DiSC Model in Practice

How To Deal With People You Can’t Stand

RESERVED

ASSERTIVE

TASK

-ORI

ENTE

D

PEO

PLE-

ORI

ENTE

D

DOMINANT INFLUENCING

CONSCIENTIOUS STEADY

Background

• William Marston: theory, 1920s

• Walter Clarke, John Geier: assessment tool, 1950s

• More behavior-oriented than MBTI and similar models.

• Used for industrial assessments.

High D: Dominant

• Also: Drive• Achieves success by taking decisive actions towards

their goal.• Strengths: comfortable in a leadership role,

problem solver, can make tough decisions, not afraid to confront issues, sees change as a challenge, stays focused on the mission.

• Limitations (Others may see): intimidating, insensitive, brusque, impatient, intolerant, unapproachable

• Margaret Thatcher

High I: Influencing

• Also: Inducement• Achieves success by persuading others to

work with them towards the goal.• Strengths: always available for others,

inspiring to be around, spreads positive attitude, praises others.

• Limitations (Others may see): tasks fall through the cracks, projects don’t get finished, lacks organization

• Bill Clinton

High S: Steady

• Also: Submission• Works with others as part of a team to achieve

success• Strengths: good team player, empathetic to

others’ needs, methodical, good listener, easy to get along with, appreciative of others, praises.

• Limitations (Others may see): indecisive, indirect, resistant to change, sometimes worn down by others’ problems.

• John Paul II

High C: Conscientious

• Also: Compliance, Caution• Works within rules and procedures to ensure

success.• Strengths: thorough, follows standards

accurately, conscientious, diplomatic, accurate, fair (because following the rules does that).

• Limitations (Others may see): overly concerned with perfection, aloof, delay decisions, wants more data, “fussy about minor issues”.

• Bill Gates

Sample DiSC Graph

Mixed Types

CS

DI

ISCD

USUALLY TWO ADJACENT

DRIFT IN BUSINESS / IMPERSONAL CONTEXT

Transitions

HARD

EASY

HARD

EASY

EASY TO CHANGE ENERGY

HARD TO CHANGE FOCUS

How to Detect Them

• Assertive vs. Reserved; People vs. Task• Assertive: Move Fast, Talk Louder, Talk Fast,

Interrupt (D & I)• Reserved: Speak Slower, Less Loudly, Never

Interrupt (S & C)• People Focused: Talk About Themselves Or

Others, Friendly, Warm, Smiling (I & S)• Task Focused: Focus On Tasks, Work,

Processes, Systems, Seldom Smile (D & C)

How to Deal with Them

• Focus On Behavior• Be Less Of Yourself• Do Like They Do• Do Not Judge Or “Read Their Minds”• Avoid Emotional Reactions• Adjust Your Energy• Learn To Imitate Outward Behaviors

Assertiveness: Interrupt or Pause

• When You’re Talking, Pay Attention To How Quickly They Speak

• Do They Start Talking Before You’re Done Or Wait For You To Finish?

• If Someone Interrupts And You Do Not, Interrupt More To Reduce Differences

• If You Interrupt And You’re Talking To Someone Who Pauses, Slow Down

People/Task: Smile or Not

• People Focused People Tend To Smile More

• Count Their Smiles• Compliment Them And See If They Smile

In Reaction• Smile More With People Who Smile At

You• Smile Less With Those Who Do Not

How to Detect by Email

• Assertive: too quick for attachments.• Reserved: take time to read and write.• People-oriented: names, salutations,

signatures.• Task-oriented: rarely use names.• NB: Very hard to diagnose if sent from

smartphone.

Email from Other People

• High D: doesn’t use names, very brief.• High I: emotional typography, smileys,

uses names a lot, informal.• High S: long, personal, uses names. • High C: precise, structured, thorough,

uses bullets.

Email to Other People

• High D: brief, BLUF, begin with questions, no attachments or explicit reference.

• High I: greet them by name, ask how they’re doing, compliment them, no attachments or explicit reference.

• High S: same as High I, attachments OK.• High C: include all details, state deadlines,

tell them you’re OK with imperfect answer / guess, names unnecessary.

Correlations with Adizes Management Styles

Produce

r

Administrator

Entrepreneur

Inte

grat

or

Correlations with (Typical IT) RolesAcctMgr

ResMgrQA

Dev

Sales

PM

PM

PM

Sales

Sales

Dev

ResMgr

Dev

AcctMgr

BA

ResMgr

BA QA

Correlations with Gerchikov Motivation Models

None!

Further Resources / Special Thanks To

Mark Horstman

http://manager-tools.com/