If you’ve been asked to select an assessment-based learning solution, you’ve probably discovered several options, including DiSC® and MBTI®. The big question now is how do you choose the one that’s right for your organization? This article compares DiSC and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) as tools for improving workplace performance and personal development and will help you solve your DiSC vs MBTI conundrum.
The origin of both theories can be traced to the first decades of the twentieth century. While DiSC is based on the theories of Dr. William Marston, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is based on the theories of Dr. Carl Jung.
DiSC Profile Assessment Overview
The DiSC theory is based on Marston’s four dimensions of behavior: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientious, which was originally presented in a quadrant system. Marston published his theory in 1928, without ever creating an assessment, which led to his theory being available in the public domain, which allowed others to expand on it.
In the 1940’s, Walter Vernon Clarke developed the first DISC assessment tool, which required users to choose between two different descriptions to accurately characterize themselves. For many years, this “forced-choice” format was the standard for collecting user responses and the results were presented as a graph, representing each of the four styles.
Everything DiSC Design
The Everything DiSC model, developed by Wiley, builds on the long history of DiSC by looking not only at the four DiSC styles, but also considering the relationship of each style to the other styles. The result is a circumplex map with four quadrants representing four personality traits: Dominance (D), Influence (i), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). With the Everything DiSC Map there are 12 distinct sub-styles that may be derived from the four primary DiSC® personality types.
The Everything DiSC assessment process uses Adaptive Testing methodology, a process where the respondent’s answers are evaluated before presenting additional assessment questions. The result of this is a more precise measure of DiSC style, with as few questions as possible. After taking the assessment, learners discover their DiSC style and see the relationship between their DiSC style and the other styles. This gives them a powerful framework that makes it easy to use what they have learned in a variety of applications, from communicating with others to handling conflict and managing others.
MBTI OVERVIEW
Carl Jung developed a typology for explaining human behavior that states that individuals are predisposed to pay more attention to either the external world of objects or the inner world of ideas and feelings. Myers and Briggs added a judging-perceiving scale to measure people’s attitudes towards the “outer world” and how they manage their lives.
MBTI Design
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a psychological model that classifies people into one of 16 distinct personality types derived from the combination of four dichotomous attitudes or functioning styles: extraversion–introversion, judgment–perception, thinking–feeling, and sensing–intuition. They are embodied in the form of letters ( E, I, S, N, T, F, J, and P). It is required that students learn and remember the meanings of eight different letters.
Both Assessments Provide Insight into Personality and behavior, but DiSC is Simpler and Easier to Remember.
Because DiSC focused on the four main personality types (D, i, S and C), users report that it is easier to remember and that it is helpful to see how the styles relate to one another. This practicality allows users to understand themselves and others, thereby building stronger interactions between people who work together.
Joanne Bird, Manager of Strategic Pricing at AMEX GBT, writes about the simplicity of the DiSC assessment after attending a training. “I was part of a group that trialed DiSC profiling in my last company, and it was easy to remember and also easy to understand other people’s leading traits. It does help within teams and when you are supporting teams in other departments…”
On the other hand, the likelihood of remembering each MBTI personality type is lower than with DiSC. Many people who take the MBTI test admit that it is difficult to recall the letter combination that describes one’s personality, let alone another person’s. Furthermore, it is impossible to diagram the MBTI in a way that allows you to understand the relationship between your style and others.
DiSC vs MBTI: The Bottom Line
Everything DiSC helps people learn about their individual styles of behavior and how to work more efficiently with others and adapt to new situations. Learners can explore their DiSC style on Catalyst™, an online learning platform that provides in-depth information and strategies for working better with coworkers.
Choosing the right assessment for your organization and answering the DiSC vs MBTI question is easy with the wide range of Everything DiSC solutions. Click here to get started!
Resources:
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and MBTI are registered trademarks of The Myers & Briggs Foundation.
Everything DiSC is a registered trademark of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Everything DiSC Catalyst is a trademark of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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