Cooperation

Cooperation measures when you prefer to involve other people in building a response to a new or complex topic: develop your own approach first and then test it, or pool the topic very early. Both timings have documented effects. A meta-analysis of idea generation shows that groups thinking together produce fewer ideas than the same people thinking separately first, and that the gap widens with group size [1]; the main cause identified is waiting for one's turn to speak, which loses ideas along the way [2]. The axis does not say whether you like working with others; it says when you prefer the pooling to begin.

The axis shows up in workshops, problem solving, decision preparation and projects where several areas of expertise can contribute. The gap is felt when a topic is launched: a framing meeting called before you have had time to think, or conversely a decision prepared without you being consulted. Research on procedural justice shows that being able to speak before a decision is taken raises the sense of fairness more than speaking afterwards [3]: the timing of pooling matters in itself, not only its outcome. The need varies with the topic: the newer it is to you, the more the timing of pooling weighs. Scientific scope: the cited studies examine workplace behaviours, conditions or outcomes. They do not directly validate this preference scale or an individual PIMPmyBOSS compatibility score.

The score describes a situated preference or a perceived behaviour. It is neither a personality diagnosis, a norm nor a verdict on professional quality.