Employee personality has always been a factor in the workplace, but it’s only recently that companies have begun to understand and measure it. In the past, assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator were used to understand people’s preferences and tendencies. But these tools often fell short, leaving managers with more questions than answers.
DISC is a behaviour assessment tool that’s been around for over 30 years. Unlike Myers-Briggs, DISC doesn’t focus on preferences or tendencies. Instead, it looks at observable behaviour and how it manifests in the workplace.
There are four main types of behaviour that DISC assesses:
D – Dominant: Direct, forceful, and in control.
I – Influential: Outgoing, persuasive, and able to influence others.
S – Steady: Reliable, patient, and supportive.
C – Conscientious: Analytical, precise, and detail-oriented.
Each person falls on a spectrum for these four types of behaviour. Most people have a primary and secondary style, with one being more dominant than the other.
DISC can be used in various ways, but one of the most popular is to help managers better understand their team members.
By understanding how each team member behaves, you can learn how to motivate and manage them.
For example, let’s say you have a team member who is very D-dominant.
This person is likely to be direct, forceful, and want to be in control. You’ll need to give them clear instructions and expectations as their manager. They’re likely to thrive in an environment where they can take charge and be decisive.
On the other hand, let’s say you have a team member who is very I-dominant. This person is likely to be outgoing, persuasive, and want to be the centre of attention. As their manager, you’ll need to give them opportunities to lead and be creative. They’re likely to thrive in an environment where they can interact with others and have a lot of autonomy.
DISC can be a valuable tool for managers who want to understand their team members better.
By understanding each person’s behaviour, you can learn how to motivate best and manage them.
Address personality conflicts using DISC.
There are a few different ways to understand your team’s DISC profile. One way is to have each team member take the DISC assessment, which will give you a detailed report on where each person falls on the four behaviour spectrums.
Demo of assessment
If you want to get a sense of your team’s DISC profile without having everyone take the assessment, you can also look at how people behave in the workplace. Observe how people interact with others and see which behaviours are most prevalent.
You can also ask your team members directly about their behaviour. This can be a good way to get a sense of how people see themselves and how they interact with others.
Once you understand your team’s DISC profile well, you can start thinking about how to manage and motivate them. Consider each person’s behaviour and what would work best for them.
For example, if you have a team member who is very D-dominant, you might want to give them clear instructions and expectations. On the other hand, if you have a team member who is very I-dominant, you might want to provide them with opportunities to lead and be creative.
Another way to understand your team’s DISC profile is simply by observing their behaviour. Pay attention to how each person interacts with others, handles stress, and makes decisions. This will give you a general sense of where they fall on the four behaviour spectrums.
Once you understand your team’s DISC profile well, you can start thinking about how to manage best and motivate them.
Consider each person’s behaviour and what would work best for them.
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Address personality conflicts using DISC.
If you have team members who seem to be constantly conflicting with each other, DISC can help you understand why. By understanding each person’s behaviour, you can start to see where the conflicts are coming from.
For example, let’s say you have a team member who is very D-dominant. This person is likely to be direct, forceful, and want to be in control. They might butt heads with a team member who is very S-dominant. This person is likely to be more passive and cooperative and wants to maintain the status quo.
If you understand why these two team members are conflicting, you can start to address the issue. Perhaps you can mediate between them and help them find a compromise. Or maybe you can give each of them different roles on the team, so they’re not constantly in conflict.
DISC can be a valuable tool for managers who want to understand and resolve personality conflicts within their team.
By understanding each person’s behaviour, you can start to see where the conflicts are coming from and how to address them.
DISC can help you build a better team.
If you want to build a high-performing team, it’s important to understand the behaviour of each team member.
DISC can help you by providing insights into each person’s personality.
Try our Business Waterwheel™, a unique business model for building high-performing teams. It considers the four behaviour spectrums of your employee’s complementary behaviour.
When you use the Business Waterwheel™, you’ll see which team members are complementary. This will help you build a balanced team that can function at a high level.
