This is a quick overview of three assessments I am familiar with, which are DiSC profile, TKI - Thomas Killian Conflict Mode Instrument, and Kolb - Learning/Thinking/Working Styles.

1. 


2. 
DISC – examines observable human behavior

TKI – conflict management

Kolb – determines candidates learning style

Competency testing
o Business / Scenario Cases
o Management Cases
o Technical skills

3. 

Personality and Behavioral Style

4. DISC
 What
is DISC?
o DISC measures your personality and behavioral style.
o It does not measure intelligence, aptitude, mental health or
values.
o DISC profiles describe human behavior in various situations, for
example:
•
•
•
•
how you respond to challenges,
how you influence others,
your preferred pace and
how you respond to rules and procedures.

5. Think about what type of
personality works well for your
department or specific job
role.
Dominance
Emphasis on shaping the environment by
overcoming opposition to accomplish results
Priorities
Getting immediate results
Taking action
Challenging self and others
Influence
Emphasis on shaping the environment by
influencing or persuading others
Motivated by
Social recognition
Disapproval
Loss of influence
Being ignored
Steadiness
Emphasis on cooperating with others within
existing circumstances to carry out the task
You will notice
Patience
Team person
Calm approach
Good listener
Humility
Conscientiousness
Emphasis on working conscientiously within
existing circumstances to ensure quality and
accuracy
Fears
Social criticism
Slipshod methods
Being wrong

6. D
I
DC – challenge, results, accuracy
ID – action, enthusiasm, results
Influences others by: High standards, determination
Influences others by: Ability to think creativity, charisma
Overuses: Bluntness; sarcastic or condescending attitude
Overuses: Impulsiveness, outspokenness
Would increase effectiveness through: Warmth, tactful communication
Would increase effectiveness through: Focusing on the details, patience, listening to others
D - results, action, challenge
I – enthusiasm, action, collaboration
Influences others by: Assertiveness, insistence, competition
Influences others by: Charm, optimism, energy
Overuses: The need to win, resulting in win/lose situation
Overuses: Optimism, praise
Would increase effectiveness through: Patience, empathy
Would increase effectiveness through: Being more objective, following through on tasks
DI – action, results, enthusiasm
IS – collaboration, enthusiasm, support
Influences others by: Charm, bold action
Influences others by: Agreeableness, empathy
Overuses: Impatience, egotism, manipulation
Overuses: Patience with others, indirect approaches
Would increase effectiveness through: Patience, humility, consideration of others’ ideas
Would increase effectiveness through: Acknowledging others’ flaws, confronting problems

7. S
C
SI – collaboration, support, enthusiasm
CS – stability, accuracy, support
Influences others by: Showing empathy, being patient
Influences others by: Practicality, attention to detail
Overuses: Kindness, personal connections
Overuses: Traditional methods, sense of caution
Would increase effectiveness through: Saying “no” if necessary, addressing issues
Would increase effectiveness through: Showing flexibility, being decisive, showing urgency
S – support, stability, collaboration
C – accuracy, stability, challenge
Influences others by:
Influences others by: Logic, exacting standards
Overuses: Modesty, passive resistance, compromise
Overuses: Analysis, restraint
Would increase effectiveness through: Displaying self-confidence, revealing true feelings
Would increase effectiveness through: Acknowledging others’ feelings, looking beyond data.
SC – stability, support, accuracy
CD – challenge, accuracy, results
Influences others by: Diplomacy, self-control, consistency
Influences others by: Strict standards, resolute approach
Overuses: Willingness to let others lead, humility
Overuses: Bluntness, critical attitude
Would increase effectiveness through initiating change, speaking up
Would increase effectiveness through: Cooperation, paying attention to others’ needs

9. 

Conflict Management

10. TKI
 Measure’s
a person’s behavior in “conflict
situations”
 Definition
of conflict:
a)
competitive or opposing action of incompatibles: antagonistic
state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests, or persons)
b)
mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing
needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands

11.  “conflict
situations” are those in which
the concerns of two people appear to be
incompatible.
 A person’s
behavior in such as situation
can be describe as
o Assertiveness – the extent to which the person attempts to satisfy
his/her own concerns
o Cooperativeness – the extent to which the person attempts to satisfy
the other person’s concerns

12. The two basic scopes of
behavior define five
different modes:
 Competing
 Collaborating
 Compromising
 Avoiding
 Accommodating

