Foundations of DISC Profiling
Now that you have learned about your individual DISC Profile, let's build on those foundations. These videos and activities are to be utilized in your classroom setting, to dive deeper into the other DISC Styles to uncover the similarities and differences to continue to build your self-awareness. Your lecturer will take you through this in your relevant class.
Understanding the DISC Model
DISC is a four-quadrant model measuring the degree of Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientious behavior. Everyone has their unique level of each behavioral style within the context of their role or environment. The model explains the behavior of people with high degrees of D, I, S, and C; and as we move along we will also look at how these behaviors combine. You can use this understanding to start to identify the behaviors and styles of others.
Pace and Directness
Here’s how to identify behaviors in others based on their pace and level of directness.
Direct/Faster-Paced Behaviors
Frequently uses gestures and voice intonation to emphasize points, more likely to introduce self to others, frequent contributor in groups, less patient, expresses opinions readily, sustained eye contact.
Indirect/Slower-Paced Behaviors
Infrequent contributor in groups, reserves expression of opinions, more patient and cooperative, more likely to wait for others to introduce them, often makes qualified statements, infrequent use of gestures and little change in voice intonation.
Orientation and Openness
Look for these behaviors when working with others to determine their level of openness and focus.
Guarded/Task-Orientated Behaviors
Keeps feelings private, limited range of facial expressions, more formal and proper, avoids/minimizes physical contact, conversation stays on subject, speaks in specifics: cites facts and examples, goes with an agenda.
Open/People-Orientated Behaviors
Shows feelings and enthusiasm freely, more relaxed and warm, conversation includes digression, easy to get to know, initiates/accepts physical contact.
Identifying DISC Behaviors
Watch this video to learn how to estimate what someone else’s highest measure in DISC likely is.
Quick Recap
- Faster-paced and more direct behavior coupled with a goal orientation and guarded manner will indicate a likely Dominance or ‘D’ Style.
- Faster-paced and more direct behavior coupled with a people orientation and open manner will indicate a likely Influence or ‘I’ Style.
- Slower-paced and less direct behavior coupled with a people orientation and open manner will indicate a likely Steady or ‘S’ Style.
- Slower-paced and less direct behavior coupled with a task orientation and guarded manner will indicate a likely Conscientious or ‘C’ Style.
ACTIVITY
DISC Line Up
The DISC Line Up Activity can be done as a whole-of-class exercise or in smaller groups within the class. Groups sizes for this activity depends on space and time, but can range from four to five people, all the way up to hundreds in the group – either way you will find it highly effective.
Drawing on different scenarios, this activity highlights the scales of behavior for each of the Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientious styles. This brings to life the different measures of each DISC style that each individual student has, and they will benefit by learning from each other and their range of responses to the different situations presented.
