DISC Methodology

Imagine for a moment that you had a pair of glasses whose lenses had the power to scan the inside of people's minds, so that you could predict their behaviour in certain situations:

• How they react to stress.
• How they motivate themselves and how to motivate them.
• How they communicate and how best to communicate with them.
• How they work as a team.
• What needs they have and how they seek them.

But those glasses unfortunately don't exist... Or do they?

DISC METHODOLOGY WANTS TO BE THOSE GLASSES

This methodology, also known as the four-colour methodology, was introduced more than 80 years ago by the Dr. William Moulton Marston.

Psychologist, theorist and inventor, he had a special disposition to study the psychological profile of "normal" or "typical" people, leaving aside his interest in psychotic behaviour or mental illness in general.

Marston wanted understand and describe normal human behaviour in terms of how we as people distribute, direct or externalise mental energy in four directions:

• Decision: how we respond to challenges.
• Influence: how we relate to and influence people.
• Serenity: how we respond to the pace of things and changes.
• Compliance: how we respond to established norms.

Thus, at its inception, DISC was partly the result of his research into the measurement of the energy of the behaviour and awareness, although your intention in developing the DISC theory, was to demonstrate his views on human motivation.

In this way, and through a self-perception test, DISC, helps to predict human behaviour according to which components we have more developed:

• Component Dif your most developed component is the D you probably have a high energy level, you make decisions very quickly and are more concerned with results than with how to achieve them. 

People with: behavioural profile type D (based on the DISC methodology) are characterised by being people of fast-paced, very energetic, courageous, adventurous, competitive and highly entrepreneurial.

They have a high work capacity which helps them to maintain a high self-motivation for long periods of time. They are people who They take risks and are not afraid of making decisions.

They are not frustrated by problems and face them with determination and courage, always looking for the best alternative solution.

They are very competitive and possibly winning is their main lever of motivation. They are very challenging people The goals will become more and more difficult to achieve.

They are people They are totally result-oriented and will not stop until they achieve the goals they have set for themselves.

Their level of efficiency is high and they do not like to waste time.

STRENGTHS. WHAT DOES THE TYPE D PROFILE BRING TO THE WORK TEAMS?

• High energy which keeps the team motivated.
• In difficult situations they will show brave and their hands will not tremble when it comes to making decisions.
• They will raise the team's ambition setting very challenging targets.
• Efficiency by being very fast in the execution of tasks.
• Determination and courage when the team's situation becomes adverse. They will be responsible for to break down any walls that may appear.

POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES OF PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIOURAL PROFILE TYPE D.

• Stress behaviour.

They may be aggressive and tactless.

They can be overly demanding and impatient with other team members.

• Poor emotional regulation.

They become frustrated and may react negatively to setbacks and may put pressure on the team to meet their expectations, which can lead to conflict in the department.

Sometimes it takes a long time to regain an adequate emotional state.

• Poor conflict management.

May behave aggressively in a conflict situation, preventing the conflict from dissolving.

Once the conflict is over, they may make no attempt to repair the consequences of their actions.

• By having a Highly result-oriented, they can sometimes err on the side of individualism when the success of their objective is at risk.

POSSIBLE MOTIVATIONAL LEVERS OF THE BEHAVIOURAL PROFILE TYPE D

The possible motivational levers of a Type D Behavioural Profile are:

• Autonomy.
• Power.
• The achievement
• The exploration

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOBS WHERE D-PROFILES CAN DEVELOP THEIR FULL POTENTIAL?

• Environments where they have freedom of action and not too much supervision.
• Highly changing, dynamic and challenging work environments.
• Working where results are more important than procedures
• Environments where they can have a career plan and can advance quickly.
• Contexts where efficiency and speed are important.
• Highly competitive environments.
• Jobs that bring new challenges and opportunities for progress.
• Environments where pre-established standards can be challenged.
  

Component I: If your most developed component is the I, you will also have a level of high energy although you will be more people-oriented, you are very outgoing, communicative and optimistic. 

People with a Type I Behavioural Profile (based on the DISC methodology) are characterised as being people of fast-paced, very dynamic, enthusiastic, sociable, inspiring, open-minded, optimistic and extremely persuasive.

They have a high capacity for communication and influence. They are very persuasive people who are able to inspire through conversation.

Everything they talk about spreads like ripples in the water causing the people around them to have the motivation to explore new ideas and different ways of thinking.

They are very good at making contacts. Not only are they able to maintain relationships with their contacts, but they will also maintain relationships with their contacts' contacts..

They are people who love to share ideas and advice with those around them.

They are optimists, dreamers and free thinkers. Anything they can imagine they will believe they can create.

STRENGTHS. WHAT DOES THE TYPE I PROFILE BRING TO WORK TEAMS?

