Hi-
We are considering adding a personality profile tool into our current repetoire of tools we use in our workforce development dept. Based on our initial research (and my personal experience as a receiver of the MBTI assessment), we believe there is value in helping people learn more about themselves and others through these types of tools. We also realize the necessity to have a skilled evaluator and facilitator as the results are discussed and shared. I am very interested in exploring MBTI certification; a colleague is recommending that we use DISC, which doesn't involve certification.

Has anyone used both tools, and can you offer pros/cons to using them in an org setting?

Thanks!

angie,

I have used both MBTI and DiSC. Personally I much prefer MBTI because of the research behind the instrument. I got into using DiSC because clients were asking for it by name. I have now stopped using DiSC because it is seen more as a parlor game (to quote someone in a class) than psychological instrumentation. The upside is that it is DiSC is relatively inexpensive and memorable but so is MBTI.

quote:

Originally posted by angie:
Hi-
We are considering adding a personality profile tool into our current repetoire of tools we use in our workforce development dept. Based on our initial research (and my personal experience as a receiver of the MBTI assessment), we believe there is value in helping people learn more about themselves and others through these types of tools. We also realize the necessity to have a skilled evaluator and facilitator as the results are discussed and shared. I am very interested in exploring MBTI certification; a colleague is recommending that we use DISC, which doesn't involve certification.

Has anyone used both tools, and can you offer pros/cons to using them in an org setting?

Thanks!

There are pros and cons to each.
Myers-Briggs, PTI, or other "big" jungian type indicators are certainly meatier and more involved and are thus taken more seriously by both the facilitator and the participants, but DiSC products(though a good bit breezier) can serve their purpose and easily be adapted into corporate culture leaving out the feeling of having done the assessment for the sake of saying it was done - so some of it will depend on your organization's desires and commitment to the outcomes.

Another option would be to look at some other well validated and researched tools that aren't quite as heavy as MBTI. I would recommend looking at the Insight Inventory if you go down that path - it's a nice behavioral/personality assessment. The results, which focus on style flexing for increased personal awareness & better communication, can be folded in well with results from something like MBTI which covers you whether or not you become Myers-Briggs certified.

Angie --

I've used both tools and do prefer the MBTI for the same reasons cited by others. A good facilitator can help the people and organization use these tools to achieve whatever the objective. So it is important to determine the objective.

You may also want to take a look at the I-Opt. It's a good tool for individuals and excellent for use with teams. It doesn't assess personality, but focuses on process and the predictable ways we all process information and how that plays a role in our day-to-day activities.

I was introduced to it in 1996 as a participant and became certified shortly thereafter. It has an incredibly high "face" validation and has been validated by studies. If you'd like to take a look at what it's about, hop on over and take a look at http://www.teambuildingtips.com/iopt.php and http://www.teambuildingtips.com/leadershipstyle.php

There's a sample report you can download if you want to take a look at one of the individual report styles.

Best regards,

Denise O'Berry

Angie

I work for a corporate training and we use both, MBTI is good on an individual level though I find tends to put people in boxes too much. DiSC is simpler to use and deliver though perhaps lacks depth.

A far bette tool in my mind (particularly if applied to teams) is the Team Management System profile which has the advantage of less jargon, easy to deliver and more applicable to the workplace. For further info on how we use it I suggest you look at http://outdoorinsights.com.au/

Regards

Andy Halliday