Get ready to discover a new way of thinking about who you are in the workplace or in your business!

The Professional Values & Story Index (PVSI) is designed to help people understand what's most meaningful and motivating to them in their work lives, and how their strengths and values add up to a "story type" that personifies their professional success factors. Based on the 12-archetype model created by Dr. Carol S. Pearson, the instrument provides a holistic way of looking at who you are professionally by measuring how much you identify with the attitudes and behaviors of 12 mythical or archetypal characters (called story types on this website).

Each of these characters represents a different way of thinking and acting in the world, and has its own unique set of talents, qualities and motivators. You probably have those things in common with the archetypal characters that you identify with most. They are very likely to symbolize your way of being—or the way you'd like to be--in the workplace.

The characters we relate to most give us significant clues about our own strengths and values, the passion and purpose that stirs us deeply, and the great meaning we'd like to find in our work. Ultimately, story typing can help us discover a path that seems most worth living to us—and the surest path to success and fulfillment is living the story we were born to tell.

Finally, we decided to make this instrument available at no charge because it's such an important part of our mission to make the world a better place through authentic expression. The only "consideration" involved is that by taking the instrument, you're agreeing to join our mailing list (which will never be sold to or shared with anyone else). We hope you enjoy hearing from us periodically, and of course, the unsubscribe option is always available once you start receiving our emails.

To take the Professional Values & Story Index (PVSI) survey, please read the instructions and fill out the form found below.

The Professional Values & Story Index (PVSI) is designed to help people understand what’s most meaningful and motivating to them in their work lives, and how their strengths and values add up to a "story type" that personifies their professional success factors. Based on the 12-archetype model created by Dr. Carol S. Pearson, the instrument provides a holistic way of looking at who you are professionally by measuring how much you identify with the attitudes and behaviors of 12 mythical or archetypal characters. Each of these characters represents a different way of thinking and acting in the world, and has its own unique set of talents, qualities and motivators. You probably have those things in common with the archetypal characters that you identify with most. They are very likely to symbolize your way of being in the workplace.

As you answer the questions on the PVSI, remember that this instrument quantifies how much the strengths and values you identify with yourself also reflect the attitudes and behaviors of 12 mythical or archetypal characters (or story types as referenced on this website).

Each archetype is equally valuable and each brings with it a special gift. None is better or worse than another. Therefore, there are no right or wrong answers or better or worse answers. This instrument will be most useful to you if your answers reflect the things that are truly most like you and most important to you—not just the things that seem positive to you.

Keep the following in mind as you respond to the statements on the following pages:

• Work as quickly as is comfortable; your first reaction is often the best response.
• Please do not skip any items as that may invalidate your results.
• If you are unsure of an item, make your best determination based on your understanding of the statement and then continue.
• Be careful to answer questions as you are, rather than how you would like to be or as you think others might like you to be.
• To ensure that you don’t bias your results, take the instrument before you read profiles of the archetypes included in a separate document.

Answer each question by choosing a number between 1 and 10 to indicate how much you agree or disagree that the statement describes you. For this instrument, 1 would mean you believe the statement is not at all like you while 10 would mean it's exactly like you—and all the numbers in between reflect a varying degree of agreement between those two points.

Be sure to use the full range of numbers on the scale. The more discerning and nuanced you are in your ratings, the more useful and authentic your results will be. Again, remember that giving yourself a low score on a statement or trait that seems positive to you does not make you a bad person. It just means you emphasize other ways of being and doing in the world—ways of being and doing that make you the unique and gifted individual that you are.

Please fill out all the questions of the PVSI Survey.

Here's a quick snapshot of your highest-scoring story type. After reading it, you may want to think about or write down answers to the questions in the next section. If you'd like to compare this profile to the other 11 story types, you can download a comparison chart here. If you'd like to know more about applying the PVSI in your workplace or business—or schedule a session to review your scores on all the story types and the implications—get in touch with us.

Please note: if you see more than one story type profile listed, it simply means that you received a tied score.

Understanding Your Story Type

The PVSI is meant to stimulate your thinking about your identity, your strengths, your values, and how you may or may not show up in the world. So, here are some thought-starter questions about your highest-scoring story type.

• Are you surprised that this is your highest-scoring story type? Why or why not?
• Which of the subtypes are you most like?
• Do other people see you this way? Do you wish they did? Why or why not?
• How are you most like your story type?
• When are you most like this professionally?
• How do you feel when this part of you is front and center?
• Could you bring this part of yourself out even more professionally? How? What would it feel like if you could do that?
• If you could be even more like this character professionally, how could that help you be a stronger leader? A better communicator? A more motivated contributor?
• What do you wish the world could know about this part of you?
• If this part of you could write a professional vision, mission or purpose for you, what would it be?

IF YOU'RE AN ENTREPRENEUR OR BUSINESS OWNER:

• Why would your clients or customers want to do business with this type of person?
• What promise can this part of you always be counted on to keep?

IF YOU WERE ASSESSING AN ORGANIZATION'S PERSONALITY:

• Why would your clients or customers want to do business with an organization filling this kind of role in the world?
• What promise would an organization fully living this role always be counted on to keep?