There was a big DISCussion and a lot of excitement in our office when Santa asked us if he could complete a DISC assessment to help him to improve his communication, teamwork and productivity in his Lapland workplace!

First name: Santa; Second name: Claus; Email: santa@thechristmasworkshop.com; Name of Catalyst platform:  Santa Claus Inc.; Geographical location:  Lapland

Let’s channel all our Christmas spirit and think about which style Santa could be.

Is Santa a D style? Well, he is a Doer, that is for sure! He definitely gets stuff done, especially on Christmas Eve! Every child in the world will confirm that without his “let’s do it” attitude, they wouldn’t all get their gifts on Christmas Eve. He runs a slick operation telling all those elves what to do all year to make sure each child gets the right gift. And wouldn’t a D style Santa be just the type of person to invent the Nice and Naughty list?  Straight down the line: these are the rules – if you are on the Naughty List – no presents – do better next year!

Is Santa an I style? Well, he is certainly a very influential individual. We often hear that I styles are full of joy and fun. Their smile lights up a room and you will often here them laughing before you see them. All these things apply to Santa, don’t they?! Someone who brings this much joy to this many people each year must be an I style doesn’t he? And what about that gorgeous bright red velvet suit with fancy fur collar and cuffs?!  Not every style can carry that look off all year round.

Is Santa an S style? It can’t be denied that he is nurturing and caring and loves to give to others. Is he steady? Well, it would take a steady, calm approach to get all those toys arranged each year and he has to be a team player with all those elves helping him every day of the year. He looks after his team of reindeer as if they were his own children too.  He even gave them cute names.  He listens to every child in the world and makes sure that all their wishes come true. He must be an S style!

Is Santa a C style? No one can argue that he is the epitome of conscientiousness. He had to come up with a flawless process to make sure that every toy is made to order and each child has the right gift, beautifully wrapped and delivered to their houses on time every year. His attention to detail and his time keeping skills are second to none. The production line in his workshop runs all year round without a hitch to make sure the process works.  And please do not forget all that paperwork he deals when he personally reads the letters from all the children. The logistical plan of how to get that sled loaded up and efficiently arriving in every house in every town in every country in the world in one night. He must be a C style!

Maybe it is Santa’s DISC blend which makes him the success he is. What do you think?  But remember this Christmas Eve when his special gift is delivered, he may have had to adapt in some way to make sure the job gets done.  No wonder he is tired by Boxing Day!

The next step for Santa is to have assessments completed on Mrs Claus and for all his elves so that they can all use the DISC tool on their own Catalyst platform and make sure their team works to its optimum all year round to achieve the goals of the organisation.

Which ever style Santa is, we hope he visits you this year and that you are on his Nice List and receive just what you wished for!  Our wish each DISCmas is that everyone in the world completes a DISC assessment.  A world where we all understand more about ourselves and more about each other, would be a better place!