In “Surrounded By Idiots”, Thomas Erikson talks about a CEO who was frustrated by those “idiots” around him not being able to complete a project the way that he would.

He explains the DISC method as a way of describing human communication and classifying behaviour and how each type of person is different and why others that are different than them find it so hard to understand them and may consider them to be idiots.

My summary and key take aways are as follows:

 

Communication happens on the listeners terms – everything you say to a person is filtered through their frame of reference bias and preconceived ideas.

As a result the message that they understand, or interpret, maybe completely different than what you intend to convey.

By adjusting yourself to how others want to be treated, you may be more effective in your communication.

If in doubt when working out where someone else sits – listen to what they say.

80% Most people are combo of two categories – 5% fall into single and very few have three- none have all four.

 

Why we are the way we are

• we learn from our parents
• we develop our core values
• attitudes and approaches-  opinions form from our experiences and learnings
• Core behaviour is how we act in complete freedom without influence of any external factors
• Behaviour is the function of personality and surrounding factors

 

DISC

See image on pg 13

 

 

Red (Dominance)

What should we do? We’ll do it my way, now!

Task oriented and extrovert.

Focus on what

 

Key traits/ Strengths

• Make quick decisions, are comfortable taking the lead and taking risks-  they are natural leaders
• Driven and ambitious –  they will get through despite any obstacles in the path
• Blunt and impatient
• Persuasive and strong willed
• Time conscious and results oriented – don’t waste time on polite flowery phrases.
• Competitive, results oriented and set high demands on themselves as well as others
• Usually doesn’t care what others think

 

Weaknesses

• Control freaks, and may trample on people’s toes
• May be short tempered
• Can be perceived as arrogant and egotistical
• Can be considered impatient, aggressive and controlling
• Happy to break the rules take shortcuts as long as the job gets done
• Blunt and can provide brutal candor which may offend others- not afraid of conflict

 

Body language

• Keep their distance from others
• Strong handshakes- grips harder to show who is in charge
• Lean forward aggressively
• Use direct eye contact
• Use controlling gestures including pointing
• Walks briskly and doesn’t give way to others
• Strong voice and not afraid to raise voice
• Speech and actions will be fast paced

 

 

 

Yellow – Influence

That sounds fun. Let me do it.

Extrovert / people oriented

Focus on who

 

Key traits/ Strengths

• Optimistic and cheerful
• Live life to the fullest, finding opportunities for enjoyment
• Positive attitude, enthusiastic and optimistic and they capture attention
• Make quick decisions based on their gut
• Flexible and spontaneous
• Outgoing and persuasive – they can talk to anyone- communicative and easygoing
• Curious people with lots of energy
• Creative and resource full and good at finding solutions
• Inspiring, charming and convincing
• Focus on relationships

 

Weaknesses:

• Don’t allow others into a conversation, and their stories may not reflect reality
• May be interpreted as selfish, superficial and overly self-confidence
• Talk too much in a bad listeners
• Easily distracted and careless
• Punctuality not a priority
• Easily bored and trivial. Things like Admin follow-ups are not a priority.

 

Body language

• Touchy feely
• Relaxed and jocular
• Friendly eye contact
• Use expressive gestures
• Often come close
• Smile often
• Move quickly and distinctively
• Emotion and empathy shows in voice-  changes tempo, vigour, and intensity.
• Speak fast but not as much as reds- mouths can’t keep up with all they have to say.

 

Green – Stability

How are we going to do this? It’s not urgent right?

Introvert / people oriented

Focus on how

 

Key traits/ Strengths

• calm people attending to feel their way to what is right
• More passive and low maintenance
• Tolerant and kind, considerate and friendly
• The best listeners: patient, reliable and good team players
• Don’t like change – they are predictable and stable and reliable
• Focus on relationships and thinks well of most people.

 

Weaknesses

• Can be wishy-washy and unclear, and you may not know where they stand as they are indecisive
• Remain silent rather than speaking up- mostly to avoid conflict with others and may be seen as dishonest as don’t speak their truth.
• Resistant to change-  May be perceived as stubborn and concerned or indifferent
• Very rarely changes their mind and may be considered pig headed
• trusts in a certain persons word-  they be seen as naiave and gullible
• Rarely make the first move, and almost always allow others to step up first
• May be uncommitted and want everything to be easy
• Avoids risk – better to be safe than sorry, may avoid taking responsibility and be ambiguous in their comments
• Avoid conflict- striving for harmony ignore needed conflict

 

Body language

• Relaxed and come close – calm and confidence
• Act methodically
• Tend to lean backwards
• Friendly eye contact
• Prefer small scale gestures – don’t want to be centre of attention
• Generally not a strong voice – it will be soft but radiate warmth
• Slower and less variation than yellow

 

 

Blue -Compliance (also called Analytical)

Why are we doing this? What’s the science behind it

Introvert /task orientated

Focus on why

 

Key traits/ Strengths

• Analyses, classifies, evaluates, and assesses in the background
• A pessimist who sees risk
• Reserved, analytical and detail orientated.
• Detail oriented and accurate and methodical
• Cautious, thorough, systematic and orderly- slow to make decisions
• Unassuming, reflective and modest
• Asks questions and for more information
• Logical and rational thinking
• Quiet and may not give information unless asked

 

Weaknesses

• Critical thinking, can turn to suspicion and questioning those around them
• Perfectionists,  meticulous, hesitant
• Conservative lacking independence, questioning, suspicious, aloof, and cold hearted
• Find it difficult to start new things as I need to prepare everything so thoroughly
• Overthinkers, obsessed with detail pessimists
• Over critical and deliver feedback in insensitive fashion
• Find it hard to finish things as always more to do
• Needs to know people well before opening up – doesn’t need small talk

 

Body language

• Prefer to keep others at a distance
• Often have closed body language
• Use direct eye contact
• Speak without gestures
• May show little expression
• No need to be centre of attention
• Like personal space
• Voice may be strained or subdued- controlled with not a lot of variation
• Slow when compared to others

 

 

Adaptations

No matter where you sit you will always be in the minority and therefore we may need to change our communication style when around others.

 

Adapting to Red behaviour

• Do what you are told as quickly as possible
• Speak up and reduce small talk
• Stick to topic
• De direct and give your opinion and stand up to yourself
• Work hard and show commitment and take initiative

 

How to behave when you meet Red

• Don’t like details- try to explain to them that keeping an eye on details will help to create better outcomes
• Fast and wrong – explain to them the risks of hurrying ie making mistakes and others not keeping up
• Untested ideas- remind them that you don’t mind risk but you need to focus on facts
• Not here to be your friend – reds need to understand they need others to help them and focus more on relationships
• Getting angry – confront for poor behaviour or bullying

 

Adapting to Yellow behaviour

• Create a warm and friendly environment
• Keep detail low
• Follow your gut
• Creativity and excitement
• Open and friendly- approachable

 

How to behave when you meet a Yellow

• Learn to tell whether they are actually listening- make them answer questions to confirm
• Learn how to respond to  “no problem that won’t take long”- coordinate appointments properly
• Messy and disorganised – help create lists and structure
• Like to look good and be centre of attention
• All talk, no walk- provide motivation to get things done but diplomatically
• Don’t like criticism- be persistent – and clear with feedback

 

Adapting to Green behaviour

• Everything should feel good all the time and they value security – accept they are driven by fear and be willing to listen
• Happy to do nothing- give them period of space, peace quiet and inactivity
• Like stability and predictability- take care of planning, and explain what is happening,

 

How to behave when you meet Green

• Don’t like criticism- be careful how you provide feedback – always criticise in private.
• Don’t like change – be patient – break process into small steps
• Don’t like to take charge- you will need to take command

 

Adapting to Blue behaviour

• Like to prepare meticulously
• No excuses – they have thought of everything so why haven’t you – do your homework and don’t lie
• Not here to hang out – stay focused on the job
• Focus on the real world – stick to facts and set reasonable goals
• Details and facts matter – be prepared and be precise
• Values quality – be meticulous if trying to impress

 

How to behave when you meet a Blue

• Remind them that people have feelings that need to considered when being critical
• Haste is for sloppy people- calmly and methodically tell them they need to work faster
• Rational thought not gut feeling – point out that it is logical to use some intuition
• Long time to make a decision – provide info and push for decision if stagnation occurs.

