High Performance Individuals (HPIs) demonstrate 5 key capabilities: Active Listener, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Control, Focus, and Managing Self. These presentation materials provide approaches to help assess a candidates degree of capability across these 5 competencies.

2. Active
Listener
Monitor Active Listening traits
Appropriate (small) smiles combined
with nods to affirm messages; with
eye contact
Leaning slight forward with posture
and mirroring the speaker’s
expressions
Remembering key points; using these
for questioning, reflection and
summarizing
Often times we are engaging with candidates using
phone or video conference (VC) technologies.
Whenever possible use VC. You are adding an extra
dimension of engagement for both you and the
candidate – just make sure the tech works well! Not
to worry if you do not have VC, you can still easily
determine if the candidate is actively listening – or
easily distracted!

3. Emotional
Intelligence
Understand how well they know
themselves – strengths,
weaknesses, areas they are
developing
Review their skills in influencing &
persuading others
Find out when they like to work alone
or with a team; and the roles they
play in the scenarios
Additional detail from HBR:

4. Self-
Control
How do they maintain balance across
the various dimensions of their life –
personal, professional, hobbies
Find about about times when they
have had to control frustrations /
stay calm when things didn’t go their
way
Understand their approach to handling
situations when they know they are
right, but they are facing an opposing
view and time is of the essence – their
willpower
What accomplishment are they most
proud and how do they share this with
others – their level of self-
confidence?

5. Focus
Find out their view on multitasking
Individuals with great focus both
measure results as well as
concentrate on the process (not the
event)
Focus happens when you say yes to
one option and no to all other options
– determine their decision making
process
Focus requires organized
prioritization – understand their
techniques for prioritizing
At a time with “agile” is the word de jour, can we also
have ”focus”? The short answer is YES. Agile seeks
to deliver value early and often; as well as, making
adjustments when new information is made available.
Agile and focus compliment each other.

6. Managing
Self
How well they manage their time –
and yours – is a great insight
Saying “no” is never easy but often
necessary; self-managers know how
to protect their time
Understanding how they have
escalated issues in the past helps to
illustrate if they are a problem solver
and proactive in presenting solutions
Because of their strong
understanding of themselves, they
know when (and where) they will be
most productive