Understanding how your team communicates and works together is key to running a smooth, productive service business. Two of the most recognized tools for this are the DISC assessment and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, both designed to reveal what drives behavior and performance.
Jackson Advisory Group helps business owners use these tools to strengthen leadership, improve collaboration, and reduce workplace tension. Their approach focuses on applying behavioral assessment insights directly to real team challenges.
In this article, you’ll learn how DISC and Myers-Briggs differ, when to use each, and which tool better fits your business goals for communication, leadership, and long-term growth.
Overview of DISC Assessment
The DISC assessment breaks down how people behave and communicate at work. It helps you see patterns in actions and how those patterns affect teamwork and leadership. Understanding DISC lets you work better with others by spotting natural strengths and challenges.
Origins and History of DISC
DISC comes from research by psychologist William Marston in the 1920s. He studied how people react in different situations. Marston identified four main behavior types based on how people control problems and interact with others.
Later, this theory was turned into an assessment tool to help businesses. Over time, many versions of DISC have been made. The version commonly used today focuses on four key traits to describe a person’s work style.
Structure and Core Dimensions
DISC measures four main behavior types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness.
- Dominance (D): Focuses on results and challenges. People high in D like to take charge and solve problems quickly.
- Influence (I): Values social connections and enthusiasm. High I individuals motivate and persuade others.
- Steadiness (S): Shows patience and loyalty. Those with high S prefer stable environments and support their team.
- Conscientiousness (C): Aims for accuracy and quality. People scoring high in C follow rules and focus on details.
These dimensions help you understand how each person prefers to act and communicate at work.
How DISC Assessment Works
DISC assessments are usually done with a short survey. You answer questions about how you behave and react in different situations. The results show your dominant behavior types with a simple report.
This report highlights your strengths and possible challenges. It also explains what kinds of work or communication styles fit you best. You can use this to improve team roles, solve conflicts, and build better work habits.
Our company uses DISC to help trade business owners build teams that run smoothly without depending too much on the owner. It’s a hands-on tool that makes leadership clearer and easier to practice.
Overview of Myers-Briggs
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) helps you understand personality by sorting how people see the world and make decisions. It focuses on four key preferences that combine into 16 personality types. Knowing your type can improve how you communicate, lead, and work with others.
Development and Background
The MBTI was developed in the 1940s by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. They built it on psychologist Carl Jung’s theories about personality types.
The tool was designed to help people see their strengths and how they interact with others. Since then, millions have taken the MBTI worldwide. It’s used in workplaces to boost teamwork, leadership, and communication.
While it doesn’t predict success, it gives useful insights into behavior patterns and how individuals prefer to work.
MBTI Poles and Personality Types
MBTI sorts personality into four pairs, called poles:
- Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I): How you get energy — from people or alone.
- Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N): How you take in information — facts or big ideas.
- Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F): How you make decisions — logic or emotions.
- Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P): How you organize life — planned or flexible.
When you combine these, you get one of 16 personality types, like INFP or ESTJ. Each type shows unique communication styles, work habits, and ways to handle stress.
How Myers-Briggs Is Administered
To take the MBTI, you answer a series of questions online or on paper. The questions measure your preferences across the four pairs.
After completing it, you get a detailed report that explains your type. Many companies use MBTI in workshops or coaching sessions. It helps teams understand each other better and work more smoothly.
Key Differences Between DISC and Myers-Briggs
DISC and Myers-Briggs both help you understand personality, but they focus on different things. Their frameworks, how they’re used at work, and the way they explain your results all vary. Knowing these differences can help you pick the right tool for your team’s needs.
Fundamental Frameworks
DISC looks at four main behavior styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. It measures how you act and react in everyday situations.
DISC focuses on observable behavior and works on driving better team communication and collaboration. Myers-Briggs, or MBTI, divides people into 16 personality types based on preferences like Introversion vs. Extraversion and Thinking vs. Feeling.
It delves into how you process information and make decisions. The MBTI model is more about understanding your inner mental preferences than how you behave outwardly. In short, DISC is about what you do, MBTI is about how you think.
Assessment Purpose and Application
You’ll find DISC is often used in the workplace to improve teamwork and communication. It’s straightforward and practical, making it easier for people to apply results quickly.
DISC tools help you spot strengths and areas where your team can work better together. Myers-Briggs is more about self-awareness and personal growth.
It helps you understand your cognitive style and how it affects relationships and leadership. However, MBTI outcomes can feel more complex and harder to put into practice in daily work scenarios.
Result Interpretations
DISC breaks down your personality into four clear styles with specific behaviors to recognize and adjust. The results highlight how you lead, interact, and handle conflict. It’s easy to teach teams how to spot other styles and communicate with them effectively.
MBTI gives you a four-letter code like ISTJ or ENFP, each with detailed descriptions of how you think, feel, and approach life. While insightful, MBTI results require more explanation to connect them directly to workplace actions.
An expert leans on DISC because it’s simple to understand and useful for fixing real team challenges. You can use DISC reports and workshops to get everyone on the same page and reduce frustration in your growing business.
