If you’ve ever considered running a DISC workshop for your team or including a DISC session into your next conference, you’ve probably asked yourself:
“What actually happens in a DISC session?”
“Is it just another personality test?”
“Will my team take it seriously – and will it make a difference?”
As someone who has facilitated DISC workshops across dozens of industries and hundreds of Australian organisations, let me take you behind the curtain.
Whether your team is brand new, highly experienced, or somewhere in between — a well-run DISC workshop can unlock transformation. And no, it’s not fluff. It’s grounded in behavioural science, emotionally intelligent facilitation, and practical team development.
John Wright, Senior Partner explains here what really happens during a DISC workshop — and why it works.
First, What Is DISC?
Before we step into the workshop room, let’s quickly clarify what DISC is:
DISC is a behavioural model that explains how people behave in various situations — especially under pressure. It’s not about intelligence, skills, or values. It’s about communication preferences, energy patterns, and decision-making style.
DISC breaks behaviour down into four core styles:
- Dominance (D): Direct, assertive, results-focused
- Influence (I): Sociable, enthusiastic, persuasive
- Steadiness (S): Patient, supportive, consistent
- Compliance (C): Analytical, detail-oriented, systematic
Each person has a unique blend of these styles — and understanding that blend is the key to better communication, teamwork, and leadership.
🏁 Step 1: Pre-Workshop – Profiling and Preparation
Before the session, every participant completes their TTI Success Insights DISC Assessment. This scientifically validated profile gives each individual:
- A personalised report on their behavioural style
- Insights into communication strengths and stress points
- An overview of their unique working style and blind spots
As the facilitator, I review the group’s data to prepare a Team Behavioural Map, which reveals team dynamics, gaps, and areas of potential friction or synergy.
This preparation ensures that your DISC workshop is tailored — not off-the-shelf.
🧑🏫 Step 2: The Workshop Experience – Learning, Laughing, and Lightbulb Moments
The actual workshop is a mix of learning, real-time application, storytelling, and (believe it or not) a lot of laughter. Here’s what it typically includes:
- Foundations of DISC
We explore what DISC is — and what it isn’t. Participants learn how behaviour differs from personality and why understanding behavioural styles helps reduce misunderstanding, stress, and conflict.
- Deep Dive into the Four Styles
Using relatable examples and interactive exercises, we unpack the core traits, drivers, fears, and communication cues for each DISC style.
Everyone sees a little of themselves — and a lot of others — in these profiles.
- Understanding Your Own Style
Each participant receives a detailed explanation of their DISC profile. This is often the first moment people say, “Wow – this is so me.”
We explore questions like:
- How do I come across under pressure?
- What energises or drains me at work?
- How do others interpret my communication?
- Team Mapping
We bring the group together using the Team Behavioural Map. This exercise shows:
- Where strengths lie across the team
- Potential gaps in communication or problem-solving
- How to better collaborate by leveraging different styles
It’s a powerful visual that fosters instant understanding — and deep respect.
- Practical Tools and Takeaways
We close the workshop with actionable tools for applying DISC in everyday work:
- How to flex communication to different styles
- How to run meetings, give feedback, and resolve conflict
- How to build trust and accountability using behavioural insight
💡 Why It Works
A DISC workshop works because it taps into three core human truths:
✅ People want to be understood
✅ People want to understand others
✅ People want to work better together
By focusing on behaviour — not personality or assumptions — DISC gives people the language to explain themselves and the tools to build stronger relationships.
It’s not about putting people in boxes. It’s about giving them keys.
💬 Real Feedback from DISC Workshops
“We finally understood why we were clashing — it wasn’t personal. It was just our styles.”
“The best team session we’ve ever had.”
“I’ve done lots of workshops before. This one actually stuck.”
📈 What Happens After the Workshop?
The real magic happens post-workshop — when teams begin using DISC language in meetings, performance reviews, interactions with accounts and customers and planning sessions.
Many clients opt for:
- Follow-up coaching or 1:1 debriefs
- Leadership sessions to embed DISC in management
- Customised DISC reports for onboarding and recruitment
🚀 Ready to Experience It for Yourself?
Whether you’re leading a team of 5 or 500, a DISC workshop is one of the fastest ways to improve:
- Communication
- Trust
- Performance
- Collaboration
- Retention
At The DISC Agency, we deliver high-impact workshops onsite or virtually — tailored to your team, your goals, and your industry.
