What's your DISC?

Let’s switch from political issues, where there will never be an agreement between the two sides and can make some people irritated, to something more useful.

Since my retirement, I have been reading more books and articles as well as listening to podcasts. All of my readings and podcasts are generally business and management related but I always find something interesting that can be applied to everyday life as well.

I keep coming across the D.I.S.C. profile.

It’s mentioned in a lot of management books and articles and how it can be effectively used. Many companies use it as a way to screen potential employees, with the thought that a certain personality type would be better or worse in certain jobs or positions. The DISC assessment can also be used is leadership. There are different leadership methods and styles that coincide with each personality type, which could help leaders be more effective.

This is not a new concept and some of you may have seen it in a business environment but DISC can also be useful and effective in your personal life. If you have a clue about the profile of your spouse, your kids, your friend and others in your life, it can be very helpful in dealing with them.

This blog is not where I can explain everything about DISC but I will give you a quick overview. You can learn more about it at www.discprofile.com and many other sites on the Internet.

The DISC assessment is a behavior assessment tool based on the DISC theory of psychologist William Marston. Marston's theory centers around four different personality traits abbreviated into D.I.S.C. DISC is non-judgmental and helps people discuss their behavioral differences.

The four personality traits are:

• Dominance – relating to control, power and assertiveness. 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 – relating to social situations and communication. 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 – relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness. 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 – relating to structure and organization. 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 unconcerned with details. 

These four dimensions can be grouped in a grid with "D" and "I" sharing the top row and representing extroverted aspects of the personality, and "C" and "S" below representing introverted aspects. "D" and "C" then share the left column and represent task-focused aspects, and "I" and "S" share the right column and represent social aspects. The graph below shows a visual summary of this concept.

By knowing your DISC profile, you can increase your self-knowledge which helps to understand what motivates you, how you respond to problems, how to get along with others at work and at home, how to lead or mange better, and what you need to be most successful.

There are many DISC tests available online that you can purchase and take. I also found a free version at http://www.tonyrobbins.com/ue/disc-profile.php that takes about 20 minutes to take and will give you a comprehensive report on your profile.

I had taken this test years ago and took it again yesterday. I learned that I am a high “D” and a high “C”. It summarizes me as someone that deals with the problems and the challenges head-on and likes to do quality work and do it right the first time. I tends to agree with that :)

So what’s your DISC profile?