Positive Influence Using Disc in Term Paper

This is again an illustration of how awareness of types and subtypes can prove useful.

Steady types are introverts who seek stability and show intense organizational loyalty. They are the backbone of many work teams and workplaces, enforcing rules and mutual respect through a good personal example. However, this can put them at odds with the more daring dominant types, although steady types like to follow a leader. Some steady subtypes, like 'the relater' are more driven to seek personal stability, which can cause them to ignore an organization's need for change along with steady 'harmonizer types' who also seek to minimize conflict. Having too many relators and harmonizers on a team that needs to foster change and overcome change resistance may be problematic. However, other steady type subtypes like 'the specialist' who seeks to know more about his or her organizational role and 'the go-getter' who seeks "a steady flow of more accomplishments" may be more proactive and flexible (McCloud 2010). Past performance and results on the DISC assessment can help a manager select subtypes who will work well together, even while blending a variety of general types.

Cautious types are analytical and introverted. They are often the most technically proficient members of a team, and are the polar opposites of interactors. While interactors put people before policies, cautious types focus on facts and data -- what they deem to be 'right' and correct, rather than what is popular, It should come as little surprise that one of the dominant subtypes of the 'cautious' type is that of 'the thinker.' Another type, "the master-minder whose goal is to increase opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments," is more extroverted and shares some similarities with the 'producer' dominant subtype, although the dominant type is more interested in adding to his own personal list of accomplishments (McCloud 2010). Cautious types are less focused on ego, and more on the project itself, although "the assessor whose goal is accomplishing goals with excellence and the perfecter whose goal is predictable results" can exhibit some dominant traits (McCloud 2010).

One of the advantages of the DISC system of classification is that it acknowledges "no person is exclusively just one of the four DISC types. Most people have a dominant or preferred main type, plus one or two supporting types in different degrees depending on the person and the situation" (Chapman 2010). Dominant types might clash with steady types, and interactive types might not understand a cautious type person's focus on things over people. Dominant type's interest in self-promotion and lack of a need for harmony may irritate both cautious and steady types, respectively. But having employees take a DISC assessment and matching them based upon their different subtypes or supporting subtypes can make the functioning of teams more effective because team members can anticipate the need for diplomacy. Also, when designing a team, a manager can be mindful of the fact that if everyone has complementary supporting and 'subtypes,' common ground may be easier to establish, although the team can still draw strength from having a diversity of member types.

References

Chapman, Bruce. (2010). Personality styles. Business Balls. Retrieved August 11, 2010 at http://www.businessballs.com/personalitystylesmodels.htm

McCloud, Megan. (2010). The real you according to the platinum rule. Suite 101. Retrieved

August 11, 2010 at http://self-awareness.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-real-you-according-to-the-platinum-rule

Smith, M.K. (2005) Bruce W. Tuckman - forming, storming, norming and performing in groups. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved August 11, 2010 at www.infed.org/thinkers/tuckman.htm.