Using DISC Profiling to Manage Your Manager - Part 2 of 4

When I first read the Forbes article that stated:  “People Leave Managers, Not Companies”  It was one of those light-bulb moments for me. It summed up in one line what I had been helping people with in the corporate environment with for years.  Lots of individuals leave their job and get exactly the same job with another organization. In so many cases I have found that these people leave, not for more money or promotion but to get away from their boss!  If this is you, what can you do?  Understanding the DISC model of human behaviour is the first step.  By gaining the knowledge of DISC, you can begin to unlock the people puzzle, build better rapport with those you find ‘difficult’ to be with or work with and understand how they are ‘DISC wired’. Armed with this information you can begin to improve your working environment at any time.

Who’s managing whom?  To have a productive, effective, harmonious relationship with your boss, it is important to understand that they are not just managing you… YOU are managing them too!  It’s a fact that oftentimes we learn how to or how not to approach a manager by experience. You might get a pat on the back or get your fingers burned but at the end of the interaction, you will have some knowledge of how to or how not to do things in the future.   Fast track  Isn’t it better to have some inside knowledge to ensure the best possible outcome more often?   Identifying an I personality type  An I boss is:

• Fast paced and people orientated
• Someone who likes to be liked
• A person who likes to turn tasks into fun activities
• A person who will want to work with and interact with others
• Talkative and sometimes disruptive
• A story teller and a persuader
• Not keen on too much detail
• Positive and optimistic – sometimes without reason
• Someone who thinks rules are a suggestion
• Imaginative and impulsive
• An individual who does not like pessimism from others
• A person who gets bored easily, especially if the goal is problematic
• Sometimes a person who dislikes a quiet room and seeks to break the silence… even when it’s not appropriate!

How to manage the I boss? – Here’s how

• I bosses like e-mails in bullet points, not loads of text
• Give them the headlines. If they want more information they will ask for it.
• Don’t bore them with too much detail – even if you think it is ALL important
• Face to face - they prefer to be allowed to talk and express their ideas
• They like a positive, upbeat approach
• They like to have a fun atmosphere and environment
• Be complimentary
• Look for the opportunity to praise them
• Don’t be moody with them
• Avoid challenging them publicly
• If you go to them with a problem, go armed with a possible solution – even if it is not right for them they will like the fact you have tried.

For D styles, the I can be frustrating at times as they are not direct enough in their communication. D styles must learn to be more relational with the I style. You can be direct with them but need to let them know you still like them and it is not personal.  For other I styles – make sure it does not become a popularity contest between the two of you. Stay upbeat, positive and enthusiastic but do not overpromise and under deliver. Failure to deliver results for the I boss may result in them losing popularity with THEIR boss. Don’t let them down.  Also, if you have a meeting about a task, ensure you have both been clear as to the action points. There may be a possibility that you both think that the other person is going to undertake the task.  For S styles, it is important to pick up the pace and be more relational in an outgoing way… you have to modify your reserved style to better manage the relationship with the I.  S styles, let the I know that you are on board and keen as your reflective, thoughtful nature may be misread as unenthusiastic.  C styles, the same goes for you, relationship is key for the I styles. They need to know or think you like them and if you are unsmiling and withdrawn in thoughtfulness they may misread this as unhappy and critical.  Whilst detail, fact and data may be important to you, the I will not want to be bogged down with the detail. If you have questions or concerns about a task, do not challenge the I style publicly, do it on a one to one basis. Try to come up with solutions to your own problems and questions – they will see this as being on board with the project rather than a “nay-sayer”.  When communicating with I Styles – "Keep it informal & fun".



Want to learn more about the power of DISC Profiling?

Become DISC Certified with Master Trainer Dave Pill - https://www.the-coaching-academy.com/disc/level-1-events/.