Disc Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment 3l543i
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Personalized Report for: lamonica austin Based upon The Platinum Rule® Model of Behavioral Styles By Dr. Tony Alessandra
Introduction to The DISC Platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment
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PART I – UNDERSTANDING YOUR PERSONAL eGRAPH RESULTS - Your eGraph Results
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- How to Read and Interpret Your eGraph
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- Interpreting School Associate Observer Responses
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- Interpreting Business Associate Observer Responses
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- Interpreting The Entire Composite eGraph
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- A Snapshot of Your Substyle
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- Descriptions of the 16 Substyles
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PART II – UNDERSTANDING YOUR STYLE AND INCREASING YOUR EFFECTIVENESS - An Overview of Your Primary Behavioral Style
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- A Summary of the Cautious
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- Cautiouss on the Job
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- The Cautious’s Behavior and Needs under Stress
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- How to Reduce Conflict
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- Action Plans for Cautiouss
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- Additional Resources and References
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- Disclaimer
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Dear lamonica, Congratulations on completing the DISC Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment. Completing the Assessment could be one of the most important relationship building decisions you will ever make. With your personalized and comprehensive DISC Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment, you have the tools to be successful. Your assessment will not only help you become a better you, it will help you behave more maturely and productively by teaching you how to focus on your goals instead of your fears. Then you can develop and use more of your natural strengths, while recognizing, improving upon and modifying your limitations. This report does not deal with values or judgments. Instead, it concentrates on your natural tendencies that influence your behavior. HOW TO USE THIS REPORT First, read through the entire report. The first part presents your eGraph results. Right after taking your DISC Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment, you will only see your results. As you invite others to complete the observer assessment, as they see you, more and more plot points will appear on your eGraph. This first section of your report will also cover how to read and interpret your eGraph results. It also includes a background section on the classic Johari window concept plus a discussion of your personal “substyle” with brief descriptions of all 16 DISC substyles. The second part focuses on understanding your style characteristics at work, under stress, etc., and offers strategies for increasing your personal effectiveness. Please note that there is no ‘best’ style. Each style has its unique strengths and opportunities for continuing improvement and growth. The strengths and weaknesses, and any behavioral descriptions mentioned in this report, are tendencies only for your style group and may or may not specifically apply to you personally. The third part is to the DISC eWorkbook by going to http://www.assessments24X7.com/UOPXDISCWorkbook.pdf. This section focuses on how to use the DISC concept with others, from how to visually and verbally identify another person’s style to how to adapt your behavior to “connect” with any of the four primary DISC styles. This last section is the all important successful application of this concept in all of your interpersonal relationships. Study the characteristics of your style and how it relates to others. Practice ‘reading’ the signals others will send you and master it. Your success truly depends on the relationships you build. Why not build them on a foundation of proven, reliable skills?
During your 30-day observer assessment period, the results of your observer assessments will be compiled. You can see the results plotted on your customized eGraph. This report helps you interpret the composite results of your observers and provides suggestions on how to modify your behavior to have more effective relationships. It’s an important component to the total DISC Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment because it truly completes the 360-degree perspective initially promised to you. Isn’t a simple Self-Assessment Report accurate enough? Yes, but only from your own point of view. Quite often, the behaviors that are measured are more easily observed by others than by oneself. You know, better than others, what your own thoughts and motives are. However, others may be more accurate observers of your actual behavior... and it is behavior that is intended to be measured here. In professional and personal dealings with people, most of us experience conflicts from time to time. We may not be able to put our fingers on the cause, but something about the interaction is uncomfortable. Then too, there are those times when we first meet someone, and after several minutes feel as if we have known them for many years. When we “click” like this with people, we often call it chemistry, or say that we get “good vibes” from that person. Our ability to develop and maintain chemistry with many different kinds of people is crucial to professional and personal success. The Platinum Rule recognizes that people are different, that others may not wish to be treated the same way you do. Patterns that work for you may not work for them. In short, The Platinum Rule allows for individual differences and preferences, and serves as a useful guide for many relationship situations. When your knowledge of behavioral styles is combined with the application of The Platinum Rule™, you have an invaluable tool for creating better chemistry faster, more of the time, in more of your relationships. You’re encouraged to read through the entire DISC Platinum Rule Report. Study each section to learn, practice, and reinforce your new skills. You will learn two things: 1. Your Behavioral Style through the eyes of others 2. Your degree of self-awareness
You will know more about your self-awareness because you will be able to compare your Self-Assessment with the Assessments of your observers and see how similar they are.
PERCEPTIONS… WHAT DO THEY MEAN? How did your self-perception compare to the observers’ perceptions? There are three possible scenarios: 1. Most saw you the same 2. Most saw you differently 3. Some saw you the same while some saw you differently
The perceptions others have of our behaviors may or may not best describe who you really are. It is simply a perception of behaviors you exhibit in a particular environment or relationship. The good news is you are not your behaviors. With your new found information on behavioral styles, you have choices to modify those behaviors if needed. Studies have shown that the most effective people: 1. Know themselves 2. Know the needs or demands of the situation or relationship 3. Adapt their behaviors to meet those needs
Our behaviors are a very important part of the communication process. Suppose you tell your child he/she is the most important thing in your life and yet you find little time to spend with him/her. Or you tell your boss that you love your job and yet you are always late. The goal of these assessments is to help you become aware of your behaviors and the impact they can have on others. Then by practicing suggested behavior changes, you can enhance the relationships that otherwise have been a strain. If your observers saw you as a different Primary Behavioral Style and you want complete information about that style, you can obtain by ing the DISC eWorkbook at http://www.assessments24X7.com/UOPXDISCWorkbook.pdf. So, before diving in, let’s briefly review the four DISC Primary Styles.
BEHAVIORAL STYLES Historical, as well as contemporary, research reveals more than a dozen various models of our behavioral differences, but many share one common thread: the grouping of behavior into four categories. The Platinum Rule® focuses on patterns of external, observable behaviors using scales of directness and openness that each style exhibits. Because we can see and hear these external behaviors, it becomes much easier to ‘read’ people. This model is simple, practical, and easy to and use. As you read the descriptions of each style below, think about your new insights into your preferences. You might prefer relationships to tasks, perhaps you act slower rather than faster, or maybe you like to tell people what you think rather than keep it to yourself. Then think about the people around you in the office or at school… what style do their behavioral tendencies reflect? The following descriptions and adaptability guidelines will help you get on the same wavelength with each of the four styles. Keep in mind that no one style is better than another. Each has its’ own strengths and weaknesses. , however, strengths pushed to extremes can also become weaknesses. Here’s a quick overview of the four behavioral styles and a brief description of how extreme behaviors may be perceived by others.
Here are the four DISC Platinum Rule primary behavioral styles: The Dominance Style (D Style): The Dominance Styles are driven by two governing needs: the need to control and the need to achieve. The D Styles are goal-oriented go-getters who are most comfortable when they are in charge of people and situations. They want to accomplish many things now, so they focus on no-nonsense approaches to bottom-line results. The Dominance Styles seek expedience and are not afraid to bend the rules. They figure it is easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. The D Styles accept challenges, take authority, and plunge headfirst into solving problems. They take charge in a crisis. They are fast-paced, task-oriented, and work quickly and impressively by themselves, which means they become annoyed with delays. They are willing to challenge outdated thinking and ideas.
The Interactive Style (I Style): The Interactive Styles are friendly, enthusiastic "party-animals" who like to be where the action is. They thrive on the iration, acknowledgment, and compliments that come with being in the limelight. The I Styles just want to have fun. They are more relationship-oriented than task-oriented. They would rather "schmooze" with clients over lunch than work in the office. The Interactive Style’s strengths are enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness, and warmth. They are gifted in people skills and communication skills with individuals as well as groups. They are great influencers. They are idea-people and dreamers who excel at getting others excited about their vision. They are optimists with an abundance of charisma. These qualities help them influence people and build alliances to accomplish their goals.
The Steadiness Style (S Style): The Steadiness Styles are warm, ive, and nurturing individuals. They are the most people-oriented of the four styles. The S Styles are excellent listeners, devoted friends, and loyal employees. Their relaxed disposition makes them approachable and warm. They develop strong networks of people who are willing to be mutually ive and reliable. The S Styles are excellent team players. The Steadiness Styles are risk-averse. In fact, they may tolerate unpleasant environments rather than risk change. They like the status quo and become distressed when disruptions are severe. When the Steadiness Styles are faced with change, they need to think it through, plan, and accept it into their world. The Steadiness Styles, more than the other behavioral types, strive to maintain personal composure, stability, and balance. In the office, the Steadiness Styles are courteous, friendly, and willing to share responsibilities. They are good planners, persistent workers, and good with follow-through. Steadiness Styles go along with others even when they do not agree because they do not want to rock the boat. The Steadiness Styles are slow decision-makers because of their need for security, their need to avoid risk, and their desire to include others in the decision-making process.
The Cautious Style (C Style): The Cautious Styles are analytical, persistent, systematic people who enjoy problem solving. They are detail-oriented, which makes them more concerned with content than style. The C Styles are task-oriented people who enjoy perfecting processes and working toward tangible results. They are almost always in control of their emotions and may become uncomfortable around people who are very out-going, e.g., the Interactive Styles. In the office, the Cautious Styles work at a slow pace, allowing them to double-check their work. They tend to see the serious, complex side of situations, but their intelligence and ability to see different points of view endow them with quick and unique senses of humor. The Cautious Styles have high expectations of themselves and others, which can make them overcritical. Their tendency toward perfectionism – taken to an extreme – can cause “paralysis by overanalysis.” The C Styles are slow and deliberate decision-makers. They do research, make comparisons, determine risks, calculate margins of error, and then take action. The Cautious Styles become irritated by surprises and glitches, hence their cautious decisionmaking. The C Styles are also skeptical, so they like to see promises in writing. The Cautious Styles’ strengths include an eye for detail and accuracy, dependability, independence, persistence, follow-through, and organization. They are good listeners and ask a lot of questions; however, they run the risk of missing the forest for the trees.