• Inspires and brings confidence to the other members of the team.
• They are creative and innovative bringing new ideas to the different challenges and problems faced by the organisation.
• Contribute optimism and positive energy to their colleagues.
• In difficult situations, it provides a positive vision which helps to reframe the context.
• They are They are great negotiators and know how to mediate conflicts.
• They are cheerful and dynamic and thus contribute to creating a good climate within the department.

POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES OF PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIOURAL PROFILE TYPE I.

• Stress behaviour.

It can err on the side of positivism, sometimes losing connection with reality.

Moreover, they can talk again by relativising the problems with jokes and past stories.

• Little reflection in decision-making.

They rely more on their intuitions and do not take into account certain data that may be important.

• You can to err on the side of sycophancy in dealing with and motivating others.
• Look at the details when they are not of interest to them.
• Excessive enthusiasm that can be perceived as superficiality.
• Poor time management.

They may sometimes fail to follow procedures and this may lead to a loss of efficiency.

Too optimistic about the times.

• Mismanagement of priorities.

They do not adequately define priorities and can perform more motivating tasks while leaving the important and urgent ones for other occasions.

• Lack of focus.

Their high motivation towards exploration makes them embark on multiple projects and this detracts from the efficiency of the projects they are already engaged in.

POSSIBLE MOTIVATIONAL LEVERS OF THE TYPE I BEHAVIOURAL PROFILE

The possible motivational levers of a Type I Behavioural Profile are:

• Exploration.
• Affiliation.
• Cooperation.
• Contribution.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOBS WHERE I-PROFILES CAN DEVELOP THEIR FULL POTENTIAL?

• Environments where there are interaction with many people.
• Departments where it can express itself freely.
• Contexts in which they can develop group activities.
• Department where the creativity and innovation are relevant activities.
• Work that is not very routine.
• Jobs where part of the activity is carried out outside the office.
• Environments dynamic, changing and motivating.
• Environments where value a sense of humour.
• Functions where I can inspire and motivate to other people.
• Jobs where they sit free of control and movement.

Component S: on the other hand, if your most developed component is the S, your energy level is loweryou are probably a good listener and you will be more concerned with how to reach the goals than with the goals themselves. 

People with a Type S behavioural profile (based on the DISC methodology) are characterised by being people of slow pace, patient and systematic.

They have a high capacity for emotional regulation remaining stable in tense situations.

This type of profile is usually empathetic, sympathetic and good listeners This makes them the perfect partner to talk to about problems and compromising situations in the team.

They are usually very thoughtful people and possibly want to make sure that the decisions taken will produce the expected results, so they will take their time to think things through before taking the next step.

In most cases, it is possible that they will agree on such decisions with someone they trust.

They are usually introverted and loyal people with their peers. In this respect they are looking for quality over quantity, surrounding it with a small circle of trusted people.

When they connect with such people, they let go of their introverted nature and can become very communicative.

They have a superb combination of technical skills with a personal and relational approach.

They have a natural gift for helping others, they would rather do this than engage in competition.

STRENGTHS. WHAT DOES THE S-TYPE PROFILE BRING TO WORK TEAMS?

• Loyalty.

Good team players who are always willing to help in the pursuit of goals.

It is always committed to long-term relationships.

• Conflict management.

Stable and good listeners will act as mediators between the different members of the team to smooth out the consequences of conflicts.

They intervene effectively in disputes between employees or departments by helping them to see the different points of view, to listen to each other and to evaluate alternatives for overcoming differences.

• Empathy:

Can listen, understand and respond to the thoughts, feelings or interests of others, even if they have not or only partially expressed them openly.

They have a great ability to put themselves in the shoes of other team members.

• It generates an atmosphere of trust and cohesion.

He is able to give up his position when he feels it is convenient for him to do so.

• Cooperation.

Characterised by his ability to support the team in whatever is necessary to achieve its objectives.

He is able to collaborate easily with other roles, being a great complement who follows guidelines but does not ignore feelings.

It provides a great solidity and stability to the teamHe collaborates in any necessary task and at the same time establishes personal bonds in the team, raising the spirit of the team.

He likes the jobs routine and systematicThe work of the company, which it will carry out efficiently without protest.

POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES OF PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIOURAL PROFILE TYPE S.

• Stress behaviour.

They can be opaque, not showing their true emotions.

They hesitate and may err on the side of inaction.

• Inflexible and resistant to change.

Their slow and reflective pace can provoke insecurities before situations of rapid change, and can sometimes boycott such change.

• Low assertiveness.

In order to avoid conflict, he may give up many of his boundaries, which in the long run may lead to much greater conflict.

• May have difficulty in setting priorities.
• It may have problems with uncertainty management They prefer stable environments, without a lot of decisions and routine work.

