ACI: What You Need to Know

What is the Acumen ACI assessment?

The Acumen Capacity Index (ACI) report measures how a person thinks or processes information. The ACI report is based on a science called axiology.

TTI SI released its first version of the assessment and report in the early 2000s. TTI SI had a few early partnerships throughout the decade before releasing the TTI SI Acumen Capacity Index in 2010 based on The Hartman Value Profile (HVP) Manual of Interpretation.

“Axiology gives us the means to recognize and fulfill the good within each of us, thereby enriching our lives.”

Another way to put it is this: the axiology behind the ACI “gives us the means to recognize and fulfill the good within each of us, thereby enriching our lives.” From Freedom to Live: The Robert Hartman Story.

Speaking of Hartman, let’s learn about the man behind the concept.

Who is behind the scientific theory of formal axiology?

This assessment is based on the work of Robert S. Hartman, a philosopher, professor, business man, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee who “pioneered the science of values, or axiology, as a field of study”, according to the Hartman Institute. Hartman’s single intent was to change the world for the better through understanding values.

Photo courtesy of The Robert S. Hartman Institute

“Hartman was driven to define ‘good’,” said Rick Bowers, president of TTI SI. “The definition he created was this: A thing is good if, and only if, it fulfills the set of intentional properties of its concept.”

What does ACI measure?

ACI measures our capacity and clarity of understanding of the world and ourselves while revealing the blind spots that are created by our emotional biases.

ACI measures a variety of aspects of an individual, including their ability to understand people, to understand practical matters/tasks, to understand theoretical/structural matters, to understand yourself, to understand your personal/professional roles and to understand your envisioned future.

How can you use ACI right now?

ACI is a complex tool that can bring extraordinary results to any individual.

• Hiring: ACI helps reveal an individual’s worldview/self-view, priorities, and capacities. “It’s incredibly helpful in the hiring process, especially for executive roles and upper-level positions,” said Carol Mettenbrink, a Senior Business Services Consultant at TTI SI.
• Defining Job Roles: When you consider the requirements of a position, ACI can help to highlight areas where a person may be well aligned for the role, and can also highlight areas that may be a struggle for the individual.
• Personal Development: This will allow for developing a customized plan to help each person be successful based on their position needs and their own capacities, strengths and weaknesses.
• Coaching: ACI is a great tool for professional development — it provides a roadmap of where to begin working with an individual based on their strengths and where they may have blind spots that may not allow them to see the world or themselves from a realistic or unemotional perspective.

ACI is a tool used exclusively by top-performing coaches, consultants, and recruiters. If you recognize any of these challenges in your own organization, ACI may be your answer.

“Until you can understand or define the problem, you can never solve it, find the right approach, and use the right filters for the right situation. ACI helps individuals understand how they naturally approach problem solving.”

“You’re never going to solve a true ‘people problem’ using processes or technology. Until you can understand or define the problem, you can never solve it,” says Bowers. “Find the right approach, and use the right filters for the right situation. ACI helps individuals understand how they naturally approach problem solving.”

What’s your next step?

Use this in-depth tool to improve your self-awareness and improve your decision making.

If you are interested in harnessing the power of ACI for yourself or your organization, contact us here to get started.