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DISC

Dominance Influence Steadiness Compliance

The DISC theory first appeared in a book by William Moulton Marston called 'The Emotions of Normal People' and represents one of the first applications of psychology outside a clinical setting. Since then the DISC format has been revised and validated for application to the business world.

One of the Most Popular and Widely Used Profiles

The DISC system is one of the most used and best validated profiling systems available. The reporting structure is professional, precise and concise making understanding and application of the results easy.

The profile is fast and simple to understand. With only 24 questions and the 'most vs least' method of selection the profile is quick. A typical profile takes less than ten minutes to complete and rarely ever more than twenty minutes. The questions are very simple, without sacrificing quality, so the profile is suitable for every level of employee from shop floor to director level.

Measuring Working Styles

The profile measures the four very general traits: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance and determines what an individuals 'Working Strengths' are and their corresponding 'Efficiency Factors'. These initial distinctions indicate a lot about a persons preferences in working style.

From the profile questions three separate graphical representations of behaviour are derived:

External Profile or Work Mask: this gives an indication of a person's perception of how they 'should' behave at work.

Behaviour under Pressure or Internal Profile: this tells us how someone is likely to respond to extreme pressure, what changes in behaviour we may expect.

Self Image: this describes how a person sees themselves, their identity. It is indicative of they are most likely to behave.

The reporting system is concise but points to specific factors that represent an individual’s likely behaviour in the work environment.

Application of the DISC Profile

The results of a profile are presented as the three separate graphs together with a comprehensive written review of the key aspects in the profile. Within each profile report, attention is drawn to any indications that may require special consideration, these can include:

• Degree of contentment with work
• Levels of understanding and conversely confusion
• Evidence of someone feeling excessive pressure or frustration
• Signs of difficulties in making decisions
• Whether someone is over-stretched and trying to do more than they can cope with
• A morale issue

The DISC Profile is most commonly used in the following contexts:

• Retention and Selection
• Training and Development
• Team Bonding and Building
• Discovering and Releasing People Potential
• Stimulating and Motivating Employees
• Diagnosing and resolving Problems
• Appraisals