What are the four measures of DISC's behavioural style?

Sep 15, 22 ・ by Yen Ng ・ 11mins read ・ 🌐 中文

Note: If you have not taken or are about to take a DISC behavioural style assessment, we strongly recommend that you read this article after the evaluation. Because after understanding the four behavioural style factors, there is an opportunity to influence your choices in the assessment, and thus the accuracy and results of the assessment.

If you want to know more about TTI-DISC and its workshops, you can click the button below to learn more.

Have you ever tried to observe other people's interactions in a railway car? This observation is sometimes interesting. You may notice that some people speak quickly and at a fast pace; some seem to be chatty with lots of gestures when speaking; some listen patiently and appear relaxed; some people look serious and speak slowly with a steady voice. These observable human behaviours are all closely related to DISC.

What is DISC?

When a person scores high (= high energy input) on a particular area of DISC, we call him "high" on that particular dimension, for example, high D, high I, high S and high C. Conversely, if the score is low (= low energy input), it is represented by "low", for example, low D, low I, low S and low C. Taken together these four areas are our styles of behaviour.

DISC is not an assessment that measures a person's intelligence, emotional intelligence, values, abilities or skills, education or experience. High and low scores do not mean good or bad, and right or wrong. They are simply used to denote the characteristics of a person, and the behaviour and performance he exhibits in front of others.

Now, let's understand what are these four areas? What does the level of energy put in represent?

Dominance

D is the dimension of explaining how a person handles problems and meets challenges.

High D

High D people are task- and results-oriented. They act quickly when dealing with problems and meeting challenges. High D people have a high need for results and control, and like to command others. They are usually ambitious, decisive and willing to take high risks and pressures. They also love challenges and competition, and are eager to win. If there are no challenges, they will create some. In addition, high D people are quick-talkers and like to get their opinions straight.

Low D

People with low D tend to be people-oriented and thoughtful when dealing with problems and meeting challenges. Low D people are low-key, soft-spoken and not demanding of others. They are not easily irritable and enjoy working with others. People with low D are cautious and think twice, so they tend to fall into situations of uncertainty or inability to make decisions. When faced with challenges, they are conservative and prudent, and tend not to take risks and change.

Influence

I is the dimension of explaining how a person communicates with others and influences them.

High I

High I people are people-oriented, they act quickly when communicating with and influencing others. High I people have a great need to interact with others, they love to express themselves verbally and gain attention. They are generally optimistic, enthusiastic, humorous, creative and more likely to trust others. They cannot hide their emotions. People with high I want to be liked by others, and often like others. They enjoy collaborating with and motivating others, and can easily infect and influence others.

Low I

Low I people are task-oriented, and they are slow to communicate with and influence others. People with low I usually observe first and then speak in unfamiliar environments, or often do not express their opinions. They emphasise objective facts and logic, are easy to doubt and have difficulty trusting others. People with low I like to reflect on themselves and are usually more pessimistic. They do not like being focused because it can overwhelm them.

Steadiness

S is the dimension that explains how a person adapts and self-regulates the rhythm.

High S

People with high S are relationship-oriented. They need time to think when adapting and self-pacing. The inner need of people with high S is to serve others. They are relaxed and peaceful in appearance, crave long-lasting relationships, tend to avoid conflict and work well together. People with high S are consistent and predictable. They have a high need for harmony and stability, so they like to maintain the status quo. Faced with changes, they need more time and processes to adapt.

Low S

People with low S are task-oriented. They act quickly when adapting and self-regulating the rhythm. People with low S have active minds, proactive and like variety. In the face of change, they love change and can change quickly without much thinking. People with low S are variable, which makes them less consistent and unpredictable. In addition, people with low S tend to be nervous and impatient, and have emotional expressions.

Compliance

C is the dimension that explains how one handles rules and other people's programs.

High C

High C people are task-oriented, they are slow to deal with rules and other people's programs. High C people value rules and processes, and they want to work and live in a stable and orderly environment. High C people pursue precise facts and correct results, and are systematic thinkers. In addition, they have a high demand for details and do things carefully and attentively. They speak in a cold and serious tone.

Low C

Low C people are people-oriented, they act quickly when dealing with rules and other people's programs. People with low C like to be independent, free and relaxed. They desperately need to be free, outside the box and uninhibited. They do not pay attention to detail. Low-C people have their own positions and ideas are not necessarily based on objective facts. They are bold, willing to take high risks and do things in unique ways.

Sum of 4 dimensions

The above is just a brief description of each dimension of DISC independently. A person's behaviour pattern is composed of four dimensions of DISC, which is much more complicated than the measurement of a single dimension. DISC assessments do not have right or wrong answers, good or bad ratings, nor are they a measure of individual ability.

Behavioural styles make natural leaders?

For instance, some people think that people with high D (Dominance) will behave like "natural leaders" and are more suitable for leadership roles than people with high C (Compliance), but this is not the case.

First, people with different behavioural styles can make great leaders, they are just leaders with different characteristics that can reflect their strengths in some specific circumstances. The characteristics of high D leaders are quick judgment, courage to accept challenges and a willingness to accept high risks. They have an advantage in work environments that require quick judgment and action. The characteristics of high C leaders are cautious and thoroughgoing, focusing on objective data analysis and processes. In an unmissable work environment where life is at stake, this is where they come into play.

Second, leadership mindset and ability can be cultivated. Most people can be leaders if they are willing to learn and use the right methods. As a leader, awareness is very important. Awareness activates our natural ability to learn. For example, by understanding their own behavioural styles, leaders can clearly understand their strengths and weaknesses, focus on what they want to develop and improve, and effectively develop leadership functions.

Can behaviour be changed?

The human mind is much more powerful than we think, and we can adjust our behaviour styles to meet needs. First, we need to be aware of our own behavioural styles, so that we can more consciously and effectively adjust from one pattern to another. This adjustment is like switching from the hand used to writing to the hand not used to writing. It is possible!

However, we need more energy and attention, so we get tired easily. Prolonged behavioural adjustment without awareness can be painful and stressful. Therefore, the ideal situation is that we can play the most natural behaviour style, which can do more with less.

Corporate’s application

Through DISC, we can more effectively improve our self-awareness and understand the communication patterns of others. Therefore, many companies will apply DISC to prospective employees and employees, including:

• Understand the candidate's behavioural style and assess his fit with the role and the existing team's style;

• Help employees improve self-awareness and affirmation, and give full play to their own advantages;

• Recognise the behavioural styles of team members and enhance team communication and cooperation;

• Learn to observe the behavioural characteristics of customers/ external parties and develop personalised communication strategies;

• Understand the team's overall style, strengths and potential challenges to more effectively align business strategies and plans.

Summary

DISC is a quick and effective assessment tool that allows us to understand ourselves and observe the behavioural styles of others. High awareness of ourselves and others helps us learn and develop, communicate more effectively with others and build better collaborative relationships. Leaders who understand their own and the team's overall behavioural style are better able to formulate business sustainability plans that are suitable for the company and the team. If you want to learn more about how DISC can help you and your team, please feel free to contact us.

Image source

1. TTI Success Insights®. DISC. Retrieved from https://www.ttisi.com/disc

Other articles