This is where I think the distinction becomes particularly interesting.
1. You're learning from someone who has spent decades applying DISC—not just selling a certification
The Abelson Group was founded by Dr. Michael Abelson in 1986. Its current materials describe his background as including a PhD, more than 50 years of professional training, university teaching, consulting and extensive work with DISC and Motivators.
That matters because there is a big difference between:
"Here's how to interpret the four letters."
and
"Here's how I have actually used this information with thousands of people, teams and organizations."
The Abelson certification emphasizes cases, exercises and application rather than simply presenting the theory.
2. It uses TTI Success Insights assessments
The Abelson Group's DISC/Motivators work is built around TTI Success Insights tools which also currently offers a certification.
That gives you a commercially established assessment platform rather than an assessment that exists only inside one small training program.
3. The Abelson approach goes beyond the basic DISC model
This may be the biggest differentiator.
The Abelson Group's materials describe applications including:
✓ Individual DISC
✓ Motivators/Driving Forces
✓ DISC & Motivators combined reports
✓ DISC Team Reports
✓ Motivators Team Reports
✓ Two-person comparison/onboarding reports
✓ Hiring/interviewing
✓ Coaching
✓ Leadership
✓ Team development
✓ Stress
✓ Emotional intelligence
✓ Leadership competencies
So you're not just learning D-I-S-C.
You're learning how the assessment can become a business tool.
4. You get access to an ongoing learning ecosystem
One thing I particularly like about the Abelson approach is that certification isn't necessarily treated as the end of the education.
The Abelson Group has an a very extensive blog and also offers a subsequent DISC & Motivators Mastery program. The Mastery program is specifically designed for people already certified by Dr. Abelson and includes cases, expert-panel discussions, examples and advanced use of DISC/Motivators wheels.
That's valuable because the biggest problem with most assessment certifications is that people remember the theory but don't become truly fluent practitioners.
And there is an important business reason
If you're a:
Coach → you can use DISC/Motivators as a structured framework for client development.
Manager → you can adapt communication, delegation and motivation.
Sales leader → you can teach salespeople to recognize and adapt to different behavioral styles.
Recruiter → you can add behavioral information to a broader selection process.
Consultant → you can use the assessments as a diagnostic tool with clients.
Team leader → you can use team reports to identify communication and behavioral differences.
Trainer → you have a repeatable framework that can be taught to organizations.
The Abelson Group specifically describes certification as helping practitioners use DISC for coaching, hiring, management, team building and other applications, and also discusses ways practitioners can build professional services around the capability.
My bottom line
If your objective is simply to have a DISC certificate on your résumé, there are many ways to accomplish that.
If your objective is to become really good at using DISC and Motivators with people, teams, coaching, leadership, sales and business, the case for getting certified by The Abelson Group is monumentally stronger.
