DISC is an acronym for four specific words or profiles you’ll get to meet in a few moments. This profiling aims to serve as a coaching or self-coaching tool in helping you identify your type of behavior or behaviors others express.
Finding your DISK type and making an educated guess about the types of other people will help you position yourself in a better place in each unique interaction.
Most people will fall under a combination of two profiles, but only one is the dominant profile. Let’s explain the acronym letter by letter.
D FOR DOMINANCE
- As the word implies, this profile best describes people focused on winning and not afraid to tackle their environment's challenges. In addition, they like to be more logical instead of emotional and usually prefer being metaphorically on top, staying in control of their interactions.
- Often, that same quality may prove to be their weak link and turn into impatience, but that weakness can be improved.
I FOR INFLUENCE
- This profile describes people who pay attention to emotions and prefer selling after establishing an emotional connection with the prospect. Their approach is careful and respectful, and they are usually very polite.
- Their weakness is that they like keeping people happy, which may sometimes backfire as they will burden themselves with unnecessary emotional conflict and avoid giving others feedback because they are afraid they will hurt their feelings.
S FOR STEADINESS
- This profile primarily describes people who like being organized, although those people are not robotic pencil-necks that do everything by the book. However, they enjoy keeping their environment and connections in order and function better when they have the time to be well-prepared before performing a task.
- Their weakness is that they become tense and rigid and lose time in preparation instead of performing their tasks. They are often thrown off balance when unpredictable events occur, and that’s something they have to work on since unanticipated events happen all the time, everywhere.
C FOR CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
- This profile describes people who pay attention to detail and enjoy quality work. In addition, they like working in a stable environment while, at the same time, they are not easily thrown out of balance like people that fall under the previous profile.
- However, they also have a weakness, which is overanalyzing things. Sometimes they will question their team and their superiors and express contrast against the processes that the company is already bound to.
CONCLUSION
Understanding your DISC profile bears lots of potential for self-improvement in your professional and personal life. First, try to find your dominant and complementary profiles and see if you identify with some of the strengths and weaknesses presented by each.