We generally develop our behavioral style in our childhood. It is the result of some possible genetic predisposition and our early life experiences. Everyone has a primary style that we tend to use most of the time. Although each of us has his or her own primary style, only a small percentage of the total population can be understood clearly by just these four primary styles. Each primary style also contains four substyles. We all use some of the behaviors of the other styles in our daily work, social, or family lives to some greater or lesser degree. ADAPTABILITY This report will identify ways that you can apply your style strengths or modify your style weaknesses in order to meet the needs of a particular situation or relationship. This is called adaptability. Social scientists call it ‘social intelligence.’ There’s been a lot written lately on how your social intelligence is just as important as your Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in being successful in today’s world. In some cases, social intelligence is even more important than IQ. It makes sense when you think about it. Often, when we do what comes naturally we alienate others without realizing it. Why? Because that same behavior may not be natural for them. It’s essential that we become aware of our natural tendencies – and their natural preferences! Then we can defuse extreme behaviors before we sabotage ourselves. We do this by quickly identifying the individual needs of others based on the behavioral signals they will send to us, and then adapting our own behavior to make them feel comfortable. Your ideas don’t change, but you can change the way you present those ideas. And the best part of it is – people will teach you how to treat them if you know how to read the signals their behavioral styles will send you! A study was done at the famous Bell Labs think tank near Princeton, New Jersey. They surveyed teams of electrical engineers. They were asked to name the most valued and productive engineers on the teams. Surprisingly, those who were named were not the people with the highest IQs, or the highest academic credentials or the best scores on achievement tests. The most valued team were the people whose social intelligence, or adaptability, was highest. HERE IS THE VALUE OF ADAPTABILITY… It can’t be overstated. It’s a linchpin of The Platinum Rule® and the key to building successful relationships of all kinds. Adaptable people realize there is a difference between their self (who they are) and their behavior (how they choose to act). Adaptable people consciously decide whether and how to respond to a person, a situation, or an event.
Less adaptable people, on the other hand, respond in a more habitual manner, regardless of whether the response is likely to be appropriate or effective. But even if you are a person who’s been wedded to your own ways of thinking and doing for a very long time, there is hope. You can commit to learn to be more adaptable. When you understand each of the four styles, how to recognize them in others, and how to adapt to them in key ways, you can have command of almost any interpersonal situation. Whether someone is male or female, young or old, part of a Western culture or some other, our behavioral style is often evident. Let’s face it, we may all be created equal, but we surely do not all act the same. And we don’t all want to be treated the same. What may be a good response or reaction toward one person may be all wrong for the very next. Now, it’s true, we don’t always act the same. You might behave differently with your best friend than with your boss. You don’t act at a cocktail party as you do at church. While your style may have its own particular twist, like a song that’s interpreted differently by various artists, it’s still clearly one of the four basic styles. You’re constantly sending out signals revealing that style, through the words you choose, body language, the speed and rhythm of your speech, how you dress, how your space is organized, how fast you walk. Imagine the benefits of understanding how to treat people the way they want to be treated! Your interactions with people can change dramatically. Shaky relationships can suddenly become good ones. Good relationships can now be even better than before. If only for the stress it eliminates in interpersonal relationships, this profile is worth its weight in …platinum! THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE PLATINUM RULE… is personal chemistry and productive relationships. You do not have to change your personality. You do not have to roll over and submit to others. You simply have to understand what drives people and recognize your options for dealing with them. The key objective of this whole concept is understanding your own style, understanding and being able to quickly and accurately identify the style of others, and then adapting so that you treat others the way they want to be treated. These are powerful life-skills that will serve you well in all your relationships: business, friends, school, spouse, and children. Improved relationships create infinite possibilities. , at the introduction to your DISC Platinum Rule™ Behavioral Style SelfAssessment Report, I reminded you that you can’t expect to change a lifetime’s habit patterns overnight. But you can begin to change, if you are committed. Your investment of time and resources into this assessment shows that you are on the right track.
for lamonica austin
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
Self-assessment Observers who know you in this setting: School Associate Average of Observers in this setting: School Associate (will only display if more than 3 observers) Observers who know you in this setting: Business Associate Average of Observers in this setting: Business Associate (will only display if more than 3 observers)
Chances are good that your perception of yourself is fairly accurate, but only from your personal point of view. Quite often, the behaviors we’re measuring with The DISC Platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment are more easily observed by others than by yourself. You know better than others what your own thoughts and motives are. But others may be more accurate observers of your actual behavior... and it is behavior that we’re intending to measure here. If there is a large discrepancy between your self-assessment and the observer assessments, resist the temptation to dismiss their perceptions. Instead, ask yourself about the implications of these differences. Realize that you possess more assets-and more areas for improvement-than you first might have thought. At the very least, the differences may provide you with some valuable insights. It is quite common for people to see themselves differently from the way others see them. The good news is that it gives you an opportunity to learn more about yourself, to become more effective in ways you may not have ever thought about before. Since your eGraph may be updated throughout the 30 day Observer period, it may change from time to time. At the end of the 30 days, we suggest you and save your report in the PDF format to have your most current eGraph included in this report – and then continue with the interpretation of your eGraph. INTERPRETING YOUR eGRAPH Research indicates that the people who are closest to you – either in a school or business setting- are the most aware of your behavioral style. They work with you or socialize with you every day and see many facets of your behaviors, such as the ways that you work with people, your preference for working alone or with others, and your reactions to stress, confrontations, triumphs, frustrations, and so on. Often these interpretations will cluster around the same area of your eGraph. To help you interpret your eGraph, first we will look at the plots of observers who know you in a business setting and ask some questions to help you interpret the results. Then we will look at the plots of those who responded as they know you in a school setting. Finally, we will look at the combination eGraph.
School Associate Refer to a copy of your eGraph on page 8. 1. Take a look at the responses from School Associate observers. Are the plot points scattered or clustered?
2. What does this tell you?
3. If they are scattered, how do you explain these differences?
4. Do most of your plots fall above or below the center horizontal line indicating that you use mostly direct behaviors (Above: Dominance Style and Interactive Style) or mostly indirect behaviors (Below: Steadiness Style and Cautious Style)?
5. Choose one situation or relationship to vary the level of directness to more closely match the situation or the other person’s needs in a School Associate setting and record what you varied and the response you got.
6. Do most of your plots fall to the right or left of the center vertical line indicating that you use mostly open behaviors (Right: Interactive Style and Steadiness Style) or mostly guarded behaviors (Left: Dominance Style and Cautious Style)?
7. Choose one situation or relationship to vary the level of openness to more closely match the situation or the other person’s needs in a School Associate setting and record what you varied and the response you got.
8. Choose one School Associate relationship you would like to improve. Determine the other person’s style. Choose one simple thing you can modify in your behavior to elicit a different, more positive response.
Business Associate Refer to a copy of your eGraph on page 8. 1. Take a look at the responses from Business Associate observers. Are the plot points scattered or clustered?
2. What does this tell you?
3. If they are scattered, how do you explain these differences?
4. 1. Do most of your plots fall above or below the center horizontal line indicating that you use mostly direct behaviors (Above: Dominance Style and Interactive Style) or mostly indirect behaviors (Below: Steadiness Style and Cautious Style)?
5. Choose one situation or relationship to vary the level of directness to more closely match the situation or the other person’s needs in a Business Associate setting and record what you varied and the response you got.
6. Do most of your plots fall to the right or left of the center vertical line indicating that you use mostly open behaviors (Right: Interactive Style and Steadiness Style) or mostly guarded behaviors (Left: Dominance Style and Cautious Style)?
7. Choose one situation or relationship to vary the level of openness to more closely match the situation or the other person’s needs in a Business Associate setting and record what you varied and the response you got.
8. Choose one Business Associate relationship you would like to improve. Determine the other person’s style. Choose one simple thing you can modify in your behavior to elicit a different, more positive response.
Let’s take a look at your composite eGraph representing School Associate and Business Associate observer responses. Refer to a copy of your eGraph on page 8. 1. Were you surprised by the results? If so, how?
2. Are the School Associate and Business Associate observer responses similar or different? What does this mean to you?
3. Were the observer responses similar or different from your self-assessment? What does this mean to you?
The Assessor (Ci) You are predominantly a Cautious Style. We break each main Style down into four Substyles. Yours is the Ci, which we call The Assessor. The Assessor is LESS guarded and LESS indirect than most other Cautious styles. Below is a snapshot of The Assessor Substyle… as such, it’s a closer look at you! The primary goal that motivates you is accomplishing goals with excellence. As a quick thinker, you can deal with many inputs simultaneously; however, you may be slow to take action. Your nickname of “Assessor” is based on your evaluative approach to people and tasks. You tend to have strong opinions about people and groups with whom you do not identify or agree.
YOUR TENDENCIES INCLUDE
Being tense with yourself and others when under pressure Having a natural curiosity about people Being concerned about what people think, feel, and expect Having strong attachments to your personal interests Underestimating the time required to complete tasks Being intuitive and observant about situations and people Associating your self-worth with your work Being intrigued by concepts, ideas, and processes
YOUR GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES With Tasks: You're an idea person who can profit by being more attentive to details and timely follow-through. Your curiosity sometimes leads to unpredictable digressions while you work. You can benefit by learning to pace yourself. Taking time-outs during the workday may help allay your natural intensity. With People: Because you're intense by nature, you tend to be impatient with yourself and others, especially when things aren't going well. Therefore, focus on remaining positive when dealing with situations and
people under pressure. If you can control your thoughts and emotions in such cases, you can then use your creativity to discover workable solutions.
PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT POINTERS
Be attentive to what others expect. Deliver that first before digressing into other areas that are likely to be of greater interest or curiosity to you. Stay focused on key priorities. Do that by sorting tasks into "immediate," "shorter-range," and "long-term" categories. Indicate those that you alone must do, those for which you share responsibility, and finally, those for which others have primary responsibility and your involvement is limited. Treat yourself to free time and recreation.
SUBSTYLES OF DOMINANCE STYLES The goal that motivates The Director (or Dd) is new opportunities. You are less concerned about what other people think than many other styles; therefore, you are willing to speak your mind and to take more risks. You often question authority and prefer to arrive at your own conclusions based on the facts at hand. Rather than deal with limitations such as the status quo, you tend to ignore them or deal with them and their consequences later, if at all. The goal that motivates The Adventurer (or Di) is dominance and independence. Consequently, you are wary around people who may take advantage of you or beat you to a goal. Because of your results-oriented nature, you may sometimes sacrifice quality for quantity. Your innate sense of self-importance enables you to make mistakes and still feel favorably about yourself. You do not mind confrontation and are willing to challenge others. The goal that motivates The Producer (or Ds) is accomplishing bigger and better goals according to an internal timetable. You prefer to be involved in your chosen activities from start to finish, and you resist people who are obstacles to your achievements. Your ability to produce makes you highly valued in situations in which an efficient, dependable, or incrementally improving rate of production is desired. The goal that motivates The Pioneer (or Dc) is being in a position to direct and redirect task accomplishments. You tend to focus more on the future than on either the present or the past. You are driven by a quest for unique accomplishments and you avoid boredom. Although you are cautious and calculating, your ability to think quickly enables you to act quickly when the situation requires it. As an agent of change, you do not like to leave things as you found them.
