MCode vs DISC
It’s not enough to understand an individual’s behavioral profile and how they are most likely to behave in the workplace. Organizations, leaders, and teams must also understand why they behave the way they do and what motivates them to show up at their best, contribute fully, and collaborate effectively.
MCode is deeply personal
The telling of stories reveals a lot about what makes a person who they are and how they’re wired. The assessment of stories (rather than responses to DISC’s arbitrary statements) goes beyond what an individual has achieved to uncover which lived experiences carry the most meaning and stickiness.
- An individual’s assessment results stem from their personal stories of achievement and fulfillment.
- Every question asked is about how an individual felt and still feels about the role they played and what they did.
- MCode results are accurate, relevant, and immediately applicable, providing new language to better understand themselves and those they interact with.
Understand the why
While DISC provides practical tools for navigating the ‘how’ of observable behaviors and interactions within teams and organizations, MCode offers deep insights into the ‘why’ behind individual decisions and actions and how understanding intrinsic motivation can empower an individual to show up at their best and do their best work.
- An individual’s WHY is a driving factor that reveals who they are, how they’re unique, the value they contribute, what’s important to them, and why it matters.
- An individual’s Motivations reveal what makes them tick and WHY they get immersed in some activities but fail to engage in others, even when using the same skills and strengths.
- An individual’s Motivational Dimensions explain how they’re wired and the WHY behind their thoughts, decisions, and actions.
Experience life at its best
When an individual understands how to bring their best to the table in every situation, work and life change dramatically. Leaders tailor their management approach to each individual, individuals become happy high-performers, and teams collaborate more effectively and move faster.
- MCode helps people align their work and personal lives with their Motivations, identify opportunities for growth and development, and live more fulfilling lives.
- MCode gives people greater confidence and helps them fully embrace who they are, own their personality, claim their value, and step into the greatness they are meant for.
Bottom Line: Using MCode results empower people to be at their best, which leads to work at its best, teams at their best, and life at its best.
Personality vs. Motivation
The DISC assessment categorizes behavior styles into four personality profiles within a work context: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. It focuses on how individuals approach work and interact with others, while MCode explores the underlying motivations that drive human behavior.
MCode’s 8 Motivational Dimensions — Achiever, Driver, Influencer, Learner, Optimizer, Orchestrator, Relator, and Visionary — provide a broader perspective and understanding of who someone is and what they need to succeed. MCode offers insights not just into how individuals act but also why they act in certain ways, which enables a more personalized approach to personal growth and professional development.
Internal vs. External Focus:
MCode focuses on internal motivations that drive decisions, actions, and personal satisfaction, making it deeply personal and introspective. DISC focuses on external actions, categorizing observable behaviors and predicting how a person is likely to act in the workplace.
Narrative vs. Behavioral Psychology:
MCode is rooted in the science of narrative psychology, using stories to uncover the motivations that drive deep fulfillment and explain why individuals do what they do. DISC is rooted in behavioral psychology, focusing on how people behave, communicate, and interact.
Personalization vs. Classification:
MCode offers a personalized approach, mapping 32 ranked Motivations across a spectrum of 8 Motivational Dimensions. DISC assessments are more generalized, classifying people into broad behavior styles. While no two MCodes are the same, many people will have the same DISC results.
MCode vs DISC Features Comparison
While the MCode assessment and DISC assessment tools are valuable for personal development and improving workplace dynamics, they focus on different aspects of an individual’s psychological profile and serve different purposes in understanding and enhancing human behavior and interactions.
MCode
DISC
Assessment framework
8 Dimensions shaped by a stacked ranking of 32 Motivations.
4 personality types measured across 2 axes of behavior.
Assessment creation
The assessment stems from research on motivational patterns started in the 1950s and first used with NASA in the early 1960s.
The behavior model and personality theory were created in the 1920s and the first assessment was created in the 1950s.
Assessment science
Motivation-based and focused on using stories to reveal a person’s internal drivers of behavior, performance, and fulfillment and how they show up in the world.
Behavior-based and focused on classifying personality through external actions to reveal how someone is likely to behave, communicate, and collaborate at work.
Assessment research
Rooted in narrative psychology, which assesses stories, experiences, and satisfaction to understand human behavior and fulfillment. Supported by decades of research on high-performance and high-performing teams.
Rooted in behavioral psychology and influenced by human emotion and behavioral patterns. The four personality types and axes vary from assessment to assessment based on the application of the original theory.
Assessment experience
Individuals share personal stories of achievement and fulfillment and answer questions about their experiences using a 1-10 ranking of satisfaction.
Individuals self-report personality traits by reading general statements and ranking how accurate the statements feel on a scale of 1-5.
Assessment consistency
The Motivation Code assessment is only offered through Motivations AI. The assessment experience and what is in the report is always the same.
Many companies offer assessments based on the DISC behavior model, however, no two DISC assessments or the resulting reports are the same.
Assessment application
Applicable in personal growth, career development, and team dynamics.
Applicable in personal growth, career development, and team dynamics.
Assessment results
Reveals how an individual is motivated to engage, persist, and achieve and why they behave the way they do to provide a deeper understanding of how to show up at their best and what drives their best work.
Reveals innate personality tendencies and how an individual is most likely to behave and interact with others to foster a better understanding of workplace behavior, communication styles, and workstyles.
Assessment challenges
Individuals may feel pressure to pick the “right stories” and find it difficult to decide which personal stories to share.
The scientific validity of DISC is the subject of debate, as it’s based on one man’s theory or idea rather than validated science.
