People are different. As a leader, you may have a particular style, particular strengths, and a particular way of doing things. That is likely to line up nicely with the particular styles and strengths of some of your employees, but not all or even most of them.
As the boss, it’s part of your job to understand the different ways that your employees work, the types of leadership that they respond to, and to work at understanding your employees’ needs.
But if you have thirty direct reports, how can you possibly expect to keep track of everyone’s unique needs and skills? How can you expect to even learn their needs and skills in the first place?
This is where assessments like DISC can be incredibly helpful.
DISC is a personality assessment tool that breaks people into four basic personality types (with a number of subcategories). By having everyone in your office – yourself included – complete a DISC assessment, you all can learn a great deal about how one another work best, making it easier for you to understand your employees, for them to understand you, and for them to understand one another.
The four main DISC personality types are Dominance, Influence, Steady, and Conscientious. Someone who can squarely be described as a dominant personality type, for example, might be described as assertive, factual, results-driven, and high energy. Someone who falls into the influence category might be optimistic, friendly, helpful, and talkative.
In order to have a successful business, it’s best to have people with each personality type in your office. No one type is better or worse than any other. They are simply different.
DISC profiles can be helpful for improving workplace culture and communication in a number of ways:
- Self-knowledge. When you have a better understanding of what motivates you, how you respond to conflict, and how you approach problems, it builds self-awareness and makes it easier to adjust your behavior for more positive outcomes.
- Less Conflict. When team members have a better understanding of how each other works, it makes it easier to avoid and, when necessary, resolves conflicts with more focused and fruitful communication.
- More Growth. By better understanding what motivates the people who work for you, you can do a better job of managing them and helping them achieve their long-term goals.
To learn more about DISC assessments, contact our team today!
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