SUBSTYLES OF INTERACTIVE STYLES
The goal that motivates The Socializer (or Ii) is social approval from others. You have a natural tendency to meet people, and others feel comfortable with you. You speak freely about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and expect others to do the same. You show your acceptance of others by eye and touching as well as by words. You are very receptive to change and adjust well to diverse ways of doing things. The goal that motivates The Helper (or Is) is friendship. You have a natural dislike of pressuring others or telling them what to do. You seek close, personal relationships rather than popularity and have a wide range of friends and acquaintances. You communicate a low-key, casual style of caring and sharing. You are deliberate and patient in your approach to tasks. You are extremely sensitive to criticism, and allow it to affect your relationships. The goal that motivates The Impresser (or Ic) is to win with flair. However, you do not want to win at any cost or hurt others’ feelings. Taking shortcuts seems like cheating to you, so you avoid such behaviors. You can become impatient with those who procrastinate about getting started. At times, you can get so involved with getting a job done that you stretch the truth a bit. The goal that motivates The Enthusiast (or Id) is influencing people. You enjoy symbols of authority and prestige. You feel uncomfortable with any kind of confinement or restriction of freedom. Your high level of self-confidence enables you to withstand criticism from others. Each new person and situation is interesting to you, so life seems continually fresh.
SUBSTYLES OF STEADINESS STYLES The goal that motivates The Relater (or Ss) is personal stability. Any change or risk that might jeopardize relationships or surroundings is threatening. Therefore, you focus on giving others what they want and on avoiding conflicts. Before you act, you think and plan ahead; you follow proven procedures in an orderly manner. You prefer dealing with concrete situations and data rather than theory, trends, or conjecture. You are most comfortable in a work environment that is pleasant, friendly, and non-competitive. The goal that motivates The Specialist (or Sc) is to specialize: to do only what you know and know only what you do. You prefer to focus on your own interests and avoid getting involved with crowds or highprofile situations. The best conditions for you are those that are stable and allow for steady, incremental gains. Generalists complement you; you each take on the tasks that the other dislikes. The goal that motivates The Go-Getter (or Sd) is a desire for a steady flow of more accomplishments. Despite your somewhat indirect nature, you can be very direct in situations that are task focused. Your ability to think through a project makes you a good short-term planner; you can identify the roles, resources,
and time lines needed to complete a project successfully. Your search for results leads you to be highly self-reliant, rather than to depend on others to achieve the quality you want. The goal that motivates The Harmonizer (or Si) is the acceptance and approval you gain from helping others. You want to be a person who is wanted and needed by others. You birthdays and anniversaries, and you sincerely appreciate thoughtfulness from others. As a good listener, you function better as a sounding board for venting frustrations than as a problem solver. Your interest is more in helping others to make do with the current situation than in suggesting change.
SUBSTYLES OF CAUTIOUS STYLES The goal that motivates The Thinker (or Cc) is the desire to be correct. Your life style reflects your preference for privacy, and your interactions with people are formal and poised. As a naturally curious thinker, you are more inclined to identify a spectrum of interests and behaviors than people of other types. With a natural talent for methodical and deliberate decision making, you emphasize precise understanding, accurate work, proper manners, and impeccable personal habits. The goal that motivates The Master-Minder (or Cd) is to increase opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. You express yourself more by what you do than what you say. Consequently, you have strong needs to choose your own goals and to work independently. As primarily an idea-generator and developer, you have little interest in dealing with implementation details. The goal that motivates The Assessor (or Ci) is accomplishing goals with excellence. As a quick thinker, you can deal with many inputs simultaneously; however, you may be slow to take action. The nickname of “Assessor” is based on your evaluative approach to people and tasks; you tend to have strong opinions about people and groups with whom you do not identify or agree The goal that motivates The Perfecter (or Cs) is predictable results. You pay attention to key processes and details, as well as to proven procedures and relationships. Your methodical approach, thoroughness, and dependability make you a valued employee in many kinds of organizations, especially those that involve highly specialized and focused work. Although you are not opposed to change, you do want to be sure that the change is attainable and that it will result in the desired improvement.
Cautious styles are slower-paced and task-focused. They are also indirect and guarded. They are concerned with analytical processes and are persistent, systematic problem solvers. They can also be seen as aloof, picky and critical. Cautious styles are very security-conscious and have a high need to be right, leading them to an over reliance on data collection. In their quest for data, they tend to ask many questions about specifics. Their actions and decisions tend to be slow and extremely cautious, but they will
rarely miss a deadline. Though Cautious styles are great problem solvers, they could be better decision makers. Cautious styles tend to be perfectionistic, serious, and orderly. They focus on the details and the process of work, and become irritated by surprises and “glitches.” Their theme is, “Notice my efficiency,” and their emphasis is on compliance and working within existing guidelines to promote quality in products or service. Cautious styles like organization and structure and dislike too much involvement with other people. They work slowly and precisely by themselves, are time-disciplined, and prefer an intellectual work environment. Cautious styles tend to be critical of their own performance. They tend to be skeptical and like to see things in writing. Their primary strengths are their accuracy, dependability, independence, follow-through and organization. Their primary weaknesses are their procrastination and conservative nature, which promote their tendency to be picky and over-cautious. Occupations that Cautious styles tend to gravitate toward are ing, auditing, engineering, computer programming, the hard sciences (chemistry, physics, math), systems analysis, architect, and artist. The greatest irritation for Cautious styles is disorganized, illogical people. In business environments, Cautious styles want others to be credible, professional, and courteous. In social environments, Cautious styles like others to be pleasant and sincere. Environment clues include highly organized desks with clear tops. Their office walls contain their favorite types of artwork: charts, graphs, exhibits or pictures pertaining to the job. Cautious styles are non- people who prefer the formality of distance. This preference is reflected in the functional but uninviting arrangement of their desk and chairs. Cautious styles are not fond of huggers and touchers, and prefer a cool handshake or a brief phone call. To improve their balance and behavioral flexibility, they need to: openly show concern and appreciation of others; try shortcuts and time-saving occasionally; adjust more readily to change and disorganization; improve timely decision-making and initiation of new projects; compromise with the opposition; state unpopular decisions; and use policies more as guidelines than hard and fast laws.
CAUTIOUS STYLES’ MOTIVATORS Cautious styles are motivated by the desire to be correct. Part of their identity is based upon their competence and the fact that they strive to do things right. They emphasize, therefore, things like precise understanding, accurate work, proper manners, and impeccable personal habits. Conversely, Cautious styles fear personal criticism or actions that threaten their self-preservation. Their means for avoiding such
conflicts include self-protective actions such as building personal armor that makes it difficult for others to penetrate. It is often difficult to determine their real feelings due to their wall of privacy. Cautious styles believe that this privacy reduces the probability of being victimized by irrational acts or negative situations. When stressed or under pressure, Cautious styles just want to be left alone. Cautious styles naturally favor a methodical and deliberate approach to decision making. They like to be well prepared. They want to know exactly what is expected of them and then they satisfy those requirements by being highly organized. Cautious styles like to be viewed as dependable. They almost always deliver on their promises, which they are careful about making in order to avoid unneeded difficulties. Cautious styles take pride in their ability to size up people and situations objectively. Cautious styles like to clarify, reflect, and contemplate before making decisions. They are resourceful individuals who look at life in multiple ways, many of which are unique. Their ideas are often ingenious and highly creative. Cautious styles are appreciated most by people who appreciate different and somewhat unique - or at least different - perspectives. As a free thinker, Cautious styles are inclined to explore different types of interests and behaviors. When people get to know them well, they often comment on their sense of humor. People also appreciate their ability to be discrete and avoid embarrassing other people.
CAUTIOUS STYLES’ GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES Cautious styles tend to be indecisive, especially when dealing with more complex, new, or adverse situations. They dislike making mistakes or being embarrassed. Before making decisions, they want all the information and time needed to ponder all the possibilities -- whether the situation allows this or not. Their need to be accurate and as perfect as possible often causes Cautious styles to over-analyze and overengineer things. They can also be "worry-warts." Cautious styles fear criticism, so they tend to be less communicative in general. Their modus operandi is to keep their ideas and feelings to themselves, especially when in doubt. They generally "play their cards close to their vest" or not at all. Other people may view Cautious styles as being unresponsive, aloof, or uninterested. Cautious styles can benefit by learning to share their feelings. They can also benefit by showing genuine appreciation, acknowledgment, and recognition for others. Cautious styles tend to be highly judgmental and demanding, and often wonder why people cannot try to be perfect; after all, they are. This attitude often produces further tension in their relationships. Cautious styles can benefit from being more collaborative in their dealings with people. Instead of confronting people with their discontent, Cautious styles tend to withhold and store this information in case they need to build a case against them in the future. Ironically, sometimes their relationships take a turn for the worse for this reason -- poor communication skills. Instead, Cautious styles would benefit by sharing their concerns with others in the spirit of forging a common bond. Finally, Cautious styles can benefit by being less self-critical and demanding. They are often very tense and suffer from a failure to relax and focus on recognizing and enjoying their accomplishments and interests.
