The Forte System
What is included in the Forté profile report?

The first Forté profile report consists of seven detailed report pages, plus a cover page, a page titled “Understanding Your Forté Communication Style Report,” a Forté composite communication style graph page, and a profile Validation Page for the respondent to rank the accuracy of the report. Many people think of their Forté profile report as their interpersonal communication action plan.

The following is a page-by-page overview of the Forté profile report:

Note well: the first six pages of the Forté profile report identify and share an individual’s primary, or lifespan, communication strengths and style. The primary profile undergoes very little change throughout one’s lifetime.

Individual Profile Overview (click here for example):

• A brief description of an individual’s Forté interpersonal communication preferences or profile. This paragraph represents both behavioral and communication style preferences.
• Forté communication style profile graphs that show an individual’s primary profile, current adapting profile, and current perceiver profile. Current logic style, stamina level and goals index are included.

Primary Communication Strengths (click here for example):

A full description of the respondent’s primary strength the Forté communication style profile identifies each person’s primary strength, secondary strength, and two sub-strengths. The primary strength can be as much as 60% of an individual’s communication style preference.

Respondent leadership style. Forté identifies each individual’s leadership style, their preferred way of accomplishing goals either alone or with others.

Sensitive areas. Forté helps us recognize signs of frustration, to help diffuse them proactively.

Potential reactions. By understanding… in advance… our potential reactions to sensitivities, we help ourselves and others avoid non-productive reactions.

Communication Style Composite (click here for example):

• Description of secondary/sub-strengths. This page is a composite of all the communication style strengths used in identifying individual preferences, citing key vocabulary words for job descriptions or job position ads/postings/bids, and creating a tangible image of the respondent’s overall personal and environmental preferences.
• In addition to single-word descriptions, there are four paragraphs that bring together an understanding of all the strength preferences.
• How the secondary and sub-strengths react with the primary strength. Also within the descriptive paragraphs are statements of how the individual preferences of the primary strength join those of the secondary strength and two sub-strengths.

Self-Motivational Data (click here for example):

• Self-motivators. This is one of Forté’s most powerful tools. Growth, success, even job security for the new millennium is the result of our competencies, flexibility, and interpersonal communication skills. These three key elements are ultimately driven by how we are self-motivated. Sharing the top five self-motivators from the Forté profile Page 8 shares real-world information with the respondent and those with whom they communicate.
• Demotivators. Once identified, elements in our environment that demotivate us are shared with whom we work and communicate. Now, conscious effort is made to avoid demotivators, which frequently hinder productive, effective interpersonal communication.

Note well: Forté profile pages 9-13 represent how the individual is currently (most recent 30 days) adapting to their environment. This information can be updated as often as every 30 days. (These pages will not be included in the report if the adapting information is not current.)

Logic/Stamina (click here for example):

• Current logic style. There are times when facts are extremely important to us; at other times, we are comfortable making decisions on simple feelings. This is situational and can be cyclical. Through a comparison of the Forté Primary and Adapting Surveys, the Forté system is able to share with the respondent their current logic style, an important element of the ongoing decision making process. For example, if one respondent is currently comfortable making decisions based on their feelings, but knows or feels they may be missing something, they can consult with another person whose logic style is currently fact oriented and ask for their input prior to making a final decision.
• Current stamina level. Again, a comparison between the Forté Primary and Adapting Surveys. One’s stamina level definitely cycles over the lifespan. There are times when late in the day or evening we are full speed ahead, getting things done. Other times, it may be mid-afternoon and we’re ready to call it quits. Stamina is a key factor in the development and maintenance of high levels of productivity. Stamina tends to drop as one is demotivated, increase as they are self-motivated. Forté’s long term, ongoing measurement of stamina is an excellent indicator of burn-out, rust-out, or high performance.

Adapting Profile/Goals (click here for example):

• Current adapting profile analysis. There may be as many as four paragraphs in this section of the report, describing how the respondent is adapting from their primary strength to their current environment. This section of the Forté profile provides a written, actionable analysis one can put to use immediately.
• Current goals index. How one feels about achievement of current goals, or their level of satisfaction toward accomplishment in their current environment is measured by the Forté Goals Index. Again, this is cyclical and is updated as often as every 30 days. When combined with the current stamina level, if stamina and the goals index are dropping, that can indicate an individual or team headed for burn-out. If the stamina level is increasing but the goals index is dropping, that is an individual or team rusting out. If we see stamina level and goals index at their higher levels, that is an indicator of top performance for both the individual and team. Note well: spotting these trends… particularly burn-out or rust-out… lets leadership move quickly to understanding and reverse the trends of burn-out and rust-out.

Note well: Forté profile page 9 is the key page of the communication style action plan update process. High performance individuals and teams use this information to accomplish 13 months productivity in a 12-month time frame.

Communication Action Plan (click here for example):

• Current perceiver profile. Forté technology has developed the Forté perceiver profile, which lets the respondent know how they are “most likely” coming across to others now and, typically, for the next 30 days. Basically, by looking at one’s primary profile and their current adapting profile, Forté is able to share this perceiver information with the respondent. While the respondent is in touch with their current internalized feelings, many times these feelings are not coming across to others as truly felt by the respondent.
• The Forté communication strategy prescriptive. This crisp, to-the-point perspective coaches the respondent on how to best communicate the internalized feelings that may not be coming across to others as intended. There can be as many as four prescriptives on the page. Most respondents actually remove this page from the report and post it in their work area as a reminder of the best communication strategies for the next 30 days. These prescriptives are updated as often as every 30 days as part of the Forté adapting update process. This is one of the key information points within the Forté system.
  

The Forté Adapting Update Process

After completion of the Forté Adapting Survey, which begins the Forté adapting update process, pages 12 and 13 become a part of the profile report. They are described below:

Adapting Perceiver Trends (click here for example):

• Adapting profile trending graphs. There are four longitudinal graphs on this page that share with the responded how their strengths have been adapting (by date, intensity, and pattern). The study of these trends… particularly as they compared to Forté Performance Coaching and/or high-performance models… coaches successful adapting strategies over the long term. It is through the study of this information that the individual sees, understands and learns to adapt toward high performance.
• Perceiver profile trending graphs, sharing how the person has been most likely coming across to others. The goal is to ultimately see the current perceiver trends paralleling the adapting trends as a convergence indicates the high likelihood the individual is effectively communicating their ideas and feelings with others.

Communication Trending Graphs (click here for example):

• Logic style trending graph. As one of three graphs on Page 13, the logic style trending graph shares with the respondent… and teammates… the typical logic style used in specific environments. This is particularly important to team leadership in deciding the best strategy to communicate both with the individual and the team as projects or assignments are introduced and managed.
• Stamina level trending graph. As mentioned previously, the ideal trend is one that favors or moves toward the higher levels of stamina. The long-term study of stamina is important.
• Goals index trending graph. Also mentioned earlier, the ideal is the higher level of the goals index. If stamina is dropping, and the goals index is dropping, the individual or team is heading toward burn-out. If this stamina is increasing and the goals index is dropping, the individual or team is headed toward rust-out. When both stamina and goals index are at their higher levels, productivity and interpersonal communication effectiveness are typically high.

Note well: Your only source of why these adapting cycles or trends are occurring is one-on-one communication with the respondent. Make no assumptions. It’s best to develop at least a 90-day trend before discussing what the trends may mean. An excellent validation of the team environment comes from the study of all teammates’ adapting trends to see what is similar, and what is not. Remember, Forté Page 9, the communication strategy section, holds the ultimate answer for each respondent to most effectively communicate their wants and needs to others.