Advice From One Core Value to the Next

If you haven't taken the Core Values Index psychometric assessment, you should. Go to erep.com/core-values-index/ and complete the CVI right now. It only takes about 8 minutes and your CVI results have a repeat reliability rating of 97.7%, the most reliable personality test and psychometric assessment on the market.

To get you up to speed, here is a brief description of how the CVI works.

The Basics of the CVI

There are four core value energies in the CVI:

• Builder = Power and action
• Merchant = Intuitive creativity and emotional connection
• Innovator = Problem solving wisdom
• Banker = Pursuit of knowledge and justice

Everyone has a particular combination of these four energies within them, each represented by a score between 0 (non-existent) to 36 (maximum). The total of your four scores equals exactly 72. When one energy is high, other energies are correspondingly lower. Whichever energy score is the highest is your primary core value energy.

Now that we have the basics of the Core Values Index covered, let's get started.

For this article, we list the advice each primary core value might give to the others.

Advice

From Builders

Builder to Innovator: "Perfect tomorrow is rarely worth it compared to good enough today. You're smart and you love to solve problems. It's also your natural tendency to pursue perfection. That's okay, but remember that action right now can often be more helpful than continued tweaking and refining for small gains."

Builder to Merchant: "Between the two of us, we can lead others to accomplish great things. It is in my nature to seek results and accomplishment over most other considerations, and it is in your nature to inspire and motivate people to the common cause. In addition to the contributions of knowledgeable Bankers and problem-solving Innovators, you will excel by keeping everyone on the team enthused and inspired."

Builder to Banker: "I like to get things done, but I also don't want to be bogged down with loads of data and reports and spreadsheets, etc. That is why I can rely on you to make sure all needed data and information is gathered and justly shared with the team. I can rely on you to make sure nothing falls through the cracks."

From Bankers

Banker to Merchant: "It is in your nature to take action with only 30% of the information. That's great when the team needs to get things done: Your energy and enthusiasm helps motivate everyone and you're great at getting things started. Just remember to rely on the Bankers and Innovators on your team to make sure all important information is gathered and synthesized before making big decisions. You wouldn't want to authorize a rocket launch with only 30% of the information."

Banker to Builder: "You like action and results, and don't want to waste time on the tedious gathering of information. It's in your nature to prefer results over knowledge. Because of this, it's a good idea to let others who are hardwired for it gather and synthesize data, then you can act on a summary of that information, keeping things moving forward."

Banker to Innovator: "One of your greatest contributions to the team is your wisdom. You love to solve problems. I can help you with that. My primary contribution is the gathering and sharing of knowledge, so rely on me to make sure you have all the data and information you need to find the right solution to the challenges you seek to overcome."

From Innovators

Innovator to Builder: "It is in my nature to keep working on problems until they're perfect. It's in your nature to act now and get things done. We both play a valuable role in the team's success, so don't be afraid to rely on my problem-solving abilities as you take charge and provide much needed leadership toward 'done.'"

Innovator to Merchant: "Being a problem solver, it can be in my nature to go off on my own and woodshed solutions to the challenges our team will face. In contrast to my sometimes overly long pursuit of perfection, you naturally inspire and motivate everyone toward a common goal, even without much information. I rely on your enthusiasm and ability to make me feel connected to the team and our shared objectives."

Innovator to Banker: "The Builder makes sure we have clear objectives and hard targets. The Merchant keeps us motivated and inspired. I seek to find solutions to problems. Your amazing and valuable contribution is to make sure we are fully informed and have the knowledge we need to succeed. It is you who makes sure nothing falls through the cracks."

From Merchants

Merchant to Builder: "Many of the world's leaders are Builder/Merchants or Merchant/Builders. This says a lot about how our two energies can make things happen. While I focus more on inspiring and motivating people toward a common goal, your focus is on action and results. Be sure to rely on my hardwiring to keep the team inspired by your leadership and vision."

Merchant to Innovator: "When Merchants and Innovators come together, the world's greatest ideas are born. While I tend to excel at getting things started with a lot of enthusiasm, it will often be you who takes that ball and runs with it to successful completion. I can rely on you to find the wisest solutions to the problems our team seeks to overcome."

Merchant to Banker: "We are opposites in some ways. I only need 30% of the information before I'm ready to get started, but you are driven to find all the available knowledge about a subject. You also play a vital role on the team by making sure our actions are just and worthy. We couldn't succeed without you."