When I went for my first Hogan certification in 2018, I really didn’t know what I was signing up for. At the time, I was using the tool in a basic way — mostly to support my team — and sensed that it was time to go in for a deeper dive. I completed my advanced certification a couple of years ago, and what surprised me wasn’t just new knowledge, but a fundamental shift in my practice. It changed how I listen to clients, how I connect the dots for them, and how often they leave a session feeling genuinely seen, sometimes even by themselves.
The Power of Precision
In my experience, clients readily accept Hogan because it’s uncannily accurate. More than one leader has joked that it feels like their janam patri (horoscope). While that precision builds immediate credibility, it also creates vulnerability. I think that the real power of a debrief isn’t the insight itself – It’s the moment of acknowledgement … sitting with someone as they recognise why work feels misaligned or why they’re constantly depleted, and naming that reality without judgement. So many leaders over-function to compensate for innate tendencies, and that effort is profoundly exhausting.. I have seen how this grounded acceptance creates the conditions for meaningful coaching and real, lasting development.
A defining moment showed me just how deep this tool could go. A therapist friend called me about a client who felt unsettled after a Hogan debrief. She shared only the scale data – no context or identifiers, and asked if I could help her understand what might be happening. As I interpreted the profile, she was taken by surprise by how precisely it mirrored what she was seeing clinically. It resonated so deeply that she asked me to walk through her own results next! That conversation surfaced a deeper truth: when used thoughtfully, Hogan can support profound reflective work.
My Own Profile: A Mirror Across Time
I’ve taken the Hogan twice myself, about six years apart. The shifts in my own profile were a telling map of my life’s journey.
- My Interpersonal Sensitivity scaled back- a likely function of my 40s, with a lower tolerance for unnecessary noise (and perhaps peri-menopause?!)
- My Ambition increased, signalling my emergence from the survival mode of raising two young children through a pandemic; which also gave me the confidence to start my own consulting practice. My Adjustment, while still high, dipped enough to signal the need for more conscious stress management.
- I’ve also made peace with my low Sociability, a result that genuinely bothered me the first time. I now see how my high Interpersonal Sensitivity and Altruism, combined with low Dutiful, foster deeper, more authentic connections that sustain my long-term client relationships.
- I’m acutely aware of the effort it takes to manage my low Prudence. Outsiders see me as highly organised (“you’re always on top of it…you’re the most organised person we know!”), but that structure is a conscious, constant effort. Many working mothers know this dance well, working against their natural style just to keep their ship sailing smoothly. I could feel these internal shifts over the years: in how I prioritized work, engaged with my clients, cared for my health, and invested in my relationships.
Ultimately, Hogan gives me a clear, shared way to speak honestly – with clients and with myself. The transformation doesn’t come from new information, but from courageously acknowledging what we already know and consciously choosing to work with it. That’s where the real, sticky change begins.
