Although DISC personality styles have been around and used in the workplace for years, there can still be misconceptions about this increasingly popular method of understanding and predicting behavioural tendencies.
Over the past 40 years, over 50 million people have taken DISC tests across all languages , so it stands to reason that some fallacies have taken hold, which it is now time to debunk.
Myth #1: The first DISC assessment was done by William Moulton Marston
Wrong. Although Marston began the original research on DISC while developing his book, “The Emotions of Normal People”, in 1928, the first DISC assessment did not appear until much later.
Today, PeopleKeys has one of the most accurate and highly validated DISC assessments with over 95% of participants saying the assessment very accurately measured their responses.
Myth #2: People have the same style in all environments
Wrong. The same person can be very different from one environment to another. This has been demonstrated by profiling millions of people in various environments. The demands of the environment will cause a person to expend more or less energy on the primary behavioral dimensions of Dominant, Influential, Sensible, and Correct.
In fact, PeopleKeys conducted an international study of personalities in the workplace and at home, and found that people typically vary greatly in different environments.
While only about 3% of people in the home environment are D Styles, in the workplace all styles experience an increase in their D dimension by almost 15% due to the demands of the typical work environment.
And the S Style behavioral dimensions decrease in the workplace from 69% to about 50%. Both I and C tend to increase depending on the specific requirements of the job. It’s perfectly normal to respond differently to different environments; it just shows that people are good at adapting!
Myth #3: D-style people are all insensitive
Wrong. To illustrate this, let’s think of the lion with the thorn in its paw. If you are brave enough to go and help them with their problem by providing a solution, they may just be your friends for life.
People with a high D style sometimes present a tough outer shell to protect a sensitive inner self. Although it may be hard to get under this tough exterior, remember not to judge them unfairly.
They really appreciate it when you present them with solutions, not just your problems. Don’t overwhelm them with information, just give them the bottom line. They will ask you for more information if they need it.
Myth #4: S-style people are all weaklings
Wrong. In fact, S Style people are very capable of leading, deciding, and may be the best style to manage others. Using the Lion and Lioness analogy, in the presence of the Lion (D Style), the Lioness (S Style), although capable, will not take the initiative.
However, in all respects, the Lioness is fully capable of hunting, fighting, eating, and caring for her young and will be fierce if her young are attacked.
Although the S Style person does not push themselves when Ds are around, in their own right they can be very powerful, competent, and skilled in business and at home. It goes against the S Style, behaviorally, to appear powerful or individualistic.
They are often hands-on leaders, team players, patient, accommodating, and do not mind supporting the D and I Styles in their no-holds-barred approaches. The S Style’s humility has always been a great compliment to the D Style’s ego and is a good thing as it maintains balance.
Myth #5: DISC is not a legal hiring tool
Wrong. DISC is the leading tool in companies and organizations around the world for assessing good behavioral fit. It is used for screening, management, and hiring in both small businesses and large companies with a broad HR footprint. It is the only psychometric assessment that is fully EEOC compliant and legally defensible as a hiring tool. This is because:
1) The DISC assessment is self-administered, meaning it does not require a clinical psychologist to assess the user. Instead, the user is assessed only by himself or herself.
2) DISC deals with observable behavior, not “emotional” behavior
3) DISC focuses on the user’s behavioral strengths and capitalizes on those strengths. All styles have different and equally important strengths. DISC is actually the perfect tool to determine whether a candidate will fit the needs of both the position and the corporate culture. It is also a perfect tool to increase compliance, productivity, and job retention.
