Insights to improve relationship intelligence
Improve communication, collaboration, and how people work together by understanding motivation, behaviour, and responses to conflict using the SDI® personality assessment.
Build deeper self-awareness and understanding of others
The Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®) provides four connected views that help people better understand themselves and those they work with. These insights reveal what motivates behaviour when people are at their best, how those motives shift under conflict, the strengths people rely on most, and how those strengths can sometimes be overused or misapplied.
Together, these views give a practical, balanced picture of motivation, behaviour, and conflict, supporting stronger relationships and more effective collaboration at work.
Motivational Value System (MVS)
At the heart of the SDI is your unique Motivational Value System (MVS). Every individual is driven by a distinct blend of three fundamental motives: People, Performance, and Process. Your personal MVS highlights what truly motivates you when circumstances are favourable, providing crucial insights into your workplace behaviours and decision-making processes.
- Enhance self-awareness to improve performance
- Align personal motives with team goals
- Boost satisfaction by understanding personal drivers
Conflict Sequence
Learn how your motives shift under pressure. The SDI Conflict Sequence outlines how your motivations change in challenging situations, helping you navigate conflict more effectively.
- Improve conflict management and resolution skills
- Maintain productivity during workplace tensions
- Foster a positive environment even in high-pressure moments
Strengths Portrait
The SDI identifies your top strengths and how you apply them at work. Your Strengths Portrait maps the behaviours that contribute to your success in building relationships and achieving results.
- Enhance collaboration through strength recognition
- Apply strengths more strategically in team settings
- Improve overall workplace performance by using strengths consciously
Overdone Strengths Portrait
Recognise when your strengths become liabilities. The Overdone Strengths Portrait helps you identify when your strongest qualities may be overused, leading to unintended negative effects.
- Gain greater control over your behavioural tendencies
- Prevent conflicts caused by overdone strengths
- Cultivate healthier, more balanced professional relationships
Insights to drive organisational excellence
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SDI assessment options
Best for:
Individuals, teams and organisations wanting fast, practical insights into workplace relationships, communication styles, and conflict dynamics - without the need to build internal facilitation capability.
How it works:
Participants complete the SDI® Assessment online and receive personalised reports via the SDI Platform on their motives, strengths, and conflict patterns, which can be applied in team sessions, leadership programs, or development conversations.
For a deeper shared experience, organisations can engage an SDI® Master Trainer to facilitate tailored debrief sessions that explore team dynamics, relationship synergies, and potential conflict triggers.
Best for:
Organisations wanting to embed relationship intelligence at scale by building internal capability to lead productive, meaningful discussions with individuals and teams using SDI® insights.
How it works:
Selected employees complete the SDI® Assessment, then the 1 day certification program.
As a certified trainer you gain the skills, tools, and platform access to administer assessments and facilitate SDI® debrief sessions internally. This enables consistent rollout across teams, ongoing application, and long-term culture impact.
Best for:
Teams and organisations wanting to improve team effectiveness by combining SDI® relationship insights with practical skills for collaboration, communication, and teamwork.
How it works:
Participants complete the SDI® Assessment as part of the Crucial Teams learning experience. SDI® insights are integrated with proven team effectiveness skills to build awareness of individual motives, strengthen understanding of others, and address real team dynamics.
Teams learn how to navigate conflict more effectively and move toward higher levels of collaboration and performance. Organisations can also choose to build internal capability by certifying facilitators to deliver the Crucial Teams course.
Become a Certified SDI® Facilitator
Build the capability to strengthen relationships, collaboration, and trust at work using the Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®). SDI certification equips you with practical tools to increase self-awareness, improve how people work together, and support healthier team dynamics across organisations.
Whether you’re a coach, facilitator, educator, or people leader within an organisation, SDI certification enables you to help others understand what motivates behaviour, navigate differences more effectively, and build more productive working relationships.
The SDI Platform
The SDI Platform allows teams and organisations to make the most of the individual insights they gain. As people in your organisation complete the assessment, you can view and compare personality differences and communication preferences, fostering understanding, collaboration and better team performance.
The SDI platform includes:
- Your personalised assessment report: Receive in-depth analysis of individual assessment results, enhancing self-awareness and personal development.
- Team and Coworker Profiles: Access profiles of your coworkers to better understand their motives, strengths, and conflict triggers, as well as insights on how to better interact and communicate with them.
- Strategic Communication Tools: Utilise tailored tips and insights to craft impactful messages, prepare for meetings, and navigate conflict effectively.
SDI app integrations
Note: Integrations are an add-on feature and not included with a standard learner license.
Transform your workplace relationships
The Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) is a dynamic tool that brings self-awareness and understanding to the forefront of workplace relations. It provides individuals with the insights they need to recognise their motives and behaviours.
