Effective Communication Skills: How to Quickly Guess a Person’s DISC Style

One of the most common questions about using the DISC model is this: “How do I know another person’s personality style?” Well, the short answer is: you can’t know another person’s style without assessment results. You can, however, make an educated guess about their primary style (or at least how they are interacting in the current situation) by observing their words and behaviors and answering two simple questions (phrased in the language of the DISC model): Are... [Read more]

DISC Model FAQ’s: Is Changing Your Behavior Phoney?

Guy Answers the Question:Is Changing Your Behavior Phoney? As I teach, train, and coach using the DISC model, people hear me say that I encourage them to change their behaviors to fit the situation and to better connect with other people. Sometimes, people ask me if consciously changing behavior is phoney or fake. This concern raises another common question about the DISC model, and how I recommend people use it to connect and communicate more effectively. In answering this question, I often refer... [Read more]

If You’ve Got Something To Say, Stand Up and Say It

Earlier this week, I attended the ASTD conference in Chicago. As I worked in the Kevin Eikenberry Group booth, I noticed an interesting dynamic happening at the booths around me. Where someone was willing to stand on a platform and speak, other people were willing to stop and listen. In fact, it looked to me like people were not just willing to listen; they wanted to listen. Likewise, at the booths where people sat and waited for the conference attendees to approach them, nothing happened. So,... [Read more]

Hear and Understand to be Heard and Understood

I don’t know about you, but I often get frustrated in conversations when the other person simply will not slow down long enough to hear what I have to say. On a number of occasions lately, I have had the opportunity to work through these types of conversations with other people. We both wanted to be heard, and both of us were talking. In reflecting on the situations, I recall some things I learned as a practicing engineer. I remembered concepts from the physical world that paint a clear picture... [Read more]

Connecting With People

This series of articles contains specific tips, insights, and techniques for connecting with people better. This article is from the Connecting With People series. Use the links below to read more from this series. Connecting With People Communication Tips: Connecting With Outgoing, Task-Oriented People Communication Tips: Connecting With Outgoing, People-Oriented People Communication Tips: Connecting With Reserved, People-Oriented People Communication Tips: Connecting With Reserved,... [Read more]

DISC Model Frequently Asked Questions

This is a series of articles that answer frequently asked questions about the DISC model of human behavior. This article is from the DISC FAQ's series. Use the links below to read more from this series. DISC Model FAQ's: Can Four Styles Really Describe Everyone? DISC Model FAQ's: Could I Have More Than One DISC Behavior Style? DISC Model FAQ's: Can I Have One DISC Style at Work and Another DISC Style at Home? DISC Model FAQ's: Is One Style Better Than the Others? DISC Model FAQ's:... [Read more]

DISC Model FAQ’s: Can Four Styles Really Describe Everyone?

Guy Answers the Question:Can Four Styles Really Describe Everyone? One question that frequently comes up when I teach the DISC model is this: “Can you really describe everyone with just four styles?” The short answer is: yes, you can describe all the behaviors and perspectives of all people using information revealed by understanding the four DISC style descriptors.* Sometimes people take exception to this simple answer. When they do, I usually get challenged with something like: “There... [Read more]

Effective Communication Skills: You Don’t Know Until You Ask

A few weeks ago, I was standing in an airport waiting for my return flight to Indianapolis when I overheard a woman (“Mary”)* complaining about a flight attendant’s (“Sue’s”) behavior on a previous flight. At the time, I was trying not to overhear Mary, but her emotional investment and volume were too high to ignore. As Mary spoke about Sue’s behavior, she said something like this: “Sue did it on purpose just to irritate me.” I remember thinking:... [Read more]

Effective Communication: Begin With The End In Mind

In his classic success text, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey says we should begin with the end in mind. I have seen this concept discussed in a number of ways and in a variety of contexts. And today, I was reminded of the importance of this concept in virtually every area of our lives. Specifically, I received feedback from a coaching client about how this concept had helped her in her professional life. This particular person is a hard-working, intelligent, kind, and... [Read more]

The Positive Runs Out

This afternoon, I recorded a webinar on employee motivation techniques. During the webinar, I discussed a model of human behavior that helps to explain why people do what they do. The main learning point from this model is that people generally do what they do because of what they expect to happen after they do it. After the webinar, I was speaking with my friend and colleague Kevin Eikenberry. We discussed the webinar, and, as we spoke, I remembered an event from a training class I lead on this... [Read more]

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