Amazing Demo of Personality Types

Recently I had the privilege of attending a talk by Dr. Robert Rohm, probably the foremost exponent of the DISC personality assessment today.  I wasn't expecting anything special since I was already extensively familiar with DISC, but was I in for a surprise!  This was one of the most dynamic and engaging presentations I've ever seen...

"If you would describe yourself as an outgoing person," said Dr. Rohm, "I'd like you to go and stand at that end of the room.  But if you'd describe yourself as a more reserved person, then please stand at the opposite end.  Just go with whatever your inclination is now - this isn't cast in stone."

So we all headed to our respective ends of the room, as he continued... "Now, within each of your groups, some of you will be more 'task oriented' while others are more naturally 'people oriented'.  If you believe you're more people oriented, please stand on the window side of the room and if you're more task oriented, I'd like you to stand over on the door side of the room.  Do all this while staying at your respective ends of the room."

So there we were, neatly divided into four groups:

• Outgoing and task oriented
• Outgoing and people oriented
• Reserved and people oriented
• Reserved and task oriented

 Dr. Rohm described each of the above groups in order, explaining, "We call these groups respectively D, I, S and C.  You D types are dominant; you like to be in control and take charge, telling others what to do.  You want to run the show.

"You I types are inspiring, the life of the party.  You want to be in the limelight and you think you ARE the show.


"You S types are supportive and sensitive.  You're always there for others, you're great team players and your only concern is that the show should go well for everyone.


"You C types are cautious and careful.  You do things thoroughly and methodically, always pursuing excellence.  You'll plan the show so nothing goes wrong."

Looking around the room and knowing a lot of the other attendees personally, I could see he had pretty well hit the nail on the head.  The irony was that since the group was composed heavily of entrepreneurs, the D and I types were over-represented in terms of the general population.  


The Punch Line


"You D types," he went on, "...the happiest day of your parents' life was the day you left home and stopped telling them how to raise you.  As for you I- types, the saddest day in your parents' life was the day you left home, because all the fun left with you.  You S types never did leave home because you're so happy where you are.  And you C types have bought your parents' home and are now leasing it back to them!"


"Now understand that these types are complimentary and no one type is 'better' than another.  It's just how you're wired.  But there's more to it: all of us contain all four types within us.  It's just that one or two of the types will dominate while the others have much less influence on your behavior.  So if you couldn't be in the quadrant you're standing in now, point to the one that you feel would describe next best how you're wired."


We all pointed.  I'm a high C / high S blend, so I pointed to the S quadrant folks standing at the back of the room on the window side.  


"Notice that almost all of you pointed to your left or right and that only a couple of you pointed directly across the room.  Typically the quadrant across the room is the lowest one on your chart and the one you understand the least.


"Also, there's normally a third quadrant that you 'live in' some of the time.  It may not describe your deepest wiring but you're capable of stretching yourself to go there when needed.  What is that quadrant for you?"


I pointed to the D quadrant.  I don't usually feel a huge compulsion to be in charge, but if I'm on a team with a common task to accomplish and I see that the leadership is absent or ineffective, I will automatically take over and start directing things.  

In short, we had a blast at Dr. Rohm's presentation.  It was superb.  Here's a short video of him telling a funny story of his encounter with a high-C type...













The DISC system, represented by the graphic up above, is a fantastic resilience tool for understanding yourself and others.   In the business world, it's a very effective tool for building highly productive teams or for diagnosing and eliminating the tensions and conflicts within a team.  


And I'm delighted to announce that from this moment forward, Global Resilience Solutions will be offering DISC training for teams!  Does your team need help?  If so, give us a call at 888-532-9504. 

~ Dr. Symeon Rodger 

*Please note the "quotations" from Dr. Rohm's presentation are simply paraphrased and may not represent his actual wording.

Develop Piercing Insight into Yourself and the People Around You

Recently I was invited to attend a very special training. At first I was pretty skeptical because the course was about a personality / behavior profiling system and I tend to shy away from those because all the ones I've been exposed to in the past - and there are about 200 of them out there - have been pretty inaccurate and useless in my estimation.

