DiSC Profile Definition
Key Takeaways
- DiSC® is a well-established personality assessment that helps people work better together.
- Everything DiSC® is the version of DiSC backed by 50 years of research, with a 97% satisfaction rating among users worldwide.
- Everything DiSC offers profiles with tools targeted to managers, leaders, salespeople, and more.
Definition of DiSC®
DiSC is a personal assessment tool used to improve work productivity, teamwork, leadership, sales, and communication.
DiSC measures your personality and behavioral style. It does not measure intelligence, aptitude, mental health, or values. DiSC profiles describe human behavior in various situations—for example, how you react to challenges, how you influence others, your preferred pace, and how you respond to rules and procedures.
The DiSC model discusses four reference points:
Dominance – direct, strong-willed, and forceful
Influence – sociable, talkative, and lively
Steadiness – gentle, accommodating, and soft-hearted
Conscientiousness – private, analytical, and logical
The DiSC® test instrument and the profile results are designed so that they’re easy to understand and recall your behavioral style and insights. The writing is engaging and the visuals are memorable. Facilitation resources are available to guide and reinforce learning.
Read more: What is DiSC?
History of DiSC
The DISC model of behavior was first proposed in 1928 by William Moulton Marston, a physiological psychologist with a PhD from Harvard. Later, others developed assessments based on this model.
The Everything DiSC® product family, launched by Inscape Publishing in 2007 and now published by Wiley, was created to make the DISC assessment even more valuable to its users. It introduced more highly personalized reports, customizable facilitation tools, and follow-up reports. Wiley continues to validate their DiSC assessments and conduct research related to personality.
Is there more than one DiSC profile?
Have you seen DISC profiles for sale that seem different from each other? Is the difference more than a lowercase i? Yes. It’s important to know which assessment is actually under discussion. They are not all the same.
The DISC model is not protected by copyright. William Moulton Marston did not create an assessment tool himself, but others have referenced his model. Several academics and companies have used his work to create their own psychological inventories.
The various DISC tests vary greatly. The colors used, the survey instrument, and the reports all differ. Only Everything DiSC has the added measurement for priorities, which you’ll notice are reflected in the words around the outside of its circumplex map. Read more: Which DISC is DiSC?
Is there more than one Everything DiSC profile?
Within Everything DiSC, there are several DiSC profiles, tailored to different learner goals:
- Everything DiSC Workplace® is the best-selling assessment, and many learners start here.
- Everything DiSC® Management improves the effectiveness of managers and managers-in-training.
- Everything DiSC® Agile EQ™ teaches situation-based emotional intelligence.
- Everything DiSC Work of Leaders® presents an actionable path toward more effective leadership.
- Everything DiSC® Productive Conflict guides learners in navigating conflict and using it productively.
- Everything DiSC® Sales helps customer-facing people engage with clients and sell to different personalities.
- The Five Behaviors® Team Development and The Five Behaviors® Personal Development use the Everything DiSC model to strengthen teams.
Why is the i small and not capitalized in Everything DiSC?
The small i was a marketing decision used to distinguish DiSC Classic and Everything DiSC from other assessments or quizzes based on the DISC model. The uncapitalized i is part of the DiSC trademark held by John Wiley & Sons.
Posted 12/28/2011
