Gidgett Ingalls
Perception is reality. Often our attempts at communication go awry because of one simple truth: It does not matter what you said: what they heard you say is what matters.
Healthy and highly productive teams start with team members who are self-aware. The second step is to build the skill of recognizing others’ DISC profiles or their communication and behavioral approaches and styles. The ultimate skill is being able to adapt your style. Adapting your style is about recognizing and taking responsibility for the audience that will be receiving the communication, and customizing the message to align intention and perception. This will help ensure that what you truly intend to be communicated is.
Remember, using DISC is a skill; like other skills, you must practice to improve and master it.
You can determine people’s DISC profiles based on how they respond in certain situations. Here is a little DISC humor to go along with the reminders above.
Ask for something on their desk…
The D has a messy desk. They say, “It’s there somewhere — you look for it.”
The I says, “I’m busy right now. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get back to you.” They don’t know where it is, but won’t admit it.
The S has everything filed in alphabetical order or by color code.
The C says, “It’s the third thing down in that pile.” The desk may be messy, but they know where everything is.
Seeing a movie in a theater…
The D comes in late and makes everyone stand while they take a middle seat.
The I attends in groups. They do the applauding and talking.
The S gets there 15 minutes early. They are seeing the film again.
The C reads reviews before attending.
Reading a newspaper…
The D mainly reads the headlines and scatters the sections in the process.
The I will read the obituaries first to see if they know anyone.
The S looks over the entire paper. They clip interesting articles.
The C calls the newspaper if a word is spelled incorrectly.
Cooking a Meal…
The D can’t cook without a microwave.
The I likes to cook for groups and has an extra place set at the table in case of unexpected company.
The S prepares a meal from scratch and rotates around a dozen standard recipes.
The C can’t cook without a timer and measuring cups.
You can tell a lot about a person by their DISC profile. Having this knowledge can better equip you to learn how to use different communication styles based on how a person might best respond.
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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These are fun observations. Want to learn what motivates your co-workers or what they fear??? Learn more about the DISC styles.
D Style I Style S Style C Style