DISC training has captivated millions for over 20 years, empowering employees to tap into the full potential of their unique communication styles. While the DISC assessment is a powerful starting point, its impact unfolds when paired with proper training. This combination not only clarifies what the assessment reveals but also turns valuable insights into actionable strategies for enhancing communication and collaboration within teams.
It can be confusing to distinguish between what is assessment, what is training, and what is certification because all three are often called just “DISC.” Understanding these distinctions can help individuals better understand each other and improve their interactions.
DISC training is a set of tools to help team members learn the language of DISC styles and use it in positive, productive ways. Understanding the different DISC styles can help team leaders lead a group or help salespeople understand the best ways to present information to prospects.
The term “DISC” refers to the DISC assessment, a personal assessment tool developed by the Everything DISC brand of John Wiley & Sons. The assessment and its accompanying tools are used by millions of people in organizations around the world to help facilitate effective communication and team building. DISC training is designed to familiarize people with the DISC assessment and the personality styles that it uncovers.
Most people already familiar with DISC have heard of the DISC styles, of which there are four: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). Each style has a different preferred way to communicate, a different reaction to change, and different challenges when working with others.
Most people are a blend of all these styles—everyone uses each of the four as they go about their daily lives—but one or two will usually be more apparent or dominant. In the DISC model, people are referred to by their most prominent style—for example, as a “High D,” a “High I,” and so on. While no one DISC style is "better" than any other, knowing which tends to be most prominent in a person gives teammates an idea of what their “comfort zone” is when interacting with others.
Once the employees take an assessment, they’ll each know their style and behavioral tendencies. The same goes for their co-workers. What do the employees do with this information? How can they leverage their unique strengths and learn to recognize opportunities for them to grow? That's where training comes in.
Individual assessments are a first step—they identify DISC styles. The DISC system is intended to be much more: It’s designed to give team members a common language for understanding and discussing each other’s behavioral tendencies and preferences. DISC training is a way to introduce that system and its language.
Think of a typical superhero story. There’s usually a single point where the hero discovers their superpowers, but they do not instantly master them. They need training to learn how to use those powers (and those of their teammates). The same is true of knowing one’s DISC style. While the assessment will reveal behavioral tendencies, each employee needs the proper training to know how to leverage that information.
DISC training, as discussed here, is different from DISC certification. (Some websites even refer to certification as “DISC certification and training.”) Certification is a way for professional trainers to gain deeper knowledge of DISC and earn a certification credential. That certification requires special online training provided by Wiley, the publisher of DISC.
However, internal trainers or L&D professionals don’t necessarily need to be certified to bring DISC training into their organization.
Understanding each team member's DISC profile can significantly enhance communication and collaboration within the group for the following reasons:
Beyond this, there are two key areas where DISC is applied: sales and leadership development. To succeed as a salesperson or leader, individuals must first understand their DISC style, then identify the style of their client or team member, and finally adapt their approach to meet those needs.
Any salesperson will say that some people are a “hard sell” while others are a “slam dunk.” It has little to do with the product or service they’re selling or even their amount of sales experience. Instead, it often boils down to how easily the salesperson recognizes and adapts to the DISC style of their potential customer.
Many people have likely encountered someone who was a “natural-born salesperson.” What they probably have is a natural intuition for recognizing the styles of others; but for most, recognizing and working with those different styles takes some practice. With that practice, salespeople can anticipate what will impress the individual and what their pain points will be, and then adjust their approach.
For example, a salesperson might be more sensitive to which clients want to chat about their weekend (High I) and which ones want to get right to the data (High C). Or why they need to earn some customers’ trust with a stellar track record (High S) and others just want to know if the product or service will help them crush the competition (High D).
Having an organization’s sales team recognize their DISC styles is important, too. How many times has a salesperson “oversold” their product or service because they just felt the need to keep talking, even after the prospect said “yes” to the sale? That’s often a High I individual feeling they need to build more consensus or a stronger bond. Those are good things, but they might rub the wrong way for that High D prospect who just wants to get started.
The DISC assessment measures four distinct areas to determine DISC personality styles:
When these differ among people on a team, there will be trouble with communication and cooperation. You’ll probably see the same conflicts happen again and again.
DISC reports can be a powerful tool for anyone in a leadership role. The most effective teams have a diverse group of styles: Each style brings unique traits that contribute to the team's success. But they also have weaknesses that sometimes make it hard to work as a cohesive unit. Once the leader understands this, they can modify their style to deal with personality styles.
For example, a High D usually thrives on challenge and competition. Managers will get the best results by steering their competitive focus toward a competing business, rather than toward their team members.
A High I is friendly and talkative and will often go out of their way to please a customer. Leaders need to be ready to rein them in because they tend to over-promise.
A High S usually fears change and disruption. When possible, giving them a heads-up about a potential project works better than springing it on them at the last minute.
A High C is going to be persuaded by data and accuracy. Even if they like to chat and get along with the team, they won’t be ready to join a consensus until they understand it thoroughly.
In any team, all the DISC personalities will likely be present—and that’s a plus. Different styles bring a variety of diverse ideas that make collaboration innovative and exciting. But those same differences can also be a source of conflict, resentment, and dissatisfaction. By embracing the science of DISC assessments and DISC training, employees can all learn, not just to tolerate each other, but to appreciate the value of what each team member can contribute.
A key step in embracing those differences is getting your teams to take an assessment and understand the DISC system. That second part is where DISC training comes in.
Interested in enhancing communication and collaboration within teams? HSI has an entire series on the DISC system in our off-the-shelf training library. DISC training is a great personal development learning experience for every employee!
For more information on how we can help with your DISC training, please request a consultation with us!