13. 
Competing = assertive
and not cooperative

You try to satisfy your
own concerns at the
other person’s expense

Classic win/lose
scenario: you can only
win when your
adversary does not

14. 
Collaborating =
assertive and
cooperative

Actively seeks to make
sure everyone is
heard, while still
asserting your own
position

Tries to find a win-win
solution that completely
satisfies all parties

15. 
Accommodating =
unassertive and
cooperative

Try to satisfy the other
parties concerns while
neglecting your own

Attempt to sustain the
relationship, by not
being assertive and
pushing for what you
want

16. 
Compromising = has
characteristics of both
assertiveness and
cooperativeness

Both parties have some
“pain points”

Attempt to find a
solution that somewhat
address both parties
concerns

17.  Avoiding
=
unassertive and
uncooperative
 Ignore
 The
the issues
conflict is not
addressed and
sidestepped without
trying to address
either parties
concerns

18. Benefits of TKI

Conflict Management - insight to your staffs’ conflict
resolution process will enable you to mediate
issues/concerns between them

Team Building – improve team performance by
quickly resolving problems

Leadership – allows you to identify and develop
leaders within your department

Retention – knowing the conflict management style of
your employees will make them feel like their voices
are being heard resulting in a more engaged employee

19. 

Learning Style

20. Kolb

Kolb is based on the idea that individuals move
through a process of learning based on experiences
and observations, which result in personal concepts,
theories, and ideas

Kolb proposed that an individual's learning style was
the product of two pairs of preferences we have in
how we approach the task of learning
o
Concrete Experience - CE (feeling) vs Abstract Conceptualization - AC (thinking)
o
Active Experimentation - AE (doing) vs Reflective Observation - RO (watching)

21. 
Four stages of Kolb’s
Learning Cycle are:
o Concrete Experience – CE
(feeling)
o Abstract Conceptualization –
AC (thinking)
o Active Experimentation – AE
(doing)
o Reflective Observation – RO
(watching)

22. 
This stage of the learning cycle emphasizes personal
involvement with people in everyday situations. In this
stage, the learner would tend to rely more on feelings
than on a systematic approach to problems and
situations. In a learning situation, the learner relies on
the ability to be open-minded and adaptable to change.

23. 
In this stage, learning involves using theories, logic and
ideas, rather than feelings, to understand problems or
situations. Typically, the learner relies on systematic
planning and develops theories and ideas to solve
problems.

24. 
Learning in this stage takes an active form experimenting with changing situations. The learner
would take a practical approach and be concerned with
what really works, as opposed to simply watching a
situation.

25. 
In this stage of the learning cycle, people understand
ideas and situations from different points of view. In a
learning situation the learner would rely on
patience, objectivity, and careful judgment but would not
necessarily take any action. The learner would rely on
their own thoughts and feelings in forming opinions.

26. Kolb

Those preferences are a combination of both how we
approach a task and how we respond to and assimilate the
experience

In approaching a task (processing) we have a preference for
either doing or watching, and

In responding to the experience we have a preference for
either feeling or thinking
o The combination of these preferences creates four main learning
styles
•
•
•
•
Diverging
Assimilating
Converging
Accommodating

28. 
prefers to watch rather than do

likes to gather information and brainstorm

will use imagination to problem solve

is able to look at things from different
perspectives

generates ideas and prefers group work
learning

is sensitive, imaginative and emotional

will have broad cultural interests

is interested in people

will listen with an open mind

will accept personal feedback.

29. 
requires good, clear explanation rather than
practical opportunity

prefers readings, lectures, exploring models
and theories

needs time to think things through

will have a concise, logical approach to
learning

will organize information clearly and logically

considers ideas and concepts are important

creates models/theories

will have a preference for abstract ideas and
theories - less focused on people

30. 
solves problems

uses learning to find solutions to practical
situations

prefers technical tasks

likes to experiment with new ideas, to
simulate and to work with practical
applications

finds practical uses for ideas and
problems

prefers practical problem solving rather
than dealing with social or interpersonal
issues

31. 
prefers learning that is "hands-on"

acts on "gut" and intuition rather than
logic

takes a practical, experiential approach

is attracted to new challenges and
experiences

relies on others for information and
problem solving rather than carry out own
analysis

prefers to work in teams

sets targets and actively works to
achieve them

32. 
Knowing an employee’s (and your own) learning style
enables learning / instructions to be orientated according
to the preferred method

Everyone responds to and needs the stimulus of all
types of learning styles to one extent or another

It is a matter of tailoring the experience to best fit with
the given situation and the employee’s learning style
preferences