengths. The strength located farthest above the center line of the Forte profile graph is the primary strength. The strength farthest below the center line is the secondary strength. The other two strengths are the sub-strengths.

When you blend a respondent's four strengths together, they discover the richness and diversity of their own communication style profile, as well as those of others, and understanding occurs.

Forte provides respondents their primary profile or their lifespan preferences, how they are currently adapting and how they are most likely coming across to others.
Although one's primary profile remains constant, their adapting profile, perceiver profile, logic style, stamina level and goals index can be updated as often as every 30 days. This is why Forte is also known as a "lifespan" system...it is far more advanced than the typical "one, then done" profiling system. Forte provides updated, current information each time a person completes an adapting update survey.  

One of the core missions of Forte is to forget the labels and get on with appreciating one another's strengths.