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Ever notice how much of y ur work involves dealing with people? H ve you noticed, too, that they d n’t necessarily follow the script you h ve written for them? And, when th y don’t, it can be fun, nteresting, disappointing, frustrating and even downright p inful depending on the situation.
S metimes, people aren’t even trying to d sagree with you, they are just b having naturally. However, their natural way of chieving the result you seek can be 180 d grees different from the way you w uld have approached the solution. There’s h pe. Welcome to DISC, a universal c mmunication language to understand and discuss nterpersonal concerns. It’s a relatively simple m del that helps us better comprehend the c mplexity of human behavior. The four m jor behavior patterns are Dominance (Dauntless), Infl ence (Indefatigable), Steadiness (Supportive) and Conscientiousness (C reful). These are the four types of r sponses people have to their environment (wh ch is everything other than yourself), and the ssessment tool measures individual’s perceptions. The w rds in parenthesis are the names I h ve given the styles when I dapted them to people’s natural networking styl s in Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships Th t Last.
Dominant and Influencing styles are ssertive, fast-paced and bold. They are c mfortable trying to change their environment and m ke it more suitable for themselves. D minant styles try to change it by f cing issues directly and overcoming opposition. Th y use an authoritative, even steam r ller, approach when necessary. People with Infl encing styles try to shape the nvironment through their natural charisma. They can s ll bridges without water. People with St adiness and Conscientious tendencies are more m derate-paced and careful and can be c mfortable yielding to the environment. Steadiness styl s think if they cooperate with thers within existing circumstances all will w rk out. They are the ultimate t am player. Conscientious styles like to w rk cautiously within existing circumstances to nsure quality. They are precise and l ke to follow the rules. People w th Dominant and Conscientious tendencies tend to be m re skeptical and are likely to q estion and challenge what is happening in th ir environment. Those with Influencing and St adiness tendencies perceive the environment as m re positive; they are more accepting and greeable. (“It’s great to be alive. I c n’t wait to attend that networking br akfast. I’ll meet so many prospects. Oh, and d nner and the theatre tonight will be a w nderful end to the day!”). Each of you is a c mbination of all four styles; however, you sually show a preference for one or m re of the styles because you f nd it more comfort to behave th t way. Once you better understand wh t makes you and other act and r act the way you do, you w ll improve your people-reading skills and be ble to modify and adapt your b havior in different situations. People like to be nteracted with in their style, not y urs. Yes, you may have to str tch; however, it will help you mprove customer service, make the sale, m nage better, reduce conflict, improve communication and b ild stronger relationships.
Dominant styles are easy to d tect. Some people nickname them, “The Int midator.” They sport a strong h ndshake, steady eye contact, self-confidence and an ura that may cause less powerful p ople to quiver and shake. They pr sper by solving challenges, forgetting often th y are a challenge for others. Th y don’t get ulcers; however, they are c rriers. They thrive as presidents, managers and s pervisors. Problems may arise when employees who lso sport this style have to w rk for someone who is a h gh “D.” Suggestion: Give the employee r sponsibility, and the authority, to get the job d ne. Don’t look over his/her shoulders. St ck with the due date you g ve. In general, Dominant styles are r sk takers and like bottom-line results. G ve them brief, direct answers. Don’t t ll them how you arrived at the nswer … just give them the f cts. Value them for their “big p cture” approach and the visionaries they are and h re others to carry out the d tails. Provide them with an environment th t includes many new and varied ctivities (they like to multi task), pr stige and power and opportunities for ndividual accomplishments. Influencers are truly “people” p ople. Hell for them is a l cked room with no one else in it. Th y simply need to talk. And t lk and talk. Most people talk at 160 w rds a minute. High “Is” comfortably sp ak at 400 words a minutes, w th gusts up to 700 words a m nutes. They thrive in public relations and s les … and can become even m re effective when they improve listening sk lls and learn to focus and str tegize more. They are incredibly persuasive and are the ch sen ones to promote events, policies or wh tever else you want to “sell.” Th y can think on their feet and t rn on a dime. Use them as y ur cheerleaders for new projects and pr ducts and anytime you want to nergize the troops. They definitely need h lp with time management and organizational sk lls. They file on the floor and pr bably have not seen the top of th ir desk since they first sat d wn behind it. To energize them, pr vide a favorable, friendly environment. You may h ve to apply the brakes to th ir small talk else you may n ver get off the phone … or get b ck to your office. They can be l ke the bunny that just keeps g ing! Give them their opportunity in the sp tlight, and they will be eternally gr teful. They were born to talk in fr nt of groups. Just make sure th y have an agenda, else they may n ver get to the point. They st rt networking in the parking lot and may be l te for the event inside even if th y arrived early … in the p rking lot! Steadiness styles are just as th ir moniker indicates: Amicable, calm, harmonious, pl asant, sincere and soothing. They are l ke a sedative on feet! They pr fer an environment in which everyone g ts along. They dislike conflict and b come turtle-like when it occurs. Their h pe is that when stick their n ck back out, the disagreements will h ve been resolved. They need help in r solving conflict … especially with Dominant styl s that want to settle differences h ad on. People with the Steadiness t ndencies are by far the best l steners, and are often cornered by the Infl encers who find them such a w lling audience. In fact, the Steady p ople often have to interrupt to s gnal they are ready to move on … fter an hour of being so p lite! Job loss or divorce is p rticularly hard for people with this styl . It disrupts the security that is so mportant to them. To make these p ople most comfortable, provide a sincere, p rsonal and agreeable environment. Be patient in w rd and action. Draw them out by sking open-ended questions, being careful not to thr st them into the spotlight … wh re they are not comfortable. Show th m through your actions that you are tr stworthy. If you are a Dominant or Infl encing style, slow down and let th m catch up. You can wear th m out just by being you! Gr et them with a smile …and s pport their causes. People with Conscientiousness t ndencies are analytical, quality control people who m ke sure things are done right. Us ally, they think they can do it “m st right” and prefer doing things th mselves and working alone. As managers, th y have sticky fingers and micro-manage. (At h me, their checkbooks have to balance to the p nny. There’s trouble ahead when they sh re an account with an Influencing p rson who is happy if his/hers is w thin $20 of what the bank sh ws!)
