Most Commonly Asked Questions about DiSC®

What is the ideal or best DiSC style?

No single DiSC style is considered ideal or superior. Each style brings its own set of strengths and areas for improvement. DiSC is a tool to understand the effort required for different behaviors, rather than a measure of skill. It’s important to recognize that we’re all a mix of styles and can adapt to others as needed.

Can DiSC be used as a hiring tool?

Everything DiSC has not been validated as a hiring tool. There is no direct correlation between DiSC styles and job success or satisfaction. DiSC focuses on personality traits rather than the skills and abilities required for a specific job. However, some jobs do have a disproportional number of people with similar styles. This is only a modest trend and may only indicate that more people choose or are hired for that profession. For example, you might see several iD styles in your sales department or C styles in IT and finance departments. That might mean more of those styles go into those roles or that recruiters have a bias toward that style for these roles.

Still, Everything DiSC is used by many organizations to build self-awareness and to help understand the style preferences and ideal work environments of new employees, aiding in their successful integration.

Can my DiSC profile change over time?

Your DiSC profile can evolve over time due to various factors like life experiences, education, and maturity. Changes in your DiSC assessment results might be more noticeable over longer periods. While major shifts in style are unlikely, smaller changes can occur, especially after significant life events or when frequently engaging in behaviors characteristic of different styles.

At IPB Partners, we recommend re-taking the DiSC assessment every two years to ensure it captures your current style.

Can I have one style at work and another at home?

It’s common for people to exhibit similar DiSC styles in both their personal and professional lives. While different situations might require different styles, this doesn’t mean one has completely different styles at work and at home. It’s about adapting to various situations, which might be more or less energy-intensive depending on how far it is from your natural style. So, whether at home or at work, you don’t really change the essence of who you are, but you may change how you respond to others in each different environment. You are likely to float between a few dominant styles based on each unique circumstance.

How can I best use the knowledge from DiSC®?

Utilizing the insights gained from an Everything DiSC assessment can be incredibly beneficial in both personal and professional life. For example, understanding the concept of ‘stretching’ into other styles to be more effective with others. If your natural style is analytical and reserved (C style), but you’re in a situation that requires more outgoing and social behaviors (i style), this stretching can range from being slightly uncomfortable to quite challenging, depending on your style’s intensity (position on the DiSC circle). The further away your natural style is from the required style, the more effort it takes to adapt.

Remember, the key to leveraging DiSC effectively is not just in knowing the styles, but in actively applying this knowledge to adapt and improve interactions and strategies in various areas of life and work.

Should teams have a mix of all styles?

A team can be successful with or without a mix of DiSC styles. What’s more important than mix is awareness of the team’s strengths and challenges. A well-rounded team will work to overcome their challenges rather than focus only on their strengths.

Do the four DiSC colors mean anything?

The colors used in Everything DiSC profiles are purely for design and branding purposes. They don’t hold any specific meaning in relation to the DiSC styles themselves. It’s important not to associate DiSC styles with certain colors, as research indicates that the interpretation of colors can vary significantly across different cultures.

Why are there so many DISC tests?

The DISC model is not copyrighted, so this has led to the development of various assessments by different providers. Everything DiSC is the original and the first DiSC profile created in the world and sets itself apart as a premium brand with its commitment to ongoing research and the most advanced assessments and solutions.