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A training manager recently asked the following question via our Ask the Expert form:

“I have some questions about the Employee-Manager profile version. For some reason, I have been receiving more and more questions about the Circle Graph on the back…must be having more C’s in the classes lately! At any rate, I want to know what the numbers mean around and inside the circle, as well as to have a better explanation of what the circle graph even means. Right now, I tell the participants that the closer together their star and their dot are on the circle graph, the less they are having to adapt/change between their natural and their adapted style.”

Art’s answer:

The Success Insights Wheel can be an intimidating diagram the first time you see it. The Style Insights assessment generates 384 different graphs and the Wheel showcases 60 of them (48 basic graphs with 12 exceptions).  The quadrant in which the graph appears is determined by the assessment taker’s individual high factor. To understand the Wheel it is important to identify its eight different spokes, which are:

• Relater Core I,S
• Supporter Core S
• Coordinator Core S,C
• Analyzer Core C
• Implementor Core D,C
• Conductor Core D
• Persuader Core D,I
• Promoter Core I

Each person has a Natural Style, Adapted Style and a preferred Work Environment. The Success Insights Wheel uses a star to indicate the subject’s adapted style and a circle to mark the natural style, so yes, if the circle and star are close together then the Natural and Adapted styles are closely aligned.

In addition, when profiling a team, the DISC practitioner can see the team’s behavioral composition and potential conflicts at a glance with the Wheel.

The word Cross or Flex often appear at the bottom of the Wheel Page. The definitions are as follows:

Cross: Two or three factors above the line, with the core factor’s opposite also above the line. This means that the person potentially has some type of Me-Me conflict. Numbers 57, 58, 59 & 60 are examples of potential Me-Me conflicts.

Flex: Three factors above the line, with the core factor’s opposite below the line. This means that the person is adaptable.

What’s your question?

Data Dome founder, Art Schoeck, often receives questions through our Ask the Expert form. We try to answer questions here on this blog that are representative of common questions regarding DISC and other assessment tools.

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It’s the classic maxim that we all grew up with, the proverbial Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” however, does it always apply?  If we are all individuals and we all have different communication and behavioral styles then perhaps what works for me might not go over so well with you.

What if we were to rethink this idea and turn it into “Treat people not as you want to be treated, but instead, as they want to be treated”?  This opens up a more expansive and empathetic idea, and if we look at the diversity of interaction styles that we can recognize through our study of DISC profiles then it is possible to adapt our communication approach to better serve the preferences of someone who is likely to have a different behavioral profile than ourselves.

To further explore these ideas you may like to read Art Schoeck’s article: Adapting the Golden Rule for Better Communication

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It seems that everywhere you look these days there is a lot more emphasis on understanding our behaviors and how they influence numerous fields of study. From economics and buying behaviors to drives and motivations in the workplace, we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what the science and study of behavior can teach us.

Take for instance Daniel Ariely’s book, Predictably Irrational – Ariely puts forth an entertaining, often humorous, introduction to the field of behavioral economics and sheds lights on some of the stranger things we do depending on the situations we’re placed in – like why we might like vinegar in our beer if we try it before we’re told it’s there, but almost always dislike if we’re told it’s there first.  Ariely seems to spend much time in the field comparing patterns of behavior from one group to another to make blanket, statistical conclusions of how we will predict in similar scenarios.

Aubrey Daniels’ book Oops! 13 Management Practices That Waste Time & Money also examines behaviors in a business context, but here frames the discussion around common management tools and practices that don’t actually produce the desired results. Daniels explores a spectrum of positive and negative reinforcers that influence (or fail to influence) performance.  A full palette of near and long-term views, certain and uncertain rewards and punishments and our reactions to them become the foundation for advising businesses how to get practical performance improvements.

Somewhere between these two books lies Drive by Daniel Pink.  Pink posits that there are 3 iterations of motivational “operating systems” that humans have evolved. Motivation 1.0 is based on basic, animalistic needs, drives to survive and procreate and not much else. Motivation 2.0 represents the fabled carrot and stick – using rewards and punishments to encourage desired behaviors and discourage unwanted ones.  Motivation 3.0 has just begun to take root – an understanding that humans are governed by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.  Some things we do for passion and intellectual curiosity, other things we do for money, or to avoid being fired. As our world gets more complicated and our tasks more intellectually sophisticated so too does the complexity of our motivational drives. But Pink contends that as Motivation 3.0 is better understood we will see new paradigms in the workplace.

