Using DiSC as a Tool to Guide Leadership and Improve Communication

Is there one person at work whom you simply just don’t get? Or someone who approaches things so differently from you that you find it difficult to relate to them?

If this sounds familiar then you are not alone. We all have people who we find hard to communicate with, or work with. Yet, as leaders, we know to have a successful team, team members must learn to communicate effectively with one another. If the lines of communication are not kept open, barriers to productivity increase exponentially. The good news is that there are ways to keep the lines of communication open. A good starting point is in understanding your own communication style as well as that of your team.

The DiSC model, based on the work of psychologist William Moulton Marston from the 1920’s, is one approach. It is a straightforward, standardized and relatively simple way of assessing individual as well as team behaviors in a way that allows one to look at leadership and communication preferences.

DiSC assessment tests use standardized data derived from a large population of people who’ve taken the test before. Thus an individual’s assessment score gives an indication of their preference relative to others. It helps people explore behavior across four primary dimensions:

• Dominance: To the point, decisive and bottom line oriented. These people tend to be independent and results driven. They are strong-willed people who enjoy challenges, taking action, and immediate results.
• Influence: Optimistic and outgoing. They tend to be highly social and outgoing. They prefer participating on teams, sharing thoughts, and entertaining and energizing others.
• Steadiness: Empathetic & Cooperative. These people tend to be team players and are supportive and helpful to others. They prefer being behind the scene, working in consistent and predictable ways. They are often good listeners and avoid change and conflict .
• Conscientiousness: Concerned, Cautious & Correct. These people are often focused on details and quality. They plan ahead; constantly check for accuracy, and what to know "how" and "why". ¹

. By using this tool, individuals and others are better equipped to:

• Understanding behavioral strengths and challenges in yourself and in others
• Learning to appreciate the differences and strengths of others
• Discovering tools for dealing with conflict effectively
• Enhance teamwork and reduce team conflict
• Developing strategies and awareness to deal with diversity of people, their communication styles and needs
• Increasing sales skill by understanding how clients or customers behavior and make decisions
• Improve customer relationships and customer satisfaction
• Reduce personal and organizational conflict, stress and turnover
• Improve communication skills through determining communication styles
• Enhance and develop coaching and mentoring skill¹

By understanding your own profile, you can develop an appreciation for the unique value of others on your team, as well as employ strategies to maximize team strengths and minimize the effects of team weaknesses. DiSC profiling can be a useful tool to help you improve communication, team working, recruitment and retention, customer service and, other interpersonal issues.

Would you or someone in your organization be interested in taking the DiSC Assessment? Contact Kendra Wilburn at 513-314-9659 or kwilburn@cinci.rr.com for more information.

1. DiSC Classic (Minneapolis: Inscape Publishing, 2001).

Career Goals For 2009

“How you live a day is eventually how you live your life.” – Philip Yancey

It is that time of year when everyone is reflecting and planning for 2009. It is the perfect time to think about your career – where you are today and where you would like to be by this time next year. I am not talking about goals without any substance. I am talking about sitting down and setting some reasonable and achievable goals for the new year.

Some of you may be wondering what all of the fuss about goal setting is really all about? You may even think that that it’s three parts common sense and one part luck. If you can organize and create a logical sequence for completing a bunch of tasks that you write down once, and rarely if ever look at again, that directly relate to your goal then that’s all it takes, right? To the uninitiated that may be what goal setting and appears to be. But if you’ve ever attempted to set goals for yourself, you know that they can become quiet cumbersome and eventually all of the initial excitement wears off and you realize the goals you set really require some work.
To successfully write and execute your new year’s resolution it is important to understand the basics of goal setting. And as many people discover, as you begin to set and work toward your goals - you may surprise yourself with your successes this year.
Done well, goal setting seamlessly ties together a strong plan with its execution. It helps you get from here to there. It allows you to track progress and determine what steps you need to accomplish next in order to arrive at your final destination.
With this Career by Design blog you will learn what it takes to set SMART goals to prepare yourself for success in 2009. This blog will help you to:

• Understand the basics of goal setting and planning, and practice using some core goal setting tools. • Learn to bridge the gap between your dreams and reality
• Create an action plan filled with strategies to help you get where you want to go in 2009.

Goal setting is a skill valued in every individuals personal and professional life. Goal setting encourages you to not settle for what you have but allows you to go after what you want. I’m here to answer any questions and provide further guidance and assistance. As always, if you have used this or a similar technique before and have further insights, I’d love to hear them. Please let me know how it goes.