 

 

How to deliver bad news and feedback

 

Red

• Don’t gift wrap things
• Give concrete examples
• Stick to facts- don’t worry about emotions
• Be prepared for war – don’t play along and argue.
• Ask them to repeat what you said

Yellow

• Criticism not always well received and quickly forgotten
• Follow an agenda – as they will overtake the conversation
• Concrete examples and how it impacts others
• Make sure they acknowledge what you said –  and repeat it
• Explain you don’t dislike them only their behaviour
• Prepare for strong defence mechanism
• Follow up as soon as you can

Green

• They will take it badly – they listen but may dislike what they hear
• Give concrete examples but use a gentle tone
• Use relational focus – why behaviour offends you
• Be gentle but don’t back pedal – clearly but softly
• Deal with – I’m so stupid- response
• Explain the behaviour is the problem not the person
• Ask them to repeat and follow up as soon as possible

Blue

• Provide specific, detailed examples, preferably in writing
• Don’t get too personal- stick to the facts
• Ask for suggestions to improve
• Be prepared for counter questions at a molecular level
• Ask person to repeat and follow up soon after

 

Group dynamics 

In a perfect world a team should have an equal number of each colour.

Generally easier for people to work together if they have the same tempo and work at the same speed.

• Blue and Green work naturally – they think twice before making decisions, introvert, keep their feet on the ground, don’t like making decisions but when they do will be well thought out.
• Red and Yellow make a good team-  shoot from the hip, powerful and outgoing, fast tempo and clear on direction, both switch off when suits them.
• Blues and Reds are task oriented – both devoted to work and don’t waste time on small talk.
• Yellow and green – tempo will be different but will be curious about each other – one talks the other listens – green can calm hysterical yellow – might not get any work done but will have a good time.

 

Challenging combos mean each person needs to be more self aware about how to best work with others – as they are opposites.

 

 

Written communications

Red – blunt, short to the point

Yellow- fluffy, long winded  expressive and spontaneous

Green- soft, personal,

Blue- factual, detailed, impersonal

 

What makes us mad

Red- is like a shot glass:

• Does not take much for them to fill up, lose their temper and erupt
• When they explode, they get rid of the anger or irritation they have been feeling and back to normal.
• Doesn’t consider themselves to be angry – yelling is just their way of communicating
• May miss out on feedback because of outbursts

 

Yellow- is drinking glass

• A longer more gradual build up of anger before bursting- may be able to see it building.
• Will feel be guilty he has lost temper and will be extra nice next time.
• Don’t hold grudge for long

 

Green- is a barrel

• very rarely see them lose their temper – anger is directed inwards
• Takes a long time to build up and can cause anxiety and burnout.
• When it comes out it will be a lot

 

Blue- barrel with a tap

• Anger will build up over time and stress turned inwards
• Different as they release a little each day to help regulate the pressure.
• Release anger as tiny grumbling or complaints

 

Stress factors and energy drivers

Red

How to make them stressed

• Take away authority
• Achieve no results
• Eliminate challenge
• Waste time and resources and work in efficiently
• Make things routine
• Make stupid mistakes
• Give him no control over others
• Tell him to cool down or lower voice

What they do when stressed

• Blames everyone else
• Shut down and close off
• Work even harder

How to help

• Send them home to burn energy/ exercise
• If you have authority, ask them to get hold of themselves

 

Yellow

How to make them stressed

• Pretend they are invisible
• Be sceptical and negative
• Structure and routine
• Isolate from others
• Don’t allow joking
• Make them overthink things
• Squabble and fuss about insignificant things
• Public humiliation

What do they do

• Draw attention even more than usual
• Excessive unrealistic optimism

How to help

• Let them organise a party
• Have fun

 

Green

How to make them stressed

• Take away security- give them a job they don’t know, without instruction
• Leave lots of loose ends
• Hang around them constantly
• Make fast and unexpected changes
• Asking them to redo work – ie perceived failure
• Disagreements
• Put them in the spotlight or large group

What do they do

• Become reserved and cold
• Become hesitant and uncertain
• Refuse to change/ be stubborn

How to help

•  Allow them to do nothing/ rest

 

Blue

How to make them stressed

•  Tell them they don’t know what they are talking about
• Make spontaneous decisions without explaining
• Tell them something is risky  and we need to take more risks
• Surprise them
• Say whoops a daisy what happened here when making mistakes
• Ask to innovate
• Surround with overly emotional people

What do they do

• Excessive pessimism
• Lethargy and loss of interest
• Pedantic and excessively critical
• Become a know it all

How to help

•  Give them privacy, space and time

 

In summary each type has it strengths and weaknesses and a team functions best when it has a combination of each personality type.

 

Author: Donna Bruce