Strengths of DISC Assessment in the Workplace
DISC assessment helps businesses improve how people work together by focusing on behavior. It gives you practical tools to boost communication, develop leaders, and solve conflicts quickly. This clear approach fits well in hands-on workplaces like service businesses.
Improving Team Communication
DISC shows you how each person naturally acts and communicates. When you know if someone is direct, cautious, or outgoing, you can adjust your approach to connect better. This reduces misunderstandings and keeps conversations smooth.
For example, if a teammate is detail-focused and quiet, you won’t overwhelm them with fast decisions. Instead, you’ll slow down and share the facts clearly. If someone is more social and expressive, you might give them space to talk through ideas.
Clear communication speeds up work and helps prevent small problems from growing. With DISC, your team learns to speak each other’s language. It’s a simple way to build trust and keep everyone on the same page.
Enhancing Leadership Development
DISC helps you spot leadership potential based on real behavior, not just titles. It identifies how different leaders handle pressure, make decisions, and motivate their teams. This means you can develop leaders with the right style for your business needs.
Leaders who understand their DISC profile know their natural strengths and where they need to grow. For example, a leader with a high D (Dominance) drive might need to focus on listening more, while a high S (Steadiness) leader can work on being more decisive.
Using DISC, you avoid one-size-fits-all leadership training. Instead, you create targeted plans that fit each leader’s real style.
Optimizing Conflict Resolution
Conflict is normal, but DISC helps you handle it without drama. Understanding behaviors means you know why someone reacts a certain way. You don’t take things personally and find solutions faster.
For example, a high I (Influence) team member might want recognition during conflicts, while a high C (Conscientiousness) person needs facts to see a problem clearly. Knowing this helps you frame your responses to calm tensions.
DISC gives you a shared language for conflict that turns misunderstandings into chances to improve. Instead of guessing, you deal with real behaviors. This keeps your team focused and working toward solutions.
Strengths of Myers-Briggs for Professional Settings
Myers-Briggs helps you understand how people think and make decisions. It digs into personality traits that affect work style and communication. This kind of insight can boost engagement, guide career growth, and improve teamwork in your business.
Supporting Employee Engagement
When you know an employee’s Myers-Briggs type, you see what motivates them. Some people thrive on clear plans, while others prefer flexibility.
Understanding these differences helps you assign tasks that fit each person’s natural style. This insight makes your team feel valued because you’re recognizing how they work best, not just what they do.
That leads to better focus, less frustration, and higher job satisfaction. You can also tailor feedback and support to fit individual needs, making your coaching and management more effective.
Personalized Career Development
Myers-Briggs helps you guide employees into roles where they can excel. It shows cognitive preferences that affect problem-solving and decision-making styles.
This way, you can spot who’s ready for leadership or who needs more hands-on tasks. Using these insights lets you build career paths based on natural strengths, not just experience or titles.
That approach reduces turnover because people grow in ways that feel right to them. It also encourages ongoing learning and skill development by aligning opportunities with personality.
Facilitating Team Collaboration
Teams with mixed Myers-Briggs types often have diverse viewpoints and work habits. When you understand those, you can manage conflicts before they start.
You also help members respect each other’s differences instead of misreading them. In a busy local service business, this clarity means smoother communication and stronger cooperation.
It shapes a culture where everyone knows their role and how to contribute. This skill is one reason many experts use tools like Myers-Briggs to build stronger leadership teams in the trades.
Practical Uses of DISC Assessment Versus Myers-Briggs
Both DISC and Myers-Briggs help you understand how people behave and communicate. But they work best in different ways depending on what you want to achieve with your team. Knowing how each tool fits can guide you in making better choices for teamwork and role planning.
Selecting the Best Assessment for Your Team
If your main goal is to improve communication and solve real-time problems, the DISC assessment usually fits better. It’s simple, practical, and built to handle workplace dynamics quickly.
DISC focuses on four behavior styles, making it easier for teams to see how they work together and adjust. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) delves deeper into personality types and preferences.
It explores how people think and make decisions, which can be useful but is often more complex and less directly linked to daily tasks. For fast results in a trades business like yours, DISC is often the clearer choice.
Role Alignment and Talent Management
Using DISC can help you match people to roles that fit their natural strengths. For example, someone with a Dominance style may excel in leadership or sales, while an Influence style fits well with customer relations.
This helps reduce turnover by putting people in positions where they can succeed without constant supervision. Myers-Briggs can provide insights into deeper personality traits, but it’s less focused on role fit.
It’s more about understanding personal development than managing daily work. For local service companies, tools like DISC give clearer direction on who does what and how to build a balanced, efficient team.
Limitations and Criticisms
Both DISC and Myers-Briggs have flaws that can affect how useful they are in real workplace settings. These issues can lead to misunderstandings or poor decisions if you rely on them too heavily. Here’s what you need to watch out for.
Reliability and Validity Concerns
Personality tests like DISC and Myers-Briggs don’t always give consistent results. You might get different outcomes if you take the same test twice. This happens because feelings and situations change, making the test less reliable.
Also, these tools simplify complex human behavior. Myers-Briggs looks at preferences but not actual skills or behaviors. DISC focuses on observable actions but misses deeper motivations.