IN A NUTSHELL:
Cautious styles are slower-paced and task-focused They’re cautious in their actions and decisions Cautious styles dislike involvement Cautious styles ask many questions about specific details Cautious styles prefer an objective, task-oriented, intellectual work environment Cautious styles want to be right, so they can be overly reliant on data collection Cautious styles work slowly and precisely on their own
Cautious styles have good problem solving skills
STRENGTHS: Planning Dependability Problem Solving Systematizing WEAKNESSES: Perfectionistic Critical Unresponsive PACE: Slower/Systematic GOALS: Precision Organization Accuracy FEARS: Work criticism Surprises MOTIVATORS: The process Correctness IRRITATIONS: Unpredictability Disorganization UNDER STRESS: Become withdrawn DECISIONS ARE: Deliberate FOCUS: Tasks WORKPLACE:
Functional Formal
GAINS SECURITY THROUGH: Thoroughness Preparation
THE CAUTIOUS STYLE’S TYPICAL BUSINESS CHARACTERISTICS
Concerned with process; want to know how something works Intuitive and original; once they know the expected structure, they may invent their own structure, method, or model More interested in quality than quantity; prefer lower output to inferior results Want to be right, so Cautious styles employ logical thinking processes to avoid mistakes Over-attend to quality control, especially when stressed, sometimes impeding progress with regular checking and rechecking
THE CAUTIOUS STYLE’S PREFERRED BUSINESS SITUATIONS
Colleagues and superiors do not criticize their work or ideas Can set the quality control standards and check to see if they are properly implemented Work with complete data systems, or can formulate some themselves Superiors value correctness and let Cautious styles know they are key players in the organization Workplaces are organized and process-oriented, with a minimum of socializing
SUGGESTIONS FOR CAUTIOUS STYLES TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AT WORK
Take time to negotiate and clarify time frames with associates in order to avoid misunderstanding and disappointment and keep themselves on track Recognize and acknowledge the feelings of others… that many people are unable to check their feelings and personal problems at the door when they enter the workplace Share your own feelings and concerns with colleagues Accept the fact that you generally will not be able to achieve perfection in your work… adopt a reasonable standard of high quality that is appropriate for your type of work Develop a quality control plan that assures your desired level of quality without unduly slowing the overall process Interact informally with your supervisor and coworkers… this will help you to know and understand them better as well as give you some insights into the work problems that they are facing Be more accepting of the ideas and behavior of others, recognizing that your way may not be the only way to achieve quality results Stand up to people with whom you have a disagreement and openly discuss and resolve your differences... do not try to avoid these people or strategize against them
Under stress, Cautious styles have a tendency to withdraw. An example of a typical response to a stressful situation from Cautious styles might be: “I can’t help you any further. Do what you want.”
UNDER STRESS, CAUTIOUS STYLES MAY APPEAR:
Over-reliant on data and documentation Resistant to change Slow to act Slow to begin work Unable to meet deadlines Unimaginative Withdrawn Resentful
UNDER STRESS, CAUTIOUS STYLES NEED:
Guarantees that they are right Understanding of principles and details A slow pace for “processing” information Accuracy
CAUTIOUS STYLES’ TYPICAL BEHAVIOR IN CONFLICT
Cautious styles are quite uncomfortable with overt conflict, aggression and anger. They will do whatever they can to avoid these situations and to avoid individuals with whom they have a disagreement. Cautious styles appear to acquiesce to the demands of others and, thus, avoid conflict. In reality, however, they are often just withdrawing to enable them to prepare for a future, probably covert, attempt to reestablish their position. Cautious styles often resort to various indirect techniques to manipulate the environment to make it more favorable to their position. They may resort to little known rules and procedures, the literal meaning of regulations, the use of committees, and other indirect approaches. Although Cautious styles generally avoid overt conflict, they may speak out on a matter of principle in order to protect their high standards. Since Cautious styles tend to focus on quality and their own high standards, they may become demanding in order to ensure compliance. Their tendency to be something of a loner may make it more difficult for other people to trust Cautious styles, although their demonstrated reliability tends to offset this. Cautious styles tend to hold conflicts or conflicting views in their mind, looking for proof that they are right or a new valid way of looking at things that accommodates both points of view.
STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CONFLICT AND INCREASE HARMONY WITH OTHERS
Recognize that others may be more comfortable dealing with conflict, anger, and aggression. Expressions of anger or somewhat aggressive behavior by others are not necessarily personal attacks on you. Be more open with your friends and coworkers, sharing your feelings, needs and concerns with them. Stand up for yourself with supervisors, friends, and coworkers rather than avoiding them or pretending to go along with them. Include all the people involved with a project in your decision-making process. Ask for their suggestions as well as their data. Be sure to share the reasoning behind your decisions. Failure to do so makes them seem arbitrary.
Behavioral adaptability is the key to success with different styles. It can be defined as the willingness and ability to engage in a range of behaviors not necessarily characteristic of your style in response to effectively dealing with the requirements of a situation or relationship. It involves making adjustments to your methods of communicating and behaving based on the particular needs of the relationship at a particular time. Adaptable people make the choice to go beyond their own comfort zone so others also feel more comfortable.
On the next few pages are action plans to give Cautious styles suggestions on how to adapt their behavior, as well as ideas for others to help Cautious styles be more adaptable. It will give them clues to understand the Cautious style’s behavioral tendencies. To make the most effective use of these assessments and action plans, have all those you interact with complete an observer response form on how they see you, as well as an assessment on themselves. Then set aside some time to discuss strategies you each can use in adapting your behaviors to create greater ease and less conflict in the relationships. Cautious Styles...
Dealing With Cautious Styles...
- Are concerned with controlling emotions; avoiding aggression
- Approach them in an indirect, non-threatening way
- Think logically
- Show your reasoning
- Seek data
- Give it to them in writing
- Need to know the process
- Provide explanations and rationale
- Utilize caution
- Allow them to think, inquire and check things out before they make decisions
- Prefer to do things alone
- When delegating, let them check on others’ progress and performance
- Want others to notice their accuracy
- Compliment them on their thoroughness and correctness
- Gravitate toward quality control
- Let them assess and be involved in the process when possible
- Avoid conflict
- Tactfully ask for clarification and assistance you may need
- Need to be right
- Allow them time to find the best or “correct” answer, within available limits
- Like to contemplate
- Tell them “why” and “how”
For Cautious Styles:
Modify criticism (spoken or unspoken) of others’ work Check less often, or only check the critical things (not everything), allowing the flow of the process to continue Ease up on controlling emotions; engage in more water cooler interaction Accept the fact that you can have high standards without expecting perfection Occasionally confront a colleague (or boss) with whom you disagree, instead of avoiding or ignoring them and doing what you want to do anyway Tone down your tendency to OVER prepare
For Others Working with Cautious Styles: Show yourself to be thorough and well prepared by:
ing their organized, thoughtful approach when possible Showing commitment through your actions, not just words Being detailed, accurate, and logical Listing advantages and disadvantages of any plan Providing solid, tangible evidence Adhering to established procedures Giving assurances that decisions will not backfire on them
NOTE: To be more effective, have other people you work with take the assessment on themselves. Then set aside some time to share the results. Discuss how you each can adapt your behaviors to create more satisfying working relationships.
FREE RESOURCES The DISC eWorkbook - Discover which style seeks power and which one wants results. Who loves consistency and who fears change? This knowledge shows you how to sell your ideas and win people over. Use the DISC eWorkbook to put yourself and your projects in the best position to win. at http://www.assessments24X7.com/UOPXDISCWorkbook.pdf
The PeopleSmart in Business eBook - Discover who seeks recognition and who wants results. Who loves consistency and who fears change? This knowledge shows you how to sell your ideas and win people over. You’ll be able to reach the unreachable. When a job needs to be done, pick the right person for the job. And put yourself and your projects in the best position to win. at http://www.assessments24X7.com/PSEBook.pdf DISC Relationship Strategies 68min YouTube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4NzSq_tOpI
ADDITIONAL DISC RESOURCES
DISC Online Virtual Training System - http://www.drtonyvirtualtraining.com Other DISC Products - http://www.alessandra.com/tadisc.asp
Primary References
Alessandra, Tony, Ph.D., and Michael J. O’Connor, Ph.D. 2006. People Smart in Business. New York: Morgan James Publishing Alessandra, Tony, Ph.D., and Michael J. O’Connor, Ph.D. 1996. The Platinum Rule®. New York, NY: Warner Books. Merrill, David, and Roger Reid. 1977. Personal Styles and Effective Performance. Chilton Book Co. Geier, John C., Ph.D. 1977. (D.I.S.C.) Personal Profile System. Performax Systems International, Inc.
Secondary References
Hunsaker, Phillip, Ph.D., and Anthony J. Alessandra, Ph.D. 2008. The NEW Art of Managing People. Free Press/Simon & Schuster. Alessandra, Tony, Ph.D., Ronald Finklestein, Scott Michael Zimmerman. 2007. The Platinum Rule for Small Business Mastery. New York: Platinum Rule Press (an imprint of Morgan James Publishing) Littauer, Florence, Littauer, Marita. 2006. Communication Plus: How to Speak So People Will Listen. Regal Books from Gospel Light. Massey, Brent. 2006. Where in the World Do I Belong? Jetlag Press. Alessandra, Tony Ph.D., Scott Michael Zimmerman, Joseph LaLopa Ph.D. 2006. The Platinum Rule for Sales Mastery. New York: Platinum Rule Press (an imprint of Morgan James Publishing) Miscisin, Mary. 2001. Showing Our True Colors. True Colors Publishing. Quenk, Naomi L. 2000. Essentials of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Littauer, Florence. 1986. Discover the Real You by Uncovering the Roots of Your Personality Tree. Waco, TX: Word Books. Atkins, Stuart. 1982. The Name of Your Game. Stuart Atkins, Inc. DeVille, Jard. 1979. Nice Guys Finish First. William Morrow & Company. Galen, Claudius, Second Century A.D. Philosopher & Physician, as referenced by Carl Jung in Psychological Times. Wilson Learning Corporation. 1977. Social Styles Sales Strategies. Wilson Learning Corp. Jung, C.G. 1923. Psychological Types. London: Pantheon Books.
