As a manager, there’s power in understanding how you tend to communicate and make decisions.
But there’s even more power in understanding the tendencies of others.
Great managers adapt to meet team members where they are. When you understand someone’s motivations and communication preferences, you build stronger working relationships.
The DiSC personality and leadership style assessment is a tool you can use to gain this understanding because it offers insights into your own style and those of your team members.
By knowing your team’s DiSC styles, you can better tailor your feedback, align tasks with strengths, and create a work environment where everyone thrives.
Here are four practical steps to get started:
1. Get to Know Your Team Members’ Styles
Start by doing a DiSC assessment with your team. (Let us know if you’d like us to facilitate this for your team.) If you’re not ready to dive into DiSC officially, there is a simple method to get a rough idea of their style. Start by observing and talking with each person to see where they fit along two key axes:
- Vertical axis: Energy and expressiveness
- At the top: Fast Acting and Outspoken
- At the bottom: Thoughtful and Reserved
- Horizontal axis: Interaction with others
- To the left: Task-Oriented and Questioning
- To the right: People-Oriented and Accepting
These two axes create the four DiSC quadrants: Dominance top left, Influence top right, Steadiness bottom right, and Conscientiousness bottom left.
Next, you can map out where each team member falls on the DiSC wheel.
Then take the time to learn about each DiSC style. This knowledge can help you improve communication with your colleagues, especially when there’s tension.
For example, as an “Si” style, I’m naturally conversational and often start a meeting with small talk about life. My “D” style business partner is very direct.
Before understanding our styles, I sometimes perceived him as rude, even bulldozing, while he wondered if I cared about the topic at hand. Can you feel the friction? DiSC helped us recognize and navigate these differences.
2. Match DiSC Styles to Projects and Tasks
When working on business priorities, consider your employees’ strengths and DiSC styles to identify who to bring in on different tasks or projects.
- If you need someone for a detail-oriented analysis, who is your “C” style?
- If you’re focused on employee engagement, who has the “i” style?
- If the task requires significant collaboration, who is “S” style?
- If you want fast action and a competitive edge, who has “D” tendencies?
Making this effort ensures your employees stay engaged and that their work aligns with their interests and motivations.
3. Tailor One-on-One Conversations
Before a coaching conversation or performance review, I like to review the individual’s DiSC profile. This quick check reminds me of their motivations and communication preferences, helping ensure my message is well-received.
Here are two examples of one-on-one communication tailored by DiSC insights:
- Addressing a Performance Issue: If an employee with a “D” style made a mistake and you need to address it, recognize that they’ll likely get frustrated if you start with small talk. Get to the point, explain the error, and outline how to correct it.
- Giving Appreciation: If you’re recognizing an “S” style employee at a team meeting, you know they value dependability. Highlight how you could depend on them to deliver on their commitment.
Whether it’s a spoken thank you or a quick note, appreciation is a great opportunity to be specific and call out the values that matter most to the individual.
4. Reflect on Challenging Conversations
Not every conversation will go perfectly. When things go sideways, take a moment to reflect. For me, this includes looking up that person’s DiSC style to consider how I might have adjusted my communication to keep the conversation on track.
As leaders, we’re learning every day. New situations come up, and sometimes emotions get involved in how you communicate. When a conversation goes awry, pause and learn from it.
Small Adjustments, Big Impact
Start observing your team’s natural behaviors and consider how their unique DiSC styles might shape their needs and strengths.
By making small adjustments to your communication and task assignments, you can foster a more engaged and harmonious team. Understanding DiSC isn’t just about styles—it’s about becoming a more adaptable, effective manager who brings out the best in everyone.
Kim Latko is an entrepreneur, coach, and facilitator for our 6-Month Manager Development Course. As the co-owner of Tent and Table, she brings real-world experience in building businesses and fostering growth. A longtime member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Kim is passionate about empowering leaders to excel both personally and professionally. She’s also an Everything DiSC® Certified Practitioner and Bloom Growth Coach. Her hands-on, relational approach helps leaders and managers build emotional intelligence, navigate challenges, and achieve lasting success.