All three of these books offer fascinating perspectives on how we behave, how predictable we can be, and how to reevaluate motivational strategies. However, all of these books tend to lump human behavior together with little granularity regarding natural styles.  Pink does put forth the idea of Type I’s and Type X’s to connote persons more intrinsically or extrinsically motivated, while Ariely and Daniels tend to pay more attention to the external circumstances and stimuli and their impact on an entire group rather than the individual’s. It would be fascinating to explore all of these concepts through the lens of DISC and the study of Passions & Priorities to provide other vectors for understanding individual’s reactions and behavioral dispositions rather than just focusing on cumulative results.  There are excellent tools already available like Workplace Motivators which were specifically designed to analyze and define the very factors that mesh so well with Pink’s definition of Motivation 3.0.

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It happens a lot in this world of assessments and behavioral information, the high side of the scale seems to get all the press.  We spotlight the characteristics of the high D, we round up discussion samples of high I’s, S’s and C’s, but the low end of the scale is no less meaningful than the high end.   A low D, I, S, or C is just as indicative of behavioral style as are  their high counterparts.  So for today, here’s a little attention to the low D.

You might be a low D if…

• you always drive in the right lane
• when you and someone else step into a line at the same time you tend to let the other person go first
• your friends describe you as someone who “goes with the flow”
• you’re the one who holds the elevator’s “open” button while waiting for everyone else to get out. You might be an even lower D if you’re the one who stays in the back of the elevator and tells the person holding the door to go ahead.
• you’ve never asked for a raise
• you usually wait for others to stop talking before you join the conversation

Remember even people whose behavior in one quadrant is at the top of the high or at the bottom of the low is still also exhibiting a range of behaviors measurable in the other 3 quadrants. Further, motivations and environmental influences can significantly impact circumstantial behavior.  None of us are “one-trick ponies” when it comes to our behavioral styles.

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I just wanted to take a few moments to tell you about something new that we’re just getting started here at Data Dome.  In an effort to add more interactivity to this website and to answer the most pressing questions that you have about DISC we’ve put together an “Ask the Expert” form for this site.

Whether you want to know something general about DISC behavioral styles or something particular about a specific assessment tool we want to know what’s on your mind.  It is my hope that by getting your questions directly, we as a company will be able to provide the information you need to continue to grow in your knowledge of DISC and your ability to use it to help your organizations to thrive.

Although it may not be possible to answer every question individually, we will be using the “Ask the Expert” category of this blog to answer the questions most important to you.  Sometimes we’ll write a post, other times we may use audio, video or slide shows to help you understand the answers. As founder of Data Dome my commitment is to provide the best available information on behavioral styles and assessments.  I greatly appreciate your assistance in this effort and I look forward to reading the questions you submit.

~ Arthur Schoeck

President and Founder

Data Dome, Inc.

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Data Dome announces new dates for our a special two day Advanced Experiential DISC Certification workshop in Atlanta.

Once again, classes will be taught by Art Schoeck, Data Dome’s President and Chief Behavioral Style Strategist and recognized as TTI’s International Trainer of the Year. Register for this great opportunity to learn from the best – gain the skills and master the tools that can unlock individual performance and team productivity.

All participants will receive:

• Personal Behavioral Style Assessment
• Personal Job Analysis Assessment
• CPBS Exam

The 2-day class will be conducted on January 19th & 20th, then again on February 23rd & 24th, and March 24th & 25th at Data Dome Conference Center, 1040 Lindridge Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324.  For more information please visit http://www.datadome.com/certification_workshop.php.

Effective leaders and trainers won’t want to miss this opportunity to rapidly gain the skills to maximize the potential of your people.

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As the use of DISC assessments continues to grow in popularity, a new generation of professionals are benefiting from the insights into behavioral styles that these tools provide without necessarily knowing the history behind their origin.  Dr. William Moulton Marston Ph.D., a Harvard-educated psychologist and writer born in 1893, was the publisher of a 1928 essay entitled “Emotions of Normal People.” It was in this document that he presented the DISC Theory.

Although others have played an important role in the development and refinement of the theory, and in the creation of practical tools to apply DISC in ways beneficial for personal and corporate development, it was Marston who first wrote that people behave along passive and active axes. By arranging these axes at a 90 degree angle, a four-sectioned diagram can be made in which each segment can measure a behavioral style. Originally the terms Dominance, Inducement, Submission and Compliance were used to identify the quadrants, but later Influence replaced Inducement and Steadiness replaced Submission.

