June 10, 2009

Edited and Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Published by Success Performance Solutions. Major Sponsor,

2008 Best Places to Work In Pennsylvania

What's Inside this issue of The TotalView:

1.  The ABC's of D-I-S-C

2.  Perfect Labor Storm Warnings

3.  New Twitter Research

4.  Discovering the Styles

5.  Emotional Intelligence Profile

6.  Tests for Office Skills

7.  Quotes from the Hire Authorities

1. The ABC's of DISC

Two issues ago, I wrote a column about how DISC influences individual preferences and utilization of social networking. While I expected to receive comments - pro and con - about social networking, instead readers responded by asking "I keep hearing about DISC, but what is it?" A few asked how they can learn more and how they can get trained.

I realized I might have put the cart before the horse - or in this case, DISC before the course! So let me rewind a bit and offer a few ABCs of DISC.

What follows are brief descriptions of the four classic patterns of behavioral preferences, commonly called DISC.  The acronym D-I-S-C merely represents how these four distinct  preferences might be observed by others when responding to the four Ps:  Problem, People, Pace and Procedures.
 
D(irectors)s are the controllers of people and situations. They tend to be energized by taking charge of the problem - big or small.  They live and die on beating the odds and jumping the hurdles.   Given the choice between troubleshooting a customer's problem and following up on yesterday's list of things to do, a "D"s choice is simple: troubleshooting wins nearly every time. Problems energize the D and fixes are the reward.  Fixing a problem provides immediate gratification, even if the solution is short-term. "D"s shift gears often and expect results fast.  They live their life on the edge and prefer to do it their way or not at all. While "D"s view their behavior as bottom-line oriented, others may find their disposition as aggressive and impatient.  The emotion driving D behavior is anger.    "D"s live by the motto: "winning is everything, it's the only thing."

I(nfluencer)s are the persuaders.  "I"s tend to be energized by influencing other people. This dispositional type is more energized by talking more than listening. They enjoy influencing other people, especially to their viewpoint. They value relationships over tasks and can strike up a conversation with almost anyone.   For the I, the world isn't filled with strangers but a world of friends, many of whom they just haven't met yet.  "I"s are energized by sharing stories, selling their viewpoints, and gaining acceptance.  They lived a life of building alliances through social networking long before Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn hit the scene.  The emotion driving the "I" disposition is optimism and trust. They see the glass as always half-full and prefer to take people at their word.  For this reason, many "I"s prefer not to let data and facts get in the way of a good friendship or solution turning a pre-disposed strength into a potential weakness.   "I"s live by the motto: "altitude is determined by attitude."
 
S(teady relator)s are the accommodators.  Like the "I"s they see the world through people but are much more reserved in how they show it.  Their trust must be earned, it's not a given.  And building trust takes time.  They prefer a stable, constant environment (unlike the fast-paced, constantly re-prioritizing world of the "D"s).  "S"s are patient, loyal and "sticky."  They are often stereotyped as not liking change.  But that viewpoint is not fair nor accurate.  They accept change as long as they have time to plan ahead. "S"s are energized by following through with what they started.  Whether it's typing an email, finishing a chapter in a book, or completing an assigned project, "S"s must find a comfortable stopping point before they shift focus.   The "start-this, no- do-this, now -do-this" management style just drives them crazy. But as accommodators, "S"s go with the flow, displaying nothing but calm, and avoiding or minimizing risk. Because they want to be good team players and prefer a low-key approach to communication, you never see what is about to happen (even though it's as predictable as the sunrise and sunset): they slip the dreaded resignation under your door.  How do managers miss this predictable behavior?  The emotion of the "S" is non-emotion: not un-emotional but non-emotional.  "S"s share their emotions with only their closest circle of friends and family. But everyone has a breaking point.  Unlike the "D"s and "I"s who are open books, the S prefers to keep their emotions to themselves.  The S motto might be "everything in moderation but tolerance."
 
C(onscientious) are the compliant types.  They tend to be energized by complying with procedures and process. (That doesn't mean they like the rules - they just are more inclined to follow them.)  They seek to be in complete control of the facts, details, and information and relish the moment when they have dotted the last "i" and crossed the final "t."  In other words, the "C"s thrive in environments that function like clockwork. Caution and logic rules their decision making process. They take a CSI-type approach to solving problems and believe subjectivity and emotions only distort reality. Even if they disagree with the rules and regulations, they still receive self-gratification by getting the job done on time and/or under budget.  Come tax time, "C"s might submit their returns early, even if they owe money, to be able to cross one more task off the list and avoid any chance of missing the deadline.  Fear is the emotion driving C behavior.   "Trust no one but yourself" might be a good motto for the C disposition.
 
