Raising awareness of your DISC personality type helps you better understand yourself and your relationship with others. The DISC assessment provides a powerful tool in raising such self-awareness and leadership. Often compared to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), corporations and team managers frequently use DISC assessments to advance cohesion and cooperation in the workplace. Its focus on behavior makes DISC a game-changer for understanding communication styles within your professional teams and beyond.

How DISC types affect communication styles

DISC stands for four primary personality types: dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness. What you may not realize is that each of those traits also aligns with a DISC behavioral style. These are:

• Decisive
• Interactive
• Stabilizing
• Cautious

These behavioral styles align with the four personality types. In this way, a DISC assessment provides insight into how we approach problems, how we communicate with others, the pace we keep and our preferred procedural methods. Understanding your colleagues’ respective behavioral styles and your own can unlock a deeper understanding of engagement style. In turn, this understanding enhances communication, builds empathy, fosters compassion and reduces conflict to build more effective teams.

Best of all, this strategic asset is surprisingly simple and even fun to use. It requires only about 15 minutes of your time to take a free DISC assessment. In return, you and every member of your team will receive a highly detailed analysis of your DISC type, natural and adaptive styles, behavioral style and more.

But knowing your own and your colleagues’ DISC types is only half the battle. Communicating with different DISC styles requires further understanding of each behavioral type. To get you started, we’ve provided an outline below to help you build better relationships with each DISC communication style.

D types are decisive

The D personality in DISC thrives on directness and efficiency. They value action, results and getting straight to the point. Their communication style expresses itself as highly confident and even daring. This focus on big-picture goals and solutions means they often value facts over emotions, and they prefer not to get bogged down in minor details and lengthy discussions. Some value their assertiveness while others may find D type communication styles as overly blunt.

To communicate with a D type, be clear and concise

To effectively communicate with a D, mirror their directness. Attempting small talk and discussing details can leave them visibly bored and even frustrated. Don’t take this as aloofness or disinterest. Rather, be clear and concise and state your message upfront. Prepare well with data and evidence to support your directives, and be confident in your delivery. Remember to focus on results rather than dwelling on problems without offering solutions. Then, prepare for and respect their quick decision-making style.

I types are interactive

The I in DISC thrives on enthusiasm and interpersonal connection. They’re inspiring, persuasive and highly relationship oriented. Their communication style is often friendly and often peppered with personal stories. Building a rapport and nurturing a positive atmosphere are key for them. They prefer the creativity of conversational brainstorming or creating a vision board over a strict, formalized agenda or PowerPoint presentation.

To communicate with an I type, be sociable and encouraging

When communicating with an I, focus on building a rapport and creating a positive, friendly environment. Show genuine interest in them and their ideas. Engage in their small talk and encourage their enthusiasm for the office party they planned. Furthermore, remain open to their unique and often creative perspective. Avoid criticizing or being overly analytical, as they might perceive this as negative. Remember, they value relationships and positive energy over hard facts and quantifiable outcomes.

S types are stabilizing

The S in DISC embodies stability, predictability and cooperation. They prioritize detail, accuracy and building consensus among peers in decision-making. Their communication style favors calmness, patience, facts and procedure over “rocking the boat” with aggressive or new ideas. They prefer clear expectations and structure, often asking questions to clarify directives before reaching decisions. Overall, they value harmony, and thus they may passively avoid direct confrontation or blunt language.

To communicate with a S type, be clear and consistent

To communicate effectively with an S, provide consistency while providing clarity. Provide detailed instructions while avoiding any ambiguity. Leave time for them to ask questions and process any information you have provided. Just as importantly, focus on collaborative problem-solving and consensus building. Show empathy, and avoid pressure tactics or emotional appeals. Remember, they value stability and clear processes. Appeal to their stabilizing nature by prioritizing order and avoiding last-minute changes.

C types are cautious

The C in DISC embraces accuracy and precision. They are analytical, detail oriented and cautious or even guarded in their communication. C types prioritize facts, data and logical reasoning over opinions and emotional appeals. Their communication style is often reserved and measured, focusing on specific questions and seeking clarity before engaging. They value competence and expertise, readily offering well-researched arguments and data-driven solutions.

To communicate with a C type, be factual and detailed

In communicating with a C, prioritize accuracy and thoroughness in your discourse. Present facts that clearly support your claims and objectives. As analytical types, they may need extra time to process information before responding or coming to a decision. Be prepared to answer detailed questions and avoid emotional appeals or generalizations. Acknowledge their expertise and appreciate their attention to detail. Remember, they value competence and accuracy, so focus on providing quantifiable solutions and logical arguments.

We are each a unique blend of DISC types

Remember that the DISC personality assessment doesn’t restrict people to a single, one-dimensional personality type. The DISC evaluation digs deeper and is more complex than that. Every individual has some combination of decisive, interactive, stabilizing and cautious characteristics. What the assessment does is portray which of these characteristics are most dominant and in what combination.

In communicating, consider which two personality types and communication styles are most dominant and to what degree. For instance, if someone scores highest in I and quite high in S, encourage their extroverted tendencies while also formalizing any details. Similarly, communicating with someone high in both D and C requires focus on details, but only those that contribute to a broader, outcome-driven directive.

Better understand yourself and your communication style by taking our free DISC assessment.

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