I have yet to meet a personality assessment I didn’t like. I have always been intrigued by them and the insights they can provide when it comes to better understanding myself and my motivations.
When you find the right one, they can be incredibly useful, helpful and practical. Both in your personal and professional life. I think many people would agree with me.
There is, however, a misconception that many people make when it comes to personality assessments. If you want to reap all the benefits of an assessment, then we need to set the record straight.
The misconception is not with the assessment itself. It’s actually with the people, like you and me, taking the assessment. We, unintentionally, define ourselves by the results. It’s a common mistake and it can have a significantly negative impact if we don’t adjust our thinking.
For the record, one of my favorite personality assessments is the Everything DiSC® assessment. The model is easy to understand, it has an unlimited number of applications and ongoing research continues to validate its effectiveness. It’s a win-win-win when it comes to assessments.
For that reason, I am going to use Everything DiSC® as an example to illustrate my point.
If you’ve ever taken the DiSC assessment you know there are 12 different styles. The first question you probably ask someone is, “What is your style?” Inevitably, they respond with something like this, “I’m a D” or “I’m a iS” or “I’m a C.” Just the way we answer the question is where the misconception takes root.
A better, more honest way to answer the question would be, “My preference is a D.” Your DiSC style is just that, a preference. It’s your comfort zone. It’s “go-to” way of behaving and communicating that feels most natural to you. But it does not define you. It’s important to recognize the difference here.
A preference is how we are inclined to behave, but it doesn’t mean that is how we will always behave. We always have a choice.
That’s the heart of the misconception. We often think that our style defines us and, therefore, limits us to how we should react or respond to a situation.
We also use our style to hide our flaws and shortcomings. If a situation does not go our way or if we fail, it’s easy to blame it on our style. It’s easy to perpetuate the misconception.
Here’s the big truth we should acknowledge if we truly want to learn and grow. And become the best version of ourselves in the world.
You are not defined by your DiSC style. You ultimately choose how you will respond and react in any given situation. Your DiSC style is simply an indicator of how you prefer to behave. It’s your comfort zone. We all know how hard it can be to get out of our comfort zone. It takes energy and effort.
Remember, you have the power to choose how you will behave in any given situation. You are not limited by your style. You are uniquely you and that’s an awesome thing.