PERSONAL INSIGHTS TO

IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 2

HEALTHY
RELATIONSHIPS
DRIVE RESULTS
Workplace relationships are crucial to people’s well being
and performance at work. The Strength Deployment
Inventory® (SDI®) provides insights about your motives,
strengths, and how you experience conflict, to help you
improve your relationships—and your results—one
interaction at a time.

“When it comes to
WHAT IS THE STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY? improving relationships,
The SDI is a personality assessment that provides insights
about you and how you relate to others. It measures your whose responsibility is
motives, how you experience conflict, your strengths, and how it to change? Whoever
your strengths can limit effectiveness when overdone. With
these four views, it delivers personalized insights to help you wants a different result.”
and your teams build trust and form productive relationships.
Tim Scudder
Coauthor of the
Strength Deployment Inventory
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 3

Four Views for

Greater Self Awareness
The SDI delivers personal insights along four views: the Motivational Value System,
the Conflict Sequence, Strengths, and Overdone Strengths. These insights help
individuals better understand themselves and how they relate to others.

01 02
THE MOTIVATIONAL THE CONFLICT SEQUENCE
VALUE SYSTEM In conflict, our motives take on a different
The Motivational Value System (MVS) character and show up in a predictable series
describes you when you are at your best. Your of changes that we call a Conflict Sequence.
MVS dot is charted in one of seven MVS regions on
the SDI triangle—indicating the first part of your During conflict, the Blue motive is about
personality type. accommodating others and restoring harmony. The
Red motive is about asserting oneself and prevailing
The exact location of your MVS dot reflects the over obstacles. And the Green motive is about
way three primary motives blend in you. Blue, is analyzing the situation and conserving resources.
about people and actively seeking to help others.
Red, is about performance and actively seeking The location of the arrowhead indicates the
opportunities to achieve results. And Green, is second part of your personality. It reveals the
about process and actively seeking logical order order that your motives change as conflict becomes
and self-reliance. increasingly severe. Understanding your own
and other’s Conflict Sequence can help you better
resolve conflict.

PEOPLE ACCOMMODATE
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MOTIVES CONFLICTS
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 4

03 STRENGTHS WORK BEST WHEN

THEY STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS
Your assessment results include a Strengths Portrait
at the top are frequently used to get results when
working with others. You use the middle strengths
less often and situationally as needed. And you may
be uncomfortable with the strengths at the bottom, or
that tells a story of how you use your strengths when even avoid using them.
interacting with others. They’re the behaviors you
choose when you are trying to fulfill your motives and The fact that you prioritize some strengths does not
generate meaningful outcomes. limit or define you. Connecting strengths across your
portrait to your MVS can help you find a reason to use
Your Strengths Portrait shows how you prioritize any strength, one that resonates with your underlying
28 strengths in your working relationships. Some motives. You have a choice.
strengths energize you. Some don’t. The strengths

YOUR STRENGTHS

Quick-To-Act
Most Likely To Use

Methodical Flexible

Self-Confident Supportive Sociable

Ambitious Caring Option-Oriented Helpful Loyal

Tolerant Analytical Principled Modest Persevering Persuasive

Fair Trusting Cautious Adaptable Open-To-Change

Devoted Competitive Forceful

Risk-Taking Reserved

Least Likely To Use

Inclusive
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 5

04 THE OVERDONE
STRENGTHS PORTRAIT
The SDI also shows the way you can overdo your
Overdone Strengths are like good music played
too loud. Your intentions are good, but they don’t
harmonize with others’ expectations. This can trigger
conflict for others, just as another person’s overdone
strengths at work in the Overdone Strengths Portrait. strengths may trigger conflict for you.
If you use a strength too much or in the wrong context,
it won’t work as intended. And when you don’t get the You can tone down your overdone strengths by
expected results, you might try harder with the same reducing how frequently, long, or intensely you use
strength and good intentions, but end up overdoing it. them. You can also bring other strengths to the table—
strengths that might be better suited to the situation
or the people involved.