POSSIBLE MOTIVATIONAL LEVERS OF THE BEHAVIOURAL PROFILE TYPE S

The possible motivational levers of a Type S Behavioural Profile are:

• Membership.
• Cooperation.
• Hedonism.
• Security
• Conservation

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOBS WHERE THE PROFILES CAN DEVELOP THEIR FULL POTENTIAL?

• Environments where changes and decisions are not made unexpectedly.
• Jobs where you can follow clear leadership and guidelines.
• Quiet and relaxed environments where patient work and a lot of understanding of others is required.
• Jobs where the tasks started are carried through to the end.
• Long-term, loyal relationships with partners can be established.
• In short, environments with established and predictable methods, where change can be assimilated and relationships between team members are long-term and people can be treated beyond their superficiality.

Component Con the other hand, if your most developed component is C, you will also have a low energy level, you will like it. follow the rules and analyse We will work with you to find the most suitable solution. 

People with a Type C behavioural profile (based on the DISC methodology) are characterised as being people of slow and reflective pace.

They are people rules and procedures oriented.

Systematic, perfectionist and precise, they carry out work from start to finish with high quality standards that you will be very proud of.

They are conscientious and consistent They will tend to finish what they start.

They think logically, analytically and systematically. being especially efficient in solving complex problems and in tasks requiring high critical thinking.

In describing reality they are often realistic and objective They will therefore base their decision making on data and facts rather than on sensations and intuitions.

To do so, they will act patiently, taking all the time they need to make the right decision.

Interacts with others in a correct, courteous and diplomatic manner. choosing the right word at the right time.

They tend to be mature and very self-confident.

STRENGTHS. WHAT DOES THE TYPE C PROFILE BRING TO WORK TEAMS?

• Perfectionism.

They will raise the quality standards of the work they or the team carry out.

• Analysis.

They will observe reality critically, objectively and conscientiously, and will therefore provide a very precise vision of the contexts they analyse.

• Control and monitoring.

Being systematic people, they will be perfect for keeping track of processes and their results.

They are experts in detecting deviations in the achievement of objectives.

• Problem solving.

They handle vast amounts of information and factual data that will be key to solving certain problems.

• Creativity.

They are often adept at lateral thinking.

• Cautious.

They will detect threats and weaknesses in the strategies and procedures designed.

• Accuracy.

It will provide an excellent technical and theoretical basis when needed.

POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES OF PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIOURAL PROFILE TYPE C.

• Behaviour under stress.

They can be guilty of high levels of pessimism, leading to a decrease in the motivation of the other team members.

• Slow to make decisions.

They can lead teams to inaction due to excessive reflection in decision-making.

• Inflexibility.

In certain situations that require a high degree of flexibility, they can be critical and intolerant.

• Resistance to change.

In situations of high uncertainty, they may boycott change processes.

• They can get lost in the details.
• Excessive perfectionism that will make them losing efficiency and, at times, will lower their self-esteem.
• They can be cold and distant with other members of the team.
• Low empathy.

They may be cold to the feelings and emotions of others.

• You can become defensive when they receive feedback on their work.
• Insecurity in the face of uncertainty.

POSSIBLE MOTIVATIONAL LEVERS OF THE TYPE C BEHAVIOURAL PROFILE

The possible motivational levers of a type C behavioural profile are:

• Autonomy.
• Cooperation.
• Security.
• Conservation.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOBS WHERE C-PROFILES CAN DEVELOP THEIR FULL POTENTIAL?

• Environments where the execution of tasks and procedures are critical for the achievement of the objectives.
• Jobs where a high level of analysis (controls, finance, logistics...)
• Technical work task-oriented.
• Department and environments where the quality of work and standards are important.
• Work of audit and control.
• Flat with few people where there is a calm and productive climate.
• Jobs where required highly specialised skills.

WHAT ARE THE APPLICATIONS OF THE DISC METHODOLOGY?

• Leadership:

To know how to adapt the leadership style and activate the different levers of motivation of employees. 

• Human Resources:

To match the different professional profiles to the jobs in the selection processes. 

• Sales:

To adapt the message and the sales argument to the specific characteristics of each client. 

• Education:

To adapt the different methodologies to the different student profiles.

• Teamwork:

Cohesion and adaptation of the different profiles to obtain high-performance teams.

• Self-awareness:

Detecting weaknesses and strengths. Design of personal and professional development plans.

• Coaching:

Have an initial snapshot of the coachee's behavioural styles.

Remember... people are different .... but thanks to DISC, they are predictably different. 

After the question and before think of yourself.

You can also consult other Related TIPs.

Learn more about mentoring by downloading this free EBOOK.  

• Do you want to help an entrepreneur by sharing your experience as a MENTOR? get accredited now.

• Are you an entrepreneur? If you need support to boost your business, apply now for your mentor.