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Index: Personality Theories, Types and Tests

DISC

You will see the DISC model often represented as DiSC®, which reflects the ownership of this particular logoform by the US Inscape Publishing company. Inscape has extensively researched and developed its own DISC systems, which according to the company's publicity have been used by over 40 million people since the early 1970s, which are used with the intention of enabling people to "...gain the insight they need to be more successful, productive, and fulfilled at work..." Inscape also say, "... DiSC® instruments are based on a simple idea - that the foundation of personal and professional success lies in knowing yourself, understanding others, and realizing the impact of your actions and attitudes on other people..."

The DISC model is attributed to Dr William Moulton Marston, whose book Emotions Of Normal People (1928) first explained the model using the DISC terminology, and which also provided the descriptive words on which the commonly used DISC personality assessment systems were built. Marston didn't create an assessment tool. This was done initially by researchers at the University of Minnesota, in 1972 according to Inscape. Inscape, and others, have continued to develop, test and validate DISC assessment systems, which are marketed with gusto to the corporate and organizational development communities.

 BOOKS about DISC

The 4 Dimensional Manager: DiSC Strategies for Managing Different People in the Best Ways

Successful managers work like coaches, assessing each person’s strengths and weaknesses and developing the best strategy to get the job done. The 4-Dimensional Manager shows how managers can become more effective by using the DiSC system. “DiSC” stands for four communication styles: Dominance (direct and decisive); Influence (optimistic and outgoing); Supportive (sympathetic and cooperative); and Conscientious (concerned and correct). In the book’s first part, readers assess their own style, the style of the people they manage, and the style of their organization. The second part shows how to choose the most effective style (or combination of styles) for any situation, focusing on seven key areas: delegating, decision making, problem solving, motivating, complimenting, giving constructive feedback, and developing skills.

I'm Stuck, You're Stuck: Breakthrough to Better Work Relationships and Results by Discovering your DiSC Behavioral Style

Humans are creatures of habit. We continue to do things the same way because we are comfortable in our habits and don’t consider that there are other possibilities. I’m Stuck, You’re Stuck offers a self-discovery tool that has helped more than 30 million people understand why they do the things they do, and how to do them differently. This tool is DiSC and it takes less than five minutes to complete, but offers lessons in human relations you can use for a lifetime.

While most business self-help books are based on the theories or experiences of one person, I’m Stuck, You’re Stuck is based on DiSC, a time-tested self-assessment program developed by Inscape Publishing nearly 25 years ago and backed by their ongoing behavioral research. DiSC has been successfully used by over 30 million people in the global workforce. But it’s not a “one size fits all” training solution, or another inspirational, feel-good formula. DiSC is a hands-on, practical approach to discovering and capitalizing on individual differences. DiSC puts the responsibility for understanding and managing our behavior on the individual. This is the first time Inscape’s DiSC assessment has been available outside the training and development market.

 

 

The dimensions of Behavior and Situation feature strongly in Marston's ideas.

There are several slightly varying interpretations of this model. Here's a general outline.

 

DISC basic personality types model

There are different interpretations of this model, based on the same underpinning structure. This presentation of the DISC model borrows from various interpretations. The colors mainly emphasize the columns - they are not part of the original DISC theory - but they also reflect the logical correlations to two of the Four Temperaments and Keirsey main types (D = Phlegmatic/Rational; I = Choleric/Idealist) and the Jungian Extravert-Introvert 'attitudes'. Other than this there is no attempt here to overlay the DISC model or personality traits directly onto any other personality model. There are overlaps and correlations between DISC and other personality systems but not a direct overlay. Logical comparisons and correlations between DISC types and the types contained in the theories of Jung, Benziger, etc, are shown lower in the grid below.

D I S C
Dominance Influence Steadiness Compliance
generally proactive and extravert   generally reactive and introvert  
decisive, dominant, self-assured, forceful, task-orientated, instigates, leads and directs motivates others via influence and persuasion, good communication skills, presents well, friendly, affable, inspires others, intuitive, gregarious, friendly reliable, dependable, process-orientated, listener, friendly, trustworthy, solid, ethical, finishes what others start and leave, methodical, decides according to process painstaking, investigative, curious, decides using facts and figures, correct, checker, detailed,
things people people things
motivated by responsibility and achievement motivated by recognition and personal approval motivated by time, space and continuity to do things properly motivated by attention to detail, perfection and truth
strong focus on task and forceful style can upset people emphasis on image can neglect substance  dependence on process can become resistance need for perfection can delay or obstruct
fears failure and loss of power fears rejection and loss of reputation fears insecurity and change fears inaccuracy and unpredictability
Benziger 'double frontal' (frontal right and frontal left), extraverted Benziger 'double right' (basal right and frontal right), extraverted Benziger 'double basal' (basal left and basal right), introverted Benziger 'double left' (basal left and frontal left) introverted
Jung's ET(N) and EN(T) Jung's EF(N) and EN(F) Jung's IF(S) and IS(F) Jung's IT(S) and IS(T)
Intuitive-Thinking Intuitive-Feeling Sensing-Feeling Sensing-Thinking
Myers Briggs® ENTJ, less so ENTP, INTJ, INTP Myers Briggs® ENFJ, less so ENFP, INFJ, INFP Myers Briggs® ISFP, less so ISFJ, ESFP, ESFJ Myers Briggs® ISTP, less so ISTJ, ESTP, ESTJ
closest Keirsey type equivalent is fieldmarshall closest Keirsey type equivalent is teacher closest Keirsey type equivalent is composer closest Keirsey type equivalent is crafter
temperament or humor implied by Keirsey is entirely phlegmatic (Keirsey's rationalist) temperament or humor implied by Keirsey is entirely choleric (Keirsey's idealist) temperament or humor implied by Keirsey is half sanguine half melancholic (Keirsey's artisan and guardian) temperament or humor implied by Keirsey is half sanguine half melancholic (Keirsey's artisan and guardian)

 

 

The closest equivalent types shown above from the models of Jung, Myers Briggs® and Keirsey are just a guide, and have been arrived at by factoring in the typical DISC dimensions of extraversion-introversion and proactive-passive, which imply the obvious Extraverted or Introverted Jungian equivalents, and Judging (proactive) or Perceiving (reactive) Jungian equivalents. As we've seen, none of this is a perfect science, and the correlations are formed by logical extension rather than clear admissions of statements from the originating theorists. Benziger's correlations however are those stated by Katherine Benziger herself.

 

Unlike testing systems such as Myers Briggs® and Keirsey which typically match people to defined 'types', The DISC model instead presents a series of four main 'type' descriptions (titled above as Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance). The DISC testing instruments tend to identify people's dominant or preferred type and one or two supporting types from the four available, and this mixture is then represented by a graph or personality description based on the mixture of the types.

In this respect no person is exclusively just one of the four DISC types. Most people have a dominant or preferred main type, plus one or two supporting types in different degrees depending on the person and the situation. DISC systems commonly not only assess the person but also the person's mix of dominant types from different perspectives.

It is important to note again that the DISC system of personality assessment, like all personality models, provides a guide and a perspective of personality; it is not a 100% reliable or definitive measurement.

Under certain circumstances DISC and related terminology are protected or trademarked intellectual property, so if you have ideas to use any DISC theory or tools in connection with the commercial delivery of personality assessment or testing services it's wise to check whether you can do so freely or whether such use is governed by licensing conditions.

DiSC® is a trademark of the US Inscape Publishing company.

 

 

source:  www.businessballs.com

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