When organisations invest in personality assessments, they usually have one goal in mind: helping people work together more effectively.
Two of the most well-known assessments are DISC and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Both have been used for decades and both have loyal supporters. However, when it comes to improving workplace communication, leadership, teamwork, and performance, DISC is my tool of choice.
1. DISC Focuses on Behaviour Rather Than Personality
One of the biggest differences between DISC and MBTI is what they actually measure.
MBTI attempts to describe personality preferences – how people tend to perceive the world and make decisions. DISC, on the other hand, focuses on observable behaviour – how people communicate, respond to challenges, influence others, and approach work.
This distinction matters.
Behaviour is something we experience every day in the workplace. Managers don’t need to know whether someone prefers intuition over sensing. They need to understand why one employee likes detailed instructions while another prefers broad objectives.
DISC provides practical insights that can be applied immediately.
2. It’s Easier to Understand
One reason DISC remains popular with organisations is its simplicity.
Instead of 16 personality types, DISC centres around four primary behavioural styles:
- D – Dominance: Direct, decisive, results-focused.
- I – Influence: Enthusiastic, social, persuasive.
- S – Steadiness: Patient, dependable, supportive.
- C – Conscientiousness: Analytical, careful, detail-oriented.
Most people can quickly remember the four styles and begin recognising them in themselves and others.
That simplicity makes it far easier for teams to continue using DISC long after the workshop has finished.
3. DISC Gives Immediate Communication Tips
Understanding personality is interesting.
Understanding how to communicate better tomorrow morning is far more valuable.
DISC helps people adapt their communication depending on who they’re speaking with.
For example:
- A high D colleague may appreciate concise conversations that focus on outcomes.
- A high I person often enjoys brainstorming and enthusiasm.
- A high S employee may value reassurance and collaboration.
- A high C individual often prefers detailed information and logical explanations.
These practical adjustments can reduce misunderstandings, improve collaboration, and strengthen working relationships almost immediately.
4. DISC Encourages Flexibility
One criticism sometimes aimed at personality assessments is that people can become attached to their “type.”
Statements such as “I’m an INTJ” or “That’s just how I am” can unintentionally discourage personal growth.
DISC takes a different approach. It recognises that people naturally have preferred behavioural styles while also encouraging them to adapt those behaviours depending on the situation.
Great leaders don’t communicate the same way with everyone. DISC reinforces this idea by promoting behavioural flexibility rather than fixed labels.
5. It Works Well for Managers
Managers are constantly adjusting their leadership style depending on the people they’re leading.
DISC provides a practical framework for doing exactly that.
For example, a manager might learn that:
- Some employees need autonomy.
- Others need encouragement.
- Others prefer stability and consistency.
- Others want detailed expectations and clear processes.
Rather than treating everyone the same, leaders can tailor their approach while still maintaining fairness.
This often leads to stronger engagement and better performance.
6. DISC Is Easy to Apply to Teams
One of DISC’s greatest strengths is its usefulness during team development workshops.
Teams quickly begin recognising why misunderstandings happen.
For example:
- Fast decision-makers may become frustrated by colleagues who want more analysis.
- Detail-oriented employees may find spontaneous teammates disorganised.
- Highly social employees may misinterpret quieter colleagues as disengaged.
DISC helps people realise that these differences are rarely personal – they’re simply different behavioural preferences.
That shift in perspective often reduces conflict and increases empathy across the team.
7. DISC Supports Better Customer Service
DISC isn’t only useful internally.
Many organisations use it to improve customer interactions. Salespeople can learn how different customers prefer to receive information. Customer service teams can adjust their communication style to build rapport more quickly. Project managers can tailor updates depending on what each stakeholder values most.
Because DISC focuses on behaviour rather than internal preferences, these adjustments are relatively easy to make.
What About MBTI?
MBTI certainly has strengths.
Many people find it valuable for self-awareness, career reflection, and understanding personal preferences.
It has introduced millions of people to the idea that different people naturally think differently.
However, MBTI has also attracted criticism from some researchers regarding its reliability and the tendency for people to receive different personality types when taking the assessment again at a later date.
DISC is not without limitations either. Like any behavioural assessment, it should be used as a conversation starter rather than as a definitive measure of someone’s abilities or potential.
Choosing the Right Tool
Both assessments can provide useful insights.
But if your objective is to improve:
- workplace communication
- leadership
- teamwork
- conflict management
- customer service
- day-to-day collaboration
DISC is often the more practical choice.
Its simple framework, behavioural focus, and immediate workplace application make it particularly effective for organisations looking to build stronger, more collaborative teams.
A Personal Experience
On a recent DISC workshop in Phuket in 2025, I was working with a company (all departments) that had previously conducted an MBTI assessment and so each individual already knew their personality type.
I asked them how this knowledge of each others’ personalities had helped in their day-to-day work.
Silence.
I’m sure I saw a tumbleweed drift through the meeting room right at that moment and made a mental note to inform hotel housekeeping about their lax standards.
Nobody, not even the team leaders who had arranged for the MBTI testing in the first place could say how it had actually helped.
MBTI is very much a personality test. It’s interesting to know who you naturally are. But, in the workplace, we need to know how to collaborate better. DISC, which looks at working styles and default behaviours, is far more relevant to the professional workplace.
By understaning each others’ working styles, we can adapt our behaviour to work more efficiently together, communicate more effectively, and reduce unproductive conflict. That is far more valuable in our careers than knowing whether Sharon in accounts is a raging introvert or not.
Final Thoughts
No personality assessment should be used to put people into boxes. The best assessments encourage understanding, adaptability, and better communication.
In most workplace environments, DISC achieves this remarkably well.
Instead of simply helping people understand themselves, it helps them understand each other. And that’s where better teamwork begins.
You can read more about my training workshops and specifically team collaboration using DISC. I like to use DISC both for team development and leadership training.