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OR WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OPERABILITY, OR USEFULNESS OF THE DISCstyles ONLINE ASSESSMENT OR THE RESULTS THEREOF. You assume full responsibility, and Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra shall not be liable for, (i) your use and application of The DISCstyles Online Assessment, (ii) the adequacy, accuracy, interpretation or usefulness of The DISCstyles Online Assessment, and (iii) the results or information developed from your use or application of The DISCstyles Online Assessment. You waive any claim or rights of recourse on of claims against Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra either in your own right or on of claims against Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra by third parties. You shall indemnify and hold Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra harmless against any claims, liabilities, demands or suits of third parties. The foregoing waiver and indemnity shall apply to any claims, rights of recourse, liability, demand or suit for personal injury, property damage, or any other damage, loss or liability, directly or indirectly arising out of, resulting from or in any way connected with The DISCstyles Online Assessment, or the use, application, adequacy, accuracy, interpretation, usefulness, or management of The DISCstyles Online Assessment, or the results or information developed from any use or application of The DISCstyles Online Assessment, and whether based on contract obligation, tort liability (including negligence) or otherwise. In no event will Alessandra & Associates, Inc. or Dr. Tony Alessandra be liable for any lost profits or other consequential damages, or for any claim against you by a third party, even if Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Personalized Report for: lamonica austin Based upon The Platinum Rule® Model of Behavioral Styles By Dr. Tony Alessandra
Introduction to The DISC Platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment
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PART I – UNDERSTANDING YOUR PERSONAL eGRAPH RESULTS - Your eGraph Results
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- How to Read and Interpret Your eGraph
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- Interpreting School Associate Observer Responses
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- Interpreting Business Associate Observer Responses
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- Interpreting The Entire Composite eGraph
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- A Snapshot of Your Substyle
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- Descriptions of the 16 Substyles
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PART II – UNDERSTANDING YOUR STYLE AND INCREASING YOUR EFFECTIVENESS - An Overview of Your Primary Behavioral Style
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- A Summary of the Cautious
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- Cautiouss on the Job
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- The Cautious’s Behavior and Needs under Stress
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- How to Reduce Conflict
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- Action Plans for Cautiouss
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- Additional Resources and References
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- Disclaimer
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Dear lamonica, Congratulations on completing the DISC Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment. Completing the Assessment could be one of the most important relationship building decisions you will ever make. With your personalized and comprehensive DISC Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment, you have the tools to be successful. Your assessment will not only help you become a better you, it will help you behave more maturely and productively by teaching you how to focus on your goals instead of your fears. Then you can develop and use more of your natural strengths, while recognizing, improving upon and modifying your limitations. This report does not deal with values or judgments. Instead, it concentrates on your natural tendencies that influence your behavior. HOW TO USE THIS REPORT First, read through the entire report. The first part presents your eGraph results. Right after taking your DISC Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment, you will only see your results. As you invite others to complete the observer assessment, as they see you, more and more plot points will appear on your eGraph. This first section of your report will also cover how to read and interpret your eGraph results. It also includes a background section on the classic Johari window concept plus a discussion of your personal “substyle” with brief descriptions of all 16 DISC substyles. The second part focuses on understanding your style characteristics at work, under stress, etc., and offers strategies for increasing your personal effectiveness. Please note that there is no ‘best’ style. Each style has its unique strengths and opportunities for continuing improvement and growth. The strengths and weaknesses, and any behavioral descriptions mentioned in this report, are tendencies only for your style group and may or may not specifically apply to you personally. The third part is to the DISC eWorkbook by going to http://www.assessments24X7.com/UOPXDISCWorkbook.pdf. This section focuses on how to use the DISC concept with others, from how to visually and verbally identify another person’s style to how to adapt your behavior to “connect” with any of the four primary DISC styles. This last section is the all important successful application of this concept in all of your interpersonal relationships. Study the characteristics of your style and how it relates to others. Practice ‘reading’ the signals others will send you and master it. Your success truly depends on the relationships you build. Why not build them on a foundation of proven, reliable skills?
During your 30-day observer assessment period, the results of your observer assessments will be compiled. You can see the results plotted on your customized eGraph. This report helps you interpret the composite results of your observers and provides suggestions on how to modify your behavior to have more effective relationships. It’s an important component to the total DISC Platinum Rule® Behavioral Style Assessment because it truly completes the 360-degree perspective initially promised to you. Isn’t a simple Self-Assessment Report accurate enough? Yes, but only from your own point of view. Quite often, the behaviors that are measured are more easily observed by others than by oneself. You know, better than others, what your own thoughts and motives are. However, others may be more accurate observers of your actual behavior... and it is behavior that is intended to be measured here. In professional and personal dealings with people, most of us experience conflicts from time to time. We may not be able to put our fingers on the cause, but something about the interaction is uncomfortable. Then too, there are those times when we first meet someone, and after several minutes feel as if we have known them for many years. When we “click” like this with people, we often call it chemistry, or say that we get “good vibes” from that person. Our ability to develop and maintain chemistry with many different kinds of people is crucial to professional and personal success. The Platinum Rule recognizes that people are different, that others may not wish to be treated the same way you do. Patterns that work for you may not work for them. In short, The Platinum Rule allows for individual differences and preferences, and serves as a useful guide for many relationship situations. When your knowledge of behavioral styles is combined with the application of The Platinum Rule™, you have an invaluable tool for creating better chemistry faster, more of the time, in more of your relationships. You’re encouraged to read through the entire DISC Platinum Rule Report. Study each section to learn, practice, and reinforce your new skills. You will learn two things: 1. Your Behavioral Style through the eyes of others 2. Your degree of self-awareness
You will know more about your self-awareness because you will be able to compare your Self-Assessment with the Assessments of your observers and see how similar they are.
PERCEPTIONS… WHAT DO THEY MEAN? How did your self-perception compare to the observers’ perceptions? There are three possible scenarios: 1. Most saw you the same 2. Most saw you differently 3. Some saw you the same while some saw you differently
The perceptions others have of our behaviors may or may not best describe who you really are. It is simply a perception of behaviors you exhibit in a particular environment or relationship. The good news is you are not your behaviors. With your new found information on behavioral styles, you have choices to modify those behaviors if needed. Studies have shown that the most effective people: 1. Know themselves 2. Know the needs or demands of the situation or relationship 3. Adapt their behaviors to meet those needs
Our behaviors are a very important part of the communication process. Suppose you tell your child he/she is the most important thing in your life and yet you find little time to spend with him/her. Or you tell your boss that you love your job and yet you are always late. The goal of these assessments is to help you become aware of your behaviors and the impact they can have on others. Then by practicing suggested behavior changes, you can enhance the relationships that otherwise have been a strain. If your observers saw you as a different Primary Behavioral Style and you want complete information about that style, you can obtain by ing the DISC eWorkbook at http://www.assessments24X7.com/UOPXDISCWorkbook.pdf. So, before diving in, let’s briefly review the four DISC Primary Styles.
BEHAVIORAL STYLES Historical, as well as contemporary, research reveals more than a dozen various models of our behavioral differences, but many share one common thread: the grouping of behavior into four categories. The Platinum Rule® focuses on patterns of external, observable behaviors using scales of directness and openness that each style exhibits. Because we can see and hear these external behaviors, it becomes much easier to ‘read’ people. This model is simple, practical, and easy to and use. As you read the descriptions of each style below, think about your new insights into your preferences. You might prefer relationships to tasks, perhaps you act slower rather than faster, or maybe you like to tell people what you think rather than keep it to yourself. Then think about the people around you in the office or at school… what style do their behavioral tendencies reflect? The following descriptions and adaptability guidelines will help you get on the same wavelength with each of the four styles. Keep in mind that no one style is better than another. Each has its’ own strengths and weaknesses. , however, strengths pushed to extremes can also become weaknesses. Here’s a quick overview of the four behavioral styles and a brief description of how extreme behaviors may be perceived by others.
Here are the four DISC Platinum Rule primary behavioral styles: The Dominance Style (D Style): The Dominance Styles are driven by two governing needs: the need to control and the need to achieve. The D Styles are goal-oriented go-getters who are most comfortable when they are in charge of people and situations. They want to accomplish many things now, so they focus on no-nonsense approaches to bottom-line results. The Dominance Styles seek expedience and are not afraid to bend the rules. They figure it is easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. The D Styles accept challenges, take authority, and plunge headfirst into solving problems. They take charge in a crisis. They are fast-paced, task-oriented, and work quickly and impressively by themselves, which means they become annoyed with delays. They are willing to challenge outdated thinking and ideas.
The Interactive Style (I Style): The Interactive Styles are friendly, enthusiastic "party-animals" who like to be where the action is. They thrive on the iration, acknowledgment, and compliments that come with being in the limelight. The I Styles just want to have fun. They are more relationship-oriented than task-oriented. They would rather "schmooze" with clients over lunch than work in the office. The Interactive Style’s strengths are enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness, and warmth. They are gifted in people skills and communication skills with individuals as well as groups. They are great influencers. They are idea-people and dreamers who excel at getting others excited about their vision. They are optimists with an abundance of charisma. These qualities help them influence people and build alliances to accomplish their goals.
The Steadiness Style (S Style): The Steadiness Styles are warm, ive, and nurturing individuals. They are the most people-oriented of the four styles. The S Styles are excellent listeners, devoted friends, and loyal employees. Their relaxed disposition makes them approachable and warm. They develop strong networks of people who are willing to be mutually ive and reliable. The S Styles are excellent team players. The Steadiness Styles are risk-averse. In fact, they may tolerate unpleasant environments rather than risk change. They like the status quo and become distressed when disruptions are severe. When the Steadiness Styles are faced with change, they need to think it through, plan, and accept it into their world. The Steadiness Styles, more than the other behavioral types, strive to maintain personal composure, stability, and balance. In the office, the Steadiness Styles are courteous, friendly, and willing to share responsibilities. They are good planners, persistent workers, and good with follow-through. Steadiness Styles go along with others even when they do not agree because they do not want to rock the boat. The Steadiness Styles are slow decision-makers because of their need for security, their need to avoid risk, and their desire to include others in the decision-making process.
The Cautious Style (C Style): The Cautious Styles are analytical, persistent, systematic people who enjoy problem solving. They are detail-oriented, which makes them more concerned with content than style. The C Styles are task-oriented people who enjoy perfecting processes and working toward tangible results. They are almost always in control of their emotions and may become uncomfortable around people who are very out-going, e.g., the Interactive Styles. In the office, the Cautious Styles work at a slow pace, allowing them to double-check their work. They tend to see the serious, complex side of situations, but their intelligence and ability to see different points of view endow them with quick and unique senses of humor. The Cautious Styles have high expectations of themselves and others, which can make them overcritical. Their tendency toward perfectionism – taken to an extreme – can cause “paralysis by overanalysis.” The C Styles are slow and deliberate decision-makers. They do research, make comparisons, determine risks, calculate margins of error, and then take action. The Cautious Styles become irritated by surprises and glitches, hence their cautious decisionmaking. The C Styles are also skeptical, so they like to see promises in writing. The Cautious Styles’ strengths include an eye for detail and accuracy, dependability, independence, persistence, follow-through, and organization. They are good listeners and ask a lot of questions; however, they run the risk of missing the forest for the trees.
