It’s that time of year again — companies are calling to schedule retreats for their leadership teams. A common theme seems to be “How can we maintain and build the spirit of teamwork while experiencing ongoing organizational change?” To address this issue, I like to start with helping team players identify and explore their own DiSC Behavioral Style(s), as well as the styles of others. Think about it… with change, comes the stress of having to deal with those who operate differently than you. By increasing your understanding of those individuals and knowing how to flex to meet their needs, you maintain better relationships while navigating challenging times.

Here’s an overview of the DiSC Behavioral Styles:

The D is for dominance and these individuals tend to direct and prefer a fast pace.

The i (lowercase because i’s like to be different) is for influence and these individuals tend to be outgoing and enthusiastic.

The S is for steadiness and these individuals tend to be team players and very loyal.

The C is for conscientiousness and these individuals tend to be analytical and tactful

What’s great about DiSC is that there are not good or bad styles. Every style is needed for a successful organization, but for different reasons.

For example, the Ds and Cs are both task-oriented. However, I’ll bet there are some D styles out there who get aggravated with the questioning nature of the high Cs. Yet, it’s those individuals who can play a healthy devil’s advocate role, resulting in a well- thought-out solution. On the other hand, there are some Cs who need the Ds to push for action to avoid over analyzing and missing opportunities.

The i and S styles are both people-oriented. Yet the i tends to be vocal and enjoys lots of interaction. They are good at influencing others, selling ideas and dealing with change. The S on the other hand, tends to be more reserved, is more comfortable listening to others than talking a lot, and prefers stability over change. These two styles can obviously struggle to communicate effectively.

Knowing these differences and being willing to flex your style to help draw others out or meet the needs of others will result in better relationships, more teamwork, and more overall organizational effectiveness.

In what ways can you flex to improve communication with your team members?

Click the link to learn more about the DiSC Behavioral Profile System, or to take a DiSC profile online. Don’t hesitate to call for guidance with which DiSC profile might be best for you or to set up an account allowing your entire organization to experience DiSC.