Last updated: August 2026
Five Behaviours Comparison Reports give team members a structured way to understand each other one-to-one — here’s when to use them, how to introduce them, and the best practices that get the most out of every pairing.
Why use Comparison Reports with a team product?
The Five Behaviours™ program is designed to help teams become more efficient and
effective. But, of course, teams are made up of individuals, so one-on-one relationships can have a big
impact on a team as a whole. Comparison Reports are a great tool to use to help team members learn
more about one another and improve their individual relationships and, by extension, their ability to
work together. Based on data from the personality items in The Five Behaviours assessment, the reports
are organised around The Five Behaviours model and illustrate two continua per behaviour. Whether
introducing new teammates, helping to build rapport, or working to resolve an interpersonal conflict,
Comparison Reports can be a great addition to a Five Behaviours program.
How can I use the Comparison Reports?
There are a number of ways to incorporate Comparison Reports into your programs, depending on the
team and its needs:
- During a workshop: At the end of each module, assign pairs and give participants the page from the
Comparison Report that corresponds to that module’s behaviour. Allow time for the pairs to work
through the page. This will both deepen their understanding of the behaviour and help to build
interpersonal relationships. You could elect to use the same pairs for each module or switch them
up each time. EPIC will allow you to print Comparison Reports for all possible team member
combinations. - In between sessions: If you’re facilitating The Five Behaviours over multiple sessions, you could use
the Comparison Report as homework. Assign pairs, have the participants meet in between sessions
to discuss their Comparison Reports, and ask them to prepare to share their findings and experience
during the next session. - For new team member(s): To help a new team member get acclimated more quickly, have that
person go through a Comparison Report with each team member one-on-one. The new team
member will get a chance to learn more about his or her new colleagues and how they might best
work together while also being exposed to The Five Behaviours model and language. - In conflict situations: If the conflict between two team members is affecting the team, the
Comparison Report can be used to help them examine why they may be having difficulty working
together and explore ways in which they might resolve their issue(s). Depending on the
nature/severity of the conflict, the two members could work one-on-one, or you could facilitate the
conversation. - As a follow-up/reminder: Comparison Reports can be used as part of team meetings (for example,
team members could meet in pairs for 10 minutes during the meeting to review their reports) or as
part of a more formal follow-up to a Five Behaviours program. In either case, the report can be used
to continue to instil The Five Behaviours model and language and to emphasise the importance of
the behaviours for both individual relationships and team functioning.
What are the best practices for using Comparison Reports?
There are a few general guidelines to keep in mind when using Comparison Reports in your programs:
- Be flexible about how and when to use Comparison Reports. There’s no one “ideal” time to
introduce the reports: depending on the needs of the team, they can be incorporated at different
times during The Five Behaviours program or as a follow-up to the program. But whenever you do
introduce them, be sure to explain why you’re doing so at that point and how the reports can help
each team. - Be selective in pairing team members to ensure that they get the most out of the Comparison
Reports. It may not be necessary or helpful to run a report for all possible team combinations. If you
have a team of more than five people, running reports for all of the pairs can create an
overwhelming amount of information for participants to process. - Consider whether pairs can review the reports without the aid of a facilitator. Unless there’s a
serious problem between two participants, it may be sufficient to have the two individuals review
their report one-on-one. In such cases, it will be even more important to provide a concrete
introduction to the tool. - Try to ensure that the two team members being compared in a report look over their results
together. Although there’s value in an individual reviewing a report on his or her own, the real
benefit will come from reviewing the report in pairs. This will allow participants to explore whether
they agree or disagree with the results and what the results mean within the context of their unique
working environment. This conversation can also help prevent misunderstandings. - Encourage participants to personalize their reports by using a check mark to indicate where the
description seems accurate, an “x” where it doesn’t, and a question mark wherever they’re unsure.
This will help them get more out of their reports and their discussions. - Keep in mind that Comparison Reports can be useful not only for dissimilar team members, but also
for team members who are similar to one another. Pairs who share similar traits may learn just as
much about how best to work together as pairs who are opposites. Similarly, the reports can
provide valuable feedback for high-functioning pairs as well as pairs experiencing interpersonal
challenges.
Download Comparison Report Document Here
