Profiling

DISC stands for Dominance Influence Steadiness Conscientiousness (or Drive Influence Steadiness Compliance). According to this system these are the four major dimensions of behaviour. It aims to identify your behavioural patterns at work and classify your pattern.

Apparently I have a strong preference for Dominance behaviours. My final profile is the Developer:

Developers tend to be strong willed individuals, continually seeking new horizons. As self-reliant, independent thinkers, they prefer to find their own solutions. Relatively free of the constraining influence of the group, Developers are able to bypass conventional and often create innovative solutions.

Although they must often use direct, forceful behaviour, Developers can also shrewdly manipulate people and situations. When required to participate with others in situations that limit their individualism, Developers tend to become belligerent. They are persistent in pursuing the results they desire, and will do whatever they can to overcome obstacles to success. In addition, they have high expectations of others and can be critical when their standards are not met.

Developers are most interested in achieving their own goals. Opportunities for personal achievement and challenge are important to them. By focussing on results, they may lack empathy or seem uncaring by dismissing others’ concerns.

Developers have the following

Emotions: is concerned with meeting personal needs

Goals: new opportunities

Judges others by: ability to meet the Developer’s standards

Influences others by: finding solutions to problems; projecting a sense of personal power

Value to the organisation: avoids “passing the buck”; seeks new or innovative problem-solving methods

Overuses: control over people and situations to accomplish his or her own results

Under pressure: works alone to complete tasks; is belligerent if individualism is threatened or challenging opportunities disappear.

Fears: boredom; loss of control

Would increase effectiveness through: patience; empathy; participation and collaboration with others; follow-through and attention to quality control

What was surprising is that my profile has changed quite significantly since I last analysed my profile (in August last year). Back then I was a Specialist who was “calculatingly moderate; accomodates others”; “maintains the status quo”; “most effective in specialised areas, works along directed channels and achieves a remarkably consistent performance”; “builds close relationships with a relatively small group of associates in the work environment”; “would increase effectiveness through public discussion of their ideas”. Back then Steadiness was the dimension I was strongest in.

According to the facilitator, it is quite normal to change profiles, particularly when you change jobs. Looking at these two profiles, I think being a Specialist suited the job I was doing in August 2007. I was part of a small cohesive team and was science and engineering faculty librarian. Now I’m doing something quite different, and have had to learn a lot of new skills and take on responsibility in areas I was not as familiar with. I have also been actively focussing on identifying the areas I want to develop and improve on. I’ve been accepted into the Aurora Leadership Institute for 2009, for instance.

What amused me? The rest of the team agreeing with my profile! I don’t think I get belligerent ( I better not, she says, pugnaciously!), but right at the start of the workshop, when we were asked to identify our own traits, I had picked impatience for myself – I think I do need to be more patient. The point about empathy is a good one to remember – accomodating others’ needs is important, even if I get impatient and frustrated with what I perceive as slowness and bogged-down-ness. Heh.