Participants · Everything else
Real questions. Real answers.
Every question we've heard from participants going through an assessment, a coaching relationship, or a cohort program — organized by when it comes up. If yours isn't here, ask your consultant, or write to us.
Before the engagement
What to know before you start.
How was I selected?
Most participants are put forward by their manager, their CHRO, or a sponsoring executive as part of a broader engagement — a leadership development cohort, a succession review, or a specific placement decision. Selection criteria vary by engagement, but you can always ask your consultant directly why you were included; it's a fair question and one they should be able to answer clearly.
How long will this take?
A standalone CPA or IRIS assessment typically runs two to three weeks from kickoff to feedback session. If development work follows, that runs on its own timeline — often several months, structured around a coaching cadence rather than a fixed course calendar. Your consultant will lay out the specific schedule for your engagement before it starts.
Who sees my report?
You see your full report first. What your sponsoring organization receives is agreed in advance with your organization and is typically a summary or aggregated view rather than every individual data point. If you're unsure what's being shared, ask before the assessment begins — the answer should be specific, not vague.
Do I need to prepare anything?
No special preparation or study is required — there's no material to memorize. The one useful thing you can do is come with real examples from your own work rather than hypothetical ones; the assessment is more useful, and more accurate, when it's grounded in situations you've actually faced.
Can I decline?
That depends on how your organization has set up the engagement — some are mandatory as part of a broader program, others are optional. If you have concerns about participating, raise them with your manager or sponsor first, and separately with your Anker Bioss consultant if you want an independent perspective on what the assessment does and doesn't involve.
Will this affect my performance review?
The assessment itself is diagnostic, not evaluative in a pass/fail sense, and it is a distinct process from your formal performance review. What your organization chooses to do with any information it receives is governed by the engagement agreement with your sponsor — ask your consultant or HR contact to be specific about how the two processes are kept separate in your case.
What if I disagree with the results?
Disagreement is expected and welcomed — the feedback session exists specifically so you can push back on a finding, add context the data didn't capture, or flag something that doesn't match your own experience. A good outcome isn't unconditional agreement; it's a shared, accurate picture you both recognize as fair.
How is this different from a personality test?
A personality test measures traits or preferences that are relatively fixed. CPA and IRIS measure how you actually think and decide when facing real complexity — sensing, framing, deciding and adapting — mapped against what your specific role demands. It's about capability applied to work, not a typology you're sorted into.
During the engagement
What to know while it's underway.
What if I have a bad day during the assessment?
Tell your consultant. If you're dealing with an unusual circumstance — poor sleep, a family situation, an unrelated crisis at work — say so before or during the session. Consultants are trained to account for that context, and in some cases a session can be rescheduled if it would materially affect the read.
How honest should I be?
As honest as you can manage. The assessment is only useful if it reflects how you actually think and decide, not an idealized version of yourself. Consultants have seen the full range of answers and are not there to judge you for an honest account of a situation you handled imperfectly — in fact, that's often more informative than a polished one.
Can my manager sit in?
No. Assessment sessions and coaching conversations are one-on-one between you and your consultant. Your manager's role is as sponsor of the broader engagement, informed at the level agreed in advance — not a participant in your individual sessions.
What if I miss a session?
Tell your consultant as soon as you know — sessions are rescheduled routinely and it isn't held against you. What matters more is the pattern: if sessions keep slipping, your consultant will raise it with you directly to understand whether the cadence itself needs to change.
Can I bring specific work situations to coaching?
That's the point of coaching. The most effective sessions work through live, real decisions you're facing — not generic leadership theory. Bring the situation that's actually on your mind, including ones you're unsure how to handle or ones that went badly.
How is confidentiality handled?
Coaching conversations are confidential between you and your coach. Sponsor updates are limited to what you agreed to in advance — typically progress against the development thesis, not the content of specific conversations. If a sponsor update ever feels more detailed than what you agreed to, raise it with your consultant immediately.
What if the coach and I don't click?
Say so. Coaching only works with a working relationship that has real trust in it, and a mismatch isn't a reflection on you or the coach — it happens. Raise it with your Anker Bioss point of contact and a different coach can usually be arranged without disrupting the rest of the engagement.
How do I know if it's working?
Progress is measured against the development thesis agreed at the start — specific, observable changes in how you handle the situations named in your experience map, not a vague sense of improvement. Your coach should be able to point to concrete evidence at each check-in, and you should feel free to ask for that evidence directly.
After the engagement
What to know once formal work wraps up.
What happens to my data?
Your assessment data and coaching records are retained under the confidentiality terms of the engagement letter between Anker Bioss and your sponsoring organization, and are not repurposed for a different engagement or shared with a new employer without your consent. Ask your consultant for the specific retention period that applies to your engagement.
Will there be follow-up?
Most engagements include at least one follow-up check-in after formal coaching ends, typically a few months out, to see whether the capability is holding under real conditions. Some sponsoring organizations build in a longer-term review as part of a broader talent or succession cycle — your consultant can tell you what's planned for yours.
Can I share the report with my family/mentor?
Yes — it's your report, and there's no restriction on you personally discussing it or sharing it with people you trust, such as a mentor or a family member. The confidentiality terms govern what Anker Bioss and your organization do with the data; they don't restrict what you choose to do with your own copy.
How do I keep the progress going?
The experience map and development thesis don't expire when formal coaching ends — the situations that built the capability are still part of your job. Many participants keep a lighter version of the coaching cadence going informally with a peer, a mentor, or periodic self-review against the same thesis. Ask your consultant for a simple way to structure that if you want one.
What if my situation changes?
A new role, a reorganization, or a significant change in what your job demands can shift what capability actually matters most. If that happens, it's worth a conversation with your consultant or sponsor about whether a fresh assessment or a revised development thesis makes sense — the original one was built for the situation as it stood at the time.
Still stuck?
Ask your consultant, or ask us directly.
If your question isn't answered here, your Anker Bioss consultant is the fastest path to a specific answer for your engagement. You're also welcome to write to us directly.