Discover what drives you
At the heart of the SDI is your unique Motivational Value System (MVS). Every individual is driven by a distinct blend of three fundamental motives: People, Performance, and Process. Your personal MVS illuminates what truly motivates you when circumstances are favorable, providing crucial insights into your workplace behaviors and decision-making processes.
- Enhance self-awareness to improve performance
- Align personal motives with team goals
- Boost satisfaction by understanding personal drivers
Navigate conflict with confidence
Learn how your motives shift under pressure. The SDI Conflict Sequence outlines how your motivations change in challenging situations, helping you navigate conflict more effectively.
- Improve conflict management and resolution skills
- Maintain productivity during workplace tensions
- Foster a positive environment even in high-pressure moments
Leverage your strengths effectively
The SDI identifies your top strengths and how you apply them at work. Your Strengths Portrait maps the behaviours that contribute to your success in building relationships and achieving results.
- Enhance collaboration through strength recognition
- Apply strengths more strategically in team settings
- Improve overall workplace performance by using strengths consciously
Avoid overplaying your hand
Recognise when your strengths become liabilities. The Overdone Strengths Portrait helps you identify when your strongest qualities may be overused, leading to unintended negative effects.
- Gain greater control over your behavioural tendencies
- Prevent conflicts caused by overdone strengths
- Cultivate healthier, more balanced professional relationships
Join an upcoming course
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Let’s talk about what would work best for your organisation
A short conversation helps us understand your context and recommend the right delivery approach for your people.
Frequently asked questions
What is the theoretical foundation of the Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI)?
The Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) is built on Relationship Awareness Theory, introduced by Elias Porter in 1971. This theory is grounded in social science and draws from the psychoanalytic work of Erich Fromm and Karen Horney. Porter, a peer of Carl Rogers, contributed to the development of Client-Centered Therapy, and this background influences the SDI’s focus on understanding motives and behaviours in relationships. This deep-rooted foundation helps make SDI a reliable tool for improving interpersonal dynamics.
How widely is the SDI used, and what impact does it have globally?
The SDI has a significant global reach, with over 5 million people and 50,000 organisations experiencing its benefits. Administered by more than 14,000 certified facilitators and available in 14 languages, the SDI continues to improve workplace relationships and enhance collaboration worldwide. Organisations use the SDI to help their people better understand each other, leading to more effective and compassionate communication across diverse teams and cultures.
How does the SDI Assessment differ from other personality assessments?
The SDI Assessment is unique because it focuses on understanding the motivations behind behaviours, especially how these motivations shift under stress. This assessment not only helps you know your strengths but also provides insight into how to adapt in challenging situations, fostering better workplace communication and conflict management.
What is the Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) Assessment?
The SDI Assessment is a personality assessment tool that helps individuals understand the motivations driving their behaviour, both in regular situations and under stress. This self-awareness fosters better communication, stronger workplace relationships, and more effective conflict management, ultimately improving teamwork and collaboration.
How can knowing my SDI profile benefit my workplace interactions?
Knowing your SDI profile improves your understanding of your own motivations and how they may shift under stress. This awareness helps you engage more constructively with colleagues, resolve conflicts faster, and build deeper connections, creating a more collaborative and productive work environment.
Can I become SDI certified and what are the benefits of certification?
Yes, you can become SDI certified. Getting SDI certified equips you with the tools to guide individuals and teams in understanding and applying their SDI results effectively. Certification allows you to lead insightful discussions, address your organisation’s specific culture and training needs, and help teams use their SDI insights to improve performance, make better decisions, and enhance conflict resolution skills. Additionally, certified facilitators gain access to exclusive resources, like the SDI platform, to support ongoing development and skill-building.
What options are available for implementing the SDI within my organisation?
There are several ways to bring SDI insights to your organisation. You can pursue SDI Certification to equip internal facilitators with the skills to lead valuable discussions about SDI results. Alternatively, you can arrange for a private facilitation session led by an SDI master trainer, who can guide your team in exploring their SDI insights, potential synergies, and conflict triggers. Starting in 2025, the Crucial Teams Course will also be available, designed to enhance team collaboration and leverage SDI insights for improved team effectiveness.
How can becoming an SDI partner enhance my business?
As an SDI partner, you gain exclusive access to powerful tools and resources that enable you to offer advanced personality assessments and team development solutions. This partnership equips you to provide your clients with actionable insights into leadership, conflict management, and team cohesion, which can lead to lasting positive changes within their organisations. Additionally, the SDI partner program offers continuous support, live coaching sessions, and a dedicated Partner Portal, giving you everything needed to grow your business and create deeper client relationships.
