How to Use DiSC® to Create Stronger Teams
Most of us have used an assessment that categorizes our core personality preferences or types. Early in my career, I was certified in administering the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and found it very useful for leadership development and coaching. Many different assessment options are similar to MBTI, including the DiSC® assessment. Both are based on psychological theories from the 1920s: MBTI is based on Jungian psychological types, and DiSC® is based on behavioral psychology principles. Both tools have been refined over the decades to increase their usefulness in the modern workplace.
DiSC® uses a quadrant-based framework to assess behavior in four key areas:
Dominance – how you respond to problems and challenges
influence – how you interact with and influence others
Steadiness – your pace and consistency
Conscientiousness – how you approach rules and procedures
LMD recently implemented the DiSC® assessment across the company to improve our understanding of communication styles and preferences so we could collaborate more efficiently. We selected DiSC® because it’s easy to understand and apply on the job.
As communications experts, DiSC® applies to our work and our clients in endless ways. It has strengthened our team interactions by giving us a common language for understanding different styles, greater awareness of each other’s unique strengths, and the ability to speak more about our own communication preferences when working on a team.
DiSC® encourages self-reflection and growth, but it is subjective and based on how the user perceives themselves vs. how others perceive them. Since it is a self-assessment, the user ultimately decides what rings true for them.
The online DiSC® tool, from the publisher Wiley, is very user-friendly and even lets you compare your own type to colleagues to explore team dynamics. The tool has actionable tips for connecting with colleagues, getting buy-in, collaborating, and working through tension points.
The DiSC® assessment has held up well over time, and I would definitely recommend it for teams that work collaboratively. Special thanks to our excellent facilitator, Amy Smith from Honu Leadership, who brought the concepts to life.
Please enjoy our upcoming social media post exploring the four DiSC® types with LMD employees.
