Archive for DiSC Profiling

What your DiSC style might tell you about working from home

 

We’re all realizing these days that we have an increased need for clear communication. Maintaining relationships through social distancing is a major challenge. Many workers are being asked to work remotely—and wondering how to make it work for them.

The DiSC concept of “stretch,” of flexing into behaviors and mindsets not typically associated with our personality types is important right now. We might have to expend more energy, take more care, and assume the best of each other. Every personality has the ability to be productive from home, but what works for one person might not work as well for another.

Some workers will happily work from a laptop in their living room. Some will need significant technology support. Your team will need to decide when and how to communicate about business. You will also need to attend to maintaining social ties.

Consider how personalities will respond to a newly scheduled video chat with no agenda. Will the D-style feel like it will be a waste of time if there’s no agenda? Is the i-style excited about the chance to see everyone and their home setups? Will the S-style worry about how they should prepare? Is the C-style wondering why there’s any need for a video chat when you all have email or IM capability?

If you find that the challenges listed below resonate with you (even if not listed under your own style), discuss ways of addressing them. Your manager or fellow team members are probably willing to offer suggestions and support. Resources are also listed at the bottom of this article. Taking the time to set yourselves up for success is time well spent. You’ll be building team trust and showing commitment to each other—all positive signs of a cohesive team.

D style

You’re probably eager and ready for the challenge of working from home. You feel like you’ll get lots done; you’ll be able to focus your energy. But you probably wonder about being able to work with your team from a distance.

Strengths

  • You’re results-oriented and driven, so you’ll get done what you need to get done.
  • You will ask for what you need to be successful from home.
  • You’re willing to try new collaboration and communication tools.

Challenges

  • You might be tempted to take shortcuts to complete something that’s been recently stalled.
  • You might move ahead on something too quickly, or ahead of the rest of the team.
  • Your communication style might feel cold to others and leave colleagues feeling unappreciated or even hurt.

i style

You’re usually ready to try something new, so working from home might seem exciting at first. You understand that you’ll need to find new ways of staying connected with your colleagues and friends from work. You’re probably more likely than others to keep your extended work networks alive and active.

Strengths

  • You are naturally positive and enthusiastic and can use that energy to rally your team and maintain a feeling of camaraderie.
  • You won’t forget that human interaction is a human need and can make sure that times or spaces (like Slack channels or virtual happy hours) are created for socializing. You can also use tools like TEAMs for a fun group chat; it isn’t just for work.
  • You like to experiment and will probably have ideas to share with the rest of the team about how to make working from home work for all of you.

Challenges

  • Working alone can be stressful for you and you’ll be easily distracted.
  • Routines can feel stifling, but they can also be very helpful in supporting the self-discipline you’ll need to stay focused and on task.
  • You might want to charge ahead when you should be asking for more specific instructions or for clarification around communications.

S style

You enjoy friendly, cooperative workplaces and will miss the ease of collaboration that physical nearness enables.

Strengths

  • You like clear, complete, yet concise and friendly communication. You can model that for your team.
  • It might be easier for you to contribute your ideas and share your knowledge when given the extra time communicating online can provide.
  • Working alone isn’t stressful for you. You’re unlikely to get distracted from your focus on the team and its goals.

Challenges

  • Lack of frequent check-ins at a personal and professional level might leave you feeling disengaged or anxious.
  • New communication technologies might unsettle you. You’ll need to practice with them with someone you trust.
  • Others in your home, including children and pets, might want to demand your time during work hours and you’ll have to say “no” or shut them out of your room.

C style

You enjoy your independence and the space to think things through thoroughly. You might not understand the frustrations others feel about not seeing each other at your workplace.

Strengths

  • You probably have the discipline and focus to make working at home easy.
  • Your attention to detail will help you evaluate the resource needs of the team and to select the most reliable technologies.
  • You don’t require a lot of face time or feedback to know you’re doing a good job.

Challenges

  • Your quick-and-dirty or to-the-point communication may make others feel alienated from you.
  • You might be tempted to just do a task yourself, rather than delegate it or collaborate on it.
  • Maintaining warm personal relationships with colleagues could be challenging and you’ll need to find new strategies for doing so.

I have worked from home for over 10 years and love it. But it can also be challenging. I’ve had to be more conscious about my communication and socializing. I miss the level of friendships that develop in a workplace. It’s been important for me to identify my own challenges.

Let us know what you’ve learned about working from home by leaving a comment.

With acknowledgement of the great work done by DiscProfiles.com

If you would like to learn more about your disc style and how it could make you more productive – please contact me or any of the Ology team for your complimentary DISC discussion.

 

Dysfunctional Teams and How to Fix Them

 

Dysfunctionality among teams is far more commonplace than many business owners  would like to admit. You only need to take a look at recent headlines to notice the levels of it which can be found even in the most prestigious global brands. And considering the ease with which negative and potentially damaging content can be shared on social media these days, it pays business owners to be mindful of the risks and to develop coherent and effective strategies to alleviate these risks. 

