Understanding yourself and others better.
Have you ever watched people interact within an elevator?
- You get the person who press the button to go down and then a second later press the button again and then keeps on pressing it until it arrives; as if it will make the elevator appear quicker.
- There is the person who sees the elevator ride as the best opportunity to make new friends, The moment they step unto the elevator they start talking to someone and by the end of the ride, they made at least one new friend or business contact.
- Then you get the person who quietly gets on the elevator, minding their own business. They quietly get off with only a small smile greeting those around them.
- Finally there is the person that notice the date for the elevator inspection expired a week ago. Immediately they start to worry about the safety of the elevator. They make sure to see the building security after leaving the elevator, to ask about the inspection and also to make sure when the next inspection will take place to plan their week and movement in accordance.
With which of these behaviours do you connect? Maybe you connect with two or three? Over the next four blogs we will be looking at the four different DISC personality styles. We will look at their strengths in communication and also how to better communicate with them, and how each style can grow to be their best self. Each one of these behavioural styles is beautiful and contributes beauty to the world. 80% of people will display two of the above mentioned behavioural styles, 10% will display three and only a further 10 % will mainly display only one. The beauty of these behavioural styles is that we can have different styles in our work environment and home environment. We also go through different seasons in life where we develop different styles. With the combination of more than one style present we also see how each person is unique in their own way. Although one style may seem more apparent, it is always good to use this information as a way to get to know the uniqueness of each person. Let us take a look at the first behavioural style.
The Dominant Behavioural Style.
Would you describe yourself as:
- Direct
- Do not beat around the bush
- Competitive
- Driven
- Irritated by people who give orders and talk too much
They are motivated within an atmosphere where they have the freedom to make their own decisions, solve problems and see visible results. They see their environment as stressful and react towards this in an assertive way. This drives the questions they ask and how they communicate.
The beauty of this behaviour in communication.
Many times the behaviour profile can be seen as a bulldozer with their direct and to the point style of communication. This style of communication is great for bringing breakthrough in situations that involves crisis, change and conflict. They will voice the issue and insist on solving the problem and working towards the solution. The beauty of this communication lies in their ability to face conflict head on and to not let go until it is solved. Their bulldozer approach now brings breakthrough in the crisis and this fills them with a sense of winning. In leadership, the next time someone in your team voices their concerns in a direct way, recognise it as their ability to voice a concern and help the team to work through it.
What they need to flourish in communication.
When communicating with this style think in terms of headings, rather skip over the story and just communicate the heading. A direct to the point and honest answer truly inspires them and immediately wins their respect.
Because of the confident manner this profile comes across with, you might think this profile doesn’t need any encouragement. But like all people we want to appreciate the dignity in this profile and bring out the best in their style. They flourish when you compliment them on their strong and confident communication style. Take time to appreciate their ability to take charge, make things happen and solve problems. Use sentence like;
“I love your energy and determination when you want to achieve something.”
“I think your keen sense of competition is very brave.”
“I admire your strong sense of self-confidence.”
Challenges in communication.
A person with this behavioural style likes to be in charge. In a team it can be difficult for them to truly listen to others. Because of their strong sense of confidence they might not always be open to listen to others’ opinions. They love to interrupt others, but really don’t like it when others interrupt them.
Tips to be healthy.
- Relax in conversations.
- Ask for others’ opinions, you don’t need to be in charge of every conversation.
- Take on a slower pace, talk slower and take time to explain.
- Keep on listening, even if you think now is a good time for your input.
- Allow silences in conversations, allow thinking time for people.
Words of appreciation to the Dominant behavioural style.
- Embrace the fullness of your profile.
- The way you communicate is needed in teams, leadership and society to solve big problems and sort out crisis.
- You are the best person for the job.
- You are honest, to the point and I never have to wonder what you are thinking. Thank you.
Embrace your uniqueness and the uniqueness of others.
To find out more about your personal DISC profile or how this can assist your team, contact info-sa@xpand.eu.
To do the Persolog Personality Authorization Training, book your spot for 19-20 March at info-sa@xpand.eu.
You can also order the book “The Behavioral Blueprint” at info-sa@xpand.eu.