WHEN AND WHY TO USE DiSC?

DiSC is wonderful and proven tool for promoting understanding among co-workers which can lead to better working relationships and more effective teams. Our experience is that DiSC can also be as entertaining as it is education.  If you are looking to introduce DiSC into your organization, the DiSC model is easy to understand, which is one reason it has grown in popularity every decade since its inception.  Because DiSC has so many applications it lends itself to on-going solutions rather than being a one-time model for an organization to adopt.  Among other uses, DiSC is able to assist with change or managing change.  It can be used to help people through the change and dealing with conflict and communication issues in the light. Once DiSC has been introduced and people become comfortable with the model and the language, there will be additional opportunities to continue to use it within your organization.  Consider these other ways in which DiSC is used with our clients.

Team Building:  DiSC provides a common language  for discussion about preferences and behaviors It is our way of doing things, our preferences and behaviors, that determine in great part how we ‘gel’ with others.  Also, understanding the strengths that others bring with them can lead to conversations that are more productive.  Productive conversations help to build trust and comfort among team members which enhances team effectiveness. Deeper exploration of team member’s styles and preferences can help everyone gain greater appreciation for what each person brings to the team and how team members might best work together.  Team members and team leaders should attempt to use the DiSC language regularly in meetings and in conversation so that team members get used to hearing it and using it themselves; this practice should make communicating easier and increase understanding among team members making it easier to build strong interpersonal relationships and a stronger team.

Conflict Resolution: Conflict resolution can be difficult because typically by the time the parties are sitting down to talk about a problem, tension and resentment has been building for a while.  If the people in conflict agree to work through their problems in good faith, then DiSC language can help since it has the ability to neutralize what could otherwise be a much more provocative conversation.  It is important for the parties to agree to use DiSC language and to use it to describe rather than to judge.  In other words, to use DiSC as a framework to explain why the other person caused tension or strife, rather than making character judgement. By using information related to DiSC style and preferences, individuals can gain insight into why another person might act the way he or she does. This understanding can help diffuse a conflict situation and give the people involved a basis for a more productive discussion about how to resolve their differences. Depending on the nature of the conflict, it might be wise to choose to address the issue with a full group allowing each person a say and helping team members to consider one another’s points of view.  If the conflict seems limited to two people, perhaps we could begin with a mediated discussion, again, helping each per person to express his/her position and encouraging both parties to try to see the issue through the other’s eyes.  It is important to have each person review his or her own DiSC style and the other person’s style, so they can gain perspective about each other’s priorities.

Also available is the Comparison Report which provides even more insight into why individuals might be in conflict.  The more opportunities you take to reinforce DiSC the more likely people are to use it naturally without needing to be prompted by a facilitator, coach, or leader. Eventually you may find that people will be able to resolve their own conflicts rather than having to seek out a mediator or taking some other action.

On Boarding: When on-boarding a new team member, DiSC can help new hires become more familiar with their new colleagues and how they might act or react any situation.  Exploring the styles and the preferences and priorities of each person on the team can serve as a basis for rich discussion and can help a new team member acclimate more quickly.

And conversely, learning about new team members can help other members of the team interact with them more effectively allowing them to more quickly become contributing members of the team.  By regularly introducing DiSC to each new member you immediately introduce that person to the DiSC model and language helping to in further instill DiSC into the organizational culture.

Coaching:  DiSC can be a very useful tool for coaching.  Whether in a leadership, mentor, human resource or peer-to-peer coaching situation, DiSC can be used to help someone better understand him or herself and others.  DiSC can also be part of discussions about career development.  As a coach you’ll want to be careful not to make assumptions about a person’s goals or aspirations based on style alone.   Everyone can flex to some degree and some people may really want to stretch outside their comfort zone – especially with a little encouragement.  For leaders it can be a useful tool for better managing their teams or departments. For instance, thinking about the DISC make-up of a project team to help to insure a variety of perspectives and really enhance the group’s performance. Additionally, it can be used in specific situations, for example, a leader or team member can use DiSC to become more aware of how his or her own style relates to other team member’s styles which can be very helpful.  While we never want to pigeon-hole someone, based on style, it can be useful to think of preferences.  If the team member or leader is a ‘C’ for example you may want to help him or her explore how he or she is relating interpersonally to team members and how to keep the big picture in mind.  The team member or leader should also think about the composition of his or her team and where each person’s strengths might lie, keeping in mind that people do have the ability to flex if needed.  In another example, if someone is managing some sort of transition, at the individual, team or organizational level they can review their DiSC style and others on their team to see what different styles might fear.  Transition requires a lot of change and some styles may find it easier than others.  People with styles that are moderate paced and cautious, C and S, may be more fearful of change, while those that are more fast paced and assertive, D and I, may be driving change. Someone who is managing the transition will need to balance the needs of both groups.