YOUR OVERDONE STRENGTHS

Most Likely To Rash

Overdo at Work

Self-Sacrificing Rigid

Arrogant Unpredictable Self-Effacing

Stubborn Abrasive Domineering Intrusive Smothering

Blind Submissive Ruthless Indecisive Cold Obsessed

Unbending InDifferent Subservient Inconsistent Gullible

Compliant Suspicious Reckless

Distant Indiscriminate

Least Likely To
Aggressive Overdo at Work
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 6

SDI APPLICATIONS
Insights gained from the SDI have many powerful applications
for teams and organizations.

TEAM BUILDING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT

SDI insights help people
understand their own and
The SDI can help leaders
identify how they prioritize
AND SELF-AWARENESS
their teammates’ motives their strengths and The SDI gives individuals
and communication styles. opportunities for growth a view of their own
These insights contribute in communication and motives, strengths,
to self-awareness and conflict resolution—helping and communication
understanding and can leaders better relate with preferences. This
lead to more effective their team and connect perspective can increase
communication, collaboration, people’s intrinsic motives to self-awareness and lead
and conflict resolution. organizational goals. to improved personal and
professional relationships.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION COACHING AND

AND MEDIATION PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
The SDI can help you The SDI can help managers
understand the motives and provide more meaningful
communication styles of feedback and coaching.
those involved in disputes. They can use the insights
You can use these insights from the SDI to connect
to identify the sources of performance standards
the conflict, resolve it, and and goals to each person’s
reconcile relationships. motives and strengths.
wv

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Organizations can easily add The SDI insights can help
the SDI assessment to any teams more effectively
existing training program manage large-scale change
or learning initiative (i.e. efforts by strengthening
onboarding) to improve the relationships and improving
effectiveness and application collaboration during
of learning goals. disruption and transition.
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 7

EXPERIENCING THE SDI

The SDI is an engaging online
assessment, and learners get their
results immediately upon completion.
They are guided through an online
journey where they see all four views
of themselves. Most learners report
that the assessment takes between 20
to 30 minutes to complete.

SDI results include a self-paced debrief

with personalized videos and text;
a robust, downloadable report; and
access to additional resources and
insights on the SDI Platform.

THE SDI EXPERIENCE OFFERS:

• Individual and team insights
• Insights into personality
differences across a team
• Self-paced micro-learning
• Personalized reports and
video debriefs
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 8

Platform & Mobile App

The SDI Platform gives teams a clear view
of the motives and strengths of each person
on their team so they can better collaborate,
communicate, and navigate conflict. This
relationship intelligence is available on
desktop and mobile. Clients may also choose
to add unique features like integrations for
Microsoft Outlook, Slack, Microsoft Teams,
and Zoom so users can apply insight when they
need it most—in the meetings, messages, and
conversations that move priorities forward.

On the platform, learners have access to a

variety of views and tools to help them apply
their insights and improve their results and
relationships. Depending on their platform
access, they’ll find some or all of the
following features:

DISCOVER
Immediately after taking the SDI, learners
receive a personalized self-debrief journey,
with videos and content exploring their
unique Motives, Conflict Sequence, and
Strengths Portraits.

COMPARE
Learners can compare their Motives,
Conflict Sequence, and Strengths Portraits THE SDI EXPERIENCE OFFERS:
with colleagues—giving them custom
insights for working more effectively • Enterprise collaboration
with others.
• Reinforcement and application
of SDI insights
TEAMS • Analytics to help make sense of
Map the Motives and Conflict Sequences
of team members to see a composite the data and how it relates to the
Strengths Portrait for the entire team. These organization’s culture (available
interactive features help the team to adjust only to account Admins and
communication styles, step up to tough Owners)
conversations, present ideas, and disagree
without creating conflict.
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 9

Integrations
Embed SDI insights into the organization’s culture
and lexicon with our integrations. SDI integrations are
available for Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Zoom,
THE SDI INTEGRATIONS PROMOTE:
and Slack. • More effective meetings
When you add the SDI integrations to your SDI • Improved written communication
initiative, people will see their team members’ MVS, (email, messaging, etc.)
Conflict Sequence, and Strengths Portrait displayed
clearly on screen to improve their collaboration. • Adjusted communication styles to
build rapport and trust
When people have a clear view of each other’s motives,
strengths, and conflict triggers, they can hold more • Conflict resolution
productive meetings and get better results.

