Year-end is the perfect time for reflection, a time to ponder the ups and down of the past year. On the last working day of 2021, Infelligent Coaching & Consulting, an authorized Hogan distributor in China and Taiwan, hosted a Hogan-certified alumni reunion. Sounds Good, a Taipei coffee shop located in a quiet alley and known for its wide collection of vinyl records, offered an inviting atmosphere for some of Infelligent’s alumni to share their experiences using Hogan’s personality tests.

Judy Yu, HR manager at Eternal Materials, spoke on using personality tests for key talent management initiatives. Eternal Materials is a leading traditional manufacturing company in southern Taiwan that enjoys high employee engagement and retention. Using insight gained from Hogan’s personality tests, Judy’s team established the company’s talent acquisition, succession planning, and talent development programs. Eternal Materials uses Hogan’s talent management solutions companywide, and all data are analyzed and compiled as the basis for tracking leadership performance and development.

One of the challenges the company has faced is developing an R&D leadership team equipped for a changing environment. With the help of Hogan personality data, the HR team recognized the employees’ preference for reforming the system and made the needed changes. For Judy, Hogan’s personality tests have helped Eternal not only find the right talent, but also put that talent in the right places.   

Gina Chang, senior manager of HR for Hong Kong and Taiwan at Edwards Life Sciences, went on to share her story. Modestly, she began by quoting Ginni Rometty: “Your value will be not what you know; it will be what you share.” Gina then shared how, with the approval of her company’s headquarters, she utilized Hogan’s personality tests for facilitating team development in Taiwan. Following her success, the company now uses Hogan’s products for employee development in China and Korea as well.

In sharing their stories, both Judy and Gina emphasized the importance of feedback for talent development. Feedback from peers and other colleagues adds dimension to the learning and development experience.

Following the sharing, it was time for some relaxation. A believer in balancing life and work, Infelligent hosts a salon event series that always combines learning with fun. For this event, Howard Ko, vice president of KGI Bank and an expert in music, led the audience through some songs. He played a number of pieces from the vinyl collection at Sounds Good, including the Getz and Gilberto recording of “The Girl from Ipanema,” Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas,” Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé’s “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne,” and George Michael’s “Last Christmas.” The playlist was quite diverse but filled with holiday spirit.

As the finale, Pei-ru, the owner of Sounds Good, told the alumni the story of her shop and collections. She also played an old Chinese song from her treasured 1910s gramophone. The artist’s sultry voice took everyone back to past times. It was the perfect ending to the afternoon.

Until next time, Infelligent wishes all of you work-life balance in 2022.

Infelligent Coaching & Consulting, Hogan’s distributor in Taiwan, hosted a “Refresh Mindset for Leadership Forum,” on April 12. Their audience of nearly 100 guests was comprised of many distinguished corporate leaders. Ken Sun, General Manager of Microsoft Taiwan, and Enid Tsai, General Manager of Hiwin Technology, shared their success stories based on Hogan related concepts. Abby Hsieh, Managing Director of Ogilvy Group Taiwan acted as the moderator.

In his opening remarks, Jim Hwang, General Manager of Infelligent, shared insights on transforming talent selection strategies. Based on Hogan’s research on Humility and Emergence vs Effectiveness, he suggested that corporations should not identify talent only based on performance approval, likability and willingness – these are common traits we often find in charismatic people who are not necessarily effective leaders. Studies show humble people make the effort to develop teamwork and help others; they focus more on team success rather than personal glory. Identifying high potential candidates with scientific assessments like the Hogan assessments, differentiates emergent leadership (generated by charisma) and effective leadership (generated by humility) and finds the leaders who are focused on building effective teams; who invites new ideas and feedback; who are willing to admit mistakes; and who gives credit to the teams and colleagues.

Ken Sun shared how Hogan’s concept of “Leadership Effectiveness” was also one of the keys to Microsoft’s comeback. When Satya Nadella took on the role of CEO at Microsoft, the quiet, humble, and disciplined leader set out to create a culture of “growth mindset” and followed this up with several innovative measures. He successfully reignited the employees’ passion and energy, built up a style of open communication, and completely transformed Microsoft, bringing it back to the leading position in the market.  

Enid Tsai shared about a similar successful transformation that took place at Hiwin Technology. This traditional automated device manufacturer refreshed its culture and explored new applications for these devices. Hiwin achieved global recognition with endless innovative projects such as “The Sound of Blooming,” installation – the world’s largest mechanical flower at Taichung Flora Expo and also a “Smart Coffee Shop”.

These organizations’ leaders worked hard to change the employee mindset, and this drove organizational transformation. When the new values and culture become part of an organization, engagement and inclusivity grows, and innovation grows too. Using scientific, unbiased tools like Hogan, to be able to effectively select leaders who can drive this transformation is key in the entire process.

The event concluded with a dialogue between these distinguished leaders. All of them agreed an organization’s culture is one of the keys to its transformation. A leader’s style directly impacts the culture. Humility in leaders with growth mindset opens the mind to innovation and learning and creates a culture that creates possibilities, and will drive the organizations ahead to the future. Hogan Research has studied humility extensively, and continues to explore its impact on global leadership.