A recent study by a very well-known UK on-line recruitment site suggests that 40% of employees believe a positive working culture is the most important thing their employer can provide. This imposes a duty on business leaders to build a supportive team culture and to ensure that managers within their business have the tools necessary to build and manage cohesive teams.

Considering this, we here at Ology recommend a 5 stage strategy that all managers should follow to fix their dysfunctional teams:

Ownership

If you as a leader do not take ownership of a team and its potential problems, then things will never improve. Discuss the matter openly with your team so that they feel comfortable sharing any issues they might have and make sure you set the standard of how you expect them to work together.

Honesty

If you notice your team is slowly becoming more fragmented and less effective, do not be afraid to seek out the truth. To fully understand what is going on, `remain neutral and do not cast judgement when asking for feedback from team members. Once you discover what is causing the negativity, take action and try to counteract it.

Standards

As a team leader, it’s essential that you put in place a standard of performance you expect. Therefore, you can’t have different standards for different members as this will only upset team members and provide extra ammunition for the more disruptive members of the team. Do not ignore the negative behaviour of some staff members. Make sure your team understands the repercussions of such behaviour and that it cannot be tolerated.

Agreement

You may have a plan in place that you think will help stamp out negativity, but without the backing of the team the plan is simply futile. To combat this, ensure the team meets regularly, while also keeping them informed of the standards you need them to adhere to.

Persistence

It can be frustrating when you notice that all of your efforts are falling on deaf ears and that team members continue to be disruptive and toxic. Turning your team around can often be one of the toughest challenges team leaders will ever face. It takes time and commitment. Don’t give up, be intentional and persistent to your beliefs and eventually change will happen.

And finally, be assured that you can do this. With the help of Ology’s behavioural expertise and our bespoke solutions, along with the dedicated support of one of our professional coaches, you can fix your teamworking issues.

For more information, or to discuss how we might help, contact Ology Coach Dave Preston today. (e-mail: davepreston@ologycoaching.com; or call 07539 365747)

Using Disc Profiling to Get the Best Out of Yourself and Others

Why Do People Drive You Mad At Work?

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(Or in any other place for that matter. At home; in your sports team, or even in your social gatherings).

 

“Why do people drive you mad at work?”

A thought provoking half day seminar designed to give you a brief insight into the world of Behavioural Profiling which will allow you to build even more productive relationships with your team, as well as your customers, suppliers and any other collaborators in your business.

You and your team are brilliant individuals with great talents, but do you really understand them; what motivates them and what limitations they secretly possess?

Think of the people in your team.

The Owl: The quiet, analytical person – loves figures, detail and is a perfectionist – to the point of frustrating you at times!

The Peacock
: The gregarious, popular person who is very good at getting people to go along with them, loved by your students/teams/agents, but is a bit slip-shod with the detail. and certainly isn’t a finisher.

The Eagle: The task-oriented person – give them a target and they’ll complete it, even if it upsets a few people along the way

The Dove: The steady, loyal and accommodating one – totally reliable, greatly liked by their fellow team members. but at times not having the urgency that you’re looking for.

If you had insight into what made these people behave as they do, how powerful could that be in getting you and your team to work together more effectively?

The DiSC behavioural model is the most widely used tool for understanding human behaviour, used throughout the world by well over 20 million people. DiSC is a very simple model to learn and apply. People just ‘get it’ and what’s more, it can be implemented almost immediately – unlike other complex models that are difficult to fully understand or remember.

Who should attend?
This seminar is applicable to anyone who has to deal with people! It is particularly useful for managers and team leaders as well as for those working in teams.

 

The seminar is delivered by PIC Affiliate David Preston of Wallshire Management Services, Ology Business and Executive Coach and Management Consultant with 4bc.

 

David is a certified DiSC Profiler and uses the technique extensively in his work with SMEs throughout Cornwall to enhance the performance of his clients’ businesses.

 

Where?

At various locations throughout the region

 

When?

Please contact me for details of the presentation schedule

 

Investment?

Only £99.99 +VAT

 

During the seminar delegates will:

 

  • Learn about the 4 basic Behavioural Styles
  • Learn about their own individual core style
  • Learn How to quickly identify the core style of others
  • Learn about the motivations and limitations of each core style
  • Learn how to adapt their behaviour to suit styles other than their own
  • Learn how to use Behavioural Profiling to enhance profitability.

Included in the seminar fee all delegates will receive their own personalised DiSC 2.0 Profile Report, plus their own one to one follow up session to apply the knowledge gained in their own individual situation.

Joining Instructions

To book your place on the seminar at this never to be repeated price, either contact me (David Preston) directly (on 07539 365747, or e-mail david@wallshiremanagement.co.uk

We all know there’s only one way to provide customer service – Isn’t there?

Customer service excellence is a hall mark of all the best and most successful businesses, but it’s not a “one size fits all” solution.

