AECPM 053: Why Your Project Managers Need The Unique AEC PM Behaviors Assessment

In this episode, I talk with Collin George, MBA and Luke Carter, Partners at Talent Matters LLC & Managing Partners at Harrison Assessments International, about how the AEC PM Behaviors Assessment, based on the Harrison Assessment, helps AEC project managers identify key strengths, boost performance, customize training programs, improve leadership skills, and support both personal and organizational growth. ***The video version of this episode can be viewed here.*** Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions I Asked Collin and Luke: EMI and Talent Matters teamed up to create the AEC PM Behaviors Assessment using the Harrison Assessment—can you explain what the Harrison Assessment is, its primary purpose, and how it stands out from other assessment tools? Now that we understand the Harrison Assessment, could you explain how our companies worked together to customize it for AEC project managers, and how it measures key competencies, strengths, and areas for improvement essential for effective project management? Can you explain how this assessment tool benefits both firms and individual project managers, and what makes it valuable to each? Could you explain how this tool offers project managers a personalized performance evaluation that can be used for their training and development? How does the Harrison Assessment help support long-term career development for project managers, beyond just improving their immediate performance? What final piece of advice would you give project managers to help them improve their leadership and project management skills? Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode The Unique AEC PM Behaviors Assessment: The AEC PM Behaviors Assessment is a behavioral-specific tool designed to assess job-specific behaviors rather than general traits, making it highly relevant to the specific role of project managers. Its primary purpose is to provide tailored insights that help individuals and organizations improve performance and job satisfaction by focusing on behaviors that directly impact the role they perform. EMI and Talent Matters collaborated to customize the Harrison Assessment for AEC project managers by focusing on identifying their strengths and potential behavioral imbalances. This customization allowed the tool to measure key competencies such as decision-making, persistence, and problem-solving, providing insights into areas that need improvement and helping project managers become more effective in executing projects. The AEC PM Behaviors Assessment benefits firms by identifying collective strengths and gaps in their project management teams, allowing them to implement targeted training and development strategies. For individual project managers, it provides a clear understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement, enabling them to enhance their performance, reduce stress, and increase engagement in their work. The AEC PM Behaviors Assessment provides a personalized performance evaluation by focusing on specific behaviors that influence a project manager's effectiveness. It identifies both strengths and blind spots, giving managers a clear roadmap for targeted development that can be integrated into their training programs to improve performance and leadership skills. Beyond immediate performance improvements, the assessment supports long-term career development by providing ongoing, actionable insights into a project manager’s behavior. Its ability to be revisited over time allows project managers to track their growth, refine their skills, and align their career goals with the needs of their organization, leading to sustained professional development. Project managers should focus on understanding their own behaviors and how they impact their ability to ma...