Have you ever had an interaction with someone that went surprisingly wrong? Have you ever rubbed someone the wrong way and had no clue what you did? Has someone else’s behavior ever annoyed you? Have you struggled to connect with people or lead them? Have you had misunderstandings?

What if you had a tool that would help alleviate these problems? Or at minimum would help you understand why things went wrong so you could do better next time.

A few years ago, a group of us took a Sandler Training class in which we learned about DISC profiles. DISC is a behavioral assessment tool. It is similar to Meyers-Briggs or Enneagram personality testing. After learning DISC as part of bonding and building rapport I was very impressed. It is easy to understand and user-friendly. After our training class, we would often go to lunch and identify which category the people around us were in. It was that easy.

DISC can help you:

• Identify sources of misunderstanding.

• Appreciate that people are different.

• Understand yourself and others better.

• Improve the cohesiveness of a group.

• Enhance communication.

• Quickly identify the best way to interact with anyone.

• Increase opportunities to connect with people.

I wanted to share this tool with all of Taylor Studios. The problem was how to train 37 people in a cost-effective manner. The first step was having those of us that had training start to train the leadership team. Training others is one of the best ways to learn something more deeply. These were brief lunch and learn types of meetings. The second step was to find a free assessment tool we could have everyone take. Third, we found online videos and did brief training in company meetings. We also share everyone’s DISC type. The final step was ongoing training about once a year at a company meeting. We found a cost-effective approach.

How to Identify Different Styles

D’s are dominant and decisive. I’s are influencers. S’s are steady. C’s are compliant.

We use this simple chart.

A hand-drawn DISC chart depicting the four different personality styles assigned to individuals after completing the exercise.

D’s tend to be extroverted and task-oriented. They adapt quickly to change and jump to new ideas.

I’s are extroverted and people-oriented. They also thrive in changing environments.

S’s are introverted and people-oriented. They are steady and predictable team players.

C’s are introverted and task-oriented. They are methodical and pay close attention to detail.

You can pretty much observe people’s behavior and identify their DISC style.

How to Communicate with Different Styles

D-Style

• Be direct and brief.

• Focus on the task and results.

• Don’t be emotional.

I-Style

• Be friendly and warm.

• Speak about people and feelings.

• Express enthusiasm and have fun.

S-Style

• Be patient and build trust.

• Slow down your approach.

• Present issues logically.

C-Style

• Use data and facts.

• Be patient and slow down.

• Don’t talk about personal issues.

Success

Feedback from staff suggests that DISC training is beneficial. We appreciate that people are different and that’s ok. There is more empathy and understanding. DISC brings self-awareness too. This awareness helps you interact with your environment better.

Now at TSI you can hear people saying things like, “oh, yeah you’re an S.” They use DISC to understand why a person reacted a certain way. If I dash through a room on my way to getting something done people aren’t upset that I didn’t stop to chat because they understand my profile. I have learned to slow down, be more feeling-oriented, detail-oriented or whatever category the other person is. DISC has helped me adjust how I relate to others.

Learning DISC is simple and effective. I encourage you to check it out and improve your connections and leadership.

“The more you read the more things you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.” ~Dr. Seuss