DISC isn’t Marston’s only claim to fame:  he also developed the systolic blood-pressure test which became a component of the modern polygraph – colloquially referred to as “the lie detector”.  And that’s not all, Marston taught at American University and Tufts University,  and worked for time for Universal Studios, but he is perhaps best know for a comic book character he created under the pen name Charles Moulton.  Yes the grandfather of the modern DISC assessment is also the father of Wonder Woman!  It was Marston’s work as a psychologist and the influence of his wife Elizabeth that led him to present the Wonder Woman idea to comic book publisher, Max Gaines.

Marston passed away in 1947 after living a relatively short, but creative life. His theories and inventions have been influential in the fields of psychology, law enforcement, popular culture and of course, we here at Data Dome are grateful for his contributions that led to the development of today’s practical and insightful DISC assessments.

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Happy Holidays!

Well hopefully by now you’ve done your holiday shopping and are ready to relax and enjoy the rest of the season. While you were out there roaming the malls and the big box retail stores (assuming you didn’t do all your shopping online this year) you may have noticed some classic DISC behavioral styles during your people-watching…

Did you spot the Highest D in the crowd? The assertive High D will move powerfully through the crowd. Practically knocking people over! They are efficient shoppers: in, out, done. If the whole scene is too frustrating and anger-producing (crowds, waiting in line, traffic and parking), they may simply delegate the shopping to someone else. The actual gifts the High D buys might just be to address a bottom-line productivity improvement for the recipient or they might simply take the efficient route and give gift certificates.

How about the Highest I? For the High I, shopping is an event. Like a kid in a candy shop, the High I gets excited about the experience of being out and about and shopping. While you were taking a break at the food court you may have seen them holding forth in an animated way near a glittering display. They probably met friends for coffee or snacks to make an occasion of the shopping expedition. If you’re a salesperson watch for the High I – a high I might get frustrated if you don’t give enough attention. The High I will also often buy from emotion, so that extra attention might lead them to buy more than they should. High I’s may accidentally buy more than one gift for some people, and forget to get gifts for others. They may buy gifts they like themselves, assuming that the recipients will like them too. There will be impulse buys, and trendy (even risky) selections. The gifts may be chosen out of shared experiences, and to provide experiences: party and hospitality gear, bed and bath, candles and music.

Did the Highest S get lost in the crowd? You might not see them if the mall is really busy. They certainly don’t like being caught in a last-minute rush. In fact by now all of their shopping is probably done – of course, the High S may have started picking out holiday presents in July! The High S at the mall can be found at the same trusted stores they habitually frequent. The gifts they choose will be solid, reliable favorites, not risky or trendy in any way. High S’s may well prefer to stay home and make personalized gifts, or bake holiday treats for family and friends.

And what about the Highest C? If you saw them at the mall they were likely to be doing research and comparison shopping for purchases that they were then going to make online so they will be sure they are getting both the highest quality and the lowest price. If they are purchasing at the mall (rather than online), it will be in the specialty shops. If they go to a department store, you’ll see them reading labels and decoding the actual terms of the sales coupon. If they engage a salesperson it will be to inquire about scheduling shipping, the details of the return policy or other factual information. High C’s might get bogged down in the details of weighing the relative merits of the mail-in rebate versus the instant rebate, the cost of the warranty versus the percentage of likely future repairs.

Don’t forget these are just the Highs – the Low D, I, S, and C are out there too, and most people aren’t just “one note” – any of the D, I, S or C factors can resonate with another as a behavioral cluster in the same person, but this “broad-strokes” exercise might help you to appreciate (and adapt to) the differences among us as we all prepare for holiday occasions.

Best wishes for the holidays from Art and the Data Dome team!

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Often when discussing DISC people will fall into the habit of just focusing on the higher marks in the DISC spectrum of behaviors.  We talk about the forcefulness of the high D or how the person who scores a high S craves stability.  These are useful examples and provide a convenient shorthand for discussing DISC behaviors in general, however there is a risk of oversimplifying the sophisticated assessment ability of the DISC concept.

When it comes to an individual’s DISC chart  each attribute is important and it may very well be your lowest measure in one of the four areas of Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness that is most strongly impacting your patterns of behavior. A person with an extremely low I may appear to be withdrawn and aloof while the low C can be careless about details, even rebellious.

It is easy to think about a DISC chart as a scorecard, but unlike in other fields, a higher “score” in any given DISC column is not necessarily better. The high measure and the low one and the two that fall in between are all important keys to understanding the behavioral styles of an individual. Get to know your low D, I, S, or C and you’ll be on your way to a deeper understanding of your behavioral tendencies.

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