DiSC is its most powerful when we use it to go beyond self-awareness and use it to understand others’ DiSC styles and adapt to their preferences. Of course we can only do that when we know what DiSC style another person has. With this simple people-reading technique, we only need to observe two things about a person’s behavior to determine their style: their Pace and their Focus.
Watch our people-reading video or read on to learn this valuable skill.
People-reading Scale #1: Pace
Pace refers to someone’s built-in operating speed. On one end of the spectrum are very fast-paced people. These people tend to be bold and dynamic. They are assertive and prone to take action.
On the other end of the spectrum are moderately-paced people. Those that are moderately-paced tend to be methodical. They may appear calm and careful. They are likely to think something through before taking action.
Everyone is on this continuum, somewhere. They could be at either extreme or somewhere in between. But we all seem to lean one way or the other. It’s possible, but rare, to be exactly in the middle.
People-reading Scale #2: Focus
With focus, the range is from those focused mostly on logic to those focused primarily on people.
Those that are logic-focused also tend to be questioning and skeptical. Often their natural inclination is to challenge what is said to them. They like to remain objective and logical.
Those who are people-focused tend to be agreeable and accepting. They are more receptive to new information and are more likely to be empathetic toward others. They are more likely to be subjective and involve their emotions more readily.
Again, most people lean one way or the other on this scale.
People-reading: Putting it Together
The better acquainted you are with someone, the easier it is to gauge these traits, but even a brief interaction can give you the clues you need.
Once you have an idea of which way another person leans on these scales, you can estimate their DiSC style. Here’s how it works:
Fast-paced and logic-focused: D
Fast-paced and people-focused: i
Moderately-paced and people-focused: S
Moderately-paced and logic-focused: C
People-Reading: What’s Next?
People-reading takes a little practice, but before long you will be able to get a pretty good idea of another’s DiSC style. From there, it’s a matter of understanding the preferences of each style and making accommodations that lower barriers and improve communications.
The easiest way to understand the preferences of others (as well as your own!) is through a DiSC profile, such as Everything DiSC Workplace, available in our online store. Completing a DiSC assessment provides you with detailed information about your own style and contains all the tools you need to understand and adapt to others.
We’ll even help you get the most out of your purchase by guiding you through the results. Check out How to Use Your Workplace Profile in our blog.
Everything DiSC Workplace Profile
$81.00