DISC Profile

So I recently took a DISC profile at work and was really amazed at how accurately the test described me. For those of you who don't know, DISC is a personality profile that stands for: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. A person will usually lean towards one or two styles. At work, we use this tool to help understand ourselves better and learn to get along with others who don't share our personality profile. 

I am an "IS" and here's what that means:

"Because you have an IS style, Whitney, you're probably a very warm and sociable person who reaches out to others with your friendly, laid back approach. You tend to view everyone as a potential friend, and your open communication style often puts others at-ease. Because you make time for casual small talk and tend to have an open-door policy, people probably find you very approachable.

You value personal connections, so you spend time and energy cultivating your personal and professional relationships. You tend to have a large network of friends and colleagues, and probably enjoy social gatherings. And, when someone has a problem, you're probably quick to offer a helping hand. In fact, you may be so eager to help that you sometimes over commit yourself. 

Because you care so much about other people's needs, you often encourage them to share their feelings. You know the right questions to ask to get people to open up. Your supportive nature allows you to both sympathize with people who are struggling and to celebrate with others during their finest moments. 

When communication, you tend to be expressive. Most likely, you're genuinely interested in what people have to say, and you may be equally willing to spend time listening and speaking. Because you have a strong desire to connect, you make it clear to others that they are important to you. You may even file away important details about those you work with, such as birthdays or tidbits about their families. 

Because you thrive on positive attention, you appreciate receiving immediate feedback when you've done something well. However, you want to be liked and respected, so you may not handle constructive criticism well. In fact, you may take it personally. You may dwell on the situation and its consequences for the relationship. Likewise, your desire to be on friendly terms with everyone may limit your ability to evaluate other people's performances. 

Above all, you want everyone to be happy, so when you see others at odds, you may try to step in to try and mend the situation. However, when the conflict involves you personally, you often take a more indirect approach. In fact, you may refuse to deal with negative information even when it's important to do so, and, if left to you, situations may drag on without resolution. At the same time, if your frustration reaches a breaking point, you may lash out emotionally or say things you later regret. 

Whitney, like others with the IS style, your most valuable contributions in the workplace may include your ability to connect with others, your commitment to building team spirit, and your desire to see people succeed. In fact, these are probably some of the qualitiies that others admire most about you."

If you have an opportunity to take this assessment, I highly recommend it. Everything my profile said about me was so spot on! This tool has also really helped me when interacting with others who have completely different styles than me (especially the C).