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Policies & Ethics
The Coaching Academy Blog - 18 Sep 2024
In this week's blog our Head of Training, Sharon Lawton, dives deep into DISC! Sharon shares her insights on the powerful DISC Model of Human Behaviour and how it can transform your coaching practice. Discover how incorporating DISC profiling into your coaching practice can lead to more personalised and impactful coaching, as well as better all-round relationships. Ready to enhance your coaching practice? Let's get started!
As a life coach, I believe in the power of giving my clients a safe and supportive space to explore who they are and get to know themselves in a way that supports them in raising their self-awareness of what I call their “personal power”.
Personal Power is the emotional strength or ability that we have to make choices in our lives and get our needs met. I always find this an incredibly empowering place to work with clients in achieving their full potential. For me this means that we ultimately all have the ability to choose how we respond to any situation and the impact that this can have on how we engage with others and live our lives.
I’ve always found human behaviour fascinating, I love to people watch, and when I engage and interact with others, I like to view people’s actions and interactions through the lens of positive intent by asking myself “What is the goal behind the behaviour?”
The DISC Model of Human Behaviour
That is why what is below the surface level of what we see and experience in others is truly intriguing for me. To do this effectively, it’s essential that we understand the unique behaviours, motivations, and communication styles of each client. This is where the DISC model of human behaviour comes in—it’s a powerful tool which can elevate your coaching practice and your interactions with anyone, by providing deep behavioural insights that lead to more personalised insight and impactful coaching as well as better all-round relationships.
Understanding your clients through the lens of DISC profiling and supporting your client’s self-awareness of why they, and others, do, say and communicate in a particular way, means that you are able to tailor your coaching approach accordingly, leading to quicker rapport building, fast tracking your client’s goals and outcomes as well as supporting you with revealing the unique strengths and natural preferences of each client you work with.
What is the DISC Model?
Based on the original research of Dr William Marston who explored the connection between our emotions as humans and our behaviour, and the collective development of those theories by Walter V. Clark and Peter Merenda, the DISC model is a behavioural assessment tool that categorises human behavioural preferences into four primary styles depending on their view of their environment:
Each style or preference has its own strengths, growth areas, communication preferences, and motivational drivers. By understanding these, you can better tailor your coaching approach to meet the specific needs of your clients. It is important to note however, that we have a bit of all of these preferences in all of us, it’s about the intensity of each. This is what we call our personal DISC blend.
The DISC Advantage in Coaching
As coaches we need to ensure that what we are communicating actually lands so our client can reflect and process any key insights. One of the key pillars of coaching is raising our client’s self-awareness. By incorporating the DISC model into our coaching practice, we gain a distinct advantage in several key areas:
Practical Steps to Integrate DISC into Your Practice
Conclusion
For me the DISC model is more than just a tool—it’s a pathway to deeper, more effective coaching. By understanding and applying the insights it provides, you can elevate your coaching practice, helping your clients to achieve their goals with greater clarity and confidence.
The DISC advantage is about more than just knowing your clients; it’s about empowering them to understand themselves, unlocking their potential in ways that are uniquely suited to who they are. As you continue to integrate DISC into your coaching, you’ll find that the journey becomes richer, more rewarding, and ultimately, more transformative for both you and your clients.
If you're interested in training and accreditation to effectively deliver DISC in your coaching practice, then reach out to us today! You can find out more and book your place on our DISC Certification Workshop (Introductory Level) or our DISC Accreditation Workshop (Intermediate Level) on our coach training event calendar.
We run a number of free webinars from our Introduction to Life Coaching, to sessions covering coaching niches. The next of each of these webinars is displayed below.