This might be one of the most relatable and recognizable memes on the internet. It’s something we ask ourselves every day, especially around the office---
why did they say that?
Recently, our company President, Michelle Issing, changed the format of our weekly meeting. She simply drew two circles on the dry erase board and asked us to help her fill the circles with positive aspects of our jobs, and negative aspects of our jobs. The exercise, while elementary, really opened the lines of communication in our office. It forced everyone to consider their coworkers points of view, and think about how we could have fewer items in that
other circle. We found that acknowledging stressors helped ease tensions, and lead to more open discussions.
To take it a step further, we each took a DISC assessment and reviewed the results, together.
The DISC assessment can provide some insight as to why people act the way do. It associates a measurement with how a person behaves. DISC stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. Through a series of questions, the test measures what percentage of each attribute contributes to someone’s behaviors, and what motivates those actions.
How did our results turn out? Eerily accurate.
Everyone tends to be higher in one specific area over another. A “High D” personality for example tends to be direct, motivated by achievement, concerned with only facts, and is likely to be in a leadership role---this was Michelle’s result. Someone who is designated as a “High I” tends to be more convivial, motivated by people, concerned with ideas, and likes to be in a creative role---this was the result for one of our Meeting Managers, Erin.
The most important takeaway from the assessment wasn’t learning which behavioral model we most closely align with, but how to interact with those who don’t fall into the same category.
For example, if you disagree with Michelle, you would want to come to her with hard facts, and numbers to make your argument. If you disagree with Erin, you may want to consider your delivery, or your message could be missed all together.
Taking the DISC assessment was an interesting and positive exercise for our team. As an event planning company, we know our success is not only rooted in how well we understand each other, but in how well we communicate with our vendors, and of course, our clients.
To learn more about the DISC assessment and other workplace assessments please visit
www.ttisuccessinsights.com.