DiSC Profile Personality Assessment

What is DiSC and how does it work?

The foundation of DiSC^® was first described by William Moulton Marston in his 1928 book, Emotions of Normal People. Marston identified what he called four “primary emotions” and associated behavioral responses, which today we know as Dominance (D), Influence (i), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). Since Marston’s time, many instruments have been developed to measure these attributes. The Everything DiSC^® assessment uses the circle, or circumplex, as an intuitive way to represent this model. Although all points around the circle are equally meaningful and interpretable, the DiSC model discusses four specific reference points.

• Dominance — Direct, strong-willed, and forceful. They are not easily convinced to take a new approach but they love to dive headfirst into every challenge they encounter.
• Influence — Sociable, talkative, and lively. This personality is more likely to convince others with their communication skills rather than brute force.
• Steadiness — Gentle, even-tempered and happy to accommodate the needs of others. This DiSC personality profile tends to work at a steady pace and cooperates well in a team environment.
• Conscientiousness — Analytically minded, logical and private. This personality will tackle their duties at a moderate pace, paying close attention to details as they go.

Everything DiSC profiles in Australia plot DiSC style on a continuum, which allows us to highlight both the participants’ style and the degree to which they exhibit the behaviours typical of their style.

It is highly recommended to obtain DiSC certification to get the most out of using DiSC, both for yourself as a facilitator and also your participants. This provides a level of credibility while providing you with all of the required knowledge and materials to reap the benefits of Everything DiSC. Our team of internal and associated experts are also available for all of your consulting needs and happy to provide insights that will be of real value to your business.

The 12 DiSC personality types

Key to the accuracy and reliability of Everything DiSC profiles is their level of attention to detail, and use of adaptive testing during the survey process, to not only identify the four basic DiSC styles, but 12 distinct styles.

1. Di (Dominance/Influence) — Easily capable of convincing others to take action and prepared to do so themselves, even when presented with unfamiliar challenges.
2. iD (Influence/Dominance) — Animated personalities can inspire others to join their cause.
3. I (Influence) — Social personalities who shine in larger groups.
4. iS (Influence/Steadiness) — Take a positive, light-hearted approach to life but do not normally act recklessly or impulsively.
5. Si (Steadiness/Influence) — Quick to support colleagues and will listen to and accept others opinions when appropriate.
6. S (Steadiness) — Calm, thoughtful, accommodative, methodical and reliable.
7. SC (Steadiness/Conscientiousness) — An unpretentious, modest personality, taking things in their stride without making a fuss.
8. CS – (Conscientiousness/Steadiness) — Self-controlled and normally quiet but effective.
9. C (Conscientiousness) — Private individuals who analyse before taking action.
10. CD (Conscientiousness/Dominance) — Straightforward types that don’t allow emotion to cloud their judgement.
11. DC (Dominance/Conscientiousness) — Determined and tenacious, not easy to dissuade once they have made up their mind.
12. D (Dominance) — Forceful characters who like to be in control and are unlikely to take a subtle approach.

Although the above is just a brief and general summary of the 12 styles that Everything DiSC utilises, it provides insight to the level of depth and personalisation that our profiles provide, heightening the participant experience and ensuring buy-in.

How a DiSC assessment is scored

An Everything DiSC assessment is a self-assessment where participants answer a series of behaviour related questions, on a scale of 1-5, representing strongly agree to strongly disagree, based on how they see themselves. The survey takes around 15-20 minutes to complete and uses adaptive testing to ensure the most accurate and personalised experience. It’s important to remember that a DiSC assessment is not scoring employees on skill, intelligence, morality or assessing mental health. A DiSC profile is designed to assist their understanding of self and others, to learn how to build relationships, relate better with one another and learn how differing perspectives affect relationships.

It’s important to make sure that any employees who are asked to undergo an assessment are aware that it is not a test nor a judgemental process: DiSC does not seek to praise or find fault with individuals, rather it helps you to understand each person better and to anticipate how they will perform in the future when placed in specific situations or environments.

The reliability of a DiSC personality profile

The Everything DiSC assessment is created by John Wiley & Sons, an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. Therefore the profiles are all rigorously tested for reliability and validity, and research reports are available for all seven Everything DiSC profiles, demonstrating their high standards. The impressive results that businesses have achieved with Everything DiSC in Australia and worldwide are testament to the accuracy of the assessments and the integrity of the system as a whole.