Flex by Adjusting Your Words, Behaviors, and Tone

The Challenge: Communication, miscommunication, and the lack of communication affect employee productivity and morale. Have you ever worked with someone who insists on taking up your morning with stories from the weekend? Or worked with someone who barely gets out a “hello” before requesting a report? Is there one person at work whom you simply don’t get? When you understand that people are uniquely different, based on their communication styles, you can communicate more effectively and better relate to your team, peers, and those in your personal relationships.

Key Takeaways

The DISC model provides four critical steps that lead toward a more successful, collaborative interaction with others.

Step 1: Understand the DISC model. Consider it as a “map” of human behavior.

Dominance — How we solve problems.

Influence — How we relate to people.

Steadiness — How we measure our pace and energy level.

Compliance — How we respond to rules and procedures.

Step 2: Understand your style. With a basic understanding of the four varying styles, you can identify your own style. Where do you fall on the map, and how do you tend to communicate with others?

Step 3: Understand the other person’s style. Determine how to get from your location to their behavior. Once you know where you fall on the map, you can begin to receive clues from others on where they may fall on the map. For example:

D types tend to communicate in one direction. They say what they think and express their opinions as facts.

I types are often easily distracted by the environment. People interest them, so they are always watching others.

S types are easy-going and appear outwardly calm. They listen carefully and appear to be engaged.

C types appear reserved and reasonably quiet. They usually prefer to use written communication, such as email.

Step 4: Adjust words, behaviors, and tone to best fit how others receive information. It’s like charting a route on the map. Once we have determined where others are on the map, we can learn to flex our communication style to meet theirs.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Knowing how to adapt the way we communicate in different situations is a crucial leadership tool. To learn more about communication and using DISC styles, enroll in the Fundamentals for Leadership: Communication course led by Joeanne Humbert. You’ll take a DISC assessment, then Humbert will help you better understand your style and how to flex to other styles to be an effective communicator.