Selecting the right personal development tool is like choosing the right tool for a job: each has its strengths, limitations, and ideal uses. Psychometrics, team surveys and 360 feedback all provide valuable development insights, but they answer different questions. Using the right survey to support the development goal will ensure meaningful results and the best return on your investment.
The following article outlines the key uses of each tool and is designed to guide readers in selecting the survey most likely to deliver the developmental insight they require.
Psychometrics aim to help people understand their personal preferences and tendencies across a range of dimensions, including things like how they think, interact with others, communicate, make decisions, solve problems, manage emotions, respond to pressure, and approach their work and learning.
Psychometrics are best used to grow personal self-awareness regarding natural preferences and tendencies. Below are some of the most commonly used tools within the UK:
| Tool | Summary |
|---|---|
| Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) | Identifies personality type across four preference pairs (16 types) to build self-awareness of how individuals process information, make decisions, and interact with others. |
| DISC Profile | Categorises behavioural style into Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness, revealing communication preferences and interpersonal approaches. |
| Belbin Team Role Inventory | Assesses contributions across nine team roles (e.g., Coordinator, Shaper, Plant) to pinpoint working styles and link them to preferred team roles. |
| Emotional Intelligence – EQ-i 2.0 | Measures self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and relationship management to raise awareness of how effectively people manage emotions in themselves and others. |
| SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) – Leadership | Measures 32 leadership-focused personality traits covering relationships, thinking style, and emotional control to explore how personality shapes decision-making, communication, and leadership style. |
| 16PF (Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire) | Measures 16 core traits and 5 global factors using behavioural and cognitive indicators to provide deep insight into personality for predicting effectiveness, resilience, and adaptability. |
Psychometrics focus on preferences, not competencies, and do not assess performance or behaviour in context.
Team surveys typically capture how the team sees and rates itself in terms of how it works and functions together. They are a powerful tool for building a new team, developing an existing one, or helping a high-performing team raise its game even further.
They work on the principle of ‘feedback from us - to us’ and provide a clear, shared view of current strengths and areas for improvement. This helps teams address internal issues that may be limiting performance and sparks ideas for positive change.
The best team surveys assess performance across a range of established team-working competencies - things like:
Team surveys are best used for:
Team surveys examine the system rather than the individual, focusing on the group’s climate and collective performance.
360 feedback is designed to give individuals a clear, evidence-based picture of how their style, approach and behaviours are experienced by others. It reflects back the perceptions of colleagues, direct reports, managers, and other stakeholders, often alongside the individual’s own self-assessment. This comparison can be powerful in highlighting perceived strengths, surfacing blind spots, and identifying areas for growth.
Unlike psychometrics, which explore underlying preferences, or team surveys, which assess group dynamics, 360 feedback focuses on observable behaviours in real-world interactions. It links leadership expectations and organisational values with day-to-day practice, showing where behaviours align and where they may need adjustment.
Best used for:
When used at the right time and for the right purpose, each tool offers unique insight. Together, they create a multi-layered picture to support growth at both individual and organisational levels. Our rule of thumb is:
