We’ve talked quite a bit, this week, about how our President make decisions, how he adjusts policy, how he moves people around within his administration, or how he removes people altogether. We’ve also talked about bureaucrats, as well as people within our own families, who are resistant to making decisions and avoid confrontation, because they fear the pain, real or imagined, of the consequences of their decision.
Plain Jane said something which struck a memory chord. Jane’s father died when she was 10, and Plain Jane learned to make decisions early. She had to.
DISC was probably the forerunner to Myers Briggs Personality tests. If you want to take a sample Myers Briggs Test here is the link: HERE
DISC went further than Myers Briggs in that it not only taught us how to identify personality types, but also how to sell, or as Scott Adams would say, persuade, people…. helping them reach a decision. DISC also teaches empathy and patience for others who are not like-minded. I initially assumed DISC was a mandatory company class and would be boring. I had no idea it would save me countless hours of frustration, lower my stress level, and brighten my outlook on life for decades. DISC made me more money than any college degree, and I’ve shared it with all close friends and drilled it into my kids.
Back ground: I went to work for Merrill Lynch, at 22. I landed several large pensions, and was their rookie of the year. Because I was so young, a token female, and a good test taker, they threw me into every kind of training imaginable. As far as sales training, I did it all; Merrill’s in-house training, Equitable’s training, IBM’s PSS 1 & 2 & 3, Tom Hopkins, Dale Carnegie, besides all the financial training, designations, and licensing. At one point, I was licensed with over 300 insurance companies and had every possible NASD SEC license. Out of all of that, year after year, DISC was the best thing I ever did…. because it was so simple. I really like “simple”.
For example, how many of you are frustrated by someone driving slowly in the left lane? How many of you are the person who drives slowly in the left lane? How many of you are social butterflies and could put together a party with ease? Or, how many of you buy tires at the same place, year after year, because you know the guy? Are you the person who screams in panic when there is chaos, or when “chaos” becomes inevitable, does your voice change, do you get low, focused, and does your peripheral vision increase?
We all have people in our lives who represent the above personality types. Whether we are an executive who is responsible for building a team at work, or a volunteer who is putting together a bake sale for school, it’s enormously beneficial to identify personality types and put specific people into positions WHERE THEY THRIVE.
Elizabeth Carter, yesterday, illustrated she intuitively understands this dynamic. Elizabeth said: “Another time he was upset with a woman who worked for me because she had no ambition. I replied that she did accounts payable which is a boring, repetitive job. She did it perfectly and was very content doing it. I insisted that he let her work in peace and compliment her for her excellent work.” What Elizabeth did on gut instinct, by listening well and observing her employees, DISC explains as a strategy.
Here we go: DISC Method. Please know, we are all a varying percentage of each type of personality, and subconsciously, we all rely on different portions of our personality if we reach an impasse in one area.
“D” stands for Dominant. These are the CEO’s and the gang leaders. You can watch a group of children and immediately identify the “D’s”. They’re not the bullies on the playground. Rather, they’re the ones who decide what game to play, when to go back to class, and they swing into action when someone is hurt. “D’s” know everyone, vaguely, but more people know them, precisely. Yet, “D’s” can count on one hand their real friends. They are intensely loyal people and can smell BS a mile away. Easiest way to offend a “D” is to waste their time. Best way to sell to or persuade a “D” is to bottom line everything, and create a win-win scenario. Do it quickly, because they will move on, faster than a speeding jet.
If you ever betray a “D” or lie to them, they will never fully trust you again. You’re burned. They may strike back at you when betrayed, and heaven help you if they do because they are powerful people, but they may not….. because you are not worth their time. There is no one better in chaos than a “D”, and as the situation escalates, they develop other-worldly senses. Their voices change. They issue short declarative statements to which others instinctively respond. They also have weird ability with peripheral vision when threatened. They see the battlefield.
“I” stands for Intuitive. These are the social butterflies and the most creative of all types, either artistically or with big ideas. Loved by all. Pretty people who know everyone in town but have a hard time with close friendships. Their homes are beautiful and they dress well. They are extroverts, comfortable and confident at the center of attention. They have courage to do something daring, travel to unknown places, try new food, or a new company system. Worst thing in the world to do to an “I” is to tell them you are disappointed in them, because they want so much to please you. OR make them cry, hurt them, as they will feel unloved which hurts them almost in a physical way. Takes a long time for an “I” to recover from any emotional pain.
Best way to persuade or sell to an “I” is “because everyone else is doing it” or “all the best people have this item”. They long to be included, fit in, and they are happy people by their very nature. Another way to sell or persuade an “I” is to make them want to be part of your social circle but the situation might not be possible. An “I” is almost never at home on a Saturday night, because they are in such high demand. “I’s” are exceptional salespeople and spies and have odd chameleon-like ability to invent and reinvent themselves. Unless their heart has been broken, “I’s” are the most adaptable, spontaneous, and quickest to bounce back. They have a freakish ability to read people’s body language and subtle cues.
“S” stands for Safety. The “S’s” are the people who can do assembly line work in expert fashion. Repetitive things, over and over, with a high degree of accuracy. They take pride in their accuracy, which is good, because the world relies on their accuracy. An “S” is the person driving slowly in the left lane but has no points on their auto insurance….. and it’s the same auto insurance agent their dad used. They dress in the morning by following a routine. They go to bed with a routine. You can even watch their housepets, who have adapted to their routine. An “S” is a perfect airline maintenance guy, bomb maker, office administrator, government worker, assembly line, or quality control inspector.
There is way humanly possible to sell or persuade an “S”. They have to come to you, and the effort often takes years. Once they are your customer, or spouse, however, they will never leave you. They are fiercely loyal and protective of those they love. People who test off the chart in this category are extraordinary puzzle solvers. You can show them 10 copies of a page, with one word off on a single page, and they can pick it out. When they play “Where’s Waldo?”, they win. Perfect for intel analysts, QAnon, or moms, who can often tell when something is out of order.
“C’s” are the Checkers. Accountants, Engineers, research analysts…., and reporters. They’re smart, but they’re rigid as steel….. which is exactly what we want for this personality type. They don’t deal well with change or disruption. Not spontaneous because it doesn’t fit their schedule…. but by God, if you want something delivered on November 23rd at 8:00am – it will be there at 7:55am, a few minutes early. They will do a mountain of research to make a decision, and once the decision is made – that’s it. If your company is buying a million dollar piece of equipment, ask a “C” to research the difference between Brand A and Brand B and trust them. BUT make sure you give them a deadline on research, a finite due date.
If you want to sell to or persuade a “C”, then send them 3rd party articles, affirmation from outside sources, once a week for about 6 months to a year. Let them come to their own decision as they will resist outside pressure. They will never trust your research, which presents a problem with time for a boss. Also, for very high “C’s”, if their research says “NO”, then they physically stop, stutter, everything shuts down. They’re naturally cynical of “opinions” or anyone who brags or exaggerates. Everything must be precise. To a “C”, Pi is carried out at least 8 decimal places.
Okay Daughn, how does this help us?
Once we realize how people naturally settle into different personality types AND process information in different ways, making their decisions uniquely, everything else is easy. All we have to do is bend ourselves, a little bit, to do so much more as a country, as a company, group, or as a family. Give people info in a way that makes them comfortable – so they can hear you. We’re not all the same, thankfully. What DISC taught me, is that our world would become an untenable experiment without all 4 types of personalities, and I was no longer frustrated. For example:
People driving slowly in the left lane used to MAKE ME CRAZY. The commute to work was a battle, everyday. Once we realized these were the “S” types, we can look at the bigger picture and gain perspective. Of course, we need office admins, auto maintenance, and assembly line workers. It’s what makes the world go around. Who wants a cruise director type to fix a Boeing jet? No.
Therefore, if your auto mechanic is “Chatty Cathy”, and wants to come to your birthday party on Friday night, he’s not the guy who should be fixing your brakes. If you have a teenager who naturally gets along well with people, is curious and popular, the WORST thing you can do is give him/her a strict routine – cause it will bite into their social schedule – which is fundamentally more important to them. It’s NOT personal, it’s just the way they think. Most importantly, if you’re married, decide which of you is the “C” and that person pays the bills.
First husband was a high “S” and “C” and I drove him insane because our personalities naturally conflicted. One thing I did to ease his “S” was tell him what we were having for dinner, before he left for work in the morning. It eased his mind, he scheduled it, and I swear, it dropped his blood pressure by 15 points. When we had a big bid deadline for a job, his high “C” went into overdrive. He would endlessly check and recheck. He would sweat because he was so nervous about “making the decision”. To me, bid day was exciting, and decisions were easy.
Like Elizabeth Carter identified her accounts payable clerk above, I had a problem with customer service for the stone company. I’m not good with whiny people, but I had a girlfriend who was a customer service manager for Bellsouth for 27yrs. She dripped softness, genuine concern, and in endless hours wrapped my customers up in a cocoon of safety. They love her. I would have rather had a root canal.
Three kids are high “D’s” and could organize a Chinese Fire Drill. They get along beautifully — but the off the chart “I” artist one, drives them all nuts, because she has to be the center of attention.
I almost beheaded a staff member once (not really), who took an hour and 45 minutes to clean a flat of strawberries. She was a high “S” and high “C” = cleanest strawberries I’ve ever seen, but I was looking for a 10 minute rinse, denub, and pat dry. Reexamining the problem in the kitchen, for big events, I posted a countdown schedule, a tic-toc by the minute, of what needed to happen and when. Smooth and happy kitchen. Problem solved.
Let’s take a look at President Trump
Our guy, President Trump, is obviously a high “D”, and high “I”, 10-20% “S”, and about 25% of a “C”. This graphic in the corporate world is referred to as a corporate hook. It means, we have a great guy as a salesmen or CEO, but if he can’t do the paperwork, he’s useless.
Note how President Trump, when we hear stories of his past negotiations, often slays his opponents on the details of a contract. President Trump has the corporate hook. Yet, President Trump told his intel people who give him his Daily Brief, “Don’t tell me the same thing every day if it has not changed – tell me the new stuff”. In other words, don’t waste my time, bottom line it, classic “D” and lower “C”. Isn’t it interesting how it was soooooooo much different for Obama?
