“Things change dramatically when we learn to speak with others in their preferred style.”
From my workshop
I was squeezing avocados in the produce department of WalMart and feeling frustrated because none of them seemed ripe. A lady came up next to me and pointed at the avocado in my hand and said, “No!” This was accompanied by some rapid fire Spanish while she pointed me to the exit. What? Was I squeezing the avocadoes too hard? Did she expect me to leave. Wait a minute. There wasn’t a WalMart nametag on her; what did she mean? I gave her my friendliest “huh?” face. She gave me more Spanish. She then gently took hold of my arm and led me over by the door. At that door was a huge display of ripe avocadoes! She put one in my hand and smiled. After thanking her, I thought to myself, “It sure would have been nice to understand her language.”
How many times in our daily lives do people speak to us and we perceive they are talking in another language? OR we tell someone something and what they hear is not what we said?
The DISC Personality System is the universal language of behavior. In 1928, William Marston identified his DISC theory in a book called, “Emotions of Normal People.” His theory identified that each of us is a combination of four primary styles; Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance.
Words that describe people wired with a Dominant “D” style are bold, confident, decisive, results-oriented, risk-takers, big-picture thinkers and, of course, dominating. They are task-oriented and fast-paced. Some famous people that are “D”s are Ben Franklin, Tiger Woods, and Micheal Jordan.
A person who is Influential “I” wired is the one that you want to invite to your parties. They are fun, friendly, inspiring, talkative, spontaneous and love being in the spotlight. They are relationship oriented and fast paced. Well-known “I” wired people are Bill Clinton, Robin Williams and Ronald Reagan
The best descriptive word of Steady “S” wired people is nice. They are loyal, helpful, reliable, peace-makers, team-oriented, steady and prefer to support others. They are relationship oriented and slow paced. Steady-styled examples are Mr. Rogers, Gandhi, and Anne Sullivan (Helen Keller’s teacher–I never would have thought that.)
Precise is one word that describes those that are Compliant “C” wired. These people are very analytical, detail-oriented, organized, on time and not spontaneous. They are task oriented and slow paced. Bill Gates, Thomas Edison and Mozart are “C” wired.
This is a very short summary of these styles. Why is knowing these styles important? Each of these styles has their own preferred language. As leaders, we want to connect in every situation, because connecting increases our influence. Once we know how someone else is wired, we can build even deeper connections and relationships. We can communicate with them in the language that they prefer.
This morning, I facilitated a DISC workshop with a business. The business owner’s big take-away from the workshop was, “I’ve been working with these people for years and never knew this about them. This will make our communication even better!”
Yes, it will. AND not only will this change the workplace, but after my workshops, participants are able to identify the styles of other people in their lives. Another participant shared this morning, “I would bet that my daughter is a D and my son is an I. Knowing this will really make a difference in my parenting.”
You can find much of this information online, but it’s not half as fun as developing awareness of yourself and those around you. If you want an in-depth, 30-page, Maxwell Personality Indicator Report for your unique self or your team, marriage or family, just let me know. DISC training is one of the most enjoyable things that I do and the most eye-opening.
“D” wired,
Jan
Jan McDonald
The John Maxwell Team
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