The Big Five describes five broad personality traits. Scores sit on a scale rather than placing people into fixed types. Different providers use the model in different tests and reports.
If you want another approach, start with the question you need to answer. Do you want to explore personal preferences, talents, motivations, or shared team habits? These five options cover different needs.
Compare the five options
| Approach | Main focus | A useful discussion |
|---|---|---|
| MBTI | Personality preferences | How do I prefer to take in information? |
| TeamDynamics | Shared team behaviors | How does this team make decisions? |
| Enneagram | Motivations and patterns | What tends to drive my reactions? |
| CliftonStrengths | Talent themes | How can I apply my talents? |
| DiSC | Behavioral styles | How can we adapt our communication? |
Alternative #1: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
MBTI describes preferences using four pairs: Extraversion–Introversion, Sensing–Intuition, Thinking–Feeling, and Judging–Perceiving. The result is one of 16 types.
The Big Five reports trait scores on scales. MBTI uses type preferences as a starting point for reflection. A type does not tell you someone’s skill, character, or ability to do a job.
- Try it for: a conversation about how people prefer to learn, prepare, or discuss ideas.
- Ask afterward: “What does this result explain for you, and what does it miss?”
- Next step: explore our MBTI team workshop.
Alternative #2: TeamDynamics
TeamDynamics measures the shared behaviors of a specific team. It covers Communicating, Processing, Deciding, and Executing. In Pro, participants describe how the team works; their completed responses contribute to the shared profile.
Personal preferences separately inform private CoDynamics. They do not determine the team’s shared result. This keeps two questions distinct: how the team works, and how a person’s preferences fit with it.
- Try it for: a recurring issue with meetings, decisions, or handoffs.
- Ask afterward: “Which habit should we keep, and which should we change?”
- Next step: see a sample team profile.
For example, a team may agree that important decisions need a written record. Name who records each decision and when the group will review the change. Use the result for development, not to decide who belongs on the team.
Your next step
Discover how your team works. Build a plan to make it work better.
Spot what helps your team succeed—and what gets in the way. Get practical next steps for clearer communication, better decisions, and stronger teamwork.
Alternative #3: Enneagram
The Enneagram is a nine-type framework used to explore motivations and patterns. People may use it to reflect on what they seek, avoid, or do under pressure.
It offers a different kind of conversation from Big Five trait scores. Do not treat the two as interchangeable measures. Let people explain their own experience instead of assigning motives to them.
- Try it for: voluntary reflection or coaching.
- Ask afterward: “When does this pattern help, and when does it get in the way?”
- Next step: read our Enneagram team-building guide.
Alternative #4: StrengthsFinder (CliftonStrengths)
Gallup’s CliftonStrengths, formerly StrengthsFinder, describes talent themes. It groups 34 themes into four domains: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking.
The focus is on how people can develop and use talents. It does not replace a review of the skills, experience, or support needed for a task.
- Try it for: discussing how people contribute and where they want to grow.
- Ask afterward: “Where has this talent helped you with real work?”
- Next step: use our CliftonStrengths workshop.
Alternative #5: DiSC
DiSC describes behavioral styles around Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. Reports and team tools vary by provider.
Use the styles to discuss communication and working relationships. A style is not a complete account of a person, and the word “Conscientiousness” does not make DiSC the same measure as the Big Five.
- Try it for: discussing what people need in a conversation.
- Ask afterward: “What could I do to make this exchange clearer?”
- Next step: try our DiSC communication workshop.
Choose around the work you need to do
Compare the actual report, intended use, privacy controls, and follow-up support. Check whether the price covers one result, a team report, or a facilitated session. TeamDynamics Pro costs $39 per participant as a one-time payment; Solo costs $29 for one person’s view.
Start with one question and one action. If you keep the Big Five, our manager’s guide to using the Big Five shows how to turn trait discussions into practical working requests.
