In order to get the best performance from your people and build a world-class organization, you’ll need to understand how psychology meets workplace dynamics. This is where understanding your teams’ behaviors can actually help you predict high performance. That’s why KMP proudly partnered with MindWire to provide a solution that helps you put the right people in the right roles from first hire through C-suite succession.
Candice Frazer, VP at MindWire, examines the two prominent tools that unravel the mysteries of human behavior in the office: the Predictive Index and the DiSC model. Spoiler alert: it’s more than just personality type.
Predictive Index and DiSC: What’s the Deal?
Picture that you have a group of coworkers, all with different quirks, strengths, and yes, even those not-so-great moments. That’s where assessment tools like the Predictive Index and the DiSC model come into play. Think of them as your backstage passes to truly understanding why Jim from accounting loves crunching numbers, while Sarah from marketing is always the life of the party.
The Predictive Index is your ultimate guide to workplace behaviors
It takes those four big drivers—Dominance, Extraversion, Patience, and Formality—and uses them to paint a picture of how people operate on the job. Whether you’re looking to solve for retention, succession or development, Predictive Index gives you the tools to understand how people tick—from those who jump in headfirst (Dominance) and others take their sweet time (Patience).
It’s not just about deciphering individual behaviors. The Predictive Index can be a game-changer for the entire employment lifecycle. If you’ve got a mix of people on your team, you’ll need to know how to leverage science, data, and software to best work with the go-getter Dominant types all the way through those Formality-loving perfectionists. Knowing how each teammate ticks can mean the difference between a smoothly running ship and choppy seas of poor performance.
…But what about DiSC?
DiSC stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. These four traits—yep, you guessed it—are the keys to unraveling personalities differently than the Predictive Index assessment referenced above. DiSC isn’t just about figuring out if your coworker is an introvert or an extrovert; it goes beyond that.
DiSC gets into the nitty-gritty of how people respond to challenges, work with others, and tackle tasks. It provides an alternative decoder ring for why Mark (Influence) is always brainstorming wild ideas and why Jessica (Steadiness) is the one who keeps the team grounded. It’s less about job roles and more about how everyone’s unique traits can come together like puzzle pieces.
Predictive Index vs DiSC — which behavioral tool performs better?
The Predictive Index is all about understanding and adapting behaviors to predict the performance of the players on your team, while DiSC hones in on enhancing communication. The Predictive Index is versatile, fitting into different stages of the employee lifecycle, including hiring, while DiSC isn’t recommended for pre-employment assessments.
But here’s the twist: Predictive Index is laser-focused on science and innovation, constantly cooking up new tools to keep up with the ever-changing work landscape. With the same set of assessment results, the Predictive Index provides reports and tools on communication, relationships, interviewing, coaching, team dynamics, and managing for peak performance. And, it is EEOC compliant and shown to have no adverse impact. On the other hand, while DiSC has capabilities for leadership alignment and team culture it might leave you hanging when it comes to learning agility via Predictive Index cognitive assessments and job-specific insights.
Let’s talk efficiency.
We’re living in the age of instant noodles and on-demand streaming, so guess what? Assessment time matters. Predictive Index takes a mere average of 6 minutes for the magic to happen, making it a swift, snappy process and an assessment that is hard to “game.” Meanwhile, DiSC’s journey takes a bit of a detour with an average of 20 minutes. It’s practically the difference between a quick coffee run and a leisurely brunch.
Final Thoughts: Reading Between the Behaviors
Remember that both Predictive Index and DiSC measure workplace behavior and can help you improve relationships among team members and leadership. The question is, which tool is better suited to your own goals?
You now have the scoop on Predictive Index and DiSC, two sides of the same coin with their own application. Whether you’re diving into the world of predicting workplace performance or simply aiming to have a great team building session. Remember: understanding behaviors is like having the ultimate cheat code to the game of workplace success.
Check out the difference yourself. Request an assessment and debrief — email to success@kmpconsultants.com.
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