There’s been a growing debate recently on LinkedIn about personality profiling tools like Insights Discovery.

In particular, conversations led by William McKee have challenged the validity of these tools — questioning whether they truly measure what they claim to measure.

It’s an important conversation.

Because if a tool lacks validity, then the conclusions drawn from it become questionable.

But there’s a deeper issue that often gets missed.

Even if a profiling tool did have perfect validity…👉 it still wouldn’t improve team communication.

So how do you improve team communication without profiles, if profiling (even with great validity) doesn’t create change?

Most teams don’t struggle because they lack insight.

They struggle because they don’t have the right conversations.

You can give a team:

• A detailed profile
  
• A colour preference
  
• A behavioural report
  

…and still see:

• Miscommunication
  
• Friction
  
• Avoided conversations
  

Why?

Because insight alone doesn’t change behaviour. Let’s be brutally honest here. Evidence exists that tells us a lot of stuff is ‘bad for us’ and yet we still indulge in what is bad for us. So evidence is not necessarily the ‘X factor for change’.

Profiling tools create a moment of awareness.  People read their profile and think: “Yes, that’s me.”

And for a short time, it feels useful.  But then something happens.

The team goes back to work.  And nothing really changes.

Because:

👉 Communication isn’t improved by understanding differences
👉 It’s improved by talking about them

There has to be something else that can improve team communication without profiles.

The current debate focuses on whether tools like Insights Discovery are valid or not.

That matters — to a point.

But even if we assume:

✔ The tool is statistically valid
✔ The data is accurate
✔ The model is sound

You still face the same outcome:

❌ No meaningful shift in day-to-day communication

Because: Knowing is not the same as doing

Real change happens when teams:

• Speak openly about how they work
  
• Give and receive feedback
  
• Challenge assumptions
  
• Understand how they are perceived by others
  

In other words:

👉 Change happens through conversation, not categorisation.  The way to improve team communication without profiles is through conversation.

This is where many traditional tools fall short.

They rely on:

• Reports
  
• Labels
  
• Interpretation
  

But they don’t create the environment needed for change.

A more effective approach is much simpler:

👉 Give teams a structured way to talk to each other

When teams engage in structured conversations:

• Awareness becomes shared
  
• Assumptions are challenged
  
• Feedback becomes normalised
  

And importantly:

👉 People see how others actually experience them

That’s where the shift happens.

Instead of relying on profiles, some teams are now using simple, structured tools designed to trigger real conversations.

For example, using a facilitated card-based approach:

• Team members exchange feedback
  
• Communication styles are explored in real time
  
• Conversations happen naturally, not theoretically
  

There’s no report to interpret.

No accreditation required.

Just a clear, structured way to get people talking.

There is an alternative way to improve team communication without profiles.  Organisations, large and small across the world are already reaping the savings and the improvements.  Find out more by clicking the button below.

The difference is immediate.

Instead of:

• Reading about behaviour
  

Teams are:

• Experiencing it
  
• Discussing it
  
• Adjusting in real time
  

The result?

• Conversations open up faster
  
• People understand each other better
  
• Communication improves almost immediately

The debate about profiling tools is useful.

It challenges assumptions and encourages better thinking.

But it also risks focusing on the wrong question.

Instead of asking: “Is this tool valid?”

A better question is: “Does this tool actually change how people communicate?”

Because in the end: 👉 That’s what matters

Final Thought

Teams don’t need more insight.

They need better conversations.

And the fastest way to improve team communication without profiles isn’t to analyse behaviour… 👉 It’s to talk about it.

If you’re looking for a practical way to improve team communication without profiles, complex reports or accreditation — explore a simple, conversation-led approach:

👉 The Colour Energies Team Building Card Game