MCode
DISC
Assessment framework
8 Dimensions shaped by a stacked ranking of 32 Motivations.
4 personality types measured across 2 axes of behavior.
Assessment creation
The assessment stems from research on motivational patterns started in the 1950s and first used with NASA in the early 1960s.
The behavior model and personality theory were created in the 1920s and the first assessment was created in the 1950s.
Assessment science
Motivation-based and focused on using stories to reveal a person’s internal drivers of behavior, performance, and fulfillment and how they show up in the world.
Behavior-based and focused on classifying personality through external actions to reveal how someone is likely to behave, communicate, and collaborate at work.
Assessment research
Rooted in narrative psychology, which assesses stories, experiences, and satisfaction to understand human behavior and fulfillment. Supported by decades of research on high-performance and high-performing teams.
Rooted in behavioral psychology and influenced by human emotion and behavioral patterns. The four personality types and axes vary from assessment to assessment based on the application of the original theory.
Assessment experience
Individuals share personal stories of achievement and fulfillment and answer questions about their experiences using a 1-10 ranking of satisfaction.
Individuals self-report personality traits by reading general statements and ranking how accurate the statements feel on a scale of 1-5.
Assessment consistency
The Motivation Code assessment is only offered through Motivations AI. The assessment experience and what is in the report is always the same.
Many companies offer assessments based on the DISC behavior model, however, no two DISC assessments or the resulting reports are the same.
Assessment application
Applicable in personal growth, career development, and team dynamics.
Applicable in personal growth, career development, and team dynamics.
Assessment results
Reveals how an individual is motivated to engage, persist, and achieve and why they behave the way they do to provide a deeper understanding of how to show up at their best and what drives their best work.
Reveals innate personality tendencies and how an individual is most likely to behave and interact with others to foster a better understanding of workplace behavior, communication styles, and workstyles.
Assessment challenges
Individuals may feel pressure to pick the “right stories” and find it difficult to decide which personal stories to share.
The scientific validity of DISC is the subject of debate, as it’s based on one man’s theory or idea rather than validated science.
MCode + DISC
When MCode and DISC assessments are used together, organizations gain a comprehensive understanding of individuals’ motivations and behaviors and unlock the full potential of their workforce.
Benefits of using MCode and DISC together include:
Enhanced Personalization in Management:
By combining motivational insights from MCode with behavioral understanding from DISC, leaders can adopt a more personalized management style. This enables leaders and managers to play to team members’ strengths, set them up for success, and communicate and motivate each person in the way that fits them best.
Optimized Team Dynamics:
Teams that understand the motivations and behavioral styles of their teammates experience more effective and harmonious dynamics. Knowing what makes each other tick and how each team member is uniquely suited to contribute value increases empathy, boosts team cohesion, elevates productivity, and accelerates results.
Strategic Hiring and Development:
Organizations can create more effective hiring processes and employee development programs by evaluating candidates and supporting employees holistically. By understanding motivational and behavioral profiles, companies can better identify cultural fit and job fit, nurture satisfaction, and build high-performance teams.
Increased Engagement and Retention:
Employees feel happier and more valued and understood when their work aligns with their intrinsic motivations and their behavioral preferences are factored into their work environment. This level of personalization can lead to higher employee engagement, greater loyalty, reduced turnover, and increased employee retention.
Leadership that
Inspires greatness:
Leaders equipped with MCode and DISC insights can confidently foster a culture of inspiration, motivation, and high performance. By understanding and leveraging the unique drivers and behaviors of their team members, leaders can create an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute their best.
A Peek Into MCode
Here is what’s included in your MCode results
While every Motivation Code assessment experience is the same, the personalized reports generated are not. Your MCode results are unique and every aspect of your report is tailored to who you are and how you show up in the world so the insights you gain are highly relevant and immediately applicable.
When choosing your individual or team MCode experience, you have two choices:
- MCode Lite
- MCode Premium
MCode Lite
MCode Lite reveals your MCode and provides the core foundational insights to better understand what drives your best work.
Your MCode reveals what makes you YOU and explains how you’re motivated and why it matters.
Discover what energizes and drains you, the work environments where you’ll thrive or struggle, your natural advantages and disadvantages, and how you’re naturally wired to contribute value to the world around you.
MCode Premium
MCode Premium reveals your MCode, provides core foundational insights, and includes actionable resources to help you apply your MCode.
When you choose or upgrade to MCode Premium, you gain access to interactive tools and resources to help you apply your MCode at work and throughout your life.
Applications focus on elevating your mindset, speaking confidently, refining your LinkedIn profile, crafting a compelling professional bio, making more persuasive pitches, and becoming a more effective negotiator.
MCode Foundational Insights
- Discover your Top 5 Motivations and how they drive your thoughts, decisions, and actions.
- See your ranking of 32 Motivations and how it shapes your MCode across 8 Dimensions.
- Understand your strongest Dimensions and potential blind spots to watch out for.
Additional Premium Tools
- Identify your Motivational Flow to unleash your full potential and perform at your best.
- Explore how Motivations impact how you show up.
- Compare your Motivations with another’s Motivations to see how you interact with others.
Additional Premium Resources
- Personalized affirmations and declarations to cultivate a positive, growth mindset.
- A word bank of action verbs and power descriptors that align with your Motivational Dimension.
- LinkedIn enhancers to better communicate how you add value and why you are the best choice.
- Bio suggestions and sentence starters to highlight your unique strengths, motivations, and impact.
- Motivated pitching examples to tailor your sales message to each Motivational Dimension.
- Motivated negotiation suggestions to use motivation to negotiate more effectively.
