I like to think my Hogan Journey began before I ever saw a report. The first time I heard the name was in the final months of my Masters, during a module on Organisational Consulting and Coaching. A slide on the instructor’s deck read:
“We use tools such as Hogan Assessments to promote and deepen the reflection process, to recognize our own behavior patterns under stress or to align professional and personal career decisions with motives, values and strengths.”
A few months later, with my thesis submitted and the job search in full swing; I saw the phrase ‘Hogan Assessments’ again, this time in relation to ThreeFish Consulting. That’s when I realised I was standing at the train station, suitcase in hand, ready to board.
In the days leading up to my Hogan Certification in December 2023, Vinita Khan (Director, Assessments & Consulting) debriefed my results. As a card‑carrying member of the High Skepticism club, my first reaction was… skeptical. “That can’t be right… can it?”
Two things especially jarred: high Sociability and low Learning Approach. They felt alien. Wasn’t I the quiet one with a lifelong love of learning? And then there was Skepticism showing up at a high‑risk level (cue the meta‑moment of being skeptical about my own skepticism).
After certification came weeks of application: using Candidate Selection reports, supporting Leadership Development projects, and eventually taking first steps in delivering Hogan debriefs for IIM students myself. Somewhere between the first report and the first debrief, the data stopped being “about me” and started becoming a lens through which to understand workplace “reputation”.
Looking back over the past two years, a few pivot points stand out:
1. Zoom Out (for real)
To interpret a report is to understand the story the scales tell in cohesion with each other.
2. Context behind Contradictions
High Sociability highlighted that I am able to connect easily with people and build influence through connection. Low Learning Approach signalled a bias for applied learning over theoretical deep dives. That reframe changed how I looked at my learning: shorter bursts, hands‑on practice, and patience with myself when not being able to apply everything I learn immediately.
3. Respect the Dark Side – Don’t Fear It
High‑risk Skepticism (HDS) has been both my guardrail and my pothole. Two things I learned:
- Evidence + Intent Check: Ask myself, “What else could be true?” before I challenge.
- Leading with curiosity: One genuine open question before any assertion.
Where the track leads next:
If the first year was about learning the instrument and the second about finding my rhythm, the years ahead are about composing with others: building cultures where feedback is normal, values are visible, and risk is managed by design. I’m still on the platform, in a sense, but I’m well on my way.