Neither test measures talent or job performance directly. Because of these limits, using DISC or Myers-Briggs as the sole basis for big decisions, like hiring, isn’t a good idea. They offer clues, not clear answers.
Potential Misuse in the Workplace
Sometimes, managers treat DISC and Myers-Briggs results like labels that define people forever. That can box you or your team into types that feel false or limiting.
These tools are meant to help with communication and teamwork, not to hire, fire, or promote based on personality scores alone. Mixing them up with job fit risks hurting morale and team trust.
Experts recommend using these assessments as part of a bigger process—combining real work performance with personality insights. Misusing them can create confusion instead of clarity.
Making the Right Choice for Your Organization
Choosing between DISC and Myers-Briggs means knowing exactly what your business needs and how you want these tools to fit into your daily operations. It’s about matching the proper assessment to your goals and ensuring it becomes a practical part of how your team works together.
Assessing Organizational Needs
Start by asking what you want the assessment to do. If you’re focused on improving how people behave and communicate at work, DISC is simple and action-oriented.
It measures clear behavior types like dominance and steadiness that you can see day to day. Myers-Briggs digs deeper into personality preferences and thinking styles, but it can feel complex and less direct for fast decision-making.
Look at how much time you can dedicate. DISC is quicker with fewer questions, which makes it easier to use often if you need frequent check-ins. Myers-Briggs takes longer and is better if you want a deeper understanding of individual motivations over time.
Be honest about your team size and structure. Small or growing teams benefit from DISC’s clear, four-type model. Larger or more complex teams might gain insight from Myers-Briggs’ 16 types, but it requires more effort to manage and apply.
Integrating Assessments into Workplace Culture
Integration means making these assessments work beyond just a test. With DISC, it’s easier to build training, hiring, and communication practices directly around the results.
You can spot where teams clash and use DISC language to solve issues quickly. Myers-Briggs needs more coaching and follow-up to make it relevant every day. Without a plan, it stays theoretical.
Bringing DISC into your culture means regular team workshops and peer discussions that help everyone understand their roles and how to support each other.
If you want to see real change, choose a tool that fits into your existing routines instead of adding complexity. We help businesses fold DISC right into their team plans so it drives results without extra hassle.
Using Networking to Expand Learning Opportunities
Behavioral assessments are even more valuable when paired with professional networking. Attending local workshops or business groups allows leaders to exchange ideas on how to implement DISC or Myers-Briggs insights.
The U.S. Small Business Administration notes that networking supports long-term business growth and strengthens relationships across industries. Combining training and networking gives leaders broader perspectives and practical solutions for daily challenges.
Choosing the Right Assessment for Team Growth
Both DISC and Myers-Briggs offer valuable insights into communication and teamwork, but their uses differ. DISC focuses on behaviors you can see and improve quickly, while Myers-Briggs explores deeper thinking patterns and motivations.
Jackson Advisory Group helps service business owners use behavioral assessments to enhance leadership and lower workplace friction. Their workshops focus on practical results—turning personality insights into better systems, collaboration, and long-term success.
If you want to build a more unified, effective team, reach out today. You’ll see how assessment-based training can help your business communicate and perform at its best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Personality assessments like DISC and Myers-Briggs help you understand how people work and interact. Each tool reveals different insights that impact team leadership, communication, and personal growth in your business.
What are the core differences between DISC and Myers-Briggs assessments?
DISC focuses on observable behavior. It measures how you act in different situations. Myers-Briggs looks deeper at your internal preferences, like how you think and make decisions. DISC is simpler and quicker; Myers-Briggs is more complex and detailed.
How do DISC and Myers-Briggs assessments help in improving workplace dynamics?
DISC improves teamwork by showing how people behave and communicate. Myers-Briggs helps people understand their personality and others’ to reduce conflicts. Both build awareness, but DISC gives faster, actionable results for managers.
Can DISC assessment be used to predict job performance like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)?
DISC is better at describing work style and how you respond to challenges, but it doesn’t predict job success. Myers-Briggs offers personal insight, but it also isn’t designed as a hiring test. Neither is a reliable predictor of performance on its own.
Are there any specific situations where one assessment is preferred over the other in a professional setting?
Use DISC when you want to improve team communication or leadership quickly. Myers-Briggs works well for personal development or coaching. For service businesses, DISC-based training helps owners build strong teams that run without relying on them.
How do the DISC and Myers-Briggs assessments approach the evaluation of personality in different ways?
DISC measures outward behavior and actions in work settings. Myers-Briggs looks at internal thought patterns and preferences. DISC categorizes people by how they do things; Myers-Briggs categorizes them by how they think and feel.
What advantages does the DISC assessment offer over the Myers-Briggs when it comes to team-building activities?
DISC delivers clear, straightforward profiles that leaders can use immediately to align teams. It focuses on communication style and motivation, which are key to team performance. Myers-Briggs takes longer to understand and apply in group settings.
DISC training from Jackson Advisory Group is designed to help service business owners create teams that run smoothly. It also reduces the need to micromanage.
