DISC – Not just a tool for the HR department

I recently received a message from a reader in response to something I had written about a psychometric tool.  The message was “DISC – that’s very 1980’s!”  

It made me smile, because the reader was right. DISC has been around for ages.

Age-old problem?
It’s been around for so long because the issues it addresses have also been around for a very long time. Actually, issues around communications – specifically how teams work together effectively sits at the heart of almost every business and organisation.

DISC, specifically, is a behavioural styles tool which has been around since the 1920’s.  I did smile when I read the message, because I first personally used the tool in the workplace in the 1980’s and this struck a chord with me.  

Observing and assessing behaviours and personality traits has been around since the Ancient Greeks, so it is not a new idea, but does that mean it is less worthwhile?  Hippocrates suggested that there were four fundamental personality types, sanguine (pleasure-seeking and sociable), choleric (ambitious and leader-like), melancholic (analytical and literal), and phlegmatic (relaxed and thoughtful).  

Over centuries creative writers have relied on this knowledge to create characters who are well known to us today.  Philosophers and Therapists have developed ideas and models rooted in the original thinking of Hippocrates.  Over decades, long-running TV shows and acclaimed films have used personality styles creating characters which are recognisable and appealing (or not!) to the viewers.  Even dating apps have utilised the basis of styles to create romantic success for a lot of people. 

But have these tools moved on at all to be worthwhile in today’s workplace?
There are many publishers of psychometric tools and the knowledge is used in a variety of ways, but it is important to notice that the way the assessments are designed and completed by the learners has very much moved on in the last 20 years.

Sophisticated, responsive software has replaced the original “most/least” questionnaires, which offered groups of words and the learner would select words they felt they were most or least like.  Now the assessments are based in sets of questions of how we feel we feel or how we are likely to react to create a richer and more accurate result.

Not just a tool for the HR department
Today, these tools provide us with a way to understand more about ourselves and more about others and can be used in the workplace to address and resolve a range of situations.  The tool has moved away from being only used by an HR department for assessment and placed into the hands of the learner so they can use their knowledge to develop and improve their communication, team work and relationships.  This places the responsibility of applying the knowledge and personal development into the hands of each learner.  The learner is now fully involved as opposed to having these tools “done to them” and is given a voice to participate in discussions and decisions based on the outcomes.  

With the development of the tools, the use of them has also changed from selection and alignment with roles and structure of a team into a tool which can be used by businesses to establish relationships with their clients, to drive the content of their internal and external communication such as documents, websites, emails and social media posts.  The knowledge can be used to resolve conflict, to build stronger and motivated teams and to improve understanding of the importance of diversity in the workplace.

How effectively will you work with your colleagues?
One of the main progressions is that if you have ever been on the receiving end of an assessment in the workplace, you would have been likely to receive a paper-based report and possibly a training course to learn more about the findings.  Today, results can be viewed electronically and can be viewed in apps and on web-based learning platforms.  These modern applications of an individual learner’s results from their assessment will, in some cases, compare their results with those of their colleagues and provide valuable insights into how similarities and differences can help or hinder projects and teamwork to create better results. 

Could these tools pigeonhole people, be used as excuses for bad behaviour and limit opportunities for career progression?  Like any tool there is scope for using it badly, but reputable publishers provide guidelines to ensure that the knowledge is used in an ethical and positive way. 

Any tool which helps us to understand more about ourselves and how we impact others and explore how to develop better relationships might not be perfect but is certainly useful in an age where demands in the workplace are increasing rapidly and our need for human connection is essential for our wellbeing.  

If you are interested in knowing more, please do get in touch; we would be happy to answer any questions you have.