5

24 Oct 2013

How Understanding Personalities Can Make You a Better Leader, Team Member

When you’re working with others – especially people who are leaders in their field – it’s important to know what kind of personality you’re facing. Even though you can’t just hand them a DISC assessment, you can still use those same principles to your advantage.

A DISC assessment is a behavior test that evaluates your personality traits including:  Dominance/Drive, Inducement/Influence, Submission/Steadiness and Compliance/Conscientiousness and gives you a percentage of each. Here’s what each of those identifiers means:

D: How you deal with problems, assert yourself and control situations.

I: The way you deal with people as well as how you communicate and relate to others.

S: Describes your temperament, including patience, persistence and thoughtfulness.

C: Looks at how you approach and manage activities, procedures and responsibilities.

Here are some suggestions on working with people of each DISC style…

High D-style – Outgoing and Task-Oriented

A person who is a “D” type is going to be outgoing, task-oriented and focused on accomplishing projects and assignments. They are people dedicated to making things happen. The key to developing positive relationships with “D” type people is respect and results. Try setting goals together, helping with the details, holding logical discussions, standing up for yourself and showing appreciation to work best with this person.

High I-Style – Outgoing and People-Oriented

A person who is an “I” type will be outgoing, people-oriented individuals who enjoy socialization and having fun. This type of person values what others think of him or her and the keys to developing a relationship involve admiration and recognition. Working best with this person may involve being sympathetic, offering support and socialization, talking about your emotions and helping with time management.

High S-Style – Reserved and People-Oriented

An “S” type individual will more of a reserved, people-oriented person who enjoys relationships, helping/supporting others and working in team environments. They value friendliness and sincere appreciation. Someone who is an “S” type will work best with you if you’re willing to spend time with them, keep to small changes, listen to them and show appreciation for a job well done.

High C-Style – Reserved and Task-Oriented

Someone who is a “C” individual seeks value, consistency and quality information. They’re focused on accuracy and they value trust and integrity. First things first, if you’re working with a “C” type person, keep your workspace neat and clean and provide a safe place for expression. You’ll also want to be specific with communications, create routines and be thoughtful with your conversations.

Of course truly understanding a DISC assessment starts with taking one! Find your local Growth Coach to take a test: http://www.thegrowthcoach.com/LocateaCoach/tabid/210/Default.aspx.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *