Author: Christina Bowser

Now that you’ve learned about the DISC profiles, also known as DISC personality types, you’ll want to start to build it into your daily interactions. Practice one simple and practical DISC communication exercise often to help you improve and succeed with other people.

Some of us may be thinking of a dog exercising with his frisbee disc when talking about DISC and exercising! However, each DISC communication exercise below is about improving our interactions with others. You’ll find with practice you won’t even have to think about DISC. It will just be part of how you interact successfully with others. The golden rule is to keep it simple and practical. Below are some useful DISC exercises to practice.

DISC Communication Exercise #1: Identify Everyone You Interact With

A great way to start is to remember the 4 DISC types; how they are similar and how they are different.

Now, think about each person you have an interaction with, whether it’s the cashier at the grocery store, your boss, your child’s teacher, or a prospect. Practice identifying their primary DISC style. Try observing body language, tone of voice, words they use, eye contact, and what they prefer to talk about. You can even consider the types of questions they ask.

If you find it challenging to identify a person’s style then try focusing on the DISC styles he/she is not. What is his/her least comfortable style?

You can even make a list out of curiosity. Demographically, did you meet more D,I,S or C‘s during a certain time period? Adding up your DISC types for the day doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but for data junkies it could be fun! In any event, you are now well on your way to using DISC to improve your daily interactions. Your phase two for this exercise would be to make the best adjustments in each interaction.

DISC Communication Exercise #2: 4 People You Know

You can also practice with 4 people you know. Again, think of the 4 DISC types. Can you match up someone you know with D-Style, I-Style, S-Style, and C-Style? Now that you have 4 people in mind, which one of them is easiest for you to interact with? Who is the person that, when you are talking, the conversation just flows. It’s easy. You understand what the other person is clearly saying. You may even feel energized! What’s his/her DISC profile type?

Next, think of the person, out of the 4 you’ve identified, that is the most challenging for you to communicate with. Have you ever had to take a deep breath beforehand, as if you’re preparing for battle? Maybe you’ve avoided interactions as much as possible? When you’re talking to this person you may get frustrated because you don’t quite get what he/she is saying. You may also have an uncomfortable feeling the other person is experiencing the same. You tend to walk away feeling disappointed, frustrated and even tired. What’s his/her DISC profile type?

Often times, the most comfortable DISC style for you is the one that is most similar to your own. The one you find most challenging is often times the DISC style that is opposite of your own. For example, D-styles and S-styles tend to be more opposite. D-styles prefer to focus on tasks and tend to be more individualistic. S-styles, on the other hand, often prefer to be part of a team and focuses more on people over tasks. C-styles and I-styles are also more opposite. C-styles prefer tasks and working alone whereas, I-styles prefer people and more people!

Think about what adjustments are needed for interacting with styles opposite of your own.

DISC Communication Exercise #3: Top 3 START and STOP Lists

Experience has shown creating a concise, simple and specific action plan is the best way to improve performance. To do so, you can create your “Top 3” list. Try to create simple goals that you can accomplish by being more self-aware and making some adjustments to your natural behaviors.

Now that you understand DISC profile types better, list three important items you will START doing that may not come naturally to you. For example, if you’re someone who focuses more on people than tasks, then try creating a “to do” list for the day. Now focus on getting those “to do” list items completed. Another example, if you are someone who goes right to your desk and gets to the task at hand, then make it a goal to stop and chat with a co-worker for 5 -10 minutes everyday.

Another approach is to list three important items you will STOP doing. Certain behaviors are more comfortable to your DISC style. For example, as a D-style, stop interrupting others even though you have something important to say or you can wrap up the conversation quickly. Instead, slow down and allow the other person to finish speaking. Just don’t forget to breathe!

Just remember this…

In addition to the DISC communication exercises above, you can refer back to your DISC report, and you can also contact your DISC coach or DISC trainer. Try any DISC communication exercise that works best for you or feel free to create your own. While it’s a fairly simple concept the more you practice the more automatic and easier it becomes. Bottom line, is that we need to practice using DISC often.

Remember how exciting it was to receive your yearbook at the end of the school year? Did your school hold the tradition of writing friends a farewell in your yearbook? If you did, try to remember what you used to write to your friends. Did it reflect your DISC style?

Whether it was a signature or a long note from a friend, I still feel nostalgic looking through the pages of my old yearbooks with my classmates’ farewells. I remember what I used to write in my friends’ yearbooks: usually a long note going on about how happy I was to grow so close to them, and hopefully we would be friends forever! Even back then, my DISC style came out in what I would be writing to my classmates. My DISC style is still reflected in my writing today. Thinking about it now, what would your DISC style write in your classmates’ yearbooks today? Does it match what you would’ve written then?

What would your DISC style write in a yearbook today?

The infographic below shows an example for each DISC profile type as to what they might write in a yearbook. Do you think your DISC style matches the quotes below?

