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Tag: DiSC Profiling

Webinar: Productive Conflict – New Approach to Old Problems

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According to Entrepreneur Magazine, the cost of workplace conflict costs US businesses $359 billion per year.

We’ve all contributed to those costs when we engage in destructive disagreements or issues that bubble beneath the surface and don’t go away.

However you think of conflict, it comes down to a difference of opinion involving strong emotions.  Whether it’s a brief, explosive dispute or subtle long-lasting issues, we’ve all done things we’re not proud of.  It’s why the typical manager spends 25-40% of their time dealing with conflict.

It’s not all about following steps in conflict resolution.  It’s about understanding why we do what we do and how to change it.

Join us to explore a new DiSC based assessment – Productive Conflict.  You’ll take away an understanding of:

  1. What drives each of us in conflict.
  2. How to recognize destructive automatic thoughts.
  3. A method of changing responses that have negative consequences.
  4. How to help your team members change their behavior and improve their results.

Date:  February 22, 2018

Contact Us to request the webinar recording.

Learn more about Everything DiSC Productive Conflict, request a demo or make a purchase.

Webinar: Productive Conflict – New Approach to Old Problems

Posted on

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, workplace conflict costs US businesses $359 billion per year.

We’ve all contributed to those costs when we engage in destructive disagreements or issues that bubble beneath the surface and don’t go away.

However you think of conflict, it comes down to a difference of opinion involving strong emotion. Whether it’s a brief, explosive dispute or subtle long-lasting issues, we’ve all done things we’re not proud of.  It’s why the typical manager spends 25-40% of their time dealing with conflict.

It’s not all about following steps in conflict resolution.  It’s about understanding why we do what we do and how to change it.

Join us to explore a new DiSC based assessment – Productive Conflict.  You’ll take away an understanding of:

  • What drives each of us in conflict
  • How to recognize destructive automatic thoughts
  • A method of changing responses that have negative consequences
  • How to help your team members change their behavior and improve their results

Date:  November 16, 2017

Contact Us to request the webinar recording.

Learn more about Everything DiSC Productive Conflict, request a demo or make a purchase.

How DiSC Profiling Empowers Your Team to Work Together

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An effective way to maximize the potential of a group of coworkers is to identify their individual personality styles through DiSC profiling and establishing communication about how different dispositions relate to one another.

Members of a successful team must become adept at engaging in healthy conflict, committing to a vision, maintaining trust, becoming personally accountable and following protocols that achieve results.

DiSC training breaks down human personality types into four major distinctions that identify people who have a natural inclination for taking charge and making quick decisions (D style) along with others who are more prone to go along with a plan when a sense of team spirit is found in the workplace (i style).

Similarly, DiSC also identifies people who are careful decision makers and will weigh out all of the variables before committing to a course of action (S style) as well as those individuals whose minds are influenced by objectivity rather than intuition or emotion (C style).

DiSC training then elaborates on how the different personality types can be expected to interact in a work environment that encourages trust, healthy conflict, commitment, accountability and results.

Trust is a Must 

Establishing trust between coworkers requires that people transform two-dimensional relationships into deeper bonds. The DiSC training assessment system helps coworkers understand one another by identifying individual strengths and weaknesses and making all parties privy to that information.

This way, if a “D” type personality is on a team with someone who is a “S,” that first person will know that it is OK for them to take charge of making split-second decisions. Meanwhile, the “S” personality can be delegated to assimilate large quantities of information to determine the long-term scope and direction of a project.

Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of those you work with mean that you can be better trusted to interact with them accordingly.

Creative Tension

Conflict between coworkers can be healthy when it involves two or more people presenting opposing ideas based on their individual expertise. Rather than avoiding confrontation, as most people prefer, coworkers who have built trust tend to embrace a tense situation because it forces people to express themselves.

With DiSC training, after your team members have expressed themselves and listened to opposing opinions, they can then come to a mutually agreeable compromise based on a strategy that will result in goals being met.

This can also be described as a passionate presentation of solutions to problems. Through this process, all are encouraged to share their opinions and propositions so that goals can be identified through the collective knowledge of the group. The saying, “none of us are smarter than all of us” applies to the process of teams becoming more empowered by learning to understand one another’s ideas.

All Aboard

DiSC profiling allows for the efficient alignment of different personality styles once a team directive has been set and goals have been established. This stage of teamwork is possible after healthy conflict has revealed the best way to move forward based on the collective strengths of the team.

For instance, the “D” type personalities may have been ready to choose a course of action immediately, while the “S” individuals insist on gathering more information before committing to a certain path.

