Personal Profile System (DISC)
Steadiness
Responsiveness
High
Influencing
Low
High
Assertiveness
Conscientiousness
Dominance
Low
Dominance
• Focus
• Desires
– Action-oriented
– Getting immediate results
– Taking authority &
responsibility
– Making snap decisions
– Trouble-shooting
– Bottom-line orientation
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Control
Power
Direct answers
Call own shots
Wide scope of operations
Challenges
Advancement opportunities
• Examples
– General Patton
– Barbara Walters
– Ross Perot
Relating to the Dominance Style
(likes others to be direct, straightforward and open to
their need for results)
Try to:
Be prepared for:
• make communication brief
and to the point
• respect their need for
autonomy
• be clear about rules and
expectations
• let them initiate
• show your competence
• stick to the topic
• show independence
• eliminate time wasters
• blunt and demanding
approach
• lack of empathy
• lack of sensitivity
• little social interaction
Influence Style
• Desires
• Focus
–
–
–
–
Relationship-oriented
Generating Enthusiasm
Entertaining People
Risk Taker [Fly by Seat
of Pants]
– Creative
– Intuitive
–
–
–
–
Being Popular
To Help Others
Freedom of Expression
Freedom from control &
details
– Moving Quickly
– Team Activities
• Examples
– David Letterman
– Eddie Murphy
– Bill Clinton
Relating to the Influence Style
(likes others to be friendly, emotionally honest,
recognize contributions)
Try to:
Be prepared for:
• approach them informally
• be relaxed and sociable
• let them verbalize
thoughts and feelings
• keep the conversation
light
• provide written details
• give public recognition for
individual
accomplishments
• use humor
• attempts to persuade or
influence others
• need for the “lime light”
• over-estimating self and
others
• over selling ideas
• vulnerability to perceived
rejection
Steadiness Style
• Focus
–
–
–
–
–
–
Security-oriented
Skill Specialization
Dependability, Reliability
Easy-going, Agreeable
Excellent Listener
Team Player
• Desires
–
–
–
–
–
–
Security
Stability (Status Quo)
Long Friendships
Team Acceptance
Routine Work
Moving Slowly when
Making Decisions
• Examples
– Robert Young (Marcus Welby/Father Knows Best)
– Kathy Lee Gifford
– Gerald Ford
Relating to the Steadiness Style
(likes others to be relaxed, agreeable, cooperative and
show appreciation)
Try to:
Be prepared for:
• be logical and systematic
• provide a consistent and
secure environment
• let them know how things
will be done
• use sincere appreciation
• show their importance to
organizational good
• let them move slowly into
change
• friendly approach to
colleagues and
supervisors
• resistance to change
• difficulty prioritizing
• difficulty with
deadlines
Conscientiousness Style
• Focus
–
–
–
–
–
–
Detail-oriented
Logical
Methodical
Critical Thinker
Cool & Detached
Working within Known
Conditions
– Very Business-like
• Desires
–
–
–
–
Quality & Accuracy
Order (Organization)
S.O.P.
Recognition for Personal
Accomplishment
– Protected Environment
• Examples
– Mr. Spock / Data
– Al Gore
– Tom Brokaw
Conscientiousness Style
• Focus
–
–
–
–
–
–
Detail-oriented
Logical
Methodical
Critical Thinker
Cool & Detached
Working within Known
Conditions
– Very Business-like
•
Examples
– Mr. Spock / Data
– Al Gore
– Tom Brokaw
Relating to the Conscientiousness
Style (likes others to be relaxed, agreeable,
cooperative and show appreciation)
Try to:
• give clear expectations
and deadlines
• show dependability
• show loyalty
• be tactful and emotionally
reserved
• allow precedent to be a
guide
• be precise and focused
• value high standards
Be prepared for:
• discomfort with ambiguity
• resistance to vague or
general information
• desire to double check
• little need to affiliate with
other people
Summary and Conclusions
• Successful teams display common characteristics
in terms of behavior and attitudes
• Team development takes time and effort
• There are things you can do to improve your
team’s effectiveness. They include:
– self-awareness
– monitoring performance and providing feedback
– team agreements
• Teams are here to stay in today’s workplace