Gidgett Ingalls
If you had to guess which are the likely DISC profiles of those who are producing all of the social content, would you get it right? (DISC is a four-quadrant behavioral model.)
Understanding DISC and how it relates to social media is critical for maximizing the potential of your social content contributors. One component of having a sound social media strategy is to best understand the employee behavior styles of those you are tasking to be game changers. Are you equipped to work with the various personality profiles inside your organization to produce powerful social content? Wikipedia has a nice recap of each of the four DISC dimensions:
Dominance (D): People who score high in the intensity of the “D” styles factor are very active in dealing with problems and challenges, while low “D” scores are people who want to do more research before committing to a decision. High “D” people are described as demanding, forceful, egocentric, strong-willed, driving, determined, ambitious, aggressive, and pioneering. Low D scores describe those who are conservative, low-keyed, cooperative, calculating, undemanding, cautious, mild, agreeable, modest and peaceful.
Influence (I): People with high “I” scores influence others through talking and activity and tend to be emotional. They are described as convincing, magnetic, political, enthusiastic, persuasive, warm, demonstrative, trusting, and optimistic. Those with low “I” scores influence more by data and facts, and not with feelings. They are described as reflective, factual, calculating, skeptical, logical, suspicious, matter of fact, pessimistic, and critical.
Steadiness (S): People with high “S” styles scores want a steady pace, security, and do not like sudden change. High “S” individuals are calm, relaxed, patient, possessive, predictable, deliberate, stable, consistent, and tend to be unemotional and poker-faced. Low “S” intensity scores are those who like change and variety. People with low “S” scores are described as restless, demonstrative, impatient, eager, or even impulsive.
Compliance (C): People with high “C” styles adhere to rules, regulations, and structure. They like to do quality work and do it right the first time. High “C” people are careful, cautious, exacting, neat, systematic, diplomatic, accurate, and tactful. Those with low “C” scores challenge the rules and want independence and are described as self-willed, stubborn, opinionated, unsystematic, arbitrary, and careless with details.
Now as you think about the rapid growth in social media and networking and the correlation this has to driving business results… pause and think about who you have assigned to be your company’s social connectors. Would a higher D, I, S, or C be most likely to succeed at this task, and how does knowing their behavioral styles change how you adapt to encourage their participation? Here’s how the various profiles might respond to social media:
The “D” says, “I am in the driver’s seat!” An opportunity to showcase, be in the spotlight, gain market share and win! Social media is the stage for sharing what I know and building credibility around my expertise. I have so many opinions and so much advice to provide and to be able to do it in 140 characters or less (using Twitter as a platform) – what a great use of my time (and everyone else’s who reads it).
The “I” declares, “I am the Party Planner!” The perfect solution – always on 24/7! I get to connect and reconnect with people – friends, strangers, local, national, international – I am thrilled about it all! I can follow folks and share my life with them – I am on top of what is going on and feel so connected. Sharing opinions, providing and receiving advice, helping others out, listening – I am in heaven; I just wish there were more choices of emoticons to include.
The “S” murmurs, “I don’t know what to do with all of this.” This feels overwhelming, so much private information and so many venues and do I really see value in this? I got started but don’t want strangers to be reading about me, let alone following me! The people in my network are the ones that I physically see and talk to in person, or worst case, on the phone. I may dabble in it just because it is all the craze but I am going in slowly.
The “C” states, “I don’t think this has been thoroughly researched and the ramifications could be big.” This is just the latest craze, there is no data. What happens 20 years down the road with some blog, tweet that gets misinterpreted and causes me to lose my dream career position? There are so many sites, new ones springing up every day – no consumer reports research? No Return on Investment Analysis? I don’t want to share my personal or professional life with complete strangers that I don’t trust and know nothing about.
Our Social Media Marketing Manager completed her DISC assessment upon her hire in 2010. Her profile is “High D/I, Low S/C,” which came as no surprise. Her challenge now becomes engaging SIGMA Marketing Group thought leaders in contributing social content. Use of the DISC profiles provides valuable information about which types are more likely to willingly provide content, and perhaps how she might work more effectively with those less likely to contribute.
Remember that DISC behavioral assessments are only a bit of insight into how someone will respond or act. There are many other factors such as experiences, likes/dislikes, interests that make up a person. Knowing the appropriate use of DISC – self-reflection, identification, and the ability to adapt are the keys to successful use. So, think about how you need to adapt — to get the highest return on the targeted groups you want participating in your social media strategy.
Resources:
Super Performance Solutions – What is DISC?
About the Author:
Gidgett Ingalls is Vice President of Strategic Planning and Human Resources at SIGMA Marketing Group, a marketing analytics agency. Connect with Gidgett on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter.
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Thank you for all the information about every category consist by DiSC profiling, you explained it briefed but clear. DiSC test is useful especially on hiring an employee or even knowing your employee more.
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