Understanding the personalities of your teammates from square one affords you the insight as a “C” personality to know that once you are on board with an idea, the “i” personalities in the group are more likely to commit to a plan.

Accountability

Holding your teammates accountable for their actions, or lack thereof, is an integral part of realizing success as a team. The information provided to you by the DiSC profiling system allows you to tailor your approach to a teammate according to their personality type.

When talking to a “D” person, you’re going to get the best results with a straightforward delivery. Whereas people with an “i” personality are going to respond best to feedback that has something positive to say in order to offset the sting of anything critical in nature that needs to be pointed out.

Meanwhile, if you call out a “S” personality, it’s best to be considerate yet direct. When holding a “C” person accountable you’re going to want to speak in honest, logical terms that validate conclusions with specific, tangible examples.

The Bottom Line

The entire reason behind orchestrating a team effort through DiSC is to render results that are not possible through the work of just one person. Yet, too often team members can get caught up in the details of communicating and the tunnel vision of task-oriented thinking.

As this is occurring, focus on whether or not results are taking place due to the efforts of the team. This may become lost as individuals within a team can purposefully or inadvertently shift their intention from a group-based mindset to selfish thinking.

The collective goals of the team can also be overridden by personal goals for career advancement or desire for individual recognition. This is why the practice of accountability is important as well as using the DiSC profile to help deliver the proper feedback to your team members to keep them on track and create results.

Teamwork is a complicated undertaking because, in order to be successful, people with vastly differing personalities and working styles have to learn how to get along; by learning to trust one another, engaging in healthy conflict, committing holistic vision, being accountable, and maintaining focus on the creation of tangible results.

Contact us at Corexcel to learn more about how the DiSC profiling system of human resource management can create effective teams that produce real results.

Webinar: Overcoming Workplace Negativity, New Tools

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Nothing affects employee morale and productivity more insidiously than negativity in the workplace. It is the “noise” that diverts energy and attention from critical initiatives. It is a barrier to positive change, kills morale and blocks productivity. It’s infectious.

In this webinar, we’ll review

  • What causes negativity
  • How you enable negativity
  • What you can do about it
  • Introduce a new tool to help you turn a negative culture into a positive one

Date:  August 31, 2017

Contact Us to request the webinar recording.

Learn more about Everything DiSC Workplace, request a demo or make a purchase.

William Marston: Wonder Woman’s Creator Gave the World DISC

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There certainly is a huge buzz about Wonder Woman, the Amazonian princess who is one of the major superheroes in the DC Comics universe. Thanks to actress Gal Gadot, director Patty Jenkins, and scriptwriter Allan Heinberg, she’s now become one of the most successful superheroes to hit the box office.

The Creation Unfolds

When introduced in 1941, Wonder Woman was a rare example of a strong female heroine who didn’t need a man to save her. Later, she came out as bisexual and has become a symbol for both women’s rights and the LGBT community. She’s unique in another way: her creator, William Marston, was not the typical comic book writer or artist.

Unlike the industry hall of fame comic-book writers, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, William Marston was a psychologist. Marston went to Harvard for his education, graduating in 1921 with a Ph.D. in psychology, followed by teaching positions at both American University and Tufts University. During the 1920s and 1930s, he published a number of different research papers and books, including Emotions of Normal People, where he laid out his theory of human behavior that would eventually be used for DiSC. 

The Beginnings of Wonder Woman

Marston was interviewed in a Family Circle Magazine article where he discussed his belief that comic books could be used for educational purposes. This article brought him to the attention of Max Gaines, a comic book publisher, who hired Marston to serve as an educational consultant for what would become DC Comics.

Marston suggested the company introduce a hero who saved the day with love and compassion rather than by fighting. With his wife Elizabeth’s suggestion, they created a strong female lead character. In a time where women’s rights were challenged, he planted a seed of gender equality and created a symbol of women’s empowerment.

Marston and DiSC Theory

While Wonder Woman may be Marston’s most well known creation, especially among the general public, many psychologists know him more as one of the fathers of DiSC. His interest in this area can be traced back to 1924 when he began looking at concepts of will and power, and how they affected personality and behavior. Four years later, he published Emotions of Normal People and laid out what he believed were the four basic behavior types: Dominance, Inducement, Submission, and Compliance. From these theories of behavior, they eventually came to be adopted and built into the DISC Personality Profile Test.

Marston believed that the basis of all four behaviors had to do with the environment around the person. It all depended on whether they saw their environment as being favorable or as being unfavorable, and if they had control over that environment. In 1931, he elaborated on his theory even more in his book DISC, Integrative Psychology. While Marston didn’t outline the modern DiSC profile or discuss DISC training or DISC testing, all of his work laid the foundation for these tools.

