Your DISC Graph in Words
In the DISC section, turn to the page titled: Descriptors
This page is the theory of behavior in application. These words represent your Natural Graph, your natural/go-to tendencies.
Do you agree with words highlighted? If you don’t feel the words describe you all the time, consider them “situational.”
Are there any words not highlighted that should be? Go ahead and highlight them.
Pick a word from each category to describe yourself.
Which words are you most proud of and why?
You can also use these descriptors to identify bias and shift yourself from tolerance to appreciation.
Choose a word that’s frustrating or irksome to you, a word that’s on the opposite side of where most of your descriptors are highlighted.
What irritates you about that descriptor?
What can you appreciate about a person who has the qualities associated with that descriptor?
What’s Missing Matters
In the DISC section, turn to the page titled: Absence of a Behavioral Factor
By understanding your low behavioral style, you can identify situations and circumstances within your environment to avoid, minimizing behavioral stress.
The first set of bullet points are related to your environment and the second set to relationships.
How do the top three bullet statements align with your current work environment?
If some or all of them are not in alignment, how might you minimize or mitigate the situation?
How are the bottom three bullet statements showing up in relationships at work or at home?
How can you increase your awareness in these situations? What’s important to you about this?
The Power of Perception
In the DISC section, turn to the page titled: Perceptions
This page can be humbling because it offers you a view of yourself – under stressful circumstances – from the perspective of another person. Imagine that you can’t see the back of your own head without the help of a mirror. This page is the mirror to reflect how you may be perceived by others in stressful situations.
This page is based on your highest DISC scores and does not consider your low scores. Use the information to increase your self-awareness in terms of how you see yourself and how others may see you under stress.
1st area, based on regular conditions:
Choose all the behaviors that feel like you.
2nd area, based on “moderately” stressful conditions:
Choose one behavior that you want to increase your awareness about when it’s happening and maybe even improve it a bit.
How might being perceived this way be negatively impacting you?
Where might it be showing up?
How will you help yourself notice when you’re behaving in this manner and begin making improvements a baby step at a time? Awareness is always the essential first step to improving behaviors.
3rd area, based on “extremely” stressful conditions:
Use the same process as the previous area.
On your team, you might share one improvement that you each want to make and ask each other for specific feedback. For example, if I want to change a behavior of “unrealistic” to being more “realistic”, I could ask my teammates to tell me when I propose a new idea with (and without!) realistic expectations.
The Magic of DISC
In the DISC section, turn to this page: Communication Tips
These are tips for communicating better by adapting your behavioral style to more closely align with the other person’s behavioral style. This page assumes that you don’t know the other person’s DISC style so it’s guiding you in guessing their general style so you can connect better with them.
Here’s one way to use this page:
As you read each box, write the names of people who come to mind in each box.
How can you plan in advance and perhaps even rehearse how you want to communicate?
By learning more about their style, you can adapt to it. The green check bullets on this page give communication do’s and the red “x” bullets give the don’ts. Experiment to find what works best.
Describe how you do NOT like to be communicated with
In the DISC section, turn to this page: Ways NOT to Communicate
As a reminder from last month…think of this as a road map to communicating with you. To be a better communicator, start by understanding the way you like to be communicated with, then understand how another person likes to be communicated with, then (the most complex step!) adapt to meet the other person’s needs. Being more nuanced will lead to better communication; that’s what we’re going to do next.
In the DISC section, turn to this page: Ways NOT to Communicate
As a reminder from last month…think of this as a road map to communicating with you. To be a better communicator, start by understanding the way you like to be communicated with, then understand how another person likes to be communicated with, then (the most complex step!) adapt to meet the other person’s needs. Being more nuanced will lead to better communication; that’s what we’re going to do next.
Ways NOT to Communicate
Choose 3-4 that you would love to share with people you communicate most with.
These can be triggers for you. Dig in to understand them more fully before you’re in a triggered state of mind.
What does it look like to you?
What’s an example of it being done well?
How might you request for someone to use this communication style with you? What would you say?
Who would you like to make this request from?
How do you like to be communicated with?
In the DISC section, turn to this page: Ways to Communicate
Think of this as a road map to communicating with you. To be a better communicator, start by understanding the way you like to be communicated with, then understand how another person likes to be communicated with, then (the most complex step!) adapt to meet the other person’s needs.
In the DISC section, turn to this page: Ways to Communicate
Think of this as a road map to communicating with you. To be a better communicator, start by understanding the way you like to be communicated with, then understand how another person likes to be communicated with, then (the most complex step!) adapt to meet the other person’s needs. Being more nuanced will lead to better communication; that’s what we’re going to do next.
Choose 3-4 phrases on this page that you would love to share with people who communicate with you most. Next, ask yourself these questions about the phrases you chose.
What does it look like to me?
What’s an example of when someone is doing this well?
How might you request for someone to use this communication style with you? What would you say?
Who would you like to make this request from?
What value do you bring to your organization?
In the DISC section, turn to this page: Value to the Organization
Think of this as the value you bring everywhere you go e.g. your job, groups you belong to, family, etc. No doubt that others appreciate you bring this value!
In the DISC section, turn to this page: Value to the Organization
Think of this as the value you bring everywhere you go e.g. your job, groups you belong to, family, etc. No doubt that others appreciate you bring this value!
First, choose one phrase on this page that’s most meaningful to you.
Then, with that phrase in mind, ask yourself these questions:
What does this mean to me?
Where have I shown up like this in the past? What did it look like?
How might I lean into this even more so I can do it better.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if everyone stepped up and brought their unique value to the group or team?!