Hi Forum folks.
I've recently listened to several of the manger-tools DISC podcasts and I'm convinced running a DISC assessment to all of the staff in my department or in the whole company would make a lot of sense.
Could you who have successfully justified the use of DISC tell me how to do it? Does someone have DISC introduction slide set, good stories of how effective the use of DISC is at work, etc.?
I've listened to the "introducing managerial change" and "what's your visual" podcasts, too, and those give some hints on how to persuade my boss to accept this investment.
In general, I think that the answer to my simply suggesting "Could we do this to eliminate some of the communication issues we have evidenced?" would be along the lines "We don't have time/money for that.", so I'd need more justifications.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards, RookieDuck
Trial run
I just had my mid-year discussions and tried out some positive feedback based on where I *think* my DRs fall in the DISC profile. When I told my high I that I appreciated his positive attitude, his eyes lit up like it was Christmas. I also gave some adjusting feedback and it went over pretty well.
If I had a couple more experiences like this, I would feel comfortable going to my boss, sharing my 'progress' so far and asking for the $$ to get complete DISC profiles.
"You don´t act like an engineer"...
I was with a group of friends last week. Friends I met recently. I told them I was an engineer. One of them told me: "Wow you don´t act like an engineer. I sell properties (industrial areas) and I deal with a lot of engineers. They do not talk. I learned their ways though. So I don´t talk either, although I am a very talkative person." And guess what? He does sell and rents lots of properties to engineers!
I thought to myself "my work life would have been a lot smoother if I had figured it out earlier, as he did in his professional life, I had to adjust by communication behaviour to fit that of those around me". I think the reason we do not is because we still think we work and "interact" with documents, spreadsheets, calculations, reports, computers, presentations, images. Most of us don´t really realize we really work and interact with people, and those of us that do realize that still need to go against what we have been programmed to do which is to interact socially with people but interact professionally (at school, etc) with "things". So really the DISC model helps us in "reading" people to better interact with them and get results out of that interaction. Just like this guy, my friend, is focus on the people to get the sale done.
Just like my friend had draw the conclusion based on his experience that all engineers were quiet, he drew the conclusion that I was not because I was a Brazilian. So immediately he now drew the conclusion all Brazilians are outgoing and like to talk, even if they are engineers! Which is not true at all. I am a 12 D / 7 I. Can you imagine what a disaster 190 million 12D/7I in one place? I could hear Marc´s words in my head from the cultural diversity podcasts: "People meet one person from one country and immediately draw the conclusions all are the same." If you work in a multicultural environment, perhaps that podcast can give you arguments for your boss too.
The one lat thing I can think of is: "What the percentage of the disk cost in comparison to the people´s salary is." Nothing really! And what bad can it make? Nothing really. Companies should really go for trial and error a bit more, specially when the cost and the risk associated to the error is really slim.
Let us know how it goes and what works. I am about to do the same (convince my boss of purchasing DISC) within the next weeks. My boss is a D-C, so I need some data, only arguments won´t make it!
Nara