Assessments 101 by Glenn Stevenson: CSAI
Cerny Smith Adjustment Index (CSAI)
This month in our series on assessments that coaches use, I review a specialty assessment for people who work internationally. It is the Cerny Smith Adjustment Index (CSAI). It helps assess how an employee is adjusting to a role assignment overseas. The CSAI is actually a series of assessments, one of which is chosen depending on whether the employee is with a corporation, a nonprofit, the government, etc.
This is the eleventh in the Insights series on assessments. For an index of assessments already reviewed and a preview of the assessment yet to be described, see the end of this article.
Assessment: Cerny Smith Adjustment Index (CSAI)
Description: The Cerny Smith Adjustment Index is a series of screening instruments for improving field retention of business executives, employees, government employees, military peacekeeping personnel, humanitarian workers, students, and their families by evaluating and enhancing Intercultural Intelligence (ICI) in foreign countries.
It assesses a person’s experience of intercultural life, how one sees oneself, and how one compares to other expatriates facing the challenges of intercultural work, study, and living. The goal of the report is to provide a snapshot of one’s current experience to help understand oneself better and achieve one’s personal objectives. The Index rates one’s intercultural skills in five domains: organizational, cultural, relational, behavioral, and personal. The report identifies strengths, possible stressors, and challenges across a spectrum of skills, current experiences, and resources involved in intercultural success.
Certification: The CSAI instruments are Level B assessments, which are available only to coaches who have appropriate training and credentials and who adhere to the principals of proper use, including knowledge of assessments and their applications.
To license a Level B assessment you must either have been granted an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university and have satisfactorily completed a course in interpretation of psychological assessments and in measurement or have taken and passed an approved workshop for the assessment.
To purchase and use CSAI assessments, CernySmith also requires the user to complete an approved, test-specific CSAI Level 1 training program. Applicants without a qualifying undergraduate degree are additionally required to document two years of personal cross-cultural experience and complete an approved CSAI Level 1 intensive training program.
Ongoing CSAI qualification also requires updating continuing education requirements in CSAI interpretation and coaching skill development.
Information about certification and training is available at http://www.cernysmith.com.
Cost of Training/Certification:
Seven-hour, in-person trainings are available at the following costs. For locations, visit http://www.cernysmith.com.
Early registration (until one month prior to workshop): $120
Standard registration: (less than one month prior): $150
On-site registration (day of event): $170
A web-based, 8-hour training is also available for $300.
In addition, after a coach’s account and qualification are approved, he or she must pay for online site licensure to administer the Cerny Smith instruments. The first year of assessment delivery is $199 plus the cost of report generation. After the first year, membership is $99 annually, plus the cost of reports.
Cost of Instrument: $125
Assessments Previously Reviewed in Insights:
| October 2007: | Myers-Briggs Type Indicator | click here for article |
| November 2007: | DiSC | click here for article |
| December 2007: | Keirsey Temperament Sorter-II | click here for article |
| January 2008: | Enneagram | click here for article |
| February 2008: | The Birkman Method | click here for article |
| March 2008 | Personal Style Indicator | click here for article |
| April 2008 | PeopleMap | click here for article |
| May 2008 | Real Colors® | click here for article |
| June 2008 | MAPP | click here for article |
| July 2008 | OSI Polaris 360 | click here for article |
Assessments to Be Reviewed in Future Issues:
Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument.
Glenn Stevenson. Ph.D., is a life coach and career transition coach who specializes in self-confidence, relationships coaching, and helping people find the work that they love. He specializes in people’s sense of self and their finding satisfaction in who they are and what they do. He may be contacted at glenn@myselfsense.com, 714-468-9963, www.myselfsense.com
