When David Yoon first encountered the Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®), he saw more than a personality assessment. He saw a way to help people work together with greater understanding and purpose. Today, as Training Director at CARROT Global, he’s made the SDI a core part of how the organization empowers leaders and teams across Korea.

Over the past two years, CARROT has embedded SDI principles into leadership and organizational development programs for more than 400 client organizations. The results include building cultures of improved collaboration, trust, and sustainable performance that reaches far beyond individual training events.

“We didn’t want the SDI to be just a one-time assessment,” Yoon said. “Our goal was to make it something people keep using in their daily work life.”

Discovering the SDI

Before bringing the SDI to CARROT Global, Yoon observed that many of his clients were using other popular assessments. While valuable for self-reflection, these tools often failed to drive lasting behavioral change. “You have 30 or 40 pages of data,” he explained, “but no one is carrying that around or applying it at work.”

When he researched the SDI, Yoon immediately recognized its potential to fill that gap. “The SDI has a very dynamic background,” he said. “And with the mobile app and the SDI Platform, it’s unmatched compared to all the other assessments in the market.”

He saw the SDI not just as an assessment, but as a framework for building a shared language and a way for leaders and teams to communicate motives and manage conflict in a more constructive way.

Embedding the SDI into the Learning Journey

To bring the SDI to life for clients, Yoon and his team designed a four-stage SDI Journey Map (Connect, Deliver, Shape, and Develop) each phase guiding clients from initial awareness to long-term application.

“From the very beginning, we wanted to design a process that keeps the SDI alive,” Yoon explained. “We didn’t want people to take the assessment, do a short debrief, and move on. We wanted them to keep applying it and deepening their understanding over time.”

During the Connect phase, CARROT introduces potential clients to the SDI through open sessions and demonstration workshops. The Deliver phase focuses on interactive team workshops that teach the core principles of motivation and strengths.

Afterward, participants enter the Shape phase, where they spend several months applying what they’ve learned. CARROT provides structured worksheets and follow-up materials that help teams reflect on their behavior, track growth, and integrate SDI insights into their daily work.

Finally, the Develop phase brings participants back for advanced sessions that combine the SDI with other leadership modules such as conflict resolution, coaching, and collaboration design. “This cycle allows organizations to see measurable progress,” Yoon said. “They can actually track how using relationship intelligence in practice improves performance and engagement.”

Creating a Living SDI Culture

Yoon and his team work closely with clients to embed the language, concepts, and symbols of SDI throughout their organizations so that reminders of SDI concepts appear in everyday moments.

CARROT has helped clients introduce MVS character stickers, company-wide “MVS Weeks,” and even elevator screen prompts that display SDI insights and reminders. “Unless you make the SDI a part of your clients’ company culture, it can easily die off,” Yoon said. “Our goal is to make it part of their everyday conversations and interactions.”

These creative approaches make the SDI accessible, visible, and relevant, encouraging employees to discuss their motives, appreciate differences, and manage conflict proactively.

Driving Real Results

In just two years, the results have been remarkable. Many of CARROT’s clients who began with introductory SDI sessions return for the Shape and Develop phases. “They realized it wasn’t a one-time workshop,” Yoon said. “They wanted to continue and go deeper.”

The impact goes beyond improved collaboration. Yoon has seen teams become more inclusive, empathetic, and capable of managing conflict in constructive ways. The program has also helped organizations sustain engagement during major transitions such as mergers and hybrid work shifts. “Many organizations in Korea have gone through a lot of change,” he explained. “The SDI helps them stay connected through that change. It creates understanding and trust.”

By integrating SDI into multiple layers of organizational learning, CARROT Global has built a reputation as a leader in relationship-based development in Korea.

Advice for Fellow Practitioners

Reflecting on his experience, Yoon encourages other SDI partners to think beyond one-time workshops and focus on lasting application. “It shouldn’t be a one-time event where they take the assessment and have a debriefing session,” he said. “We wanted to create an ongoing, lifelong utilization of this valuable data.”

He also emphasizes adapting workshops to each organization’s unique culture and context. “Every organization is different,” Yoon explained. “We used culturally familiar activities and visuals so that it fits with our Korean clients. That way, it’s not just translation. It’s transformation.”

Finally, Yoon highlighted the role of the SDI Platform and mobile app in helping clients sustain engagement over time. “We send out newsletters and updates about the SDI Platform, whether the client has already experienced SDI or not, so it catches their eyes,” he said. “It’s one of the ways we help people stay connected and continue using the SDI in their daily work.”

Looking Ahead

As CARROT Global continues to expand its leadership development offerings, Yoon’s focus remains on innovation and impact. His team is developing new programs that integrate SDI insights with data-driven coaching and customized digital resources to help organizations sustain growth.

“We’re always thinking about how to evolve,” Yoon said. “Our mission is to help organizations develop stronger relationships and achieve lasting results. The SDI is the foundation that makes that possible.”

Through this commitment, Yoon and CARROT Global are demonstrating how the SDI can drive not only better collaboration but also sustainable organizational success.