Aug 29, 2013

DiSC Reinforcement Tips

Research conducted by Olivero, Bane, and Kopelman found that “Training increased productivity of 22.4%. In contrast, training plus coaching increased productivity by 88%”

As you can see in the statistic above, training alone is effective but when you add in additional coaching, the results are tremendous.  As a facilitator you may often think to yourself about the “what’s next” after a training session.  What can you do to ensure what you taught sticks with the attendees and they use it as a part of their work environment.  You want to keep people excited about DiSC and continuously see the benefits. 

Below you will find some suggestions that we would like to offer to you that you can use in your organization to reinforce DiSC long after the session has wrapped up.

Learning Events
·         Lunch and Learn Series
·         Refresher Series
·         Videos for People Reading or Communication
·         Panel Discussions
·         Game Shows – Team Challenges
·         Create a DiSC Trivia Game
·         Webinars
·         Team Meetings or Debriefings
·         Webinars and Online Learning Courses

DiSC Tools
·         Comparison Reports
·         Group Culture Reports
·         Quick DiSC Cards
·         DiSC In Depth Cards
·         Workplace Style Guides
·         Workplace Interaction Guides (also available to for Classic, Sales, and Management)
·         Team Maps – Focus on Priorities
·         Action Plans
·         DiSC Profiles

Miscellaneous Commitments
·         Appoint “DiSC Champions”
·         Create Learning Partners
·         Mentor – Mentee Programs
·         On-boarding
·         Celebrations – Roaming DiSC Reports complete with cameras
·         DiSC Bulletin Boards – Tips, Cartoons, “Spotlight” People or Teams
·         DiSC Detectives
·         Email Campaigns
·         Share Ideas and Tips
·         Share Challenges / Success Stories
·         Puzzles (www.puzzlemaker.com) and Wuzzles
·         “DiSC bytes”
·         Case Studies
·         Develop the “Use DiSC 10 minutes a day” philosophy


If you have any questions about how to integrate these suggestions into your organization or would like more information about the products suggested, please contact our office at 515.278.1292 or by email!

Aug 16, 2013

DiSC People Reading Skills

For many students, summer vacation is wrapping up and they are heading back to school.  This can be stressful for many students especially if they are headed to a new school or they are in a different class than most of their friends.

Change can be stressful at any age.  Whether you are the “new kid” on the playground or been promoted within a company you have been working at for 20 years, you will face challenges.  No matter how simple or complex, something inside triggers stress regardless if it is the best decision for you.  It is the big, bad unknown as you prepare for it that causes this.

But wouldn't it be nice if you could walk into a new environment and know exactly how everyone reacted.  How do they want information provide to them? Do they like a lot of details or the ability to use their own creative juices to develop the idea?  Maybe they hesitate before taking on a new project or dive right in with no questions asked?

While we can’t ask everyone to wear a name tag for an easy reference, we do have some tricks for you to identify their styles.   Take a look at these 3 easy steps highlighted below to provide some insight into someone you work with.

First, does this person tend to be more Fast-Paced and Outspoken or Cautious and Reflective? Next, think about is this person Questioning and Skeptical or Accepting and Warm? Once you have combined their tendencies, they should fall in one of the following styles.

D – Dominance
Fast-paced & Outspoken
Questioning & Skeptical
i – influence
Fast-paced & Outspoken
Accepting & Warm

C – Conscientiousness
Questioning & Skeptical
Cautious & Reflective
S – Steadiness
Accepting & Warm
Cautious & Reflective

Now that you have been able to hone in on their DiSC style, you need to be able to use this information to work more effectively with others.  What are their priorities, motivations, fears, or limitations?  Below you will find descriptions outlining these attributes.

Dominance
Priorities
Motivations
Fears
Limitations
·   Taking Action
·   Challenging Self
·   Immediate Results
· Power and Authority
· Competition
· Success
· Loss of control
·  Vulnerability
· Insensitivity
· Impatience
· Lack of concern

Influence
Priorities
Motivations
Fears
Limitations
· Expressing Enthusiasm
· Taking Action
· Encouraging Collaboration
· Social Recognition
· Group Activities
· Friendly Relationships
· Social Rejection
·  Disapproval
·  Being Ignored
· Impulsiveness
·Disorganization
· Lack of Follow-Through

Steadiness
Priorities
Motivations
Fears
Limitations
·  Giving Support
·  Maintaining Stability
·  Enjoying Collaboration
·  Stable Environments
·  Sincere Appreciation
·  Cooperation
· Loss of stability
· Change
· Loss of Harmony
· Offending Others
· Overly Accommodating
· Tendency to Avoid Change
·  Indecisiveness


Conscientiousness
Priorities
Motivations
Fears
Limitations
·  Ensuring Accuracy
·  Maintaining Stability
·  Challenging Assumptions
· Opportunities to Use Expertise
·  Gain Knowledge
·  Attention to Quality
· Criticism
·  Being Wrong
·   Careless Methods
· Overly Critical
· Over-analyze
·  Isolate self

For more tips on how to work effectively with each style, we offer Interaction Guides.  These are job aids that support the Everything DiSC Workplace training program. Featuring the Everything DiSC Workplace Map and tips for working with each style, these maps can be used to identify a colleague's style or as a reminder before meetings.

To order the Everything DiSC Interaction Guides, click here or contact us at 515.278.1292!