The Definitive Guide to DISC & The Four DISC Behavioral Styles

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Published with Permission from Assessments 24/7.

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Assessments 24-7

This is the first of a continuing Monday blog series; our regular coaching blog will be published on Thursday’s.

As the world’s most popular behavioral assessment, DISC offers a simple solution with profound results. Learn how to identify the behavioral styles of others and adapt your communication to increase sales, assemble teams, target new hires, develop “rockstar” leaders, and more.

Why choose DISC over any of the numerous other assessments that are available?

  • DISC is simple, practical, and easy to learn and remember.
  • DISC not only helps you understand your own needs-based behaviors, emotions, and fears, it also helps you to identify those same things in others. In this way, we are able to understand how to communicate effectively with people, no matter their style blend.
  • DISC recognizes that people change over time and in specific situations, and relationships rather than putting you in a particular “box” for life.
  • Always look into the validity and reliability of any assessment; DISC has a long history of strong performance in both.

The Four DISC Behavioral Styles

This DISC behavioral assessment measures and provides insight into four primary behavioral tendencies and emotions. It explores how these come together in a personal blend of style to create our DISC style.

THE FOUR DISC BEHAVIORAL STYLES – Overview of Behaviors

Dominance – High “D” Style

  • Decisive actions and decisions
  • Likes control; dislikes inaction
  • Prefers maximum freedom to manage self and others
  • Cool, independent, and competitive
  • Low tolerance for feelings, attitudes, and advice of others
  • Works quickly and impressively alone
  • Good management skills

Influence – High “I” Style

  • Spontaneous actions and decisions
  • Likes involvement/engagement/fun
  • Dislikes being alone
  • May exaggerate and generalize
  • Tends to dream and gets other caught up in dreams
  • Jumps from one activity to another
  • Works quickly and excitedly with others
  • Seeks acceptance and acknowledgment, social approval
  • Good persuasive skills

Steadiness – High “S” Style

  • Slow to act and make decisions
  • Likes close, personal relationships
  • Dislikes interpersonal conflict
  • Supports and actively listens to others
  • Struggles with specific goal setting and self-direction
  • Has excellent ability to gain support from others and give support to others
  • Works deliberately and cohesively with others
  • Seeks security and belonging in all interactions
  • Good counseling skills

Conscientiousness – High “C” Style

  • Takes cautious action and makes careful decisions
  • Likes organization and structure
  • Dislikes involvement, prefers to work independently
  • Asks many questions about specific details to gather all information
  • Prefers objective, task-oriented, intellectual work environment
  • Wants to be right, so can be overly-reliant on data collection
  • Works slowly and precisely
  • Good problem-solving skills

The next blog will review the strengths and challenges for each style.

Cathy Liska

For content specific to coach training and coaching, guest blog posts are welcome.

Most blog posts here are written or curated by Cathy Liska, Guide from the Side®, CDP, MCC.

Cathy is CEO/Founder of the Center for Coaching Certification, CCC. As Guide from the Side®, she is a sought-after trainer and coach with over 30 years of experience in business management and ownership. Cathy built her diverse team at CCC that includes trainers, customer service, and coaches. She was Co-Leader for ICF’s Ethics Community of Practice, on the Leadership Team for the review and updating of the Code of Ethics in 2024, and active in the Ethics Water Cooler. To ensure she stays current in related areas of expertise, Cathy has earned the following: ICF’s Master Certified Coach (MCC), Certified Coach Trainer, Certified Consumer Credit Counselor, Certificate of Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership and Management, Grief Support Group Facilitator, Certified in the Drucker Self-Assessment Tool, Certified Apartment Manager, Certified Civil and Family Mediator, and Certified in DISC.

Cathy’s clients range from attorneys to corporate executives, government to nonprofit, entrepreneurs to children, under or unemployed to newly retired. She specializes in communication, management, conflict, and leadership. Her personal mission statement is “People.” Cathy is known for her passion to serve others so they achieve the results they want.

Podcast: https://www.coachcert.com/podcast.html

Publications: Coaching Perspectives (a series of books with chapters by coach training graduates) https://www.coachcert.com/resources/recommended-reading/coaching-perspectives-series-by-the-center-for-coaching-certification-and-more.html

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