We generally develop our behavioral style in our childhood. It is the result of some possible genetic predisposition and our early life experiences. Everyone has a primary style that we tend to use most of the time. Although each of us has his or her own primary style, only a small percentage of the total population can be understood clearly by just these four primary styles. Each primary style also contains four substyles. We all use some of the behaviors of the other styles in our daily work, social, or family lives to some greater or lesser degree. ADAPTABILITY This report will identify ways that you can apply your style strengths or modify your style weaknesses in order to meet the needs of a particular situation or relationship. This is called adaptability. Social scientists call it ‘social intelligence.’ There’s been a lot written lately on how your social intelligence is just as important as your Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in being successful in today’s world. In some cases, social intelligence is even more important than IQ. It makes sense when you think about it. Often, when we do what comes naturally we alienate others without realizing it. Why? Because that same behavior may not be natural for them. It’s essential that we become aware of our natural tendencies – and their natural preferences! Then we can defuse extreme behaviors before we sabotage ourselves. We do this by quickly identifying the individual needs of others based on the behavioral signals they will send to us, and then adapting our own behavior to make them feel comfortable. Your ideas don’t change, but you can change the way you present those ideas. And the best part of it is – people will teach you how to treat them if you know how to read the signals their behavioral styles will send you! A study was done at the famous Bell Labs think tank near Princeton, New Jersey. They surveyed teams of electrical engineers. They were asked to name the most valued and productive engineers on the teams. Surprisingly, those who were named were not the people with the highest IQs, or the highest academic credentials or the best scores on achievement tests. The most valued team were the people whose social intelligence, or adaptability, was highest. HERE IS THE VALUE OF ADAPTABILITY… It can’t be overstated. It’s a linchpin of The Platinum Rule® and the key to building successful relationships of all kinds. Adaptable people realize there is a difference between their self (who they are) and their behavior (how they choose to act). Adaptable people consciously decide whether and how to respond to a person, a situation, or an event.
Less adaptable people, on the other hand, respond in a more habitual manner, regardless of whether the response is likely to be appropriate or effective. But even if you are a person who’s been wedded to your own ways of thinking and doing for a very long time, there is hope. You can commit to learn to be more adaptable. When you understand each of the four styles, how to recognize them in others, and how to adapt to them in key ways, you can have command of almost any interpersonal situation. Whether someone is male or female, young or old, part of a Western culture or some other, our behavioral style is often evident. Let’s face it, we may all be created equal, but we surely do not all act the same. And we don’t all want to be treated the same. What may be a good response or reaction toward one person may be all wrong for the very next. Now, it’s true, we don’t always act the same. You might behave differently with your best friend than with your boss. You don’t act at a cocktail party as you do at church. While your style may have its own particular twist, like a song that’s interpreted differently by various artists, it’s still clearly one of the four basic styles. You’re constantly sending out signals revealing that style, through the words you choose, body language, the speed and rhythm of your speech, how you dress, how your space is organized, how fast you walk. Imagine the benefits of understanding how to treat people the way they want to be treated! Your interactions with people can change dramatically. Shaky relationships can suddenly become good ones. Good relationships can now be even better than before. If only for the stress it eliminates in interpersonal relationships, this profile is worth its weight in …platinum! THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE PLATINUM RULE… is personal chemistry and productive relationships. You do not have to change your personality. You do not have to roll over and submit to others. You simply have to understand what drives people and recognize your options for dealing with them. The key objective of this whole concept is understanding your own style, understanding and being able to quickly and accurately identify the style of others, and then adapting so that you treat others the way they want to be treated. These are powerful life-skills that will serve you well in all your relationships: business, friends, school, spouse, and children. Improved relationships create infinite possibilities. , at the introduction to your DISC Platinum Rule™ Behavioral Style SelfAssessment Report, I reminded you that you can’t expect to change a lifetime’s habit patterns overnight. But you can begin to change, if you are committed. Your investment of time and resources into this assessment shows that you are on the right track.
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SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
Self-assessment Observers who know you in this setting: School Associate Average of Observers in this setting: School Associate (will only display if more than 3 observers) Observers who know you in this setting: Business Associate Average of Observers in this setting: Business Associate (will only display if more than 3 observers)
Chances are good that your perception of yourself is fairly accurate, but only from your personal point of view. Quite often, the behaviors we’re measuring with The DISC Platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment are more easily observed by others than by yourself. You know better than others what your own thoughts and motives are. But others may be more accurate observers of your actual behavior... and it is behavior that we’re intending to measure here. If there is a large discrepancy between your self-assessment and the observer assessments, resist the temptation to dismiss their perceptions. Instead, ask yourself about the implications of these differences. Realize that you possess more assets-and more areas for improvement-than you first might have thought. At the very least, the differences may provide you with some valuable insights. It is quite common for people to see themselves differently from the way others see them. The good news is that it gives you an opportunity to learn more about yourself, to become more effective in ways you may not have ever thought about before. Since your eGraph may be updated throughout the 30 day Observer period, it may change from time to time. At the end of the 30 days, we suggest you and save your report in the PDF format to have your most current eGraph included in this report – and then continue with the interpretation of your eGraph. INTERPRETING YOUR eGRAPH Research indicates that the people who are closest to you – either in a school or business setting- are the most aware of your behavioral style. They work with you or socialize with you every day and see many facets of your behaviors, such as the ways that you work with people, your preference for working alone or with others, and your reactions to stress, confrontations, triumphs, frustrations, and so on. Often these interpretations will cluster around the same area of your eGraph. To help you interpret your eGraph, first we will look at the plots of observers who know you in a business setting and ask some questions to help you interpret the results. Then we will look at the plots of those who responded as they know you in a school setting. Finally, we will look at the combination eGraph.
School Associate Refer to a copy of your eGraph on page 8. 1. Take a look at the responses from School Associate observers. Are the plot points scattered or clustered?
2. What does this tell you?
3. If they are scattered, how do you explain these differences?
4. Do most of your plots fall above or below the center horizontal line indicating that you use mostly direct behaviors (Above: Dominance Style and Interactive Style) or mostly indirect behaviors (Below: Steadiness Style and Cautious Style)?
5. Choose one situation or relationship to vary the level of directness to more closely match the situation or the other person’s needs in a School Associate setting and record what you varied and the response you got.
6. Do most of your plots fall to the right or left of the center vertical line indicating that you use mostly open behaviors (Right: Interactive Style and Steadiness Style) or mostly guarded behaviors (Left: Dominance Style and Cautious Style)?
7. Choose one situation or relationship to vary the level of openness to more closely match the situation or the other person’s needs in a School Associate setting and record what you varied and the response you got.
8. Choose one School Associate relationship you would like to improve. Determine the other person’s style. Choose one simple thing you can modify in your behavior to elicit a different, more positive response.
Business Associate Refer to a copy of your eGraph on page 8. 1. Take a look at the responses from Business Associate observers. Are the plot points scattered or clustered?
2. What does this tell you?
3. If they are scattered, how do you explain these differences?
4. 1. Do most of your plots fall above or below the center horizontal line indicating that you use mostly direct behaviors (Above: Dominance Style and Interactive Style) or mostly indirect behaviors (Below: Steadiness Style and Cautious Style)?
5. Choose one situation or relationship to vary the level of directness to more closely match the situation or the other person’s needs in a Business Associate setting and record what you varied and the response you got.
6. Do most of your plots fall to the right or left of the center vertical line indicating that you use mostly open behaviors (Right: Interactive Style and Steadiness Style) or mostly guarded behaviors (Left: Dominance Style and Cautious Style)?
7. Choose one situation or relationship to vary the level of openness to more closely match the situation or the other person’s needs in a Business Associate setting and record what you varied and the response you got.
8. Choose one Business Associate relationship you would like to improve. Determine the other person’s style. Choose one simple thing you can modify in your behavior to elicit a different, more positive response.
Let’s take a look at your composite eGraph representing School Associate and Business Associate observer responses. Refer to a copy of your eGraph on page 8. 1. Were you surprised by the results? If so, how?
2. Are the School Associate and Business Associate observer responses similar or different? What does this mean to you?
3. Were the observer responses similar or different from your self-assessment? What does this mean to you?
The Assessor (Ci) You are predominantly a Cautious Style. We break each main Style down into four Substyles. Yours is the Ci, which we call The Assessor. The Assessor is LESS guarded and LESS indirect than most other Cautious styles. Below is a snapshot of The Assessor Substyle… as such, it’s a closer look at you! The primary goal that motivates you is accomplishing goals with excellence. As a quick thinker, you can deal with many inputs simultaneously; however, you may be slow to take action. Your nickname of “Assessor” is based on your evaluative approach to people and tasks. You tend to have strong opinions about people and groups with whom you do not identify or agree.
YOUR TENDENCIES INCLUDE
Being tense with yourself and others when under pressure Having a natural curiosity about people Being concerned about what people think, feel, and expect Having strong attachments to your personal interests Underestimating the time required to complete tasks Being intuitive and observant about situations and people Associating your self-worth with your work Being intrigued by concepts, ideas, and processes
YOUR GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES With Tasks: You're an idea person who can profit by being more attentive to details and timely follow-through. Your curiosity sometimes leads to unpredictable digressions while you work. You can benefit by learning to pace yourself. Taking time-outs during the workday may help allay your natural intensity. With People: Because you're intense by nature, you tend to be impatient with yourself and others, especially when things aren't going well. Therefore, focus on remaining positive when dealing with situations and
people under pressure. If you can control your thoughts and emotions in such cases, you can then use your creativity to discover workable solutions.
PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT POINTERS
Be attentive to what others expect. Deliver that first before digressing into other areas that are likely to be of greater interest or curiosity to you. Stay focused on key priorities. Do that by sorting tasks into "immediate," "shorter-range," and "long-term" categories. Indicate those that you alone must do, those for which you share responsibility, and finally, those for which others have primary responsibility and your involvement is limited. Treat yourself to free time and recreation.
SUBSTYLES OF DOMINANCE STYLES The goal that motivates The Director (or Dd) is new opportunities. You are less concerned about what other people think than many other styles; therefore, you are willing to speak your mind and to take more risks. You often question authority and prefer to arrive at your own conclusions based on the facts at hand. Rather than deal with limitations such as the status quo, you tend to ignore them or deal with them and their consequences later, if at all. The goal that motivates The Adventurer (or Di) is dominance and independence. Consequently, you are wary around people who may take advantage of you or beat you to a goal. Because of your results-oriented nature, you may sometimes sacrifice quality for quantity. Your innate sense of self-importance enables you to make mistakes and still feel favorably about yourself. You do not mind confrontation and are willing to challenge others. The goal that motivates The Producer (or Ds) is accomplishing bigger and better goals according to an internal timetable. You prefer to be involved in your chosen activities from start to finish, and you resist people who are obstacles to your achievements. Your ability to produce makes you highly valued in situations in which an efficient, dependable, or incrementally improving rate of production is desired. The goal that motivates The Pioneer (or Dc) is being in a position to direct and redirect task accomplishments. You tend to focus more on the future than on either the present or the past. You are driven by a quest for unique accomplishments and you avoid boredom. Although you are cautious and calculating, your ability to think quickly enables you to act quickly when the situation requires it. As an agent of change, you do not like to leave things as you found them.
