Most teams don't have a performance problem. They have a translation problem. One person wants the headline, another wants the detail, a third wants to talk it through first, and everyone thinks the others are being difficult.
DISC gives that team a shared language for it.
What it is
DISC Advanced® is a behavioural assessment from DISC Profiles Australia, an Australian publisher. It builds on the DISC model, which describes behaviour across four broad styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance (sometimes called Conscientiousness).
What sets DISC Advanced apart from a basic DISC questionnaire is that it measures two things:
- Natural style. How someone tends to behave when they're not thinking about it.
- Adjusted style. How they're adapting that behaviour to fit their current role or environment.
The gap between the two is often the most useful part of the report. A big gap can mean someone is stretching hard to fit a role, which is worth knowing long before it turns into fatigue or frustration.
What it is not for
DISC describes how someone prefers to work. It doesn't measure ability, skills or whether someone will perform in a specific role, so we don't use it to decide who gets hired. That's a job for a selection instrument like the OPQ or Talegent.
How we use it
Team culture and cohesion
A team DISC session is where it really comes alive. Each person sees their own profile, then the team sees the whole picture: where they naturally pull together, where friction is likely, and who is quietly adapting the most. The conversation that follows is usually the valuable bit.
Onboarding and the first 90 days
Once someone has been hired, their profile helps a manager run a better first week. It shows how this person likes to receive information, what kind of feedback will land, and where they may need more context than the last person in the role.
Leadership development
For leaders, DISC is a mirror. It shows how their natural style comes across to people who work differently, and gives them practical ways to flex without pretending to be someone else.
Coaching
In one-to-one coaching, the profile gives us a fast, shared starting point, so the sessions get to the real issue sooner.
Who runs it
Bonnie Mohan, our founder, is a DISC Advanced accredited consultant. She runs the profiles, debriefs every one personally, and designs team sessions around what the profiles show.
Related: Leadership & Coaching
Want to see what DISC would show about your team?
Book a free consultation, or email hello@happyhumans.com.au.
Disclaimer
This article is general information only. It doesn't take into account your specific circumstances and isn't a substitute for professional legal or HR advice. We make every effort to keep our Insights accurate and current, but award rates and Fair Work Commission decisions can change, and we can't guarantee this information is complete or up to date at the time you're reading it. Nothing on this page should be relied on as legal advice, and nothing here forms part of a professional engagement with happy humans.