Always a risk to self-promote, but last month our team launched our Compass Platform - Behavioral Indicators and associated support to help business founders and leadership teams in private enterprise [1].
I've found these are more balanced, so work better than tools like DISC and Myers-Briggs, which tend to 'put people into a box' and therefore work against creating an inclusive environment.
The four soft skills these tools help me understand with my clients and prospective clients are Communication, Attitude to Risk, Role Preference (Entrepreneur Leader Manager), and Natural Pace (what pg calls Makers v Managers).
I've obviously done some training on these, and nowadays deliver (mostly internal company) training on them as well. The website and online tests are a great starting point - having an understanding of a potential client or recruit's Risk profile, for example, makes it so much easier to connect with them and explain a value proposition.
Reading your website now. All the more exposure, all the more to learn.
I do disagree with your assessment of Myers-Briggs and DiSC, however; perhaps that's because of my exposure to them differs:
I've always seen Myers-Briggs as an example of self-discovery, rather than putting others into a box. i.e. "Are you aware you do these things?" with the answer often "No" or "Actually, I thought I was the opposite." My first company did it for everyone in the on-boarding 2 weeks training/induction period. It was useful for self reflection.
DiSC: Every training I've been exposed to started really clearly with a line like "This is a tool for understanding people and their environment. Your home and work environment, for example, are probably different, and so is your communication in these environments. Likewise, your work environment changes over time and role. DiSC types are not about putting people into a box, and people are not a single type, but a combination of types with stronger weightings in some areas."
Myers-Briggs is totally ascientific and could be thought of as self-discovery in the same sense reading tea leaves is.
Myers-Briggs has been repeatedly found to have no reliability or validity as a personality trait assessment and has been totally superseded in psychology research by the OCEAN metrics, which are empirically developed.
Ironically, the only place I still see MBTI used is in computer science papers.
...having an understanding of a potential client or recruit's Risk profile, for example, makes it so much easier to connect with them and explain a value proposition...
Maybe I'm not getting this, but I can't think of a reason why I'd supply someone with information to help them deliver a sales pitch or to negotiate with me.
Good point. I'm a business coach/consultant, so my clients provide this information because it also helps enormously with understanding why they are doing what they do as business leaders. It's slightly deeper than providing your email address (hello sales emails) for an ebook (which is worth it).
To the OP's point, however, being aware of these skills and your own preferences makes it easier to assess others you meet. If you know the Risk Profile for you and your team, you may be able to judge in a negotiation that the other party chases returns but abhors volatility and adjust your approach accordingly.
Depends on how this is done. An objective framework to work in can help a lot, in which case supplying information does help, but selective disclosure can be dangerous.
Yes, got a couple of early downvotes likely due to the self-referencing answer. I don't worry - unless there is some specific feedback or criticism shared, it normally balances back out in the end.
I've found these are more balanced, so work better than tools like DISC and Myers-Briggs, which tend to 'put people into a box' and therefore work against creating an inclusive environment.
The four soft skills these tools help me understand with my clients and prospective clients are Communication, Attitude to Risk, Role Preference (Entrepreneur Leader Manager), and Natural Pace (what pg calls Makers v Managers).
I've obviously done some training on these, and nowadays deliver (mostly internal company) training on them as well. The website and online tests are a great starting point - having an understanding of a potential client or recruit's Risk profile, for example, makes it so much easier to connect with them and explain a value proposition.
[1] http://www.shirlawscompass.com/