We all know that our customers are unique individuals, but when we deal with them do we really treat them like that?  Do you see customer service as a slick and proven approach that is successful because it treats everyone the same?  I would like to introduce you to 4 of our customers:

  1. Samantha – she is a serious and quiet person who has an interest in detail and getting even the smallest thing right.  Never ask her about her family or social life – she sees it as none of your business and irrelevant to doing business.
  2. Eric – the life and soul of the party – in fact he’s always trying to get us to meet up in town for a “few beers”.  A conversation with Eric always takes longer than planned and is guaranteed to cover the rugby/holidays/weekend every time before we get down to business!
  3. John – it took along while to get to know John – he is quiet, shows little of what he is thinking, but is always polite and calm.  He is quick to compliment good service, but slow to complain if things aren’t going so well.  It wouldn’t be a surprise if he simply took his business elsewhere without saying anything.
  4. Julie – you know where you stand with Julie – she tells you exactly what she thinks, whether you like it or not!  She hates delay, can’t abide excuses and does not tolerate failure to meet deadlines – however small.

You may recognise some of these people amongst your customers.  They all seek excellent service, but the way that you deliver it to them needs to be subtly different.  If people buy from people they like, then it is certainly true that people stop buying from people that they don’t like – or who they perceive as having a different set of priorities to them when it comes to customer service.

If you and your team members could understand your customers’ differences and take account of them when delivering your products or services to them, just think how much more positively your business would be perceived!

The Service Profit Chain

There is no doubt that excellence in service is directly linked to profitability – the most profitable businesses invariably deliver the best customer service.  You can improve your customer experience by understanding their needs and expectations better.  You can achieve this by introducing DiSC to your customer service team.  Let DISC UK show you how.

About DiSC

DiSC is the most trusted behavioural communication and learning instrument in the world. DiSC is based on more than 80 years of research and development and is used across the globe in hundreds of training and coaching applications, with around 70% of FTSE 500 companies either using or having used the system.

For further information about the unique Everything DiSC products, or to arrange to have your own profiles produced, contact us via email david@wallshiremanagement.co.uk or telephone on 01209 613 060 today.

Best Regards
Dave Preston

Does “True Grit” Actually Exist?

Research suggests it may decide how much we achieve in life

 

Have you got what it takes to succeed (True Grit) and realise your dreams?

Do you have to be born with it, or can it be bred into you?

When the going gets tough, do you get going?

 

Why is having “true grit” important and what can you do if you don’t think you’ve got it?

 

  • Having true grit is a trait among high-achievers, scientists claim
  • ‘True gritters’ show perseverance, tenacity and think success is important

 

He's got it: Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn in the True Grit remake
He’s got it: Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn in the True Grit remake

 

John Wayne had it too – more than Jeff Bridges Some will say. But far from being an intangible quality – scientists claim ‘true grit’ can be measured.

They say those with the trait show a ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals’, and are tenacious, not easily distracted and not discouraged by setbacks.

And the scientists claim a simple test is enough to see whether a person possesses the dogged determination exhibited by Marshal Rooster Cogburn in the Hollywood Western  True Grit.

Those who take it have to rate how closely eight statements apply to them. These include ‘I finish whatever I begin’ and ‘Setbacks don’t discourage me’.

Wayne received an Oscar for his 1969 portrayal of the fearless American civil war veteran who helps a 14-year-old girl track down the man who had killed her father.

Bridges showed a similar single-mindedness in a recent remake.

And scientists say that if you too have true grit, you may do better in life.

Those with true grit show a ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals’.

They are tenacious, not easily distracted and not discouraged by set-backs.  Theyalso place importance in success.

 According to studies, gritty children spell better, gritty teachers get the best out of their pupils and gritty adults get higher marks at university.

Put simply, grit could explain why some people try harder than others. To work out who has true grit, scientists have devised a test designed to measure focus and perseverance.

Those who score highly aren’t distracted from the task in hand by new opportunities, nor are they discouraged by setbacks. They are hard-workers and find it easy to spend months focusing on a single project. And, as diligent types, they like to finish what they begin.

So does she: 'True gritters' are tenacious, not easily distracted and find success very importantShe has it! ‘True gritters’ are tenacious, hard-working and find success very important

 

Long-term, this may lead to them achieving their goals. But in the very short-term, the effects can be seen on the body.

When psychologists who wanted to test their grit got men and women to do tricky mental manipulations, they saw differences in the activity of the heart between tenacious types and those who give up easily.

Researchers said: ‘Grit, a recently proposed personality trait associated with persistence for long-term goals, predicts success in part in promoting self-control, thus allowing people to persist in repetitive, tedious or frustrating behaviours that are necessary for success.

‘People high in grit are more passionate about their goals and more dedicated to accomplishing them.’

True Gritters would align very nicely with the high D behavioural style within the DiSC behavioural profiling approach – a tool we use extensively here at Wallshire Management.

If you want to find out whether you’ve got “True Grit”, we can help you find out.

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