By Dan Rust for Frontline Learning
At the extreme, this type of individual tends to perceive the environment as an “unsafe” place over which he or she has little or no control.This drives a tendency towards caution and compliance, and dependency upon structure, order, data, and “following the rules” to provide some degree of certainty in an uncertain world.
General Characteristics: You can typically count on this person to be accurate; analytical. Conscientious; careful. Fact-finder; precise. High standards; systematic.
Value to Team: Perspective: “the anchor of reality.” Conscientious and even-tempered. Thorough to all activities. Defines situation; gathers, criticizes and tests information.
Possible Weaknesses: Needs clear-cut boundaries for actions/relationships. Bound by procedures and methods. Gets bogged down in details. Prefers not to verbalize feelings. Will give in rather that argue.
Greatest Fear: Criticism.
Motivated By: Standards of high quality. Limited social interaction. Detailed tasks. Logical organization of information.
Ideal Environment: Tasks and projects that can be followed through to completion. Specialized or technical tasks. Practical work procedures and routines. Few conflicts and arguments. Instructions and reassurance that they are doing what is expected of them.
Click above image for a summary of the complete DISC behavioral style model
Remember a “High C” May Want: Autonomy and independence, controlled work environment, reassurance, precise expectations and goals, exact job descriptions, planned change.
DO: Prepare your case in advance. Delineate pros and cons of proposed ideas. Support ideas and statements with accurate data. Reassure them that no surprises will occur. Submit an exact job description with a precise explanation of how that task fits into the big picture. Review recommendations with them in a systematic and comprehensive manner. Be specific when agreeing. Disagree with the facts rather than the person when disagreeing. Be patient, persistent, and diplomatic while providing explanations.
DON’T: Refuse to explain details. Answer questions vaguely or casually.
While analyzing information, a High C may: Become overly cautious and conservative. Get too bogged down in details. Avoid or postpone decisions, especially if they perceive a risk. Be an effective trouble-shooter.
C’s possess these positive characteristics in teams: Instinctive organizers. “Do it yourself” managers – create and maintain systems. Strive for a logical, consistent environment. Control the details. Conscientious. Evaluate the team’s progress. Ask important questions. Maintain focus on tasks. Offer conservative approaches. Emphasize quality. Think logically. Will share risks and responsibilities. Work systematically. Will strive for consensus. Diplomatic. Analyze obstacles.
Personal Growth Areas for C’s: Concentrate on doing the right things, not just doing things right. Be less critical of others’ ideas and methods. Respond more quickly to accomplish team goals. Strive to build relationships with other team members. Be more decisive. Focus less on facts and more on people. Take risks along with other team members.
This person’s tendencies include:
- Following directives and standards
- Concentrating on detail
- Working under controlled circumstances
- Being diplomatic with people
- Checking for accuracy
- Criticizing performance
- Critical thinking
- Complying with authority
This person desires an environment which includes:
- Security assurances
- Standard operating procedures
- Sheltered environment
- Reassurance
- No sudden or abrupt changes
- Being part of a group
- Personal attention
- Status quo unless assured of quality control
- Door openers who call attention to accomplishments
This person needs others who:
- Desire to expand authority
- Delegate important tasks
- Make quick decisions
- Use policies only as guidelines
- Compromise with the opposition
- State unpopular positions
To be more effective, this person needs:
- Precision work
- Opportunity for careful planning
- Exact job and objective descriptions
- Work associates of equal competence
- Scheduled performance appraisals
- As much respect for people’s personal worth as for what they accomplish
- To develop tolerance for conflict
Click on any of the boxes below for more details on each of the primary behavioral tendencies: Dominant (D), Interactive (I), Supportive (S), and Compliant (C).
Many Frontline Learning products incorporate the DISC behavioral mode, promoting a greater understanding of interpersonal influences and tendencies to enhance sales productivity, customer service effectiveness and general personal competency. The following Frontline Learning products incorporate some form of the DISC behavioral profile:
- Professional Selling SkillMap™
- Customer Service SkillMap™
- Emotional Effectiveness SkillMap™
- REAL Selling™
- REAL Coaching™
- REAL Marketing™
Leave a Reply