SUBSTYLES OF INTERACTIVE STYLES
The goal that motivates The Socializer (or Ii) is social approval from others. You have a natural tendency to meet people, and others feel comfortable with you. You speak freely about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and expect others to do the same. You show your acceptance of others by eye and touching as well as by words. You are very receptive to change and adjust well to diverse ways of doing things. The goal that motivates The Helper (or Is) is friendship. You have a natural dislike of pressuring others or telling them what to do. You seek close, personal relationships rather than popularity and have a wide range of friends and acquaintances. You communicate a low-key, casual style of caring and sharing. You are deliberate and patient in your approach to tasks. You are extremely sensitive to criticism, and allow it to affect your relationships. The goal that motivates The Impresser (or Ic) is to win with flair. However, you do not want to win at any cost or hurt others’ feelings. Taking shortcuts seems like cheating to you, so you avoid such behaviors. You can become impatient with those who procrastinate about getting started. At times, you can get so involved with getting a job done that you stretch the truth a bit. The goal that motivates The Enthusiast (or Id) is influencing people. You enjoy symbols of authority and prestige. You feel uncomfortable with any kind of confinement or restriction of freedom. Your high level of self-confidence enables you to withstand criticism from others. Each new person and situation is interesting to you, so life seems continually fresh.
SUBSTYLES OF STEADINESS STYLES The goal that motivates The Relater (or Ss) is personal stability. Any change or risk that might jeopardize relationships or surroundings is threatening. Therefore, you focus on giving others what they want and on avoiding conflicts. Before you act, you think and plan ahead; you follow proven procedures in an orderly manner. You prefer dealing with concrete situations and data rather than theory, trends, or conjecture. You are most comfortable in a work environment that is pleasant, friendly, and non-competitive. The goal that motivates The Specialist (or Sc) is to specialize: to do only what you know and know only what you do. You prefer to focus on your own interests and avoid getting involved with crowds or highprofile situations. The best conditions for you are those that are stable and allow for steady, incremental gains. Generalists complement you; you each take on the tasks that the other dislikes. The goal that motivates The Go-Getter (or Sd) is a desire for a steady flow of more accomplishments. Despite your somewhat indirect nature, you can be very direct in situations that are task focused. Your ability to think through a project makes you a good short-term planner; you can identify the roles, resources,
and time lines needed to complete a project successfully. Your search for results leads you to be highly self-reliant, rather than to depend on others to achieve the quality you want. The goal that motivates The Harmonizer (or Si) is the acceptance and approval you gain from helping others. You want to be a person who is wanted and needed by others. You birthdays and anniversaries, and you sincerely appreciate thoughtfulness from others. As a good listener, you function better as a sounding board for venting frustrations than as a problem solver. Your interest is more in helping others to make do with the current situation than in suggesting change.
SUBSTYLES OF CAUTIOUS STYLES The goal that motivates The Thinker (or Cc) is the desire to be correct. Your life style reflects your preference for privacy, and your interactions with people are formal and poised. As a naturally curious thinker, you are more inclined to identify a spectrum of interests and behaviors than people of other types. With a natural talent for methodical and deliberate decision making, you emphasize precise understanding, accurate work, proper manners, and impeccable personal habits. The goal that motivates The Master-Minder (or Cd) is to increase opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. You express yourself more by what you do than what you say. Consequently, you have strong needs to choose your own goals and to work independently. As primarily an idea-generator and developer, you have little interest in dealing with implementation details. The goal that motivates The Assessor (or Ci) is accomplishing goals with excellence. As a quick thinker, you can deal with many inputs simultaneously; however, you may be slow to take action. The nickname of “Assessor” is based on your evaluative approach to people and tasks; you tend to have strong opinions about people and groups with whom you do not identify or agree The goal that motivates The Perfecter (or Cs) is predictable results. You pay attention to key processes and details, as well as to proven procedures and relationships. Your methodical approach, thoroughness, and dependability make you a valued employee in many kinds of organizations, especially those that involve highly specialized and focused work. Although you are not opposed to change, you do want to be sure that the change is attainable and that it will result in the desired improvement.
Cautious styles are slower-paced and task-focused. They are also indirect and guarded. They are concerned with analytical processes and are persistent, systematic problem solvers. They can also be seen as aloof, picky and critical. Cautious styles are very security-conscious and have a high need to be right, leading them to an over reliance on data collection. In their quest for data, they tend to ask many questions about specifics. Their actions and decisions tend to be slow and extremely cautious, but they will
rarely miss a deadline. Though Cautious styles are great problem solvers, they could be better decision makers. Cautious styles tend to be perfectionistic, serious, and orderly. They focus on the details and the process of work, and become irritated by surprises and “glitches.” Their theme is, “Notice my efficiency,” and their emphasis is on compliance and working within existing guidelines to promote quality in products or service. Cautious styles like organization and structure and dislike too much involvement with other people. They work slowly and precisely by themselves, are time-disciplined, and prefer an intellectual work environment. Cautious styles tend to be critical of their own performance. They tend to be skeptical and like to see things in writing. Their primary strengths are their accuracy, dependability, independence, follow-through and organization. Their primary weaknesses are their procrastination and conservative nature, which promote their tendency to be picky and over-cautious. Occupations that Cautious styles tend to gravitate toward are ing, auditing, engineering, computer programming, the hard sciences (chemistry, physics, math), systems analysis, architect, and artist. The greatest irritation for Cautious styles is disorganized, illogical people. In business environments, Cautious styles want others to be credible, professional, and courteous. In social environments, Cautious styles like others to be pleasant and sincere. Environment clues include highly organized desks with clear tops. Their office walls contain their favorite types of artwork: charts, graphs, exhibits or pictures pertaining to the job. Cautious styles are non- people who prefer the formality of distance. This preference is reflected in the functional but uninviting arrangement of their desk and chairs. Cautious styles are not fond of huggers and touchers, and prefer a cool handshake or a brief phone call. To improve their balance and behavioral flexibility, they need to: openly show concern and appreciation of others; try shortcuts and time-saving occasionally; adjust more readily to change and disorganization; improve timely decision-making and initiation of new projects; compromise with the opposition; state unpopular decisions; and use policies more as guidelines than hard and fast laws.
CAUTIOUS STYLES’ MOTIVATORS Cautious styles are motivated by the desire to be correct. Part of their identity is based upon their competence and the fact that they strive to do things right. They emphasize, therefore, things like precise understanding, accurate work, proper manners, and impeccable personal habits. Conversely, Cautious styles fear personal criticism or actions that threaten their self-preservation. Their means for avoiding such
conflicts include self-protective actions such as building personal armor that makes it difficult for others to penetrate. It is often difficult to determine their real feelings due to their wall of privacy. Cautious styles believe that this privacy reduces the probability of being victimized by irrational acts or negative situations. When stressed or under pressure, Cautious styles just want to be left alone. Cautious styles naturally favor a methodical and deliberate approach to decision making. They like to be well prepared. They want to know exactly what is expected of them and then they satisfy those requirements by being highly organized. Cautious styles like to be viewed as dependable. They almost always deliver on their promises, which they are careful about making in order to avoid unneeded difficulties. Cautious styles take pride in their ability to size up people and situations objectively. Cautious styles like to clarify, reflect, and contemplate before making decisions. They are resourceful individuals who look at life in multiple ways, many of which are unique. Their ideas are often ingenious and highly creative. Cautious styles are appreciated most by people who appreciate different and somewhat unique - or at least different - perspectives. As a free thinker, Cautious styles are inclined to explore different types of interests and behaviors. When people get to know them well, they often comment on their sense of humor. People also appreciate their ability to be discrete and avoid embarrassing other people.
CAUTIOUS STYLES’ GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES Cautious styles tend to be indecisive, especially when dealing with more complex, new, or adverse situations. They dislike making mistakes or being embarrassed. Before making decisions, they want all the information and time needed to ponder all the possibilities -- whether the situation allows this or not. Their need to be accurate and as perfect as possible often causes Cautious styles to over-analyze and overengineer things. They can also be "worry-warts." Cautious styles fear criticism, so they tend to be less communicative in general. Their modus operandi is to keep their ideas and feelings to themselves, especially when in doubt. They generally "play their cards close to their vest" or not at all. Other people may view Cautious styles as being unresponsive, aloof, or uninterested. Cautious styles can benefit by learning to share their feelings. They can also benefit by showing genuine appreciation, acknowledgment, and recognition for others. Cautious styles tend to be highly judgmental and demanding, and often wonder why people cannot try to be perfect; after all, they are. This attitude often produces further tension in their relationships. Cautious styles can benefit from being more collaborative in their dealings with people. Instead of confronting people with their discontent, Cautious styles tend to withhold and store this information in case they need to build a case against them in the future. Ironically, sometimes their relationships take a turn for the worse for this reason -- poor communication skills. Instead, Cautious styles would benefit by sharing their concerns with others in the spirit of forging a common bond. Finally, Cautious styles can benefit by being less self-critical and demanding. They are often very tense and suffer from a failure to relax and focus on recognizing and enjoying their accomplishments and interests.
