Our premise is simple and straightforward:
Our assessment measures with statistical validity the vital factor of good judgment, the critical driver in accomplishing desired outcomes in business and life. The following model illustrates our premise:
Organizations spend millions of dollars every year on skills training, process improvement and information. For much of corporate America this is the major focus of improvement efforts and is often considered the basis for creating a competitive advantage.
And while it is true that improvements in each of these areas contribute to more desirable outcomes, none of them focus on what really matters most… the strength of judgment and decision-making of the workforce.
For without good judgment, the strongest enterprise becomes vulnerable.
Our assessment, the Athena Quotient (AQ) is unique among assessments because of its incredible predictability and consistency.
But the AQ isn’t so much a test as it is an evaluation. There is no “pass” or “fail.” Prospective employees, current staff and senior leadership do not feel intruded upon, judged or for that matter, tested as they often do with more standard assessment methodologies. The AQ isn’t laborious or intimidating. Most people complete the AQ in less than thirty minutes.
Athena Assessment is about something else, something more.
We are about the measurement and improvement of judgment—judgment which can produce not simply incremental improvements within an organization, but quantum leaps. Certainly continue training your workforce, but multiply your training efforts with the power of good judgment.
In other words, improvements in judgment can dramatically increase all of the other investments in training, process improvement and information a company makes.
What we're NOT
Not an IQ Test
The Athena Quotient is not an IQ test.
Rational intelligence alone, or IQ, is not a valid predictor of performance or success. Some people are “book smart” yet lacking in common sense.
Certainly it can be advantageous to be intellectual and many highly intelligent people are successful, but many are not.
The Athena Quotient distinguishes itself by assessing common sense, wisdom and judgment, not IQ.
Not a Psychological Test
The Athena Quotient is not a psychological test or an emotional balance profile.
The AQ was not designed, nor intended to measure or seek out the presence of psychological dysfunction. Indeed, the Athena Quotient arises from the field of philosophy, not psychology.
However, the AQ is excellent at measuring the influence of four different categories of stress on judgment.
Most individuals suffering from a social or emotional breakdown do so because of the presence of overwhelming stress and an inability to cope. The solution for them is to get their stress under control, learning to cope.
Fortuitously, in the area of stress, the Athena Quotient reveals key information and metrics about the influence of four different categories of stress on judgment, and an ability to cope with adversity.
Additionally, if coping skills are lacking, we offer guidance for improvement.
Not a Personality Profile
The Athena Quotient is not a personality profile.
The overwhelming majority of personal assessments are personality profiles. These types of assessments usually suggest that certain personality types will result in certain kinds of competency (or lack thereof).
Actually, people are able to overcome very real, supposedly negative, personality traits and characteristics, and perform their work in an excellent fashion and achieve high levels of success.
Personality profiles are simply not a compelling predictor of performance, success, or compatibility, whereas judgment is.
What we ARE
The Athena Quotient is...
The Athena Quotient is the objective, accurate, measurement of the all-important, all-critical dimension of judgment, the same judgment that provides your unique value perspectives on life and work.
Our assessment has been completed by hundreds of thousands of people, including more than one hundred best/worst performer studies, over ten years and across a wide range of corporations, jobs and work environments.
Our work has enriched industries such as healthcare, retail, construction, legal, banking, education, criminal, military, technology, athletics, and many more.
No other assessment measures what we measure, judgment!
Completing the AQ:
To complete the AQ, you will place in order a variety of phrases, from what you consider the best phrase, to what you consider the worst.
Each phrase contains a particular value, or combination of values. As seen through the lens of your unique judgment, each phrase will inspire within you a particular reaction or feeling. Your reactions will likely have varying degrees of intensity, from very positive, to very negative, to somewhat indifferent.
This is exactly what is intended: a hierarchy of phrases based on your unique judgment. Your judgment determines which phrases you consider best, worst, and those in-between. Your scores are then calculated based on the order in which you place the phrases.
The Athena Quotient does not require any preparation, or study, or additional materials. You are not asked to reveal any personal or private information.
Find a relatively quiet undisturbed location in order to avoid distractions. Complete the assessment entirely by yourself. Do not ask advice. Do not have someone leaning over your shoulder watching. Do not let anyone make suggestions. Do not let anyone provide guidance or assistance.
Simply put, the assessment must be entirely yours, and completed only by you, in order for your results to be accurate.
Most people complete the assessment in less than thirty minutes. However, there is no time limit, and the amount of time you take to complete the assessment does not affect your scores.