Where are you going? DiSC Style Activity for Groups

Nick Mantia, a National Sales Training Consult and a fellow member of a DiSC Profiles Group on LinkedIn, submitted a fun activity he uses with his training groups to break the ice while simultaneously teaching his participants about DiSC style and behaviors. Thought I'd pass it along to you in case you'd like to try it with your group. If you use it, let us know! We would love your feedback. 

Where are you going? DiSC Style Activity

After determining DiSC styles in the group, the facilitator divides them into  D, i, S and C groups and have them describe what trip they are taking as a group. Where are you going?

Here's what he has noticed over the past 15 years of using this exercise. 

The D style:

• Usually go for a dark marker
• Go to one place for 2 weeks, conquer it! 
• First class EVERYTHING 
• Bullet-pointed list 
• Always finish the activity first (even though its not a competition)

The i Style: 

• Divide into small groups, chatting
• Those who stay focused on the task usually go for a cruise 
• VIP everything!
• Multiple colored markers 
• Draw pictures
• Always reference alcohol! 

The S style:

• Ask for the rules again
• Choose a location for the scenery
• Main goal: Relax 
• Usually mention family 
• Trip will include multiple activities as to not offend anyone

The C style:

• Use a scratch piece of paper (instead of the flip chart)
• Discuss travel logistics
• Coordinate the time/schedule 
• Include what they'll pack and other details about the trip

Thanks for sharing, Nick!

EPIC Upgrades - DiSC Profile Online

On July 10th the Electronic Profile Information Center - EPIC was upgraded to make it more user friendly. EPIC is an online account people use to manage DiSC Profile distribution and reporting. The system is perfect for organizations that want 24/7 access to profiles and want the ability to brand their reports, customize profile distribution and manage their profiles. EPIC account owners can now:

• Customize Email Messages with color and images using the new rich-text editor
• Assign Access Codes Easier using the new products listing
• Minimize Errors by importing participant info using new Excel spreadsheet option
• Permanently remove obsolete records with new Delete function
• Quickly resend access codes with the new check-off screen
• Organize reports, create folders and move reports as needed

If you have an EPIC account Log into EPIC now and you'll find 3 new resources:

• PowerPoint Tutorial: Highlights the key enhancements
• EPIC Enhancements: Detailed list of each enhancement made
• EPIC Quick Start Guide: Abbreviated User's Guide to help you understand the basics of the EPIC System

If you're interested in test driving the system you can check out the look and feel with Corexcel's demo account. Use the information below to take a look.

• Click Here to Login
• User ID: corexcelonline
• Password: Demoacct20

For questions or more information visit Corexcel or call 1-888-658-6641

Using DiSC Profiles for Hiring

Lately I've been reading a lot about people using the DiSC Profile as a sort of hiring test. While DiSC is an excellent tool for evaluating behavioral styles employers need to be extremely careful using it as the sole basis for making a decision. You can gain valuable insight into how a person might handle various tasks but there are a lot of other considerations for hiring someone for a specific position. For instance, you might prefer that a sales person demonstrates influencing characteristics with a little dominance. However, if you're selling a product that requires sales people to collect details, someone with a more conscientious, steady approach might perform more effectively. You definitely don't want the customer to feel details fell through the cracks. It leaves a bad taste in their mouth and hurts the organizations reputation from the start. Here's an example. Recently we switched payment processors for our online payment system. The sales person demonstrated all of the classic sales characteristics. He was personable, knowledgeable and continued to push forward as we moved through the process. Ultimately we decided to go with this company because they were reputable and the sales person appeared to know what he was talking about. However, when it came time to actually set up the account he missed several key details which caused the configuration to misfire and made the transition less than smooth. My view of the company has been changed and it will be tough to change it back. Basically, it's alright to use the DiSC Profile as a piece to the hiring puzzle but it wasn't intended to be used as a hiring test. You have to look at all aspects of the position and try to find balance with all of the different tools available. Just my thoughts on DiSC for hiring.

4 Personality Types: Who is the Most Effective?

A friend of mine recently bought a fitness center franchise and she is miserable. She learned that when the center is empty she goes stir-crazy. She likes to have people around her all of the time and can’t stand the quiet of the afternoon. On the other hand, my best friend is an engineer and he happily works at home alone. Some people are outgoing, some enjoy keeping to themselves and others prefer a little of both. In fact, you can classify people into four basic personality types or behavioral styles. Look around your office and see if you see any of these people. We’ll call the first person Dave. Dave likes immediate results and tends not to listen to details before making decisions. He acts quickly and often cuts people off mid-sentence. Or how about Ingrid? Ingrid is optimistic and looks for the best in everyone. She enjoys conversations, networking events and spreads her influence using her charismatic style. Then there is Stan. Stan is very predictable and patient. He is very loyal to the organization and listens attentively. And finally, we have Catherine. Catherine is interested in accuracy and details. She enjoys working alone and prefers to use diplomacy to solve problems rather than direct confrontation. Read the full article

DiSC Personalities of Famous People/Characters

DiSC provides a nonjudgmental language for exploring behavioral issues across four primary dimensions. Below is a description of the 4 behavioral styles and famous people that fit into each one. 

