Digging into DiSC History

The most recent iteration of the behavioral styles concept is DiSC but the theory currently underpinning DiSC dates back to 1928. That was the year that William Molton Marston wrote a book called The Emotions of Normal People. In his book, Dr. Marston proposed a system of psychology that used the acronym of DiSC for the first time. Marston’s idea was to prove brilliant but not many people actually remember that he was the father of the DiSC concept. One reason is that Marston was a Harvard trained psychologist working at Columbia University. He may have proposed the DiSC concept but, because it came out of academia, no one owned it. Another reason Marston’s groundbreaking work in the area of human psychology is often neglected is because there was someone else working in the same field, at the same time Marston was. Carl Jung developed, wrote about and created his theory about archetypes - early models of personality description. His research, which formed the basis for the Myers Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI), was published around the same time that Marston developed and wrote about DiSC. Jung was a well-known Swiss psychiatrist with much higher visibility than Marston but both made significant contributions to the area of study that would become known as psychometric research and the use of psychometrics relative to personality. Jungian archetypes and Marston’s DiSC theory are the foundation on which just about every four quadrant model on the market today are based on, many of which don’t even carry the DiSC name. Read the full article Digging into DiSC History

The Concept Behind DiSC

What manager hasn’t said to himself, at least once in his professional life, that his job would be so much easier if it weren’t for all the people he had to deal with? Odds are there isn’t one person who manages employees who hasn’t uttered that phrase. But getting work done through other people is what most managers are paid to do. What if you could get everything you need to understand, manage and motivate your team and your customers in one small box? What if the key to harnessing human nature was in a package the size of a disposable lighter? Never going to happen? Well, it has. It is called DiSC and it sounds more like the magic decoder ring you used to get out of a box of breakfast cereal or something you would wear on your wrist than a powerful management tool that can change the culture and productivity of a company. Read the full article The Concept Behind DiSC - You do the Math

Everything DiSC Trainer Certification Dates

Current dates for the Everything DiSC Trainer Certification have been announced.
The program provides an in-depth understanding of the DiSC profile, the Everything DiSC Facilitation System and the variety of reports you can use. For more information see the Everything DiSC Trainer Certification page.

Psychometric Testing

If you search the Internet for more information on DiSC Profiling you'll find several resources on psychometric testing. I stumbled across this definition today: Psychometric testing is a tool used mainly in the recruitment process. It is recognized as an efficient way to gain insight into a person’s personality and psychological thinking. It can help develop team spirit in the workplace and assess an individual’s priorities.

Psychometric testing is usually an office-based procedure, although the test itself can be conducted anywhere. Many are processed online using software applications. The test should only take around 15 minutes to complete, although depending on the depth of the test, it may take longer. There are tests to assess sales capability, management styles and social personality traits. Psychometric testing can be used in the development or selection process in business. A number of businesses around the world use psychometric testing on new or potential employees. The results of psychometric testing give management an idea of how the employee will fit in with company ideals and policies. Once the test has been completed, it takes approximately 5-10 seconds to produce the results. Read full description

Personalities and Performance

The July issue of Training Magazine contains a very interesting article titled Personalities and Performance. The article is part of their Talent Management issue and it mentions the MBTI and DiSC as part of their discussion on personality assessments. The article provides a terrific example of a financial services company using the assessments for growth and development rather than for pre-employment screening. The July issue of Training Magazine - Personalities and Performance article begins on page 36. I also recommend the cover story titled Keys to the Kingdom.

Using DiSC for Sales

What a novel idea... Using the DiSC Profile with your sales force. Did you know you can take it a step further? You can present DiSC Training to your sales force with off-the-shelf customizable trainer kits. It's never been so easy.

Everything DiSC Sales® Application Library

This dynamic program consists of six 50 minute modules aimed specifically towards sales. The trainer materials work in conjunction with the Everything DiSC Sales Profile and include:

• Leader’s Guides in Microsoft Word


• PowerPoint presentation with embedded video


• Stand-alone, menu-driven video


• Participant handouts in Microsoft Word


• Templates and images


• Sample Everything DiSC Sales Profile


• Sample Everything DiSC Customer Interaction Map


• Research documentation Sales Interview Activity Card sets (for 24 participants)


• Everything DiSC Customer Interaction Guides (for 24 participants)

If you have any experience with DiSC, you'll realize what a valuable product this is.

Disney Character DiSC Behavioral Styles

Last week I spent a couple of days at Inscape Publishing’s MindLab conference in Orlando, Florida. In typical Inscape fashion the sessions were excellent and the people I met were delightful. We decided to take advantage of the location and spend a few days exploring Walt Disney World. Wow, have things changed in the 20 years since I was last there! Since we spent a lot of time in the Magic Kingdom, and we were discussing DiSC, I thought I would try a little character reading. Here are four characters I thought fit each DiSC behavioral style.


Musafa from the Lion King – High D

Well, let’s face it he’s a lion. Lions are dominant by nature but his personality style in the movie screams of highly dominant behavior. After all he accepted the challenge of being king, he manages any trouble that arises in the kingdom and helps the rest of the kingdom solve problems.

Ariel from The Little Mermaid - High i

This is one of my daughter’s all time favorites. Ariel tends to view people and situations with optimism, she is very articulate and makes an extremely favorable impression. While she may not seek out social recognition she does like freedom of expression and group activities. This is evident by the number of friends she keeps.

Winnie the Pooh from Winnie the Pooh & Friends - High S

While this loveable bear is not much for details (except when it comes to honey) he sure enjoys people. You might consider Pooh to be a high I but he is probably an S. In his never ending search for honey Pooh demonstrates an extremely steady side to his behavior. He is consistent but patient in his search. There’s no question he’s loyal and has a wonderful calming ability.

Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio - High C

Jiminy Cricket served as Pinocchio’s conscience so who better to serve as our conscientious example? Jiminy uses subtle or indirect approaches to conflict, is definitely diplomatic and uses systematic approaches to situation. Jiminy Cricket is definitely highly conscientious.

Building Better Teams

Here's an article on team building, behavior profiling and the like. Want to Win a Championship? Build a Better Team. One of the key steps is assessing your team member's behavioral styles and roles.

2008 DiSC Trainer Certification Dates

For people interested in DiSC Trainer Certification: Two more dates are open for the Everything DiSC Trainer Certification in 2008. Each of the 2-day sessions are being held at the: Sheraton Bloomington-Minneapolis South 7800 Normandale Blvd. Bloomington, Minnesota 55439 Phone: 866-837-4278 May 20-21, 2008 - just a few seats left July 15-16, 2008 - register by June 30th December 9-10, 2008 - register by November 24th More information: DiSC Training Certification