It didn't take me long to realize, though, that this one is different.  This system is astonishingly accurate and has to be, given that the guy demonstrating it used to use it as a handler in human intelligence operations, where there's definitely no margin for error. 

The system is called DISC and it is dynamite!  In addition to providing a really accurate assessment of all of us on the course, it helped me finally understand one of my own kids!  The system maintains that all of us are a blend of four different personality styles and the predominance of one or two of those styles explains what we most tend to want, need, fear and get motivated by.

The DISC test:

The DISC assessment for adults consists of just 24 questions and can be done in about 10-15 minutes.  There are also specialized versions for teens and younger children.

Each letter stands for one of the personality styles.  When the four are placed in the "disc" formation, below, the styles on top (D and I) tend to be more outgoing, while those on the bottom (S and C) are more reserved.  However, the I and S styles share a tendency to focus on people and relationships, while the D and C styles are more task-oriented.  

The tendencies of each style, briefly summarized, are:

D - dominant, direct, demanding.  These people need choice, challenge and control.  They take charge, want results and have high self-confidence.  Their downfall can be a lack of empathy and ability to relate, not to mention arrogance.  People with a very high D profile represent only about 10% of the population.  

I - inspiring, influencing, impressionable.  The "I" folks want to be the center of attention and the life of the party.  They're motivated mainly by fun, and thrive on recognition, approval and popularity.  Warm and friendly, they run the risk of being ruled by their unpredictable emotions.  About 25-30% of the population have "I" at the top of their DISC profile.

S - supportive, stable, shy.  The "S" types among us are status-quo people, very security oriented, sentimental and often the sweetest people you'll ever meet.  They need lots of TLC, appreciation, assurance and to know their own situation is secure.  They're steadfast, dependable, great listeners and super team players.  When their "S-traits" get out of control, they may be indecisive, inflexible and seek peace at any price.  30=35% of us are "S" dominant.

C - cautious, cognitive and critical thinkers.  The "C" types are highly analytical and if you want to persuade them about anything, you'd damn well better get your facts straight, because they're not pushovers.  They run on reason and expect intellectual quality from others.  They pursue excellence and if you don't, then try to stay out of their way.  Orderly, conscientious and precise, they're an asset to any endeavor.  A "C" who goes off the rails, though, may be just annoyingly critical and inflexible, worshiping procedure for its own sake.  About one in every four to five people has a "C-dominant" personality style. 

So How Did Yours Truly Fare?

Well, as a child and adolescent I was a very high "S", with strong "C" undercurrents.  Right now I'd say C is definitely giving S a run for its money and when certain situations bring out my D traits, the people closest to me have learned to duck ;-)  As for "I", that's the lowest of the four on my chart.  

Keep in mind that none of these styles is either "good" or "bad".  They're simply descriptions of how we are "wired" from our nature (DNA) and nurture (experiences).  Of course, as we work on ourselves and our mindsets throughout life and go beyond our comfort zones, we gain flexibility and self-awareness, so we can grow beyond our instinctive "wiring".  That said, the wiring is still there and we tend to revert to it in times of stress.

Advantages of DISC

The class was unanimous that DISC is an unusually useful tool for understanding yourself, others and how you or they interact and behave.  Using DISC you can not only gain insight into the previously puzzling behavior of those closest to you; you can also learn to size up new acquaintances very quickly.  

The DISC tool can help leaders and managers understand and work through some of their challenges and assign the right kind of work to different team members based on what really motivates them.  The system works really well for conflict mediation and can enable you to "connect" with people you may have thought were just "impossible".  Teachers can more easily assess students' learning styles and make learning fun as well as effective, as this video with DISC founder Dr. Robert Rohm explains...








So, all in all, DISC is a remarkable tool for improving your personal resilience, since it helps you understand yourself and others, create better relationships and make decisions based on who you really are, rather than what others think you should be.  If you'd like to do the DISC assessment for yourself or have your spouse, kids or colleagues try it, just go here. 

~ Dr. Symeon Rodger