Improving communication within an organization is a continual process and one that affects multiple areas: Forbes shared a survey that found 48% of respondents said that communication affects their job satisfaction and productivity.
If almost half of an organization reports that a single factor influences their engagement and output, leaders need to make it a priority! That’s where using the right tools becomes crucially important, and one of the most influential tools you can utilize to enhance communication is DISC.
The DISC assessment is popular around the world for a reason. TTI Success Insights’ DISC assessment is easy to understand, directly actionable, and the key to improving communication within your organization.
“DISC assessments provide a framework for recognizing and understanding diverse behavioral styles,” explained Kathleen Pulling of Cipriano Training & Development. “As we work to identify these styles in our daily interactions, the process becomes more intuitive. This growing awareness allows for smoother, more effective communication between people with different behavioral styles.”
Here are a few crucial ways that DISC can improve communication in an organization.
DISC Provides a Framework for Understanding
One of the most helpful aspects of DISC is its ability to create a foundation of understanding for anyone who takes an assessment. Behavior is observable and can be recognized in others regardless of whether or not you know their DISC results.
By providing context for behavior, TTI’s DISC assessment teaches how to thoughtfully observe others. Using tone of voice, body language, and natural and adapted behaviors, DISC helps people see others around them, removing some mystery from behavior. Once someone learns DISC, they’ll see it everywhere.
DISC Creates Shared Vocabulary
The DISC assessment improves communication by creating a shared vocabulary that helps team members understand and appreciate their behavioral differences. This shared language fosters mutual understanding and reduces friction, as team members can better interpret each other's actions and reactions.
The team can use the assessment results as a tool to discuss differences and similarities without judgment. It offers a shorthand in the workplace to increase understanding and improve communication and also helps make sense of confusing or complex interactions.
For example, if a teammate is falling behind in their work, their manager can examine their DISC profile and try to find the issue. Maybe the worker is a Steady communicator, and the project timeline is too fast for their preferred pace; if they’re a Reflective communicator, they might be overwhelmed but have difficulty advocating for what they need.
DISC takes the guesswork out of behavior. Instead of bringing judgment to behavior, it allows people to bring understanding to others for their needs while receiving that understanding in return.
DISC Depersonalizes Conflict
Conflict isn’t unusual in the workplace, but if left unchecked, it can cause long-term issues in organizational culture. Workplace Insight shared that 47% of workplace conflicts are caused by opposing personality types, and 48% are caused by a lack of communication.
This is where DISC comes in. By providing context and language for behavior, DISC gives a way to trace back to the root of the problem rather than letting negative feelings fester. Finding the origin of the issue is much easier when there’s an understanding of why someone is behaving as they are.
DISC also allows the involved parties to intellectualize their conflict rather than get stuck in negative feelings. Framing conflict as behavioral differences rather than something personal can help recontextualize conflict from “me versus you” into “us versus the problem.”
“Taking emotion out of conflict is one of the powers of DISC,” said Elizabeth Weihmiller of Strategic Alignment Partners. “Behavioral style is usually the first line of conflict, and DISC helps offset that potential conflict with an objective viewpoint. It really helps teams learn to work and communicate more effectively together.”
TTI’s DISC report includes a page of personalized do’s and don’ts when it comes to communicating with the individual in question. Increasing understanding of each other will help aid in communication and prevent conflict, giving people the tools they need to approach others in a way that they prefer, leading to a successful outcome.
DISC Promotes Understanding and Empathy
Understanding others is a crucial skill for the workplace, one deeply based in empathy, which is the ability to comprehend and share the feelings of others. When people are able to empathize with their teammates and put themselves in another’s state of mind, they can find the best way to communicate together.
The American Psychology Association reports that “empathy can override noncooperation, causing people to be more generous and forgiving and less retaliative.” These traits greatly contribute to improving communication.
That can be easier said than done, but DISC provides a roadmap to kickstart deeper connections. As you focus on learning how others naturally react, make decisions, and communicate, you can use DISC to understand the intent behind those actions. If someone is giving you short answers, you might feel slighted; however, that person might simply be Direct or Precise and focused on efficiency over niceties.
This tailored approach works best when both parties are equally focused on empathy. By meeting each other in the middle when it comes to behavioral preferences, you can learn more from each other while practicing empathy and improving communication.
“In working relationships, I think it’s huge to assign positive intent, which is a lot easier to do when you understand what the other person needs,” said Nancy Roberts of The DISC Wizard. “DISC gives the framework to understand our differences. We go through life and think people operate the way we do; it’s almost shocking when you learn just how different other people can be. DISC helps bridge that gap.”
Improve Communication with DISC
Incorporating DISC into your organization's communication strategy can transform how teams interact, resolve conflict, and understand one another. By creating a shared language, providing context for behavior, and promoting empathy, DISC helps pave the way for more effective, thoughtful communication.
If you’re interested in experiencing the power of DISC for yourself or your team, TTI can help. Contact us here to get started.