Microsoft Teams

Zoom
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 10

SDI CERTIFICATION
Get certified in the SDI to maximize
the impact of relationship intelligence
in your organization.
By getting certified in the SDI, you’ll learn how to help
individuals and teams implement their SDI insights,
while also meeting the unique culture and training
needs of your organization. You’ll be equipped with
the knowledge and skills to lead discussions with
individuals and groups on their SDI results.
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• Personal SDI Assessment

• Facilitator Guide (printed and digital)
• Job Aids
• Working with SDI book
• Six-week skill-building email series
• Access to the SDI platform for
leading 1:1 and group discussions
• Access to Certification Zone for
additional facilitator resources
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 11

How to
Implement the SDI
Choose from several implementation options for ensuring the
SDI insights improve individual, team, and organizational results.

CERTIFICATION
The SDI Certification course prepares facilitators with the skills and
insight to lead productive and valuable discussions with individuals
and groups about their SDI results.

PRIVATE FACILITATION
Bring in a SDI master trainer to your team or organization for a
tailored learning experience.

Your master trainer can lead a team discussion to help individuals

understand their SDI insights as well as the synergies and potential
conflict triggers that exist with their coworkers.

CRUCIAL TEAMS COURSE (Coming 2025)

Are you considering bringing a course that leverages the SDI
insights to your organization? Crucial Teams focuses on team
effectiveness and incorporates the insights from the SDI, as well
as skills to build understanding and awareness of others on the
team, to move the team to more effective levels of collaboration and
teamwork. Become a certified trainer in this course to get started.
 SDI
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 12

TRUSTED BY
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 13

Founded On
Practical Theory
and Social Science
The Strength Deployment Inventory stands on the
foundation of practical application, scholarship, and
research that began with Elias Porter’s introduction
of the SDI in 1971 and publication of Relationship
Awareness Theory. The theory has roots in
psychoanalytic work of Erich Fromm and Karen
Horney. Porter was a peer of Carl Rogers and helped
to develop Client-Centered Therapy.

For a complete overview of the research and

methodology, check out this article by current
SDI author and researcher, Tim Scudder.

GLOBAL IMPACT
The SDI has improved relationships in organizations around the globe. Join us to
make the world a better place, where human beings can be great at being human.

EXPERIENCED EXPERIENCED ADMINISTERED AVAILABLE IN

BY MORE THAN BY MORE BY MORE 14 LANGUAGES
5,000,000 THAN 50,000 THAN 14,000
PEOPLE ORGANIZATIONS CERTIFIED
FACILITATORS
 SDI
STRENGTH DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY OVERVIEW | 14

THE CRUCIAL LEARNING SUITE

The Strength Deployment Inventory is a powerful tool in the Crucial Learning
family of learning solutions and talent development tools. These solutions
help organizations build healthy and high-performance cultures that spur
flawless execution and consistent innovation.

COURSES

ASSESSMENT
 TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Bring the SDI to your organization
today and discover the power of
relationship intelligence.

Call 1.800.449.5989 or visit us at

CrucialLearning.com.

ABOUT CRUCIAL LEARNING

Crucial Learning improves the world by helping people improve themselves. By combining social science research with
innovative instructional design, we create flexible learning experiences that teach proven skills for solving life’s most
stubborn personal, interpersonal, and organizational problems. We offer courses in communication, performance,
and leadership, focusing on behaviors that have a disproportionate impact on outcomes, and an assessment that
helps individuals and teams form productive relationships. Our award-winning courses, assessments, and bestselling
books include Crucial Conversations® for Mastering Dialogue, Crucial Conversations® for Accountability, Crucial
Influence®, The Power of Habit™, Getting Things Done®, and the Strength Deployment Inventory®. Together they
have helped millions achieve better relationships and results, and nearly half of the Forbes Global 2000 have drawn on
these solutions to improve organizational health and performance. CrucialLearning.com

©2024 VitalSmarts, L.C. All Rights Reserved. Crucial Learning, Crucial Conversations,
Crucial Accountability, and Crucial Influence are registered trademarks of VitalSmarts, L.C.

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