Dominance: Direct and Decisive. D's are strong-willed, strong-minded people who like accepting challenges, taking action, and getting immediate results.

• Hilary Clinton
• Robert DeNiro
• Michael Jordan
• Scarlett O'Hara
• Jerry Seinfeld
• Barbara Walters

Influence: Optimistic and Outgoing. I's are "people people" who like participating on teams, sharing ideas, and energizing and entertaining others.

• Andre Agassi
• Tony Danza
• Richard Prior
• Will Smith
• Robin Williams
• Oprah Winfrey

Steadiness: Sympathetic and Cooperative. S's are helpful people who like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and being good listeners.

• Charlie Brown
• Barbara Bush
• Jimmy Carter
• Ted Danson
• John Denver
• Michael J Fox

Conscientiousness: Concerned and Correct. C's are sticklers for quality and like planning ahead, employing systematic approaches, and checking and re-checking for accuracy.

• Tom Brokaw
• Colombo
• Kevin Costner
• Bill Gates
• Allen Greenspan
• Diane Sawyer

Uses for DiSC Profiles

On a daily basis I talk to people who wonder how DiSC Profiles can help their organization. DiSC is a flexible assessment that can be used in a variety of ways. If you can think of a situation where understanding a person's behavioral tendencies might be helpful then you’ve come up with a way to use DiSC. If you can think of a situation where you need to figure out how to approach or motivate a person or group then you’ve come up with another way to use the DiSC Assessment. The truth is you can use the tool any way you see fit. Some of the most common uses include:

• Assessing current employees
• Evaluating potential hires
• Improving communication
• Understanding behavior
• Learning how and when to adapt behavior
• Promoting the appreciation of differences
• Enhancing individual and team performance
• Reducing conflict
• Creating and maintaining relationship-based sales
• Identifying customers' DiSC styles and adapting selling or support styles
• Staying focused on customer needs
• Managing difficult customer service situations

DiSC can be taken in different formats. There is an online DiSC profile and a paper-based DiSC booklet. Each profile uses a series of 28 groups of words where participants choose which word is most like them and which is least like them. Each group contains 4 words for the participant to choose from. In the paper version participant’s use a coin to scratch off their choices and reveal corresponding symbols. They then calculate their scores based on a count of theses symbols. Once the student completes the scoring they can look up their results in the back of the booklet. Online profiles are scored electronically and the results are provided in a narrative format. The participant answers the questions using their mouse and once the profile is submitted the results are returned instantly. People find this is a convenient option considering the time constraints placed on people these days. Organizations that wish to use online DiSC profiles have the option of using an online account we call EPIC – Electronic Profile Information Center. EPIC allows organizations to distribute profiles 24 hours a day and restrict people from viewing their results. The system provides several other options but I think we’ll get into that next week. For now, please feel free to post how you use DiSC.

What Exactly is the DiSC Profile?

We've started this blog to help our clients get the most out of the DiSC Profile. Sometimes people also refer to the DiSC Profile as DiSC Classic, DiSC 2800 series or the DiSC Personal Profile System. If you've never used DiSC let me give you a brief history. The DiSC model was developed by William Marston and is one of the oldest personality profiles available. For more than 30 years, the DiSC Profile has opened the door to understanding the dynamics that influence productive communication and positive interpersonal relationships. The foundation of success lies in understanding self, understanding others and realizing the impact of your behavior on the people around you. Sometimes referred to as the DiSC Personality Profile or DiSC Behavioral Profile, DiSC helps people learn how to understand their behavior and how it affects others , examine their reactions to other people, maximize personal strengths, sustain a positive attitude about themselves and how to adapt their behavior to create positive outcomes in particular situations. You may be asking why call it DiSC. The letters D.i.S.C. refer to four dimensions of behavior. The D is for Dominance: Direct and Decisive. D's are strong-willed, strong-minded people who likeaccepting challenges, taking action, and getting immediate results. The I is for Influence: Optimistic and Outgoing. I's are "people people" who like participating on teams, sharing ideas, and energizing and entertaining others. S is for Steadiness: Sympathetic and Cooperative. S's are helpful people who like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and being good listeners. And finally C is for Conscientiousness: Concerned and Correct. C's are sticklers for quality and like planning ahead, employing systematic approaches, and checking and re-checking for accuracy. DiSC helps people to increase their emotional intelligence (EQ). If you were to take the DiSC Assessment you would learn which of these dimensions of behavior are most prevalent in your life. Typically we all possess a little of each but one or two of them are the strongest. You may be thinking this sounds a lot like the Myers-Briggs and it does. However the Myers-Briggs doesn't focus on things you can necessarily change. I'll post more about how DiSC compares to Myers-Briggs in the future. Next Friday I'll post about how to use DiSC.