Later, Walter Clarke would take Marston’s ideas and create an assessment tool that could be used to create a profile of a person’s personality.

DISC and Wonder Woman

Marston’s work on DISC is reflected in Wonder Woman, too. Her dominance over her environment, her influence over others, her steadiness when faced with adversity, and her compliance with the laws and morals can all be linked to DiSC theory.

Both Wonder Woman and DiSC can be summed up with one of Marston’s most famous quotes: “Every crisis offers you extra desired power.” With William Marston’s DiSC theory, every crisis gives a person a chance to gain more control over their environment by adapting to a situation or experience or by Influencing the outcome.

Wonder Woman also illustrates this quote in both the comics and in the movie. In the film, her adversary, Ares, appears to be much more powerful than the hero. Then comes a point of crisis: <Spoiler Alert!> trapped, Wonder Woman is forced to watch her friend and love interest Steve Trevor sacrifice himself to destroy a plane full of poison. This gives her the desired power she needs to defeat Ares and save the day.

Why DiSC® is Valuable to Growing Companies

DiSC can be very useful to growing companies and teams by providing ways to effectively handle communication with different personality styles. With miscommunication often being the root of conflict, it can be one of the biggest contributors to lost productivity.

DiSC training can help team leaders solve these issues of miscommunication by creating a more cohesive work environment and enabling each team member to learn how to better communicate, leading the team come to a consensus on decisions more quickly.

How DiSC is a Superpower

DiSC training can turn any facilitator, team leader, or supervisor into a superhero by giving them the tools they need to handle miscommunication or conflict. By using the DiSC assessments, a team leader can better understand each team member and facilitate understanding between team members.

Of course, it’s important to remember that DiSC, like superpowers, can be used for evil, too. The DiSC model shouldn’t be used to classify people as hero or villain.

Using DiSC for good allows supervisors to create scenarios that can help motivate their employees and bring them together as a cohesive, efficient team. Doing so can improve productivity and lead to innovative ideas, and more.

Did you notice the change to a small “i” in DiSC? That’s because we’re referring to the Everything DiSC® family of profiles published by Wiley. These profiles are simple to use and supported by years of research.

Are you ready to learn more about DiSC training? If so, contact us today to learn about Everything DiSC Profiles and how they can help you manage your employees.

Avoid 5 Management Mistakes with the DiSC® Profile

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Whether you are a veteran or new to the managing scene, anyone that deals with running a team know that managing people is no simple task. More than 60% of new managers fail within the first year and over 70% report they do not get what they need to be successful in their role.

This is not only stressful for the managers but the employees as well. Bad management can cause employees to feel under-appreciated, frustrated and stressed out, leaving them uninterested in their work and looking for a way out.

DiSC Management Profiles offer strategies to understand your own management style, your teammates’ personalities and finally how you can use this information to better motivate and develop your team.

Introduction to the Five Fatal Management Mistakes with the DiSC Profile

1. Not Knowing Yourself

It may sound obvious but all too many managers don’t have a firm idea of their own management style. The first step to being an effective leader is developing an understanding of your own personal motivations as well as individual strengths and weaknesses.

What kind of manager are you? There isn’t one personality mold that fits all managers. What works for the fast-paced and strong willed manager might not work for the analytical and systematic. Learn which of these four DiSC profiles most closely aligns with you and how your management style fits in your team.

2. Misunderstanding Others Priorities and Abilities

When you look at your team what do you see? If you are honest, you have probably neatly categorized and labeled them in your head. But do you really understand your team members on a fundamental level or have you sold some people short? Don’t fall into the trap of defining someone by what you believe they can do. Learn what makes them tick and what motivates them so you can support them in reaching their full potential.

Everyone on your team has different personalities, working styles, and needs. As a manager, it’s your job to work with those differences. Some people may need more encouragement, some more direction, while others may need a greater challenge. By better understanding their personalities you will be able to guide instead of just define them.

3. Giving Unclear, Ambiguous Direction

Unclear direction can be a large stumbling block when it comes to how your team performs. Your team wants to succeed and to deliver what is expected. Though problems can arise when there is a disconnect between your expectations and what your team thinks you expect. Each team member will process and take direction differently. A key factor in their performance is their individual personality style.

The team member with a D (Dominance) personality, for example, is driven, works fast and asks a lot of questions, which can be perceived as challenging. How do you direct and delegate this team member? Well to answer that question you need to understand what motivates them.

A person with a D-personality is highly result-oriented, so when giving direction it is best to show them the “big picture” purpose of a task as well the potential successful outcomes.

