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Business Chemistry

Using data to improve the art of relationships

Designed for use in a business context, Business Chemistry® draws upon analytics technologies to reveal four unique patterns of behaviour. The system provides insights about individuals and teams based on observable traits and preferences, with the goal of developing openness and collaboration to drive individual and team performance.

Built on science—Business Chemistry® reveals patterns of behavior to improve workplace dynamics

Deloitte teamed with scientists from the fields of neuro-anthropology and genetics to develop a system that leverages modern computational techniques to bring a data-driven approach to observing and understanding differences in people’s business styles. The resulting system is easy to remember, but with a sophisticated underpinning that highlights statistically relevant behavioral cues in a business environment.

  • Business Chemistry is rooted in science, and designed for business. Leveraging powerful, patent-pending computational techniques, Business Chemistry is a data-driven approach to understanding people—both in terms of what they are as well as what they are not. The system is focused on traits that are core to business behavior, such as risk-taking and communication styles, and founded on characteristics with biological linkages which provide better stability over time.
  • Business Chemistry is focused on interaction, not introspection. A system that steps beyond helping you understand yourself, Business Chemistry is designed primarily to help you recognize preferences and styles of others—without having them take a test—by measuring observable, business-relevant traits. The focus is on improving the effectiveness of your interactions with other types of individuals, as well as combinations of types in team environments.
  • Simple application and a sophisticated system. The system draws on complex algorithms to assess behavior and preferences, but then translates those results into easy-to-learn patterns that are simple to remember and apply. Utilizing clues from your everyday interactions, Business Chemistry allows for a “thin slicing” approach to personality data—focusing in on the things that really matter—for quicker identification and connection with others.
  • Personalized Individual and team insights. Business Chemistry sheds light on team dynamics by highlighting the unique aspects of each individual while also considering the composition of the group as a whole. Analysis of team composition provides perspective on relative strengths and areas of misalignment to understand how to best utilize each individual’s natural tendencies, while leveraging the overall group makeup to achieve goals.

Business Chemistry® benefits the individual, team, and organization

Business Chemistry® can be a helpful tool to learn more about each person on a team. This understanding creates awareness and connections that may not have been discussed even after years of working together. The group learns more about their individual types, what to look for in others, and brainstorms ways to engage more effectively with one another.

Once an individual understands their own preferences and behavior, it then looks at the overall composition of the group and related potential pitfalls and strength areas. The Deloitte Greenhouse™ Business Chemistry sessions can highlight specific objectives of the group, and delve into how to better leverage the strengths of the team to meet their goals.

Finally, Business Chemistry® can help dive deeper by discussing strategies to engage more effectively with the organization’s stakeholders.

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Why Business Chemistry?

Relationships in the workplace are critical for efficiency, productivity, and long-term success, but what happens when these relationships are failing to reach their potential? In today’s constantly changing business environment and with increasingly diverse workforces, high quality relationships can be difficult to achieve. Business Chemistry offers easily-digestible insights which can be applied to real-life situations, to improve the quality of team effectiveness through better understanding and collaboration and achieve company objectives.

Business Chemistry insights provide valuable teaming support throughout the business life-cycle, during key events such as new business unit formation, merging of operations and teams, and changes in leadership, or as part of a team building day to help collaborate more effectively across group function silos.

Business Chemistry provides:

  • a practical and actionable tool with a common language to explore behavioural styles in the workplace
  • unique insight into a team’s composition and characteristics
  • a greater understanding of self and others for collaborative and efficient teaming
  • a guide for benchmarking individuals against a global business community
  • more meaningful relationships and honest conversations between team members and stakeholders
  • greater trust between team members and departments to help achieve common goals

The four types

Deloitte developed the Business Chemistry® to help provide insights about individuals and teams based on observable traits and preferences. Business Chemistry reveals four scientifically based patterns of behaviour. Most people naturally exhibit behaviors and preferences that strongly align with one, or sometimes two, of these patterns.

The four primary Business Chemistry types are:

Pioneers seek possibilities. They spark energy and imagination.
Drivers seek challenge. They generate momentum.
Guardians seek stability. They bring order and rigor.
Integrators seek connection. They bring teams together.

The value of Business Chemistry is in using it to harness the diversity of styles within a team that bring unique strengths, perspectives, and distinct approaches to generating ideas, solving problems and making decisions. Business Chemistry provides essential tools to harness the diversity of different working styles within teams to increase collaboration, effectiveness, and accomplish shared goals.