Is profiling like what we see on TV on crime shows? When
the term profiling is used in crime shows, this often refers to criminal
profiling—how a criminal is likely to commit a crime, his
motivations, and so on. Additionally, much of what is portrayed on
popular shows is simply the stuff of fiction. While elements of the Korem Profiling
System are used by law enforcement internationally, behavioral
profiling as applied in the system can be applied to a wide range of
applications, including: hiring, sales, teaching, negotiations, team
management, etc.
Does the Korem Profiling System have anything to do
with racial profiling or other forms of destructive stereotyping? No.
With the rise in new forms of crime, law enforcement
agencies often attempt to predict who is most likely to commit a crime or
who is currently engaged in criminal activity. Efforts to profile
these individuals has at times been very successful. There have been some
cases, however, in which people are solely identified
based upon ethnicity, the car they drive, their license plate prefix, and
so on. This is called stereotyping, and some of these
attempts have resulted in lawsuits. It is important to note that the
latter is not behavioral profiling, which is
used in the Korem Profiling System. The profiling strategies
used in the Korem Profiling System are sound and are
regularly used by Fortune 500 companies when hiring personnel, managing
teams, negotiating contracts, instructing students to improve
comprehension and retention, and so on. Personality tests, such as the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and others, are regularly used by industry to
promote better interaction and retard stereotyping. These tests are
behavioral profiling instruments. The Korem Profiling System many
of the same kinds of concepts, but rather than giving someone a test, you
can typically profile someone within five to fifteen minutes of
interaction, depending upon the situation.
How long does it take to develop proficiency?
This depends upon a person's native intuitive ability, occupation,
and other factors. Typically, though, a person will significantly improve his
or her skills within just a few weeks of practicing the exercises in the
text and applying one's skill in real situations.
How much accuracy will I be able to attain?
The average person when tested only demonstrated 25 - 35% accuracy.
Attaining 75% accuracy is a reasonable
expectation after a few weeks (and in some cases two to three months) of practice
and professional and personal daily application. In a workshop environment conducted by Korem &
Associates faculty, this learning curve is reduced to just one or two
days. The average workshop participant moves from 25% to 75% accuracy in a
day. Maintaining proficiency is dependent upon daily use of the system.
For more information about available workshops, please the Korem &
Associates page.
No one, not even the author of the text, will ever
attain a near-perfect accuracy. Rather, the idea here is to drive down
one's inaccuracy while promoting one's accuracy. The typical professional
who has no formal guidance or training, when tested, will typically start
out at about 25-35% accuracy. So the idea is to chip away at one's
inaccuracy first, while promoting a stable base upon which one can
increase one's percentage of accuracy
Behavioral profiling is something that we all attempt to
do when we meet someone. How do I interact with this person? How does
she prefer to make decisions? How well does he adapt to change? These
are questions we try to answer about others, but without refinement. The Korem
Profiling System, which is based upon well accepted concepts from
the field of psychology, enables non-behavioral science professionals
to increase their ability to accurately read others within days of
practicing the exercises in the text.
How complicated is the Korem Profiling System?
It is based upon four direct questions that you answer in your mind about
a person. Example: Does Joe control or express his emotions when he talks
to me? An example of someone who controls her emotions is Queen Elizabeth
II, while Robin Williams prefers to show and express his emotions.
Once the four questions are answered, one can access a two-page profile.
Are there follow-up tools available for me to practice my
profiling skills? Presently, the only tool available is for
educators and others who work with youths. It contains interviews with 20
youths, conducted by Dan Korem, in which their profile traits become
visible during the course of each interview. Dan Korem, then debriefs each
interview and explains which traits were visible and why as well as common
reasons for misreads. For more information.
Additional follow-up videos with video clips of real people in real
situations will soon be available within the next 6–12
months. These will include: Profiling when interviewing candidates for a
position; profiling adults in generic business applications;
additional videos of youths from specific cultures and age groups.