IN A NUTSHELL:
Cautious styles are slower-paced and task-focused They’re cautious in their actions and decisions Cautious styles dislike involvement Cautious styles ask many questions about specific details Cautious styles prefer an objective, task-oriented, intellectual work environment Cautious styles want to be right, so they can be overly reliant on data collection Cautious styles work slowly and precisely on their own
Cautious styles have good problem solving skills
STRENGTHS: Planning Dependability Problem Solving Systematizing WEAKNESSES: Perfectionistic Critical Unresponsive PACE: Slower/Systematic GOALS: Precision Organization Accuracy FEARS: Work criticism Surprises MOTIVATORS: The process Correctness IRRITATIONS: Unpredictability Disorganization UNDER STRESS: Become withdrawn DECISIONS ARE: Deliberate FOCUS: Tasks WORKPLACE:
Functional Formal
GAINS SECURITY THROUGH: Thoroughness Preparation
THE CAUTIOUS STYLE’S TYPICAL BUSINESS CHARACTERISTICS
Concerned with process; want to know how something works Intuitive and original; once they know the expected structure, they may invent their own structure, method, or model More interested in quality than quantity; prefer lower output to inferior results Want to be right, so Cautious styles employ logical thinking processes to avoid mistakes Over-attend to quality control, especially when stressed, sometimes impeding progress with regular checking and rechecking
THE CAUTIOUS STYLE’S PREFERRED BUSINESS SITUATIONS
Colleagues and superiors do not criticize their work or ideas Can set the quality control standards and check to see if they are properly implemented Work with complete data systems, or can formulate some themselves Superiors value correctness and let Cautious styles know they are key players in the organization Workplaces are organized and process-oriented, with a minimum of socializing
SUGGESTIONS FOR CAUTIOUS STYLES TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AT WORK
Take time to negotiate and clarify time frames with associates in order to avoid misunderstanding and disappointment and keep themselves on track Recognize and acknowledge the feelings of others… that many people are unable to check their feelings and personal problems at the door when they enter the workplace Share your own feelings and concerns with colleagues Accept the fact that you generally will not be able to achieve perfection in your work… adopt a reasonable standard of high quality that is appropriate for your type of work Develop a quality control plan that assures your desired level of quality without unduly slowing the overall process Interact informally with your supervisor and coworkers… this will help you to know and understand them better as well as give you some insights into the work problems that they are facing Be more accepting of the ideas and behavior of others, recognizing that your way may not be the only way to achieve quality results Stand up to people with whom you have a disagreement and openly discuss and resolve your differences... do not try to avoid these people or strategize against them
Under stress, Cautious styles have a tendency to withdraw. An example of a typical response to a stressful situation from Cautious styles might be: “I can’t help you any further. Do what you want.”
UNDER STRESS, CAUTIOUS STYLES MAY APPEAR:
Over-reliant on data and documentation Resistant to change Slow to act Slow to begin work Unable to meet deadlines Unimaginative Withdrawn Resentful
UNDER STRESS, CAUTIOUS STYLES NEED:
Guarantees that they are right Understanding of principles and details A slow pace for “processing” information Accuracy
CAUTIOUS STYLES’ TYPICAL BEHAVIOR IN CONFLICT
Cautious styles are quite uncomfortable with overt conflict, aggression and anger. They will do whatever they can to avoid these situations and to avoid individuals with whom they have a disagreement. Cautious styles appear to acquiesce to the demands of others and, thus, avoid conflict. In reality, however, they are often just withdrawing to enable them to prepare for a future, probably covert, attempt to reestablish their position. Cautious styles often resort to various indirect techniques to manipulate the environment to make it more favorable to their position. They may resort to little known rules and procedures, the literal meaning of regulations, the use of committees, and other indirect approaches. Although Cautious styles generally avoid overt conflict, they may speak out on a matter of principle in order to protect their high standards. Since Cautious styles tend to focus on quality and their own high standards, they may become demanding in order to ensure compliance. Their tendency to be something of a loner may make it more difficult for other people to trust Cautious styles, although their demonstrated reliability tends to offset this. Cautious styles tend to hold conflicts or conflicting views in their mind, looking for proof that they are right or a new valid way of looking at things that accommodates both points of view.
STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CONFLICT AND INCREASE HARMONY WITH OTHERS
Recognize that others may be more comfortable dealing with conflict, anger, and aggression. Expressions of anger or somewhat aggressive behavior by others are not necessarily personal attacks on you. Be more open with your friends and coworkers, sharing your feelings, needs and concerns with them. Stand up for yourself with supervisors, friends, and coworkers rather than avoiding them or pretending to go along with them. Include all the people involved with a project in your decision-making process. Ask for their suggestions as well as their data. Be sure to share the reasoning behind your decisions. Failure to do so makes them seem arbitrary.
Behavioral adaptability is the key to success with different styles. It can be defined as the willingness and ability to engage in a range of behaviors not necessarily characteristic of your style in response to effectively dealing with the requirements of a situation or relationship. It involves making adjustments to your methods of communicating and behaving based on the particular needs of the relationship at a particular time. Adaptable people make the choice to go beyond their own comfort zone so others also feel more comfortable.
On the next few pages are action plans to give Cautious styles suggestions on how to adapt their behavior, as well as ideas for others to help Cautious styles be more adaptable. It will give them clues to understand the Cautious style’s behavioral tendencies. To make the most effective use of these assessments and action plans, have all those you interact with complete an observer response form on how they see you, as well as an assessment on themselves. Then set aside some time to discuss strategies you each can use in adapting your behaviors to create greater ease and less conflict in the relationships. Cautious Styles...
Dealing With Cautious Styles...
- Are concerned with controlling emotions; avoiding aggression
- Approach them in an indirect, non-threatening way
- Think logically
- Show your reasoning
- Seek data
- Give it to them in writing
- Need to know the process
- Provide explanations and rationale
- Utilize caution
- Allow them to think, inquire and check things out before they make decisions
- Prefer to do things alone
- When delegating, let them check on others’ progress and performance
- Want others to notice their accuracy
- Compliment them on their thoroughness and correctness
- Gravitate toward quality control
- Let them assess and be involved in the process when possible
- Avoid conflict
- Tactfully ask for clarification and assistance you may need
- Need to be right
- Allow them time to find the best or “correct” answer, within available limits
- Like to contemplate
- Tell them “why” and “how”
For Cautious Styles:
Modify criticism (spoken or unspoken) of others’ work Check less often, or only check the critical things (not everything), allowing the flow of the process to continue Ease up on controlling emotions; engage in more water cooler interaction Accept the fact that you can have high standards without expecting perfection Occasionally confront a colleague (or boss) with whom you disagree, instead of avoiding or ignoring them and doing what you want to do anyway Tone down your tendency to OVER prepare
For Others Working with Cautious Styles: Show yourself to be thorough and well prepared by:
ing their organized, thoughtful approach when possible Showing commitment through your actions, not just words Being detailed, accurate, and logical Listing advantages and disadvantages of any plan Providing solid, tangible evidence Adhering to established procedures Giving assurances that decisions will not backfire on them
NOTE: To be more effective, have other people you work with take the assessment on themselves. Then set aside some time to share the results. Discuss how you each can adapt your behaviors to create more satisfying working relationships.
FREE RESOURCES The DISC eWorkbook - Discover which style seeks power and which one wants results. Who loves consistency and who fears change? This knowledge shows you how to sell your ideas and win people over. Use the DISC eWorkbook to put yourself and your projects in the best position to win. at http://www.assessments24X7.com/UOPXDISCWorkbook.pdf
The PeopleSmart in Business eBook - Discover who seeks recognition and who wants results. Who loves consistency and who fears change? This knowledge shows you how to sell your ideas and win people over. You’ll be able to reach the unreachable. When a job needs to be done, pick the right person for the job. And put yourself and your projects in the best position to win. at http://www.assessments24X7.com/PSEBook.pdf DISC Relationship Strategies 68min YouTube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4NzSq_tOpI
ADDITIONAL DISC RESOURCES
DISC Online Virtual Training System - http://www.drtonyvirtualtraining.com Other DISC Products - http://www.alessandra.com/tadisc.asp
Primary References
Alessandra, Tony, Ph.D., and Michael J. O’Connor, Ph.D. 2006. People Smart in Business. New York: Morgan James Publishing Alessandra, Tony, Ph.D., and Michael J. O’Connor, Ph.D. 1996. The Platinum Rule®. New York, NY: Warner Books. Merrill, David, and Roger Reid. 1977. Personal Styles and Effective Performance. Chilton Book Co. Geier, John C., Ph.D. 1977. (D.I.S.C.) Personal Profile System. Performax Systems International, Inc.
Secondary References
Hunsaker, Phillip, Ph.D., and Anthony J. Alessandra, Ph.D. 2008. The NEW Art of Managing People. Free Press/Simon & Schuster. Alessandra, Tony, Ph.D., Ronald Finklestein, Scott Michael Zimmerman. 2007. The Platinum Rule for Small Business Mastery. New York: Platinum Rule Press (an imprint of Morgan James Publishing) Littauer, Florence, Littauer, Marita. 2006. Communication Plus: How to Speak So People Will Listen. Regal Books from Gospel Light. Massey, Brent. 2006. Where in the World Do I Belong? Jetlag Press. Alessandra, Tony Ph.D., Scott Michael Zimmerman, Joseph LaLopa Ph.D. 2006. The Platinum Rule for Sales Mastery. New York: Platinum Rule Press (an imprint of Morgan James Publishing) Miscisin, Mary. 2001. Showing Our True Colors. True Colors Publishing. Quenk, Naomi L. 2000. Essentials of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Littauer, Florence. 1986. Discover the Real You by Uncovering the Roots of Your Personality Tree. Waco, TX: Word Books. Atkins, Stuart. 1982. The Name of Your Game. Stuart Atkins, Inc. DeVille, Jard. 1979. Nice Guys Finish First. William Morrow & Company. Galen, Claudius, Second Century A.D. Philosopher & Physician, as referenced by Carl Jung in Psychological Times. Wilson Learning Corporation. 1977. Social Styles Sales Strategies. Wilson Learning Corp. Jung, C.G. 1923. Psychological Types. London: Pantheon Books.
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OR WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OPERABILITY, OR USEFULNESS OF THE DISCstyles ONLINE ASSESSMENT OR THE RESULTS THEREOF. You assume full responsibility, and Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra shall not be liable for, (i) your use and application of The DISCstyles Online Assessment, (ii) the adequacy, accuracy, interpretation or usefulness of The DISCstyles Online Assessment, and (iii) the results or information developed from your use or application of The DISCstyles Online Assessment. You waive any claim or rights of recourse on of claims against Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra either in your own right or on of claims against Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra by third parties. You shall indemnify and hold Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra harmless against any claims, liabilities, demands or suits of third parties. The foregoing waiver and indemnity shall apply to any claims, rights of recourse, liability, demand or suit for personal injury, property damage, or any other damage, loss or liability, directly or indirectly arising out of, resulting from or in any way connected with The DISCstyles Online Assessment, or the use, application, adequacy, accuracy, interpretation, usefulness, or management of The DISCstyles Online Assessment, or the results or information developed from any use or application of The DISCstyles Online Assessment, and whether based on contract obligation, tort liability (including negligence) or otherwise. In no event will Alessandra & Associates, Inc. or Dr. Tony Alessandra be liable for any lost profits or other consequential damages, or for any claim against you by a third party, even if Alessandra & Associates, Inc. and Dr. Tony Alessandra has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
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