Lost in Assessments? Master the Art of Choosing the Right One

Assessments are invaluable tools for improving team dynamics, personal development, and leadership effectiveness in organizational development. With numerous options available, it can be challenging to determine which assessment best suits your team’s needs. This blog post will explore six popular assessments: The Five BehaviorsTM, Everything DiSC®, CliftonStrengths®, Working GeniusTM, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), and the Culture Index®. We’ll provide an overview of each and offer guidance on choosing the right one based on your team’s goals.

1. The Five Behaviors™

Purpose: The Five Behaviors assessment is designed to help teams improve their effectiveness by focusing on five key behaviors: Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results.

Focus: It evaluates how team members interact with each other, specifically measuring their ability to build trust, engage in productive conflict, commit to decisions, hold each other accountable, and focus on collective results.

Best For: Teams aiming to enhance collaboration, build trust, and achieve better results through improved group dynamics.

Application: The assessment involves a combination of self-assessments and peer evaluations, where team members provide feedback on each of the five behaviors. The results offer actionable insights and strategies for improving team performance by focusing on these core behaviors. The Five Behaviors is particularly effective for teams that want to strengthen their foundational teamwork skills and align on shared goals. (Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Research Report)

2. Everything DiSC®

Purpose: Everything DiSC aims to improve workplace relationships, communication, and conflict management through understanding individual behavioral styles.

Focus: It measures Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness (DiSC), providing insights into personal and interpersonal dynamics within a workplace.

Best For: Teams and leaders aiming to improve collaboration and communication and manage conflicts effectively.

Application: The assessment consists of a questionnaire in which respondents rate the extent to which certain statements apply to them on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. The questionnaire uses adaptive testing, adding additional items to increase the reliability and validity of the results. Results include actionable strategies for improving communication and team collaboration. (Research Report for Adaptive Testing Assessment)

3. CliftonStrengths®

Purpose: CliftonStrengths identifies and leverages individual strengths to boost personal and professional development and team performance.

Focus: It assesses 34 talent themes across four domains (Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking) to help individuals understand their unique strengths and how to apply them effectively.

Best For: Individuals and teams focused on leveraging strengths for improved performance and job satisfaction.

Application: The assessment is an online test using paired statements. Participants choose the statements that most likely apply to them. The test generates a report identifying an individual’s top strengths, which are used for personal development and team building​. (How the CliftonStrengths Assessment Works)

4. Working Genius™

Purpose: The Working Genius assessment helps individuals and teams identify their natural talents in the context of work, focusing on productivity and job satisfaction.

Focus: It categorizes six types of work-related talents: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity.

Best For: Teams looking to improve productivity by aligning tasks with individuals’ natural talents and preferences.

Application: The assessment involves a questionnaire that identifies the respondent’s strengths in the six areas, which can be used to allocate tasks effectively within a team​​. (What is the Working Genius Assessment?)

5. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®)

Purpose: MBTI helps individuals understand their personality type and how they interact with others, aiming to improve personal development and team collaboration.

Focus: It categorizes personality into 16 types based on preferences in four dimensions: Introversion/Extraversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving.

Best For: Teams and individuals seeking to understand personality differences and improve interpersonal relationships and communication.

Application: The assessment involves a series of questions determining the respondent’s personality type. Results provide insights into personal preferences and how to work effectively with others​ (All About the Myers-Briggs® (MBTI®) Assessment)​.

6. Culture Index®

Purpose: The Culture Index is designed to align employee traits with roles and enhance organizational culture and productivity. It helps improve team dynamics, hiring processes, and employee engagement.

Focus: It assesses traits such as problem-solving abilities, work pace, and communication styles to determine how well individuals fit within their roles and teams.

Best For: Organizations looking to optimize hiring practices and improve productivity and team dynamics.

Application: The Culture Index survey involves a free-choice adjective checklist methodology. Respondents complete a survey consisting of 174 words in each of two sections. Section One asks them to check words describing themselves, while Section Two asks them to check words describing how they must behave to be successful in their current positions. This survey format allows for self-reporting of personality traits and job behaviors, which are then used for strategic planning, improving team dynamics, and enhancing hiring practices​ (Culture Index | Analytics Over Instincts)​​

How to Choose the Right Assessment

1. Define Your Goals: Determine what you aim to achieve with the assessment. Are you looking to improve hiring processes, enhance team collaboration, develop leadership skills, or boost individual productivity?

2. Understand Your Team’s Needs: Consider the specific needs of your team. Do they need better communication skills, a deeper understanding of each other’s strengths, or alignment of roles and responsibilities?

3. Consider the Assessment Focus: Match the focus of the assessment to your goals. For example, if improving team communication is your primary goal, Everything DiSC might be the best choice. CliftonStrengths could be more suitable for aligning roles with natural strengths.

4. Evaluate the Methodology: Look at how the assessments are conducted and the results presented. Choose one that fits well with your organizational culture and the preferences of your team.

5. Budget and Resources: Consider the cost of the assessment and the resources required to implement it. Some assessments may involve more comprehensive reports and follow-up sessions that require additional investment.

By understanding each assessment’s unique benefits and applications, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your team’s goals and drives meaningful improvements in your organization.

Choosing the right assessment can transform your team’s dynamics and lead to greater success and satisfaction in the workplace.

For more information on these assessments, visit their official websites:

• Five Behaviors
• Everything DiSC
• CliftonStrengths
• Working Genius
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• Culture Index

Ready to Transform Your Team?

“Selecting the appropriate assessment can be crucial in unlocking your team’s full potential. Whether you aim to improve communication, match roles with strengths, or create a more united team, these assessments provide valuable insights to steer your progress.”

Take the next step in developing your team’s effectiveness! Explore these assessments further, or contact us today to find out if we can provide the one that best suits your organization’s goals. Let us help you create a more productive, engaged, and successful team.