Yaniv Preiss

Your WIIFM (what’s in it for me)

1. Understand why some people drive you crazy, and with some you get along so easily
2. Communicate effectively in personal and professional settings

Set the stage

Communication

All of us communicate on a daily basis. It’s probably the single activity we practice more than any other.
Nonetheless, wise people have realized:

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

George Bernard Shaw

Communication is what the listener does

Peter Drucker

Behavior

We remain who we are even when we behave differently in various circumstances:

• In a football game
• In a bar
• With friends
• With Grandparents
• In church
• With the boss

DiSC

Is a “profile” of the default tendency of behavior.
It is not about the personality, the psychology behind, or the “why”.

It captures the main four default behaviors:

The top quadrants are behavior that is outgoing/extrovert, and the bottom ones are reserved/introvert.

The left quadrants are behavior that is task oriented, and the right ones are people oriented.

This results in:

D – Dominance – outgoing and task oriented
I – Influence – outgoing and people oriented
S – Steadiness – reserved and people oriented
C – Conscientiousness – reserved and task oriented

As we’re taking about behavior here, which may change in any given situation, it is no surprise that we all display each of the 4 “profiles” at different levels.

Taking an online test (there are plenty of free and paid ones), the results are given in one of the following ways:

1. 1-7 Scale for each quadrant. E.g., “6-5-2-1” means a high D and high I
2. Percentages for each quadrant. E.g., “54% S, 27% C, 12% D, 7% I”
3. Explanation of the strengths and weaknesses, as MTDISC are doing

Characteristics

None is “better” than the others. They are different ways to get results.

They are more or less equally distributed:

In upper management, D and I are more common, due to the need to talk in front of many people, make decisions and network (that doesn’t mean that only D and I can be managers!) Another possible reason may be a bias that management “should be” loud and full of drama as exaggeratedly shown in television and movies.

One might intuitively or mindfully display different behaviors in different roles or industries. An example is a “high C” software engineer displaying more “D” behaviors after transition to manager role.

Identifying other’s profile

In order to effectively communicating with someone, it’s essential to identify their profile first. You can do it by observing their behavior for a while, including their written and verbal communication, with the caveat that nowadays, written communication tends to be brief due to the extensive use of mobile phones and chat applications, so don’t rely solely on it.

Below are some typical behavior examples.
The “Cliché” part is how the other profiles may perceive them.

With this information you can now test your evaluations of some famous people (solution in the end):

Now try to assess yourself, your spouse, friends, manager, CEO, colleagues and direct reports.

Communicate effectively

This is the secret sauce – in order to be effective (your message is understood), use their preferred communication style!
Remember, communication is what the listener does.

Communication in a group

After some practice and seeing results with specific individuals, you may wonder what to do in a group setting, e.g. presenting or emailing more than one person.

• Use your default style – easiest for you, so most effective
• Address all styles:
  • BLUF – give the bottom line up front (recommendation, decision, action items, deadlines, etc.)
  • Explain the effect on the involved people
  • Add supporting documentation
  • Close with a friendly signature
• If you already know the group (all “C” engineers, all “I” salespeople) – use their style
• When you follow up later on with specific individuals – use their style

Disclaimers

• Given examples and clichés were the high end of things. Behaviors may be more subtle
• Remember that people can have more than one dominant profile, like high D and C
• Taking a test is a popular team event activity, but ask permission to share each other’s results
• Your DiSC profile is NOT an excuse for bad behavior

Resources

• Manager Tools free podcast includes extensive actionable information about DiSC
• Take a test, free or paid, e.g. MTDISC with actionable recommendations
• Celebrities and shows
• Google “DISC profile”

Exercise solution