Notice also how President Trump relies on his “D” personality, short declarative statements, often dropping unnecessary words from a sentence. Yet, when he meets with resistance, he seamlessly switches to “I” and becomes phenomenally charming. His aides say, “there’s no one better in a room than Trump” = Pure charm = Very high “I”. President Trump is a “pretty person”, likes high quality goods, snazzy dresser. Is anyone better as the center of attention? All of these traits are high “I”. The “I” part of his personality wants to be loved or at least respected, and the “D” part of his personality will lash out at enemies when warranted.
Note how his “D” personality is fiercely loyal to certain family/friends/employees whom he has had for years. Trademark “D” personality. The only place President Trump exhibits an “S” is his love of specific kinds of food, and his and routine surrounding Mar-A-Lago. He loves the place.
Let’s take a look at the Media
NOW, pivot a little bit, and look at others surrounding Trump. Notice how the media, as opponents, respond. Recall how the reporters, high “C”, are overly focused on precise numbers? Remember how high “C’s” will carry Pi out to 8 decimals? Notice how they argue about how many Muslims were dancing on rooftops? Instead of the big problem of ANY Muslim celebrating 9/11? And the media calls it a lie from the President = typical “C” behavior, instead of focusing on the bigger problem of discord in the USA = typical “D” behavior. Notice how the media has compiled a list of 9K lies – this is textbook “C” behavior, as in, I’ve done my research, do not pass go – they have made their pronouncement and physically shut down, do not proceed.
But what about the Deep State problem?
Let’s look at the bureaucrats who ‘resist’ our President in classic “S” fashion. Remember, there is nothing that can be done to influence an “S”, they have to come to you, and it often takes years. Once loyal, they will stay with you forever —- or, they will stay with Obama forever — until years pass, and THEY decide to be loyal to President Trump. It’s a problem. They THRIVE in a routine and abhor disruption. Trump is a bomb thrower and a disrupter. Is there any wonder they resist him? Is there any wonder President Trump is frustrated by their lack of speed on ANY issue?
How do we adjust and get through to others?
We’re going to have to bend a little bit. Note how Brandon Straka came to start the #WalkAway campaign. He had one friend, a female Christian, who never gave up on him. She sent him information all the time. Eventually, he saw the debunking video of how the media falsely portrayed Trump mocking the disabled reporter…. and then Straka did his OWN research….. and then Straka decided….., after months of research…., and made his pronouncement. Once ‘converted’ and sure of his analysis, he became an advocate for Trump. Gee whiz, does this sound like a high “C” or “S” from above? Ya’ think?
Speculating further, WHO OR WHAT entity has been hinting at a slow release of information, so the people could acclimate to the corruption of those in our government and “those we trust the most”? I’ll give you 17 guesses to get the answer correct.
Take the Canal Project which we talked about months ago:
D = If we were “selling the idea” to a President Trump, we would give it to him him bullet point format, five items, short description. He would immediately grasp the idea and probably make it better.
I = If selling to an “I” type, we would talk about the wealth created and gleaming new cities, beautiful farms, industry and commerce. An “I” type would find the project irresistible. They would crawl over broken glass to be part of the party and smack dab in the middle of it all.
S = If selling the Canal to an “S”, I would friend them on Facebook, first, cuz they still have an account. Every 2-3 days, I would send them a post about something I saw in the news, and how the canal would solve the problem. Two years later, it would be their idea.
C = If selling the Canal to a “C”, we would have to send them a chart, research, once a week, for about 6 months until the file was about 6″ high or bigger. Then, they would make their own evaluation, which would be positive, because we already did the research, but a “C” will NEVER trust your research, they have to do it themselves.
What’s the takeaway?
We can see the difference now. Again, it’s like understanding the power of gravity. We always knew it was there, and now we know how it works. The lights are on. I dare you to close your eyes and think about the personal disagreements you’ve had in the past year. How many of those disagreements, do you think, could be attributed to simple personality differences? Think about your spouse or best friend. Have you been able to peg their personality type yet? What could you do, to bend a little bit, so they would be more at ease and hear you?
If we understand HOW people naturally process info and make decisions based on their personality, AND DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY, we can accomplish so much more. More sales or more persuasion, or an INFINITELY HAPPIER HOME LIFE.
Think about trying to sell the Canal project in reverse. What do you suppose President Trump’s reaction would be if we came in with piles of charts to weed through? Do you think he would ever have the patience or time to see our Twitter message or Facebook post? I doubt it.
In summary, decide what you want to accomplish, and if you’re willing to bend a little bit so that others can HEAR you. Start small. Practice until you get used to using it. Think about it and experiment. Sky’s the limit!
End~
PS: Normally, it takes about 5-20 minutes to figure out a new person’s personality type. As many times as I’ve gauged people over the past 30+ years, to figure out how to get through to them, there is one person I am hesitant to call, Obama. I can’t tell who he really is. He’s wearing a mask. What do you guys think?
