India is mysterious, intriguing and vast. So it is no surprise that countless talent management firms have gotten lost navigating the folds of this complex and ever changing market. Thus it is with great delight the Hogan Global Alliances Network can say we have Sierra Alta at helm of the region’s distribution channels. With managing partners Dr. Pradnya Parasher and Rahul Baswani bringing a combined 60 years of psychology and business expertise, we are overwhelmed by their team’s ability to consistently grow and expand the Hogan brand throughout the Asian subcontinent since 2010.

Like many of our distribution partners, one of the keys to their achievement is conducting regular certification workshops, consistently targeting the same major Indian and Sri Lankan cities on an annual cycle. “Keeping a consistent rotation of workshops provides us with a perfectly soft but proactive way to market Hogan Assessments as well as Sierra Alta’s breadth of talent management capabilities,” notes Rahul. “We are able to build on these training opportunities with additional educational services, such as our regularly scheduled Hogan Graduate Club meetings, and Best Practice sharing events.”

Another, lesser known secret to Sierra Alta’s continuously rising success is leveraging Hogan’s global network of multinational consulting partners. “We take pride in partnering with organizations such as Right Management and Aon Hewitt,” says Dr. Parasher. By supporting the Indian business units of these well established players in the market to deliver quality consulting around the Hogan instruments and reports, Sierra Alta has developed invaluable partnerships which they can call upon when their own clients require support on projects that go far beyond their current capacity. “We never have to worry about responding to our clients’ ever growing needs,” she adds.

“But this wouldn’t be possible without the experiences that so many other distributors around the world are willing to generously share; Mobley Group Pacific in Greater China, A&D Resources in Denmark, and Peter Berry Consultancy in Australia, just to name a few,” Rahul explains. “The Global Alliances Network is a great family and we look forward to partnering with each and every one of them on international projects.”

With this positive attitude and willingness to collaborate across boundaries, Sierra Alta in India is a perfect embodiment of what we like to call a ‘Truly Global Hogan.’

I wouldn’t consider myself a techie, but on occasion I have been known to dabble in the social media space—posting the occasional observational wisdom, a vacation picture every so often, and dare I admit it, a complaint here and there. But this blog entry isn’t about my world wide intertube surfing trends, or any highfalutin comments on the varying notions of privacy. Rather, I would like to take this opportunity to express my secret delight with the outputs of the latest pedantic personality pandemic. Surprisingly I’m not talking about the terrible alliteration of which that last sentence was so incredibly guilty. I am referring to the hokey but lovable evaluations that have become the most recent cross-generational fad.

Let me first say that I commend all those who are not only interested in self improvement but are also motivated to complete an inventory to gain perspective. So in a way, I am excited to see individuals spend time reporting their preferences to determine which Hobbit, Game of Thrones Character, News Anchor, OTC constipation pill or rare bacterial disease best captures their essence. But I think it’s important we lay down a few best practices before this branch of the industry really takes off.

Stay current: I understand if early 90s snap-bracelets or funky hair-trolls are still your thing. But I cannot for the life of me remember the names of the My Little Pony characters. And thus it’s hard for me to comment and relate to your results. (Ok that’s a lie, but I’ll never admit it online). Best to stay current so you can maximize audience appeal.

Do your due diligence: Was the sample against which the instrument constructed a stratified representation of the Muppet population? Should Fraggles have their own local norm? Was the test brought to you by a suspicious combination of letters that form an enigmatic acronym? These are questions that really should be asked before committing to an assessment.

Keep it neutral: I don’t care which political scandal or religious dogma says the most about your interpersonal style. I want to read about fun loving results like which Miley Cyrus phase best represents you. Or which Justin Beiber crime is emblematic of your management approach. However, I shouldn’t have to visualize the likes of brassy over exposed governors or congressional private parts to know how you prefer to be seen.

Not a standalone: When considering what kind of, say, vegetable or cookie you would be, perhaps it’s best to not use such evaluations as a standalone assessment. I recommend pairing them with the appropriate assessment center modules. In this example perhaps an In-Supermarket-Basket exercise would augment the results.