As you might have figured out already, each personal preference has its own inherent strengths...and limitations. They don't infer right or wrong, good or bad.  Each style just describes how an individual prefers to approach Problems, People, Pace and Procedures.

While reading the descriptions of each style, you may have recognized a little of yourself or others. You might like or not like what you read. A few characteristics might have brought a smile to your face.  Others might have raised a few hairs on the back of your neck.  Welcome to the club. These are the same reactions that peers, colleagues and co-workers feel toward you every time you interact with them. And each time some agree with your disposition and others do not.

 
What's your style?  How do you judge other people?  How do they judge you? How effectively do you communicate with your clients, employees and bosses?

Order your personalized CriteriaOne DISC report today.

2.  Perfect Labor Storm Warnings   

Following a nearly 20% rise in the percentage of U.S. adults over age 25 with more than a high school degree between 1980 and 2000, there will be only a 4% rise in that percentage between 2000 and 2020.

Source:   Aspen Institute, Grow Faster Together. Or Grow Slowly Apart, 2003

Subscribe to the Perfect Labor Storm 2.0 blog and receive skilled worker shortage updates like this:

Learn more about workforce trends. Purchase the NEW Perfect Labor Storm 2.0 books (soft and hard cover versions) at PerfectLaborStorm.com.

New Perfect Labor Storm videos added. Watch now!

3. New Twitter Research: Men follow Men

A study examining the activity  of 300,000 Twitter users in May 2009 found that an average man is almost twice more likely to follow another man than a woman. Similarly, an average woman is 25% more likely to follow a man than a woman. Finally, an average man is 40% more likely to be followed by another man than by a woman. These results cannot be explained by different tweeting activity - both men and women tweet at the same rate.

These results are stunning given what previous research has found in the context of online social networks. On a typical online social network, most of the activity is focused around women - men follow content produced by women they do and do not know, and women follow content produced by women they knowi.

You can read more about this Twitter research at Harvard Business Publishing blog.

Download a free copy of the Geeks, Geezers, and Social Media summary report here.

4. DISCovering the Styles

DISCovering The Styles, a new book by Bill Schult, describes how over 2300 years after Aristotle, the behavioral model DISC is still being used by leaders, managers, salespeople, and coaches to create powerful impressions, build high-performing teams and gain endorsement.

DISCovering the Styles is 162-pages filled with everything you need to know about:

• How the DISC Behavioral Styles Learn
• DISC Styles Approach to Decision Making
• DISC Styles Approach to Leadership
• DISC Styles Approach to Work

Order your copy of DISCovering the Styles

.

5. The Emotional Intelligence Style Profile

Try the Emotional Intelligence Profile, from our line of "style" profiles and assessments.  Both "style" and "competency" profiles and assessments can be used in conjunction with any development activity, to target specific development needs, to assess current competencies or to prepare for a training workshop.

 
The Emotional Intelligence Style Profile has four quadrants based on the intersection of two scales. The 4 styles are:

Reflective (facts-focused) Organized (systems-mindedness) Conceptual (open-minded) and Empathetic (feelings-focused).

The two scales that create the styles are level of thinking structure and drive/motivation (outcome or belief-driven).
 
Participants learn their own preferred Emotional Intelligence (EI) style, the pros and cons associated with each of the four styles, ways to find better balance by developing skills in all four of the EI styles, and helpful advice about how to flex one's own style to better communicate and relate to team members with different EI styles. 
 
Test Drive 'The Emotional Intelligence Style Profile' Today!

Buy today 'The Emotional Intelligence Style Profile' (only $14.95) or take a sneek peak at the 89 other Management Pocketbook topics. 

6. Test for Office Skills - accurate & affordable

eSkill assessments are an effective method of ensuring your candidates have the skills needed for your jobs before an extensive interview process. eSkill's online testing tool creates valid, job-based tests by combining multiple subjects and skill levels as needed into a single assessment.  

• Accounting
• Bookkeeping
• Arithmetic
• English and grammar

Click here to learn more.

7. Quotes from Hire Authorities

"Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it
right, or doing it better."
John Updike

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Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2009 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.