Successful Communication: Dominant Personalities

"What are the numbers on this?" 

"We need this ASAP."

"This has to be sent to the client straight away, they are waiting on it, can you do that first thing?"

Oh, the common words of a dominant and direct team leader. We all know them, and many of us probably have this direct, get-it-done attitude ourselves. After all, team managers don't like to waste time with so much to cross off the list every day. 

And it's not that fellow team members don't respect their time, but rather some people prefer to process and procedure over rapid-fire responses and results.

This is just one example of how we all encounter different personalities in the workplace. When you're busy leading your team and focusing on the bottom line, you may not always be thinking about individual personalities and how others' communication preferences line up with your own.

What DiSC Profiles Tell You About Your Team: Dominate Style (D in DiSC)

Now's the perfect time to start. A conscious effort to better understand how your staff operates and any potential conflicts between personalities can make a big difference. It's all about adapting and growing together instead of apart, which is still possible even when personalities clash.

That's why we love doing DiSC profiles for business managers. It's fascinating to see what this self-assessment reveals about people and we highly recommend DiSC profiles as a means of self-reflection and collaboration. A lot of people we work with fall under the D quadrant, and there's a good chance you or one of your close colleagues do too.

Here's what you should know about DiSC profiles and what it means to be a D.

DiSC Testing: Which Bird Are You?

No, we're not wondering about your favorite bird. We like to use this bird analogy when talking about DiSC as it's easier to understand and remember.

So what is DiSC anyway? It's a tool for assessing behavior based on the 1928 theory from psychologist William Moulton Marston. This research focuses on four key personality traits: dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance.

When we do DiSC assessments we like to describe it as a communication aviary, where there are two ends of each spectrum: task vs. relationship and quick vs. process. Everyone falls somewhere on this spectrum, whether they are extremely task-oriented and like to get things done quickly or take their time to iron out all the details.

Out of the four DiSC styles, many business leaders are D's, or as we like to call them, eagles. In addition to the dominant and direct eagles, there are also parrots, owls, and doves each with their own place on these spectrums.. Completing a DiSC assessment can help you figure out what bird you are, and whether your colleagues are the same or different.

Do you want to have successful communication with Dominant Personalities (Eagles)

If there's one thing to remember about eagles, it's that they are quick and task-oriented. Here are the key characteristics of eagles, compared to the other personalities:

• Eagles are to the point and prefer quick, concise, and accurate communication.
• Eagles dislike ambiguous, wishy-washy communication and planning to plan. They don't appreciate passive complaints without solutions either.

So how can you tell an eagle apart from the rest? Eagles do a lot of telling and talking and not so much asking or listening. Sometimes eagles can come across with a somewhat blunt, demanding approach. Others find eagles to be overly pushy as they talk fast and want answers right away.

Learn More About Eagles and All DiSC Profiles

Let's say you're an eagle and you want answers right away. You notice one of your managers, maybe a dove, seems overwhelmed when you rapidly fire off 10 things you need them to do ASAP. This is your chance to meet in the middle and respect the fact that doves need a little time to process. Even if you can't wait all day, instead of demanding immediate answers on a project, you could tell the employee you'd like to hear their opinion, so think about it and come back to you within a few hours.

For example:

As an eagle, your first instinct may be to say: "I needed this information yesterday. Bring it to my desk now and let's get it done."

But maybe a dove or owl needs a slightly gentler approach. Try: "Hey, can we chat about this project this morning and figure out what else needs to be done so we can sign off? Take a few minutes to get organized and then let's work through it together."

Empowering Better Team Communication With DiSC Profiles

If you want to learn more about DiSC profiles and how they apply to your team, stay tuned for my upcoming articles where we will take a closer look at other personalities.

We use Extended DiSC to help examine your communication style.

I hope to give you greater insights into different communication styles and how to bridge the gap between team members for more productive, healthier and happier conversations and collaboration. If this sounds like something your team could benefit from, please book a discovery call with me today!