Personality tests: More than just a bunch of letters.

I am an ENFJ

I am a Gryffindor

I am a Parrot

I am an Aquarius

I am a 6-enneagram type

We love labels. From our Hogwarts house to our zodiac sign, we crave a way to categorize ourselves and others. It’s human nature to find connections, to feel part of a group. And personality tests, from the infamous Myers-Briggs to countless online quizzes, feed this desire. They offer a sense of identity, a shared language to describe ourselves and connect with others.

But how accurate are these tests really? Can they truly capture the complexity of human behaviour? For example, good old Myers-Briggs has been questioned for its validity, reliability and fixed view of personality. Others also suffer from putting people into a box, with little consideration for how we can change our behaviours, depending on where we are and who we are with.

Enter the SDI (Strengths Deployment Inventory). I was initially sceptical when looking at the options for “personality assessments”. Another personality test? Really? Aren’t they all kinda BS? But after doing some research, I found that SDI offers many benefits that its competitors don’t, including:

• Validity and reliability: SDI is backed by solid research and consistently delivers accurate results. Importantly, it has strong ‘face validity’ which means that the vast majority of people who take it feel like the results are accurate for them and they can therefore relate to it.
• Context matters: Unlike many personality tests that assign fixed labels, SDI recognizes that while your values and motives tend to be anchored, your behaviour is influenced by the situation.
• A language for connection: SDI provides a rich (and easy) vocabulary to discuss our motivations, strengths, and how we respond to conflict.
• Empathy and insight: SDI encourages us to see things from others’ perspectives, fostering deeper understanding and connection.

I’ve used SDI extensively with teams. Often, they are looking for ways to communicate better, collaborate and/or develop better relationships.  SDI offers a useful tool for building mutual awareness, shared language and provide a framework for effective communication. Most importantly, it always drives insightful, productive conversations, with team members having ‘aha!’ moments about how and why they work with each other in different ways. I’ve also used it in coaching sessions, where it’s been invaluable in helping clients understand their own drivers and develop new strategies for overcoming challenges.

However, when clients ask us about running SDI in their teams I always ask why. SDI assessments are just a tool. It’s fun and interesting but will be a waste of time unless you have a bigger objective in mind – for example improving teamwork, team culture, better collaboration or professional development. It won’t magically fix all the issues if there’s not also consideration given to how you will use the results going forward. Being clear about the problem you are trying to solve will help ensure you choose the right tools. Sometimes SDI will be perfect – other times, you need something very different.

There are multiple (and often easy) ways to use SDI results to inform better outcomes over time, including:

• Revisiting results and using the ‘Core Strengths’ portal to compare to other teammates and get tips and ideas for how to approach an interaction with a stakeholder or colleague
• Making time for regular team discussions about using different strengths for upcoming tasks or activities.
• Reflecting on meetings and adjusting the approach to tap into the motives of colleagues and stakeholders for mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Reflecting on each other’s strengths and ‘overdone strengths’ to better manage conflict.
• Including discussion about strengths and motives in project retros – who used what and how did it go? What could change next time?

Of course, SDI isn’t perfect. One of the biggest risks is that people might focus too much on their colour or top strengths and use it as a crutch to justify outdated ideas or problematic behaviours. It’s all too easy to shrug and say, “Oh well, I’m a Red—what can I do?” But with the right guidance and a willingness to engage deeply, SDI can be an incredibly powerful tool for personal and team development.

So, while personality tests can often feel like modern-day horoscopes, when used thoughtfully and responsibly, tools like SDI offer a valuable way to foster understanding, growth, and better communication in both personal and professional settings.

Email or give me a call if you are interested in finding out more about using SDI in your team. And if you’ve already got an SDI profile let’s chat too – there’s always new ways to use it and I’d love to hear how its resonated for you. I’m very “blue” like that…