"You can get everything you want in life by helping others get what they want." according to Zig Ziglar.
So, how do you identify what the other person wants?
Understand their preferred communication style and how it impacts their needs. Our preferred communication style will determine what we need from a conversation. Have you noticed some people are more:
· Forceful, direct, and results oriented
· Optimistic, fun, and talkative
· Steady, patient, and relaxed
· Precise, accurate, and detail-oriented
And some people are combinations of two or three of these clustered patterns.
A person who understands other people and what they need in communication is well respected and able to make contributions that better the lives of others.
DISC is the universal language of observable human behavior and thus preferred communication styles. Watching people proves its validity. Every day we live in a wonderful laboratory where we can observe or people read others. Scientific research has proven that people, in terms of how they act, have similar patterns of behavior or characteristics. I think of these as clusters of patterned behavior. By learning these characteristics, you can increase your communication effectiveness.
DISC does not measure intelligence, values, skills and experience, or education and training. Yet, our DISC style has an inescapable influence on all of these.
People reading is not putting someone in a box and leaving them there. It is a useful way to read what the other person needs from the conversation so that we can be effective in the communication occurring now.
In Communication Styles we are observing the DISC:
- The Dominate scale shows how we will respond to problems and challenges
- The Influence scale shows how we will sell our ideas and approach influencing others
- The Steady scale shows how we will handle the pace of the environment
- The Compliant to Standards scale shows how we will respond to rules and procedures set by others.
When we are people reading we are identifying what someone else's communication needs are in each of the 4 areas. For example: Someone with a High Dominance preference will want new problems and challenges, to see the big picture and to make decisions very quickly. Another person with a Low Dominance preference will prefer to be mild, peaceful, agreeable and not want lots of change or new challenges.
Your DISC report will help you to identify your greatest potential. It will show you the kinds of problems and challenges you are most effective in dealing with. It will help you answer the question, "What is my most effective style for influencing others?" It will show you which side of change and risk you are most comfortable with. And your DISC style will show you how you use and respond to the rules and procedures set by others. People reading is the ability to know ourselves and understand the impact we will have on others.
To complete your own complementary DISC Communication Styles assessment and discover your communication preferences use the on-line code instructions in Chapter 3 on page 38 of your Conversations for Change book or check out our store.
If you would like to know more about your Preferred Communication style attend our next Talent@Work seminar.
To see the previous week's Communication Tips, click here.
To rate your effectiveness as a communicator in each of the
12 conversation types? Click Here.
