Training » DiSC Profiles

Reinforce your staff’s training with DiSC

How can managers and other leaders reinforce what people learned in their DiSC training?

Being influential people, managers can easily derail a training or reinforce it. Let’s look at a few ways to add value to the training you invested time and money on.

Ask your employees or clients what they learned. Even if you were there, you probably weren’t able to observe everything going on.

Ask how they will apply this new learning. Ask for examples of how that insight or tool will help them in the next week or month. You might have to lead this conversation with questions like these: How will you use this to prepare for your next presentation? How will you use this in a difficult meeting? How will you use this on your team? Can you think of a recent conflict where this learning would have helped?

Ask how you can support this new learning. Here’s where you can really add value to their training. Would they like a follow-up discussion in two weeks? Would they like to be encouraged to use the DiSC vocabulary? Would someone like a Comparison Report showing how they compare to you or another team member?

Buy an Interaction Guide for each participant. Interaction Guides or People Reading Cards can be kept by the participants and used as a reference.

Watch for moments when learning could be applied. If you’re preparing for a significant change, for example, are you reminding people about how different types respond to stress? If you‘re pitching a new client, are you responding to their DiSC style?

Share about when you’ve used the training. For example, are you going to use the Comparison Reports to prepare for performance reviews? Have you initiated a discussion with your direct-report about what motivates them?

Managers and other leaders provide an example of how to respond to trainings. In fact, they are trainers themselves. Simply reminding someone that you’re a strong S and love having the opportunity to help someone out, will reinforce the message that their training was valued.

Everything DiSC Work of Leaders Quiz

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You might also be interested in:
How a new DiSC profile was created: DiSC Work of Leaders
Work of Leaders Facilitation Kit sample videos

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Question 1

An "S" Leader has the following as one of their top leadership priorities:

	Pioneering
	Resolute
	Inclusive
	Deliberate

Question 2

Everything DiSC Work of Leaders provides a three step process. Which one of the following is not part of the process?

	Vision
	Alignment
	Strategy
	Execution

Question 3

Everything DiSC Work of Leaders has three drivers behind Alignment. Which one of the following is NOT a driver for Alignment?

	Dialogue
	Clarity
	Momentum
	Inspiration

Question 4

A "Di" leader has the following as one of their top leadership priorities:

	Inclusive
	Resolute
	Pioneering
	Humble

Question 5

Leadership is defined as what type of relationship?

	Few-to-many
	One-to-one
	One-to-two
	One-to-many

Question 6

In the Commanding Approach, which one listed is one of their practices?

	Showing Diplomacy
	Communicating with Clarity
	Focusing on Results
	Showing Enthusiasm

Question 7

A "C" Leader has the following as one of their top priorities:

	Energizing
	Affirming
	Deliberate
	Pioneering

Question 8

In the Humble Approach, which one listed is one of their practices?

	Taking Charge
	Showing Modesty
	Improving Methods
	Being Approachable

Question 9

Which one of the following is NOT one of the eight approaches to leadership?

	Dialogue
	Humble
	Resolute
	Commanding

Question 10

Everything DiSC Work of Leaders has three drivers behind Vision. Which one of the following is NOT a driver for Vision?

	Testing assumptions
	Exploration
	Boldness
	Dialogue

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results

There are 10 questions to complete.

More DiSC training ideas

DiSC activities

Strength, liability, or both?

Ask participants to choose a quality from their profile that they strongly identified with. Then have them share with a partner or small group how that quality has been a strength, liability, or both in their career. How do they try to capitalize on it when it can be a strength and how do they deal with it when it is a liability? You can also have them choose a quality they do not identify with and describe how they have seen another person use it as a strength and how they’ve seen it as a liability in another person.

Appreciation

A popular activity is bring a group back together and ask each one to say what they appreciate about the person they are paired up with, or even about each person in their group. Some facilitators prefer to have participants write these notes by hand and deliver them to each other.

Follow-up meetings

Case studies

Bring participants together after six weeks for a one-hour session built on a few case studies. Let the participants or client suggest the case studies. They should reflect common problems they deal with everyday. You’ll need to write their ideas up as case studies (just a few paragraphs about the problem, conflict, or issue). Break the participants up into groups of 4 – 6 people each. These groups review and discuss the case studies and then a representative presents how they saw the DiSC styles represented in the study and possible approaches to use to resolve the issue(s) presented. Allow time for the other groups provide them feedback.

Action Planners

Use one of the Action Planners for follow-up. Choose the appropriate one for the group: Customer Service, Managing Performance, Management Action, Sales Action, or Talk Action. This can be done with a group or one-on-one.

Comparison Reports

Each week two people on a team or in a department can meet to go over their comparison reports. They can fill out the Personalize and Apply sections of the report together.

Group Culture Reports

What’s the culture of the group? Do you feel like you have a place in it? How are tasks assigned? How do people communicate? Does the group’s culture differ from the larger organization’s culture? How do the DiSC styles of individuals in the group increase the groups effectiveness?

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Test your knowledge of DiSC styles

DiSC Profiles Quiz

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Question 1

An S-style needs others who

	Weighs pros and cons
	Concentrate on the task
	Help prioritize work
	State unpopular decisions

Question 1 Explanation:

A person with an S Style may be limited by being indecisive, overly accommodating with a tendency to avoid change. Therefore they need others to help them prioritize tasks.

Question 2

A C-style is described as

	Predictable
	Warm
	Diplomatic
	Strong willed

Question 2 Explanation:

A person with a C style is described as careful, cautious, systematic, diplomatic, accurate and tactful.

