We are all different personalities, with unique temperaments, thinking patterns, and patterns of behaviour. It is a given, of course, we will be dealing with many people throughout the course of our lives. And we must be specifically careful with communication realities within the office and the workplace in general. To do that, we must understand the work types that surround us, and we’re going to help you do just that with the 4 working personality types based on DISC assessment.
We absorb an enormous amount of energy from the people we work with. Regardless of whether we see them during an eight hour shift or a four-hour shift, we are deeply impacted by our daily communication with them. There’s an old saying, “Work colleagues can make you or break you”. No, to be honest that’s not an old saying; but when you think about it, it’s way true, and I’m sure we all witness this in our daily work routine. That’s why we owe it to ourselves to understand what kind of working type we are, and then understand what working types surround us, so we can take care of our well-being and function properly in a room filled with different energies. In order to do this, we will take a look at the DISC Model of Human Behaviour.
The base ground for the DISC model comes from the work of a Harvard psychologist named Dr. William Moulton Marston in the 1920s. He developed his theory in the belief that people tend to develop a self-concept based on one of the four following factors: Dominance, Inducement, Steadiness, or Compliance. As a result, we have DISC assessments and reports based on Marston’s theories, also known as the DISC circle. The main character traits for each behavioural type (each quadrant of the DISC circle) are used as the representative descriptors for that type or style of behaviour, forming the following types:
- Dominant
- Influential
- Supportive
- Cautious
The Dominant Type
So what are the general characteristics of people with the D personality / behavioural style? These folks are the leaders of the group, those who do not accept following other people. They’re very direct and decisive, and you may find them mostly in leadership and managerial positions. You will see them reflecting plenty of ego and self-confidence, solving problems, and taking risks whether they are or they aren’t sure of the results. However, their weakness is that they tend to cross the line of authority, and if you’re their employee, you have to be very patient as conflicts may easily arise. And most of the time, they won’t even listen to your list of arguments, because they’re on a constant drive for new possibilities!
The Influential Type
This personality type tends to be constantly trading in flattery, praise, acceptance, and popularity. They are surely the best people to have around if you need motivation, as they can encourage you to do great things and constantly strive for better results. Usually, they’re the most positive people in the room, filling the atmosphere with their talkative and persuasive skills. However, according to DISC insights, The I Personality Style is not that good with details. They are more concerned with people and popularity than with tangible results and organization. It’s also possible that they are not great listeners, and may give the impression of waiting to speak instead of truly listening to what someone else is saying. Since they’re affirmation seekers, rejection is their biggest fear!
The Supportive Type
Also called the S Personality Type, the people who belong to this category tend to be perceived as predictive ones, steady and very generous with the people around them. They’re the best of listeners, real listeners, different from the I type, and you will find them being very understanding. The supporters tend to prefer close personal relationships, but they can be very possessive at times. They add value to teams by being reliable and dependable people, specifically adding a work harmony to the groups they’re part of. The circumstances that motivate the S personality style are safety and security. Hence, their biggest fear is change and the destabilization of their comfort zone! However, they truly appreciate recognition for their loyalty and dependability.
The Cautious Type
The name of this personality type reveals the corresponding characteristics of the people who possess it. Of course, you can expect the cautious types to be very precise, accurate, and detail-oriented. They plan well ahead their decisions, conducting plenty of research, gathering much information before moving on to implement of their plans. They bring much perspective to their workplaces, as their focus is intense. As such, they can notice things that other people cannot during problem solving. Their input is highly realistic, as they will take into account every consequence, scenario, or problem that may arise in a situation. C personality types are motivated by logic and sound information, and they set high standards for themselves. Because of the pride they take in these standards, criticism is their greatest fear!
So which one of these behavioural traits describes you best? These brief explanations of DISC work personalities are quite awesome if you want to figure out where you stand as an employee, employer, or a team-mate. In fact, many organizations use them in recruiting processes as well. If you want to read more about the deeper aspects of the DISC model, you should definitely check out their webpage, at DISC Insights, as they list plenty of other details that can be of a use for everyone entering the labour market.
Photos: Shutterstock
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