Have you ever looked at your friend or family member and wondered why they may have acted or reacted in a certain way, especially, when you would have done something completely different? This comes down to your preferred DiSC style. DiSC tends to be used as a tool to help teams build better relationships and understand each other’s preferred working style, however, it can also be applied to understanding your friends’ motivations and needs. Everyone is made up from a blend of the different styles, however, we all have one primary style. The styles are:

D – The Doers – Fast paced, task oriented.
I – The Influencers – Fast paced, people focused.
S – The Supporters – Steady paced, people focused.
C – The Considerers – Steady paced, task focused.

Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, discusses how introverts can feel reproached for who they are, when some of the most talented people in the world have been introverts. When looking at understanding relationships with our friends and seeing shyness or sensitivity as being negative attributes, this can encourage us to turn away from those who could be better friends than the ones we choose.

Take Monica Geller, for example, she is a C style, she’s organised, likes to plan things, is very detail oriented and is a neat freak. She has a blend of D traits too! After all she is a Chef so she knows how to get things done! She is also one of the six protagonists in the television show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. She is bossy, extremely clean and organised, she gets anxious when things become chaotic or don’t go her way. She sets up systems and is unhappy and frustrated when her friends don’t follow the rules! Look how organised her kitchen cupboards are!

A D style needs a Monica because they may not be detail oriented, but they are focused on the task and achieving great results. A Monica will help them get that necessary detail and processes in place and together they are a great combination.

An I style needs a Monica because they can help them stay focused on the job. Monicas can also make sure they get to important places on time and can help I styles organise things and get the job finished!

An S style needs a Monica because they will work at a similar pace. A Monica will put the mechanics and processes in place and won’t be afraid to say ‘no’ on the S’s behalf.

The C style, despite generally being more task focused, are always in the background making sure that processes are followed and people stick to the rules.

At DISCsimple we believe everyone can benefit from having a Monica in their life.

To learn more, why not take the DiSC assessment on our interactive learning platform, Catalyst, to identify your own style and understand how you can improve your relationships with others. You can also attend our DISClive events to learn more about how the different styles may respond to different situations.