Have you ever looked at a situation and asked yourself “I wonder what makes them behave like that?
Within the worlds of Human Resources, Crisis Communications, Public Relations and Security amongst others, we look for effective and rapid ways to defuse a situation.
One method that is often overlooked and yet hugely effective is the field of Behavioural Analysis and Profiling. Often thought confined to criminal investigations, it’s methods and benefits are equally transferrable to the commercial environment.
Put simply, we humans are not (yet) robots. What may work for one person may not for another. Behavioural analysis and profiling make inferences based on an individual’s personality and behaviour. This article will discuss some of the areas where behavioural analysis and profiling can add real value, help defuse unwanted situations, save time and money our improve our working lives.
There is good reason why its effectiveness is so commonly used in the investigative world, because it adds real value to our decision making. Whilst many people have extensive experience and an understanding of human behaviour, the expertise of qualified and experienced forensic or clinical psychologists is illuminating and takes that understanding to a whole new level.
Benefits
One of the main benefits of using behavioural analysis and profiling is that it eliminates any bias that exists. The psychologist looks for evidence, not emotions, and seeks to explain motivations and reasons for behaviour, identifying associated risks and generating appropriate solutions tailor-made for that situation. What you then have is a professional assessment and action plan produced by a qualified psychologist.
Stalking & Harassment
Unless you have been stalked or harassed, it is difficult to understand the substantial emotional consequences. Cyber-stalking and harassment have increased significantly and can be it difficult at times the victim and the investigator to understand the motivation. Why would someone dedicate hours each day to harassing another person? Stalking is a commonly discussed subject, but when genuine expertise is introduced, the individual complexities are quickly understood. No two stalkers are the same.
Most researchers will agree that there are different types of stalkers: – the rejected stalker, the resentful stalker, the intimacy seeker, the incompetent suitor, and the predator. The leading experts in stalking, harassment and the fixated are professional psychologists and psychiatrists. Their expertise and knowledge have equipped them to use behavioural analysis and profiling to identify the type of the stalker being investigated, understand the specific risks that the individual poses and then deliver highly tailored responses to reduce the risks involved, especially when the identity of the stalker is unknown.
Disputes and Threats
Rarely a day goes by when we don’t read about ‘threats’ and abuse on social media platforms, very often towards high profile or public figures and usually by a person unknown to them.
Behavioural analysis and profiling enable us to separate those who generally pose a threat from those simply communicate a threat. It enables the investigator to identify the personality behind anonymous profiles, understand the motivation behind negative communications and provide strategies to resolve potentially dangerous situations. Investigators lacking that expertise can very quickly do the opposite and fail to recognise when a genuine threat exists. Equally, that same lack of expertise can cause the threat to quickly escalate.
Equally damaging are the daily disputes that occur in professional contexts, often within a commercial setting and between identifiable parties. Huge amounts of fees are charged by lawyers busily trying to resolve the situation and avoid litigation, often by an exchange of letters or in more recent times, emails. However, this rarely involves a real understanding of the parties involved or a professional assessment. By understanding those involved, with particular focus on the ‘aggrieved’, a quicker, and more cost-effective resolution can be achieved. In one case we were able to assess that the aggrieved party had a narcissistic personality. As such the exchanging of letters, rather than resolving the situation, was feeding the very condition that fuelled him and motivated him to continue down this path.
“Reaching out to Defuse and the expertise of Philip Grindell and his team of experts in behavioural sciences, we were provided with an in-depth psychological profile of the individual describing what actions he may escalate to if confronted with legal and law enforcement action. This situation was resolved without further incident. This result was due to the professional approach and analysis that Defuse provided to our firm.”
Director of Security – Europe, Mid-East and Africa (EMEA) – Leading US based Global Professional Services Consultancy
A further benefit of using behavioural analysis and profiling is avoiding the risk of being ‘Cancelled’. With ‘Cancel Culture’ becoming more widespread and the risk of reputational harm being paramount on most organisation’s risk register, being properly informed of any issues that may cause offence is key. As an example, mismanaging a hostile party suffering from a mental health ailment can escalate into a hugely negative and brand damaging incident.
How Not to Hire a Psychopath
Recruiting the very best candidates is an expensive business and getting it wrong can be even more expensive in addition to damaging the brand reputation. Due diligence is a phrase that is often used in this context. However, the flaw in due diligence is that what effectively happens is the confirmation of what is already known from an integrity perspective. It is difficult to imagine anyone (especially when we are talking about key executive roles) foolish enough to provide references that are likely to speak of the candidate unfavourably.
Using behavioural analysis and profiling provides access to the person behind the profile. It facilitates improved communications and helps to build complimentary teams by recruiting compatible personalities. It enables the personality to be matched to the role, avoiding future risks and avoiding conflicts.
When conducted in person, a professionally managed psychometric testing process followed by a psychological assessment will identify levels of self-awareness whilst highlighting any problematic personality traits, reducing risk of future issues, and costs.
The potential benefits from using behavioural analysis and profiling are unparalleled. It can result in numerous positive changes in the workplace, work ethic and performance and a reduction in workplace violence.
Positive Profiling
In the commercial environment behavioural analysis and profiling has huge potential to deliver competitive advantages. These benefits include providing otherwise unobtainable client insights, helping to understand what drives those engaged in negotiations and explaining their motivations and the reasons for their behaviour. Imagine the advantage that can be achieved when engaged in a negotiation, be that mergers and acquisitions, securing investments, dispute resolution or an acrimonious divorce. In an increasingly global marketplace, especially when engaging in new markets behavioural analysis and profiling can be employed to better understand and be mindful of cross-cultural nuances.
The benefits of being equipped with these insights can be the difference between driving a saloon car or a supercar!
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