The Intensity Method Part I: The Art of Deep Assessment Beyond the Corporate Curtain

In my 25 years traversing the corporate landscape, I've learned that what glitters in the boardroom often isn't gold. It's typically spray-painted plastic with a strategically placed spotlight. This is Part I of The Intensity Method—a three-step dive into assessment, evaluation, and development plans to cut through the noise and spark real growth.

When I join a new company—whether as senior leader, consultant, or the guy they desperately called at 2 AM because their AI system started making existential statements—my first move isn't opening my laptop. It's opening my eyes.

The Curtain Call That Reveals Everything

Assessment isn't checking boxes on some HR template. It's peeling back layers of corporate theater to find what's genuinely happening behind the scenes.

Remember when Steve Jobs would unveil Apple products with theatrical flair? That's what many companies do during your first weeks. The CEO suddenly remembers your name. The office mysteriously has fresh fruit. Developers appear intensely focused rather than debating whether a hotdog is a sandwich on Slack.

This performance isn't necessarily malicious—it's human. But your job is to see through it.

I once joined a startup where the CTO proudly demonstrated their "revolutionary" platform. The demo worked flawlessly. Twelve weeks later, I discovered the entire thing was a clickable mockup. No functional code existed. Zero. They'd raised $4M on PowerPoint and prayers.

Assessment means asking: Is that developer actually building something, or are they printing Baby Yoda figurines on the company's 3D printer? Is the sales team genuinely closing deals, or just updating slides about how they'll close deals tomorrow?

The Human Algorithm That Reveals Truth

The most complex systems I've evaluated aren't technological—they're human. People reveal themselves through patterns, not pronouncements.

When assessing someone, I engage in real conversation. Not interview questions, but genuine human interaction. I might ask about their weekend, their opinions on industry trends, or whether they think pineapple belongs on pizza (this question reveals more about character than any personality test, trust me, my wife is Italian).

Pay attention to:

• How they talk about previous teams. If everyone they've worked with was "incompetent," the common denominator might be staring back at you.
• Whether they take ownership of failures or exclusively celebrate successes.
• If they speak with curiosity or certainty. The former signals growth mindset; the latter often masks insecurity.

One brilliant engineer I worked with could architect complex systems but couldn't admit when he was wrong. This stubbornness eventually collapsed an entire project when he refused to acknowledge a fundamental flaw in his approach. Technical brilliance without humility is a ticking time bomb.

The Too-Good-To-Be-True Detector That Saves Careers

When something seems too good to be true, it usually has a false bottom. I've developed what I call the "Unicorn Alert System"—when everything appears perfect, my internal alarm starts blaring.

Perfect metrics? Dig deeper. Universally beloved leader? Talk to former employees. Zero technical debt? They're either lying or not building anything.

I once encountered a company reporting 98% customer satisfaction. Impressive, until I realized they only surveyed customers who hadn't canceled in the past six months. The real retention numbers? A heartbreaking 22%.

The most valuable insights hide in the shadows, not the spotlight. Ask to see the bugs, not just the features. Talk to the support team, not just the executives. Examine what's broken to understand what might actually work.

Moving from Assessment to Action That Drives Change

Assessment without action is just corporate tourism. After gathering insights, transition to evaluation—make predictions about outcomes based on what you've observed.

Then create a personal development plan—for yourself, your team, and even the organization. This isn't about documentation; it's about commitment. When people articulate their intentions, they're more likely to follow through.

For each team member, I focus on four crucial elements:

1. Hard KPIs: Measurable performance indicators
2. Soft KPIs: Skills and behaviors that drive success
3. Professional aspirations: Career goals and growth areas
4. Personal aspirations: Life circumstances that influence work

These aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the seeds of plans that actually work, as I’ll show in Part III.

When someone puts these in writing, it transforms from vague intention to mutual commitment. My role then becomes obstacle removal—ensuring nothing prevents them from achieving what they've promised.

The Raw Reality That Changes Organizations

Assessment isn't comfortable. It requires looking past the shiny demos and inspirational posters to see the organization's true face. It means recognizing that the CEO's charisma might mask strategic confusion, or that the celebrated culture might actually be a cult of personality.

But this raw, unfiltered perspective is precisely what creates value. Anyone can nod along with the corporate narrative. The true leader sees the reality, acknowledges it without judgment, and charts a path forward.

This is just the start. Part II, Evaluation, takes these raw truths and turns them into predictions that save teams from crashing.

Until then, remember: in a world of corporate theater, the most revolutionary act is simply paying attention to what's happening behind the curtain.

Stay Raw | Stay Real | Stay Intense.