A DiSC assessment is a personality test that identifies behavior patterns in four categories: dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness. It can help individuals become more self-aware and improve interpersonal relationships.
In workplaces, a DiSC assessment helps to better understand employees’ communication preferences, work styles, leadership styles, and leadership potential. It can also be used for team building, to increase productivity, and to match personalities to careers.
What Does DiSC Mean?
DiSC is an acronym for the four personality profiles that form a quadrant: dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness. Varying combinations of the four areas create 12 different personality types.
Dominance [D]
People with a D-style focus on bottom-line results. They are described as assertive, determined, confident, direct, fast, outspoken, ambitious, and strong-willed. This style likes to be in control and focuses on reaching goals. Power, achievement, and authority motivate them. Careers based on the dominance traits are leadership positions, lawyers, speakers, and politicians.
Influence [i]
People with influence personalities are described as enthusiastic, outgoing, trusting, and warm. Instead of routines, they prefer new experiences. Relationships and social situations are important to influence personalities. They are skilled at persuading and influencing others. Careers based on the influence traits are creative and design roles, public relations managers, internal communication pros, real estate agents, customer service representatives, and positions that involve teamwork.
If you are wondering why the letter “i” is lowercase in diSC, it is because of a printing typo that occurred when it was published by a small company called Performax.
“Performax decided to use this mistake and copyright DiSC to use it to market their DISC Instrument. So that is how DISC got its small i. When you see the ‘small i’ version of the DISC profile, you know it was published by Wiley Publishing, or it is in violation of U.S. copyright laws.” –The Center for Internal Change.
Steadiness [S]
The steadiness style is described as calm, cooperative, empathetic, sincere, dependable, thoughtful, patient, and persistent. They care greatly about the feelings of others. In tense situations, S-style people attempt to keep the peace and help others. Careers based on the steadiness traits include human resources professionals, therapists, nurses, dental hygienists, teachers, and consultants.
Conscientiousness [C]
C-style personalities are described as logical, methodical, reserved, precise, detail-oriented, and diligent. They may be skeptical and challenge assumptions. They are determined and focused on accuracy and stability. This type prefers being rational, not emotional. Careers based on conscientiousness traits include scientists, engineers, editors, and jobs that focus on data, software, finance, or quality assurance.
The 12 DiSC Personality Types
There are 12 DiSC personality types, and none is considered superior. Each one has different strengths and weaknesses that can provide insights into behaviors and help identify career paths. In addition to the four main types described above, there are eight combinations. The letter that comes first is the prevalent personality that is influenced by the second letter.
Dominance/Influence (DI): This type is described as results-driven, energetic, enthusiastic, and persuasive. They like change and spontaneity.
Influence/Dominance (ID): They are goal-oriented people who are outgoing and charismatic. They are passionate workers who like to take risks.
Influence/Steadiness (IS): This type focuses on people and displays friendly and reliable traits. They are empathetic, good listeners, and like to create harmony while promoting others.
Steadiness/Influence (SI): This service-oriented style is warm, supportive, and cooperative. They enjoy working in teams and caring about team members.
Steadiness/Conscientiousness (SC): With a focus on detail, this style is described as patient, meticulous, systematic, and even-tempered.
Conscientiousness/Steadiness (CS): This type is dependable, accurate, reliable, and methodical. They like routines and may be shy.
Conscientiousness/Dominance (CD): This assertive style is analytical and task-focused. They enjoy completing their tasks in an organized way.
Dominance/Conscientiousness (DC): This detail-oriented and direct style is determined and focused on challenges and results.
History of the DiSC Assessment
The DiSC assessment is based on a theory created by psychologist William Moulton Marston, author of Emotions of Normal People. The book, published in 1928, identified the four categories for the expressions of our emotions (behaviors). These four types were Dominance (D), Inducement (I), Submission (S), and Compliant (C). While Marston never created an assessment, his theory is the basis for what later became the DiSC assessment.
The Center for Internal Change explains the history of the DiSC assessment and provides a timeline of events. There were multiple tests introduced that used an adjective checklist to describe behaviors. In 1948, Walter Clarke created The Activity Vector Analysis (AVA), a personnel selection test. He used Marston’s theory to explain his data. In the 1950s, John Cleaver developed his own assessment called Self Discription.
In the 1970s, John Geier created the original Personal Profile System (PPS), now known as Personal Profile System 2800 Series. Geier is the owner of Performax, and his classic profile patterns are the basis for DiSC classic products. In 1994, the Personal Profile System was updated. In the early 2000s, a circumplex model was researched as a way to represent DiSC.
In 2007, Everything DiSC Sales was the first Everything DiSC application to be launched. It used the circumplex DiSC map and helped users understand how their DiSC styles related to a particular role within an organization. In the following years, many more DiSC versions were introduced.
Reasons To Use a DiSC Assessment in the Workplace
Workplaces use DiSC assessments for multiple reasons. The assessment is both easy to administer and easy to read the detailed reports. From helping teams to work more effectively to assessing leadership styles and potential, the results provide valuable insights. Individuals gain self-awareness of their behaviors, including how they handle challenges and interact with others.
When used in workplaces, both the test-taker and manager see the results. This helps the employee to become more self-aware and the manager to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their direct reports. This can help managers with team building, understanding communication preferences, and delegating tasks more effectively.
Business News Daily highlights the many benefits of using DiSC assessments in the workplace: increased self-awareness, enhanced teamwork, increased sales, more effective managers, better employee engagement, and enhanced empathy. BetterUp provides advice for using the results in your workplace, especially for team building.
How Does a DiSC Assessment Work?
DiSC assessments may either use adjective-based questions or scenario-based questions. In tests with adjective questions, words are listed in groups of four, and respondents either rate them based on how well they align with their behavior, rank them, or pick the one that best or least describes them. Tests with scenario-based questions give respondents statements with real-life or work-related situations.
The number of questions can vary, but the standard format has 24 questions. Free versions often have fewer questions. The time can also vary, but it typically takes about 20 minutes to complete. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions.
How to Get a DiSC Assessment
Many vendors sell DiSC assessments under different names and with products focused on different overall goals, such as leadership. As a result, the cost varies significantly. You can also access free versions online, but they are not as comprehensive as the ones you buy. Paid tests provide more insights in their longer reports.
The paid reports can be approximately 20 pages long and provide a very detailed profile of your personalized style. This includes what your type means in different situations as well as tips for optimizing your strengths and managing your weaknesses effectively in the workplace.
To take a DiSC assessment, you can try a free version from Online Disc Profile or a paid version from many vendors. For example, Everything DiSC Workplace ranges from $73 to $90 per profile for a 20-page report, while Truity provides a 12-page report for $9 per team member.
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