Even if you disagree with some of the DISC yearbook quotes above and are saying, “I wouldn’t write that,” think about how the quotes reflect the behaviors of the DISC styles. D-Styles first, would keep their quote concise. D’s like to take risks and get things done quickly. This short quote, encouraging you to take risks, reflects the characteristics of a D-Style. The lengthy I-Style quote already shows the behavior of the very outgoing, talkative I-profile. At the end of the quote, the I-Style promises to keep in touch, which supports their tendency to over-promise! The S-Style quote reflects the S-profile’s characteristic of being resistant to change. Change can be difficult for S-Styles to accept. Lastly, the C-Style quote reflects the analytical behavior of the C-profile, who can spot mistakes and typos easily! They may even intentionally look for them!

Putting all yearbook notes to your friends aside, your DISC style is reflected in your everyday behavior. Look at your emails, your texts, and your social media posts. Does your DISC style come out in what you write? If you have interesting examples, share them!

Your participants take the DISC profile assessment, complete a successful DISC training, and are now motivated to use their DISC knowledge. However, “the real world” can derail that from happening.

What do you do now that you’ve delivered a successful DISC training on communication, leadership, customer service, or team building, etc.? Your clients are going back to their workplaces, and of course, get slammed with project deadlines, meetings, emails, and phone calls. How do we help them succeed in using DISC and becoming more successful?

The key to a successful DISC training is not the training itself, but what your clients do with their DISC knowledge afterwards. Success comes with actual usage of the DISC tool. What we don’t want to happen is for the DISC report to be filed away in a desk drawer. Following up is best, for both you and your clients, when you can follow a simple process.

What comes after a successful DISC training?

As DISC trainers, one of the biggest challenges beyond delivering the DISC workshop, is to create a follow-up plan that ensures successful use of the DISC tool. There are multiple options DISC trainers can use. Find what works for you. However, there are factors that can strongly support your clients’ successes.

The most important thing is for the message to be clear from the top of the organization. People need to hear from top leadership, “this is why DISC is important, this is how we will help you to learn it, and this is what we will expect from you”. Leaders needs to use DISC language daily so their employees recognize the value DISC has in their organization. Making DISC part of an organization’s culture requires regular reinforcement.

In addition, all levels of managers, from top down, must ask this question often, “What DISC-style is the prospect, client, co-worker, etc.?” All of the employees need to know DISC is important and they are expected to use it. The question should be asked in one-on-one interactions AND in group meetings. This virtually guarantees DISC will become part of the culture.

Using DISC training materials as reinforcement tools

A great way to transition from DISC workshop to real world is to provide reinforcement tools that create practice. You could give takeaway exercises that reinforce DISC. For example, ask people to practice identifying DISC profiles by the questions DISC types ask. Another mental exercise could be to identify a person’s least comfortable style and then think of what types of adjustments can be made to improve interactions.

There are visual reminders and tools to use as a follow-up a successful DISC training. DISC training materials are available or you can even create your own. Extended DISC provides different DISC training materials to support the Extended DISC Assessment and promote further use of DISC. Some of the DISC training materials include the Self-Development Guide, DISC Quick Reference Cards, and DISC Quick Overview Cards.

The Extended DISC Self-Development Guide, not only reviews DISC styles, but further explains the DISC report. In addition, it’s a workbook. You can direct participants to the “My Communication Strategy” worksheet to practice identifying DISC styles of others and strategies to adjust styles to improve how you interact with others.

Whichever DISC training support material you use, make sure it’s simple and handy so people can revisit it often.

Reinforcement reports go beyond DISC profile results

The DISC report is one way to better understand our DISC style. In addition, a person’s DISC profile result can also be viewed in supporting DISC reports. These reinforcement DISC reports focus on specific areas of communication including motivation, overuse of strengths, and how our DISC style handles pressure.

The follow-up reports don’t require people to take an additional DISC test. They are brief, simple to use, and include exercises to further one’s DISC knowledge. Since they are topic-specific, you can highlight different reports to send out. What if you don’t want to send out more reports? Remind clients the DISC report is dynamic and can be revisited. You can follow-up by simply highlighting a section of their DISC report. Try directing clients to revisit the sections on their “decision-making” style or “how they tend to show up under pressure”. The key here is to build on what they learned, maintain self-awareness, and practice DISC knowledge.

Using DISC training videos as follow-up tool

You can use the DISC training videos before, during, or after a DISC workshop. However you use them, the short, animated DISC videos make a quick introduction or follow-up; as well as a reinforcement tool “to any DISC workshop”. Each of the 2 – 3 minute videos cover one of the 4 DISC types. For example, send an email to your clients with the link to view the D-style overview video the first week. Then, follow up with the other I-style, S-style, and C-style videos once a week. This is a simple and continuous reinforcement of the DISC styles.