Question 3

An i-style is LIMITED by

	Being Indecisive
	Being Impulsive
	Lack of concern for others
	Being over critical

Question 3 Explanation:

A person with a i style prioritizes taking action, but may be limited by being impulsive and disorganized with a lack of follow-through.

Question 4

When MANAGING an S-style you should

	Let them know their ideas are being heard.
	Give the challenging projects that have an impact on the bottom line.
	Give clear directions that address methods and logics.
	Give clear guidance and time to complete tasks.

Question 4 Explanation:

People with the S style want to be given clear guidance and time to perform their tasks, and they don’t want to be rushed for quick answers. Provide them with the structure they require. Offer support by providing the information and resources they need to do their work.

Question 5

A C-style PRIORITIZES

	Giving support
	Ensuring accuracy
	Accepting challenge
	Taking action

Question 5 Explanation:

People with the C style place an emphasis on working conscientiously within existing circumstances to ensure quality and accuracy.

Question 6

A D-style FEARS

	Offending others
	Being wrong
	Being ignored
	Being taken advantage of

Question 6 Explanation:

People with this style enjoy competition and winning. They like to feel in control of their environment. They prioritize competency in both themselves and in others. They do not like feeling vulnerable.

Question 7

If selling to C-styles, you should remember to

	Provide them assurances your product is reliable
	Create a friendly atmosphere to get to know them
	Provide lots of objective information
	Quickly lay out your main points

Question 7 Explanation:

C customers want to be assured that they are committing to the best, so they may scrutinize any offering for flaws or deficiencies. Have as many details and facts at your fingertips as possible.

Question 8

A D-style is MOTIVATED by

	Winning
	Relationships
	Cooperation
	Quality Work

Question 8 Explanation:

A person with a D style is motivated by winning, competition and success.

Question 9

When working through a conflict situation with an S-style you should

	Take a more diplomatic and patient approach.
	Avoid being impatient or lashing out emotionally.
	Stick to the facts and avoid hot buttons.
	Give them time to have their say and avoid purposely escalating the argument.

Question 9 Explanation:

A person with an S style is motivated by cooperation, and values collaboration and stability. They are uncomfortable with confrontation and chaotic situations. People in conflict with an S-style will get through it best by being diplomatic and patient. Avoid forceful tactics that will cause them to hide their true feelings.

Question 10

The best way to recognize and reward a D-style is to

	Compliment their performance and expertise.
	Meet regularly with them to assure they are meeting your expectations.
	Step back and give them more autonomy.
	Put them in the spot and provide opportunities to network.

Question 10 Explanation:

People with the D style are demotivated by routine, foot dragging, and being under tight supervision. They respond well to working independently, setting results-oriented goals, and being praised with concrete examples of their achievements.

Question 11

An i-style’s GOAL is

	a. Popularity
	d. Correctness
	b. Group Acceptance
	c. Independence

Question 11 Explanation:

I styles enjoy victory with flair, friendship and happiness, authority and prestige status symbols, popularity

Question 12

An i-style VALUES

	Loyalty
	Quality
	Concrete Results
	Freedom of Expression

Question 12 Explanation:

A person with an i style values coaching and counseling, freedom of expression and democratic relationships.

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There are 12 questions to complete.

DiSC training activities

There are several extras you can use in your DiSC trainings, such as People Reading Cards, QuikDiSC Card Deck, and lapel buttons. (You can find these if you scroll down through the purchase options for the DiSC^® Classic Facilitation System Kit.)

Some facilitators uses the QuikDiSC Card Deck in these ways:

Business simulation: Each person take 3-4 cards that are least like them. These represent the roles that they will play in the simulation. They should let their partners see their cards. Give pairs a fairly realistic business scenario and ask them to behave in the manner of the styles on their cards.
How comfortable were you? What made this exercise difficult for you? What did you learn? What did you have to restrain yourself from doing? What did you want from your partner but didn’t get because they assumed you were a different style?

A possible sales scenario would be to give one person a toy and ask them to try and sell it to their partner.

A management scenario could be to provide feedback on how well their partner performed a task. Motivate them to do even better next time. The task should be something simple as drawing a sitting stick figure or making a paper clip necklace.

Guess their type: Gave the participants 5 random cards and ask them to trade cards until they held ones that describe a team member in the room, or their immediate supervisor, or an executive whose DiSC profile you know. How well did people do?

Other facilitators like to challenge their groups to expand their thinking about DiSC by reflecting on how the concepts in DiSC can be applied in various situations.

DiSC in the world: Have participants read one or both of these articles: These Smurfalicious personas will engage your users and Prioritizing social networking with your DISC profile. Do you agree with the advice of these authors? Are their simplifications helpful or harmful? Are they directive or misleading?
Ask groups to apply DiSC to their own fields. How could you use DiSC when preparing for a presentation, writing a blog post, or creating a new product, planning a menu, announcing layoffs, or asking for a raise? How applicable is DiSC?

DiSC and disagreement: How would you respond to a serious customer complaint if you knew the injured person was a D, i, S, or C? Assume that you failed to deliver on a promise or meet a deadline. You can also write a complaint about poor service (a car repair failed, for example) as if you were each type.
Raps and rhymes: Ask small groups to write short poems or raps about each DiSC style.

More DiSC training ideas

The Everything DiSC Blog recently posted a great activity: Telling Your DiSC Story

What are your favorite training activities?

Reminder: Facilitation kits are available for all DiSC profiles. They are easily customized by topic or the amount of time you have with participants.