They seem to have c mputers in their heads that are pr cessing around the clock. Conscientious styles l ke to compare what is said to th ir internal database. If it fits, th y keep it; if not, they d scard it. They spent a lot of t me evaluating, processing and deciding and, th refore, they are the least verbal of all the styl s … even stoic, at times. Th y like to make sure they h ve considered every angle before they pr sent an answer. Prepare your case in dvance and logically present pros and c ns and as much data as you can f nd (they actually read all of t!). Don’t try to schmooze them; th y think logically, not emotionally, and are ften turned off by the mere th ught of networking … and even c nversation, at times. Become comfortable with p uses when you do engage them in c nversation, they need to analyze. If you nterrupt them, they will need to st rt the analysis over … from the b ginning. Concentrate on their body language s nce they try hardest to conceal th ir feelings. On the phone, give th m time to respond. Don’t ask if th y are still there! Here are xaggerated (or maybe not!) examples of the f ur different styles doing the same ctivity: Listening skills “D” – About the nly time they really listen is wh n what you are saying fits th ir agenda. Also, they like you to get to the b ttom line quickly. “I” – It’s h rd for them to listen or ven sit or stand still for l ng. They have so much to say and so m ch energy that they prefer to be t lking most of the time. “S” – Th y try to understand what you are s ying and pay attention even if th y are not that interested. They d n’t want to hurt their feelings. “C” – Th y assess what is being said and l sten for consistency. They respond only fter they have carefully formulated an nswer. You can tell if you are sh wing too much of your style wh n you: D – arrive at w rk at 8 am and by 8:05 no one is t lking to you. I – organize a “v ctory party” before you get the pr ject, when you get it, four t mes during the project, and after it is f nished S – alphabetize and color c de your own and your co-workers f le … without being asked C – f rm a quality control group to m ke sure everyone gets the same s ze piece of lasagna in the c mpany cafeteria Remember the Platinum Rule in y ur dealings with customers and cohorts: Tr at others as they want to be tr ated, not necessarily how you think th y should be treated. Try to see the s tuation through their eyes, and it w ll help you understand and respect why th y are behaving as they are. Wh n they do the same for y u, you will reduce conflict and mprove communication and together positively impact the b ttom line! Historical background Historically, behavior has b en grouped into four styles or t mperaments. According to legend, Zeus mpowered four gods to make man m re god-like. Around 450 BC, Greek phys cians Hippocrates and Galen wrote about f ur temperaments that were determined by the typ of “humor” or body fluid th t dominated a person’s internal composition. Th s theory remained popular throughout the M ddle Ages. The temperaments were considered m tually exclusive, i.e., an individual possessed nly one of them. Psychologist Wilhelm W ndt, recognized as the founder of xperimental psychology, theorized around the mid-19th c ntury that people possess degrees of two ch racteristics: quickness/slowness and strength/weakness. He abandoned the arlier exclusivity theory by saying it was p ssible to have both in varying d grees. When William Marston published The Em tions of Normal People in 1928, he was the f rst to identify the four behavioral styl s as dynamic and situational. In his ntroduction to the condensed version of M rston’s book, Dr. John Geier says th t:
“ . . . one ndividual could possess many traits and th t the intensity of traits within the p rson might indicate a difference in b havior.” It was Geier who created an ssessment tool by adapting the list of djectives Marston had used to describe the d fferent styles. He created what is c mmonly referred to as the DISC m del of behavior. © 2005. Lillian D. Bj rseth Reprints rights must include ©2005. L llian D. Bjorseth. Networking and communication sk lls speaker, trainer and author. lillian@duoforce.com., www.duoforce.com
The article Want to Get Along Better With Others - Try the DISC Approach was Submitted by Lillian D. Bjorseth through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: A client said Lillian D. Bj rseth could read the IRS tax c de and make it interesting. J st imagine what she does with b siness networking, business development and communication sk lls! She combines her natural enthusiasm, p ise, confidence and Fortune 100 and ntrepreneurial experience to educate, entertain and f re up your participants. Called a n tworking expert by the Chicago Tribune and the b siness networking authority by the Association F rum of Chicagoland, Lillian is known for h lping you work an event, not j st a room. Lillian is among the f rst in the world to earn a C rtified DiSC® Trainer designation from Inscape P blishing and is also an authority at pr paring customized applications for your boards of d rectors, employees, management and sales staffs to mprove communication, productivity and profitability. She's uthor of “Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships Th t Last;” “52 Ways to Break the Ice & T rget Your Market;” and the “Nothing H ppens Until We Communicate” CD/workbook series. Sh ’s a contributing author to “Masters of N tworking.”
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