Axes of Personality
This section introduces the concept of personality axes. An 'axis', in this sense, is a continuum between two opposites. To illustrate, imagine a line between the opposites hot and cold. At one end of this line is an extremely high temperature, 1000 degrees Celsius; at the other end is an extremely low temperature, -1000 degrees Celsius. As you move along the line from one extreme to the other, the higher temperatures gradually become lower and, when going in the opposite direction, the lower temperatures become higher.
For our purposes, the opposite ends of the DISC axes refer to two opposite traits in behavioural styles, while the axes themselves represent the different shades and moods of the trait as we move from one extreme to another. There are many possible personality/behavioural axes, but most assessment systems use only a very few.
The following axes form the foundation of Profiles Globals' DISC profiling system:
- Task Focused vs. People Focused
- Outgoing vs. Reserved
Different assessment techniques use different axes, but the basic principal, creating a range of personality/behavioural styles, remains constant.