Don’t overdo it: I get it that you want to see yourself from varying angles. But must you take seven of these quizzes a day? Furthermore, I think you lose credibility when you’re equally excited about each one. I know it’s hard to contain yourself when you find out that you would be a poppy seed bagel. But honestly, after reading which waste management vehicle, computer antivirus software and CBS network television character you would relate to most, I’m on the verge of losing interest. Let’s cap it to 16 a week, shall we?

By choosing your social media assessments wisely you can not only ensure more valid results, you can also help me resist the temptation block you from my timeline forever. Thanks for considering these best practices going forward and for doing your part in making the internet, and my timeline a better place.

Do you get belligerent when things go wrong? Do you find yourself drunk with arrogance? The parallels between the dangers of over intoxication and leadership derailment are uncanny. Recently I shared a few crafted libations with partners from across our global network, and we discussed the dearth of available cocktails that pointedly appeal to an individual’s dark side. So naturally, we came up with the following menu of customized personality enhancers. It offers a number of options for entertaining that special boss or client, or for when you’re just looking to imbibe something that will reveal to your friends and colleagues who you really are.

The Excitable
This hot headed variant of the “Prairie Fire” is one part Tennessee whiskey, one part Tequila, and served in a generous shot glass with a habanero sauce floater. Once a few of these spicy voice amplifiers burn passed past your esophagus, you’ll notice a sudden increase in passionate pontification as well as chest hair. Professional swimmers and fans of the unbuttoned collar beware.

The Skeptical
Looking for a drink that arouses suspicion? Nothing says ‘whaddya think you’re lookin at’ better than this dubious brew. It’s the perfect prop for sitting at the end of a dark bar in sunglasses while you ponder the phrase ‘how are you doing tonight’ and if it was meant as an insult. The recipe is proprietary…just to get you started on the right foot.

The Cautious
Should you or shouldn’t you? Why not? After all it’s only a virgin Margarita in a plastic cup filled halfway. And if you’re not sure you’ll like it, start slow. Just a tip of the glass is enough to get a little loosened up.

The Reserved
Aged scotch, neat. Need we say more?

The Leisurely
We’ll get back to you on this one soon.

The Bold
If you’re out to show off your worth, this ‘cocky-tail’ is the one for you. We take the classic self-promoting energy drink and vodka mix and add an obnoxiously awesome protein powder. Guaranteed to inspire clever pick up lines, this drink is only appropriate for those who can handle an attitude that oozes bestness.  

The Mischievous
Want to cleverly hide that ‘only-live-once’ attitude? Need to keep from looking like a bottomless lush without sacrificing a good buzz? Well if you’re searching for a drink that sneaks up on you, you’ve come to the right place. We amended the recipe for a Long Island Iced Tea to also include absinthe and a special brand of moonshine. We know it’s a bit much, but come on, it’s only one drink…

The Colorful
If sticking out from the crowd is what you’re after, try this outstanding social lubricant. Available in three inspired hues, this special blend of apple schnapps, blue curacaos and grenadine mix is poured into a fishbowl decorated by Asian cocktail umbrellas and tiny, unbelievably sharp cherry swords. Garnished with a cornucopia of fruit, you are sure to be remembered.

The Imaginative
We thought to ourselves, what if we combined one liquor from each country we do business with, in even parts, but we locally sourced the bottles so as to ensure the end-result’s genuine nature, and once we got the ingredients delivered, then we could experiment with recipes until we discovered the secret formula to a truly global cocktail.

The Diligent
Mastery of the measuring cup is a lost art. But we’re going to revive it with this methodically tested formula. Featuring meticulously coordinated flavors, we combine 1.42 oz of coconut rum and 37.26 oz. of cola for a thoroughly good time.

The Dutiful
Just have whatever your companion is having; as long as it would be okay with them to do that. Otherwise find out what they recommend for you.

Derail responsibly.