In the course of my work on creativity and innovation, I have regularly profiled others and I have seen many of my peers doing similar. I have several concerns surrounding this sort of work and the main discomfort I currently have is ethics.
As qualified profilers, we are governed by a set of guidelines which informs us of the acts we could and could not take when dealing with the profiled individual and handling the information we gathered about him.
However, not much instruction is given to the profiled individual about how he should behave when profiled. I have seen some individuals who use the instruments on their subordinates and friends without the full understanding of the science and construct of these instruments. Such acts are unethical and down right dangerous, much like to a quack trying to manage a miscarriage on the operating table.
The other thing I frequently observed of profiled individuals is their gross misconception over the use of the information generated from the profiling exercise. I have encountered individuals, who acknowledge the accuracy of the profile, went on to share it with their supervisors, peers and subordinates with the sole intention of getting them to adjust their behaviours to these profiled individuals. I am totally taken aback by what I have learnt.
We cannot expect others to change for us. This is wishful thinking. We could only change ourselves, and the profiles give us the knowledge and power to do so. The science and construct of profiling is to help us to develop our character and growth ourselves as useful individuals. They are not instruments to dominate others or for social comparison.
I have yet to experience the scariest thing about the use of profiles on other individuals but I have heard stories about them being instrumental with the knowledge they have obtained about themselves and others. It is important that qualified profilers warn the profiled individuals not to side step into abusing their knowledge for personal again. There is a very fine line dividing personal growth and manipulating others with the special knowledge gained through profiling.
It is always good practice to warn the profiled individual about his responsibility when using the instrument and his profile. These are for him and for him only.
This article was written on 1 Oct 2008.
Copyright 2008. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.