Final thoughts on post-workshop success

You can use any or all reinforcement tools and be successful. However, make sure it’s applicable to your audience. For example, if you are working with a sales group, try to highlight the use of DISC in a cold call or in client follow-up. When you have a group of leaders, it’s a great time to have them track how many times they ask the question, “What DISC-style is…?”

It’s always best to focus on follow-up tools that are simple to use. Your goal should be to reinforce self-awareness and have participants routinely practice adjusting to better interact with others. In doing so, you will be developing people’s DISC knowledge and thus, increasing their successes.

Have you ever found yourself over-thinking and complicating things when coaching DISC? Then try focusing on the DISC basics, using a more simple DISC approach.

You have most likely heard of the KISS model (Keep it Simple Stupid). While we are definitely NOT stupid, keeping it simple in the things that we do can help decrease misunderstanding and mistakes. A simple DISC approach can also increase learning and motivation. You can apply the KISS model to DISC and communication, and to debrief DISC reports.

Where to start when debriefing DISC

You can use any approach for debriefing or teaching DISC since the respondent(s) doesn’t know what they don’t know. Hence, try starting at the lowest level of interpretation and work from there. When using DISC, go only as deep as you need to go. Remember that less is often more! Below you will find some ideas on how to do this.

Looking at DISC styles

We, as coaches, managers, and trainers, try to avoid over-analyzing DISC reports. How much information does your client really need to get started? We also need to be careful to not step outside the limits of the DISC data. Most of us are not psychological professionals, but we can still provide sound expert advice based on the DISC reports by using a simple DISC approach.

Let’s look at a sample. Assume that John Smith (not a real person) took the DISC test. Based on his self-evaluation, there are simple facts we observe when looking at John’s DISC style. You can clearly see that John’s DISC profile is located in the I-style quadrant by the dot placement, as well as the pink shading. DISC trainers may even be able to further identify that his DISC profile is plotted in the “IS” section of the DISC Diamond. Hence, he is an “IS” DISC profile type or simply put, a mix of I-style and S-style.

S-profiles and I-profiles are on the people-oriented, bottom-half of the DISC model. The DISC report can provide us further information about the relationship of John’s I-style and S-style . For example, the DISC report will clearly show that John is 50% I-style and 50% S-style.

Use the Simple DISC approach to debrief DISC reports

We can make some general assumptions based on John’s DISC style. For example, he most likely prefers to focus on people and feelings over tasks and facts. John may be friendly and be more on the emotional side. There is a good chance that he is open and enjoys interacting with others. John may even be someone who can lose track of tasks. However, these are still assumptions based on his natural style. Remember that the DISC tool is supporting information to understanding John’s behavioral style better and never a sole reason for making decisions about him.

While we want to keep it simple, we also need to avoid over simplifying. John’s ability to adapt, adjust, and his experience also play a role in his ability to communicate and interact effectively. Having said that, any additional information we can provide John, and perhaps his manager and co-workers, can be very useful.

DISC Report Favorites and Pacing

As DISC facilitators, we tend to have our favorite sections of the DISC report. Highlight them so people have a solid starting point to understanding DISC. The “John at a Glance” page or a DISC overview page is a great place to start once you’ve identified John’s DISC style. An overview page provides a visual picture of John’s style. John may still be trying to fully grasp DISC profiles, but he can easily see and understand descriptor words that describe his style:

Sometimes we want to provide as much information as possible, but we need to practice what we preach. Primarily, you need to identify the style of your client. You know that D-styles and I-styles prefer to move quickly and not to focus on too many details. You will lose them with too many details and facts. S-styles and C-styles are interested in details and facts, but don’t like to be overwhelmed with data and info, all at the same time. Slow it down and give them time to process data and facts. All of these are good reasons to keep it simple, at least to start. Pace the debrief session to the DISC style of your client.

Hence, a quick overview to the DISC report can be as simple as identifying the DISC style and viewing the overview of the DISC style. Remember, the DISC report can always be read and understood further, but at the pace of the individual.

Keeping it Simple DISC Final Thoughts

Hopefully you recall the 4 Steps to Effective Communication. There really is no better approach to improving how we interact. Simply put, people have different styles. Next, be aware of your own style and then, learn to identify the style of others. Finally, adjust your style to improve how you interact with others. The Extended DISC report is build on the 4 Steps to make it even easier for you to debrief.

The DISC assessment should not be the sole criterion for making decisions about oneself. The purpose is to provide supporting information for the person’s self-development. Use the DISC report to help the person learn more about himself/herself.

DISC helps us better understand how people do what they do, but we don’t know why they do it. Start at the basic level when debriefing the report, provide simple DISC information, and don’t make too many assumptions. Don’t make it more than it. In other words, less is often more!

Over-coaching can be more harmful than under-coaching. Keep it simple!

John Madden, Hall of Fame NFL football coach and broadcaster