How To Create An Accurate and Thorough Personality Profile

While I’m a firm believer in personality profiles and assessments, it is hard for one evaluation tool to gather the total scope of human beings.

I’ve discovered that a combination of varied assessments provide a more accurate look at who we are, how we work, and how we react.

Here are the assessment tools I have found work well together to provide a great look at a person and how that person will work on a team. I believe in them so much, I would not hire a team member until I could look at their personality profiles.

DISC is a quadrant behavioral model based on the work of Dr. William Moulton Marston (1893–1947) to examine the behavior of individuals in their environment or within a specific situation (otherwise known as environment). It therefore focuses on the styles and preferences of such behavior.

This system of dimensions of observable behavior has become known as the universal language of behavior. Research has found that characteristics of behavior can be grouped into these four major “personality styles” and they tend to exhibit specific characteristics common to that particular style. All individuals possess all four, but what differs from one to another is the extent of each.

Having understood the differences between these blends makes it possible to integrate individual team members with less troubleshooting. In a typical team, there are varying degrees of compatibility, not just toward tasks but interpersonal relationships as well. However, when they are identified, energy can be spent on refining the results.

Each of these types has its own unique value to the team, ideal environment, general characteristics, what the individual is motivated by, and value to team.

Enneagram — can be seen as a set of nine distinct personality types, with each number on the Enneagram denoting one type. It is common to find a little of yourself in all nine of the types, although one of them should stand out as being closest to yourself. This is your basic personality type.

The nine personality types (also called “enneatypes”), which are also indicated by the points of a geometric figure, called an enneagram, which also indicate some of the connections between the types. As there are different schools of thought among Enneagram theorists about some aspects of how it is understood, its interpretation is not always unified or consistent.

Meyers-Briggs — The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.

“Perception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, or ideas. Judgment involves all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been perceived. If people differ systematically in what they perceive and in how they reach conclusions, then it is only reasonable for them to differ correspondingly in their interests, reactions, values, motivations, and skills.”

StrengthsFinders—The Clifton StrengthsFinder is the culmination of more than 50 years of Dr. Donald O. Clifton’s lifelong work: leading millions of people around the world to discover their strengths. In 2002, Dr. Clifton was honored by an American Psychological Association Presidential Commendation as the Father of Strengths-Based Psychology.

To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder helped millions to discover their top five talents.

In StrengthsFinder 2.0 Gallup unveiled the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more. While you can read this book in one sitting, you’ll use it as a reference for decades.

Combining the nuances of these four tools results in an amazing look at a person.

Question: Have you utilized one or more of these assessments? What do you think?

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12 responses to “How To Create An Accurate and Thorough Personality Profile”

  1. Jan Owen Avatar

    I’ve done them all. I thought the DISC was pretty spot on for me. Strengthsfinders was very enlightening and eye opening and helped me understand myself and my abilities from a different perspective.

    One thing that has always confused others – and me – at times is that I seem to be a pure extrovert but I process like an introvert. On the DISC for example, my primary is S, but my I is almost equal to it. So this is a bit confusing. For all of us. So when I did Meyers-Briggs it said I was an INFJ but it came with this little note that said “Your results were close and you could be an extrovert instead of an introvert”. So I’m either an extrovert that thinks deeply or I’m a highly expressive introvert. Go figure.

    I loved studying the Enneagram but actually never have nailed down what I am. I think I’m either a 2 or a 4. Or a 3. :) I honestly didn’t feel any of my results were clear.

    REgardless, it was all enlightening! I think knowing yourself is very important. This is why I believe we all could use counseling!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Jan Owen, Yes, these tools are invaluable! Thanks, Jan.

  2. mandythompson Avatar

    I’ve done all of ’em. And they are enlightening. But, I still don’t understand myself sometimes. ;) I think that’s the curse, of the creative, though!

    1. Randy Avatar

      @mandythompson, So true, Mandy!! I truly empathize.

  3. Christy Avatar

    I am a psychology nerd (I am a counselor so….) and have utilized all of them except strengthfinders which I will now check out very soon! Have studied all of them but the last one I have always been fascinated by them…and their accuracy. From the DISC to the MBPT to the Enneagram my results have been consistent and have given me a great (and valuable look) at my personality…and what I can learn to do better and what I am good at. :)

    1. Randy Avatar

      @Christy, Awesome. You will like StrengthFinders. Thanks, Christy!

  4. Gary Reed Avatar

    Good thoughts here about looking at ourself from objective perspectives. I’ve used 3 out of 4 of these and have always found new twists of myself. I also give these tools to others who discover things about them self and how to relate to others. I also have found, evaluating myself through What love is and what love is not in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 brings out a new perspective of love.

  5. Melissa Avatar

    I just took a college course in StrengthsFinders – it was SO eye-opening. I loved learning and want to continue to learn and expand my understanding of strengths – mine and others.

    I’d love to do Enneagram too, and even Meyers-Briggs.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Melissa, Yes, I think you will benefit from them. Thanks for commenting, Melissa.

  6. Amy Nabors Avatar

    I’ve only done the Meyers Brigg. I’m an INFP & it sums me up quite well. I have been wanting to do Strength Finders. After reading this I want to look into the others as well.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Amy Nabors, Awesome, they are great tools. Thanks, Amy.