Helpful Hints

The USPTO Leadership Assessment web site is extensive, consisting of an automated assessment instrument as well as correlated development tools and guides. You should allow plenty of time to explore the site, and when ready, use the tools in your personal development planning.

The tools on this web site are arranged in the following sequence:

  1. Step One: Using the USPTO Leadership Assessment, you (and your supervisor) can assess your competencies and only you will get a report of the results. The site will not share this information. Click on "Assess Your Competencies" to find this tool.
  2. Step Two: You can use the goal setting process described in the Set Your Goals step to prioritize your targeted development areas your assessment revealed. Click on "Set Your Goals" to access this process.
  3. Step Three: You can use the action planning feature to lay out a preliminary leadership development plan (LDP) to guide your learning activities. You can use this draft plan to help prepare your LDP. Click on "Prepare for Action" to access this guidance.

You are encouraged to follow the sequence above, but this is not required. Use those features of the site that best meet your needs.

Completing the assessment instrument takes about a total of 15 minutes, as it covers competencies and associated behaviors that comprise the USPTO core leadership knowledge and skills. It is the behaviors that make the USPTO Leadership Assessment precise and dependable because - unlike the typical competency description - behaviors are observable and measurable. To make the reports of your evaluation most useful, it is important that you complete the entire assessment, without skipping any behaviors.

You may use the assessment instrument as many times as you and your supervisor prefer. However, unless you experience a job change, or want to assess your competencies for a different assignment, it should not be necessary for you to update your assessment any more often than once every year or two. Naturally, your goal-setting or leadership development plans may require more frequent adjustment.

No matter how you use the USPTO Leadership Assessment, the confidentially of the data you enter here is always assured. You will not see the usual Privacy Act notices on this site because no personally identifying information is ever collected in the process of using the USPTO Leadership Assessment instrument or the other tools on this site. The demographic data collected is for the purpose of workforce development and web site management purposes such as the periodic review of aggregate utilization and competency data.