Culture Index measures behavioral traits, not intelligence or skills. There is no "good" or "bad" profile.

Never compare absolute trait values between people.

The 0-10 scale is just a ruler. What matters is distance from the red arrow (population mean at 50th percentile). The arrow position varies between surveys based on EU.

Why the arrow moves: Higher EU scores cause the arrow to plot further right; lower EU causes it to plot further left. This does not affect validity—we always measure distance from wherever the arrow lands.

Wrong: "Dan has higher autonomy than Jim because his A is 8 vs 5" Right: "Dan is +3 centiles from his arrow; Jim is +1 from his arrow"

Always ask: Where is the arrow, and how far is the dot from it?

Survey = who you ARE. Job = who you're TRYING TO BE.

"You can't send a duck to Eagle school." Traits are hardwired—you can only modify behaviors temporarily, at the cost of energy.

Top graph (Survey Traits): Hardwired by age 12-16. Does not change. Writing with your dominant hand.
Bottom graph (Job Behaviors): Adaptive behavior at work. Can change. Writing with your non-dominant hand.

Large differences between graphs indicate behavior modification, which drains energy and causes burnout if sustained 3-6+ months.

Distance from arrow determines trait strength.

Distance	Label	Percentile	Interpretation
On arrow	Normative	50th	Flexible, situational
±1 centile	Tendency	~67th	Easier to modify
±2 centiles	Pronounced	~84th	Noticeable difference
±4+ centiles	Extreme	~98th	Hardwired, compulsive, predictable

Key insight: Every 2 centiles of distance = 1 standard deviation.

Extreme traits drive extreme results but are harder to modify and less relatable to average people.

L (Logic) and I (Ingenuity) use absolute values.

Unlike A, B, C, D, you CAN compare L and I scores directly between people:

Logic 8 means "High Logic" regardless of arrow position
Ingenuity 2 means "Low Ingenuity" for anyone

Only these two traits break the "no absolute comparison" rule.

JSON (Use if available)

If JSON data is already extracted, use it directly:

import json
with open("person_name.json") as f:
    profile = json.load(f)

JSON format:

{
  "name": "Person Name",
  "archetype": "Architect",
  "survey"

Step 0: Do you have JSON or PDF?

If JSON provided or found: Use it directly (skip extraction)
- Check same directory as PDF for .json file with matching name
- Check if user provided JSON path

If only PDF: Run extraction script with --verify flag

uv run {baseDir}/scripts/extract_pdf.py --verify /path/to/file.pdf [output.json]

If extraction fails: Report error, do NOT fall back to vision

Step 1: What data do you have?

CI Survey JSON → Proceed to Step 2
CI Survey PDF → Extract first (Step 0), then proceed to Step 2
Interview transcript only → Go to option 8 (predict traits from interview)
No data yet → "Please provide Culture Index profile (PDF or JSON) or interview transcript"

Step 2: What would you like to do?

Profile Analysis:

Interpret an individual profile - Understand one person's traits, strengths, and challenges
Analyze team composition - Assess gas/brake/glue balance, identify gaps
Detect burnout signals - Compare Survey vs Job, flag stress/frustration

Response	Workflow
"extract", "parse pdf", "convert pdf", "get json from pdf"	`workflows/extract-from-pdf.md`
1, "individual", "interpret", "understand", "analyze one", "single profile"	`workflows/interpret-individual.md`
2, "team", "composition", "gaps", "balance", "gas brake glue"	`workflows/analyze-team.md`
3, "burnout", "stress", "frustration", "survey vs job", "energy", "flight risk"	`workflows/detect-burnout.md`
4, "compare", "compatibility", "collaboration", "multiple", "two profiles"	`workflows/compare-profiles.md`
5, "motivate", "engage", "retain", "communicate"

After every interpretation, verify:

Did you use relative positions? Never stated "A is 8" without context
Did you reference the arrow? All trait interpretations relative to arrow
Did you compare Survey vs Job? Identified any behavior modification
Did you avoid value judgments? No traits called "good" or "bad"
Did you check EU? Energy utilization calculated if both graphs present

Report to user:

"Interpretation complete"
Key findings (2-3 bullet points)
Recommended actions

Domain Knowledge (in references/):

Primary Traits:

primary-traits.md - A (Autonomy), B (Social), C (Pace), D (Conformity)

Secondary Traits:

secondary-traits.md - EU (Energy Units), L (Logic), I (Ingenuity)

Patterns:

patterns-archetypes.md - Behavioral patterns, trait combinations, archetypes

Application:

motivators.md - How to motivate each trait type
team-composition.md - Gas, brake, glue framework
anti-patterns.md - Common interpretation mistakes
conversation-starters.md - How to engage each pattern and trait type
interview-trait-signals.md - Signals for predicting traits from interviews

Workflows (in workflows/):

File	Purpose
`extract-from-pdf.md`	Extract profile data from Culture Index PDF to JSON format
`interpret-individual.md`	Analyze single profile, identify archetype, summarize strengths/challenges
`analyze-team.md`	Assess team balance (gas/brake/glue), identify gaps, recommend hires
`detect-burnout.md`	Compare Survey vs Job, calculate EU utilization, flag risk signals
`compare-profiles.md`	Compare multiple profiles, assess compatibility, collaboration dynamics

Trait Colors:

Trait	Color	Measures
A	Maroon	Autonomy, initiative, self-confidence
B	Yellow	Social ability, need for interaction
C	Blue	Pace/Patience, urgency level
D	Green	Conformity, attention to detail
L	Purple	Logic, emotional processing
I	Cyan	Ingenuity, inventiveness

A well-interpreted Culture Index profile:

Uses relative positions (distance from arrow), never absolute values alone
Identifies the archetype/pattern correctly
Highlights 2-3 key strengths based on leading traits
Notes 2-3 challenges or development areas
Compares Survey vs Job if both are available
Provides actionable recommendations
Avoids value judgments ("good"/"bad")
Acknowledges Culture Index is one data point, not a complete picture

Role	Trait	Function
Gas	High A	Growth, risk-taking, driving results
Brake	High D	Quality control, risk aversion, finishing
Glue	High B	Relationships, morale, culture

Value	Precision	Example
Traits (A,B,C,D,L,I)	Integer 0-10	0, 1, 2, ... 10
Arrow position	Tenths	0.4, 2.2, 3.8
Energy Units (EU)	Integer	11, 31, 45

interpreting-culture-index

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