If they have proven themselves in the past, show them that you respect their abilities. Give them a little more autonomy, but make sure you see eye-to-eye on the goal of the assignment and the consequences of shortcuts.

4. Failing to Address Basic Needs and Preferences

Harmony, acceptance, action, facts…. What if people had their needs written all over them? It sure would make it easier to give people the support they needed in the workplace. As that is not the case, many managers are left at a loss when it comes to how to best support their team members. With DiSC profiles, managers can better understand what their team members need to thrive.

For example, a team member with an S (Steadiness) personality, needs harmony and stability, and conversely, fears rapid change and letting people down. For this particular style, being in chaotic situations, or being forced to improvise or deal with cold or argumentative people is stressful and demotivating.

How can we go about creating a motivational atmosphere for this personality? Make sure they have ample time to achieve results, even if it means slowing your pace down a bit. Additionally, be sure you provide the structure and security needed for her to feel comfortable and when changes are coming make sure you plan ahead to be able to give her plenty of warning.

Other personalities will have varying needs, but understanding these needs is the first step in creating a supportive environment and a harmonious workplace.

5. Delivering Inappropriate Unbalanced Feedback

Make sure your feedback counts! As you begin to develop a better appreciation of the different working styles, you’ll learn how to approach them individually. Listening, encouraging and helping particular styles are just some of the ways you can deliver the proper response they need to help motivate them.

Once you have a thorough understanding of your team member’s value in the workplace, you can respond with constructive feedback that they can successfully utilize to achieve their goals.

Our webinar provided valuable information on:

  • How to identify your own management style
  • How DiSC styles impact management behavior
  • Ways DiSC helps you delegate, motivate and develop others
  • How the group’s culture can impact employee relations and retention

DiSC profiles are designed to help you as a manager develop a better understanding of yourself and your team so you can ultimately help them unlock their potential.

Application

If you see yourself falling into these patterns of mistakes or simply want to become a better manager, applying DiSC Profiles can help get you started on the road to success.

It starts with understanding who you are as a manager and how you can learn to better support your team among the different working styles. Everything DiSC Management is the ideal tool to help improve your management skills and, ultimately, your company culture.

Can you benefit from using the research-validated online profile assessments like DiSC? Corexcel can provide the tools and training you need to use for creating a more cohesive workplace. Sign up for Corexcel’s mailing list to get started on your successful management journey today.

“DiSC” and “Everything DiSC” are registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Using DiSC Profiles In Your Hiring & Onboarding Process

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The pressure to make the right hiring decision can be overwhelming for many managers. Not only must you ensure that the new hire has all the right skills for the job, but you need to be confident that they can successfully integrate with the existing team. When your employees don’t get along, it can affect the performance of everyone in the office. How can you get insight on whether or not personalities will be in conflict? This is why many companies turn to the DiSC profile assessments for hiring.

This simple test assigns individuals to four basic personality categories. The results provide information on how these personality types can best work together in your office environment. Let’s take a closer look at the way you can use DiSC profiles when hiring and onboarding new employees.

What Makes DiSC the Right Choice?

Unlike some of the more complicated personality profile tests on the market, DiSC is easy to take and easy to understand. The results assign four basic personality traits, as well as secondary traits to each of your team members. You can use this information to determine how each person on your staff may communicate with one another while handling conflict, staying organized, and optimizing productivity.

For this reason, many companies are turning to DiSC profiles for their ease of use and overall value.

When Should You Use the DiSC Profile Test?

We recommend using the DiSC profiles to help you during the hiring process. Once you have determined that the individual fits all the requirements for the open position, administer the test to gain insight on how they will work with others on your team and their personal effectiveness in the workplace. Using these insights, you will be able to better understand their areas of strengths and weakness, and where you can help them grow. 

How Do You Use the Results?

Each initial of DiSC stands for a specific category of personality traits.

  • Dominance
  • Influence
  • Conscientiousness
  • Steadiness

You can begin to see patterns in behavior with your employees to better understand how someone with any given trait will fit in with the team. For example, putting an individual with a D style in a department where the primary personality trait is C could lead to misunderstandings if they aren’t managed correctly. The individual with a C style may feel steamrolled by the person with a D style. They may both benefit from also collaborating with an I style personality.

Using this information to develop departmental structures can help everyone work together in a cohesive way.

The knowledge gained from learning how your new employees will work together with your staff can help integrate them into your office culture in a more seamless fashion.

Can your organization benefit from using the research-validated online profile assessments like DiSC? Corexcel can provide the tools and training you need to use DiSC for creating a more cohesive workplace, so contact us to learn more.

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