A River Runs Through the CVI

I live less than a half hour's drive from the Columbia River Gorge, one of the most beautiful places in the lower 48 states. I grew up here and have spent countless hours driving its roads and hiking its trails.

In terms of volume, the Columbia River is the fourth-largest in North America. That's impressive, but what makes it even more interesting is that instead of flowing around mountains and taking the path of least resistance to the sea, this bad boy cuts straight through the Cascade Mountains with 4,000 foot peaks on either side. If you read the geographical history of its creation you'll realize just how much drama is represented in the basalt cliffs along its banks.

Even knowing all this and experiencing it first-hand, I am ashamed to say that over time I have grown to take it for granted. I'm reminded of this fact when someone visits from out of town and I see their wonder and awe at the Gorge's mighty splendor.

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Dale Lovett, President and CEO of Lovett Services, a prominent and successful commercial construction services company that does work for most of the well known property managers in the Portland metro area. Dale came to learn about the Core Values Index assessment at the same time as eRep founder, Travis Stovall, and has been a strong believer in the power of the CVI ever since on both a personal and professional level.

I'm well aware of the amazing insight and usefulness of the CVI, but as I talked with Lovett about his perspective of the core values experience, I was reminded of the positive impact the CVI has on those who use it much like how I'm reminded of the Columbia River Gorge's rugged beauty when talking about it with those who see it for the first time.

As I chatted with Dale about his experience with the CVI, one of the things that really stood out was how he uses it when interacting with everyone, not just at work. "I try to see others through the lens of the CVI," he said. "This helps me understand their perspective, and I adjust how I interact with them accordingly."

"I try to see others through the lens of the CVI."

When I asked how his CVI-centric perspective has impacted his experience at Lovett Services, Dale had a practical yet enthusiastic appreciation for its benefits. "I understand my coworkers and customers much better. The CVI enables me to understand the strengths and weaknesses of my team."

Dale went on to talk about how Lovett Services uses the Core Values Index assessment in their operations. "We use the CVI extensively when hiring staff so that they have the right profile for their job. The use of the CVI in hiring has been a big success for us."

As we talked, Dale's enthusiasm for the CVI became infectious. I work at eRep and yet my conversation with Dale gave me a renewed appreciation for just how much of a positive impact the CVI has on people. "One thing I have noticed," Dale remarked, "is that once I learn someone's CVI, I never forget it."

Dale successfully guessed my profile less than ten minutes into our phone conversation. "I consider it a fun challenge to guess the CVI profile of people I meet," he said.

This awareness and adoption of the CVI no doubt gives Dale a leg up when meeting customers or business contacts, as the CVI provides a surprising amount of insight into what motivates others. It also provides some powerful insight into oneself that can make our interactions far more productive.

"My biggest revelation after taking the CVI was learning about my negative conflict strategy," Dale said with surprising candor. "As a Merchant, I can sometimes turn to manipulation when I feel confronted or uncomfortable. Now that I'm aware of this aspect of my profile, I have made a lot of progress taking positive approaches in those kind of situations."

Dale's introspection made a lot of sense. The Core Values Index is useful not only in letting us be aware of our strengths and where our happiness lies, it also gives us an accurate reflection of ourselves. This knowledge helps us understand how and why we react the way we do when faced with challenges in life. This insight is invaluable when working with others.

"The biggest difference I've experienced," Dale added, "is that I'm much more aware of my own strengths and weaknesses, and by extension, the inherent strengths and weaknesses of others."

Another lesson Dale learned about the CVI is our natural, unconscious tendency to hire people who are most like ourselves. "I have learned to hire Innovator/Bankers, as well as other CVI profiles. They have a very different profile from my own, and I have learned to appreciate and embrace that difference." We mutually agreed this insight reflected the old wisdom that business leaders must be willing to acknowledge that they can't do everything themselves, and it is important to hire those who are strong where we are weakest.

After talking about how successful the CVI has been at Lovett Services, I asked Dale if he has implemented what he's learned about his own CVI strengths and weaknesses in his personal life.

"I often motivate my friends to use the CVI when dating," Dale chuckled. "This has worked out well, but sometimes it has backfired by revealing incompatibilities that some people would have preferred kept hidden."

To wrap up our conversation, I asked Dale if there was anything about the CVI that he wanted to share with others.

"Although I have found the CVI to be very useful in my personal and professional life, it can sometimes be hard to explain to others just how beneficial it really is. My best advice to those who are new to it is to give it a try, get your upgraded report, and see for yourself just how amazing it is."

"Give it a try, get your upgraded report, and see for yourself just how amazing the CVI is."

Even though I work with the CVI on a daily basis, I came away from the interview with a renewed respect for the positive power of the core values index assessment. I also have the urge to take a scenic drive through the Gorge.