Author: uku

Assumptions That Can Get Them in Trouble

Even if we’d never say them out loud, we all have unconscious assumptions that sometimes get us into trouble. Here are some common ones that i-style managers sometimes make.

• Most people are fine improvising

• People who are quiet and reserved need to be brought out of their shell

• I have to express my feelings when I have them

• If someone shows confidence, they’re probably competent

• I need to fill the silence to keep things upbeat

• The team should keep things positive, all the time

• I shouldn’t jeopardize my popularity

• It’s ok to build up excitement for an idea, even if it’s only a vague possibility

• Showing my enthusiasm will get everyone excited

• Everyone should assume the best, like I do

• It’s better to move on than dig into problems

• Everyone craves excitement

• If I give critical feedback, our relationship will never recover

Unintended Consequences for Their Team

• We don’t have the stability we need

• We move too fast and quality suffers

• There’s a lot of big talk that goes nowhere

• Problems get glossed over

• Work feels chaotic

• Some of us don’t have the space we need to do our work

Helping Your i-style Managers Rethink Their Role

One of the core insights that helps these managers is realizing just how much more stability, predictability, or control others might need compared to them. By understanding other perspectives, they see that not everyone shares their comfort with improvisation or emotional expression and that sometimes they’ll need to take a more task-oriented or tough-minded approach.

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There is no perfect DiSC style. Since each person has a unique behavioral profile, people are walking around all over the world with different styles and priorities. We believe that these differences are extremely valuable. Once you assess these differences and harness the value, you’ll have better workplace communication AND a healthier organization.

• All DiSC styles and priorities are equally valuable, and everyone is a blend of all styles
• DiSC is not about labeling people or putting them in boxes. Actually, it’s the opposite – to get them out of their box and increase their behavioral amplitude
• Your DiSC style is mostly inborn but is also influenced by other factors such as life experiences, education and maturity
• Understanding yourself better is the first step to becoming more effective when working with others
• Learning about other people’s DiSC styles can help you understand their priorities and how they may differ from your own
• You can improve the quality of your life by using DiSC to build more effective relationships in your workplace, with your clients, and in your personal life

At its core, the DiSC® model is designed to be simple to understand and easy to remember. The respondent needs to be able to leave a DiSC experience with clear, simple principles that can be understood and applied in the real world. However, every model and assessment tool is only a simplification of real life. Real life and real people are always much more colorful and diverse, therefore, interpreting anyone’s DiSC results is always a process best done together with the learner.

At its core, the DiSC® model is designed to be simple to understand and easy to remember. The respondent needs to be able to leave a DiSC experience with clear, simple principles that can be understood and applied in the real world. However, every model and assessment tool is only a simplification of real life. Real life and real people are always much more colorful and diverse, therefore, interpreting anyone’s DiSC results is always a process best done together with the learner.

In the last three years, we have seen more glimpses into one another’s personal lives than ever before. How often has someone’s pet (or child!) popped into view on a video call, or have you heard the familiar click of a blinker as a coworker takes a meeting while shuttling the kids to school? It’s not entirely uncommon to get a “decline” for a meeting invitation because it’s during someone’s weekly yoga class or telehealth appointment. What was once seen as verboten in the pre-pandemic workplace is now par for the course in the new employee-centered world of work. Being able to focus more on work/life balance has been an evolution in many organizations and for the most part, people have enjoyed the increased flexibility that keeps them connected to home and wellness while continuing to drive results.

However, the question is – are they driving results? And how does this new people-centric focus affect managers who are learning to walk the fine line between making space for employee well-being while also continuing to meet goals, increase the bottom line, and power their business? We wondered how managers are faring in this new paradigm.

Balancing Well-Being and Results

Wiley Workplace Intelligence surveyed 6,004 individuals, of which 3,363 identify as people managers, to find out how managers, specifically, are coping with these changes. The evolution of leadership from the outdated “command and control” model to a more egalitarian, people-focused, and accessible approach has put unique pressure on those in the middle.

It’s clear that managers are in an increasingly complicated role. While our survey respondents reported facing multiple challenges, balancing employee satisfaction and productivity ranked the highest.

Evolving Relationships with Leadership

The relationships between people and their managers have also evolved. While these changes have created a more open and progressive dynamic that promotes increased overall job satisfaction due to better communication, it can be challenging for managers to hold people accountable in this new context.

While better work/life balance is the norm, what happens when someone’s weekly yoga class or home life responsibilities are causing them to miss deadlines or decrease the quality of their work? Nearly 20% of managers and supervisors said that holding employees accountable is their biggest challenge, which speaks to the difficulty managers specifically face in holding space for both wellness and results compared to executive-level employees who are more removed from the day-to-day goings-on within the organization.

Making accountability even more tricky is the shocking statistic that 63% of people managers find dealing with interpersonal/attitude issues with their direct reports the most challenging.

There is a clear opportunity here for employees at all levels to reflect on how they are showing up in their relationships at work and with their teams. Additionally, people managers have the opportunity to incorporate well-being initiatives into the process of achieving organizational goals in order to meet employees where they are, while working towards better accountability and consistent results.

Increased Well-Being Leads to Better Results

Despite the manager-specific issues we have outlined here, overall, the new focus on well-being has led to positive changes in the workplace. Almost half of those surveyed, including employees at all levels within the organization, reports that employee wellness has positively impacted performance in their organization.

How Managers Can Leverage Well-Being Initiatives for Increased Performance

In this new context, it is important that managers embrace the balance of well-being and results. Working to find ways to make room for well-being while still maintaining high expectations for performance is a key to success. In fact, when managers set an example by leveraging well-being initiatives themselves, it can help combat some of the stress they are feeling as they try to find stability in the new normal.

Whether that means holding firm boundaries around working hours, not working while on vacation (not even that one call you make an exception for!), or participating in wellness initiatives, managers can both lead by example and reap the benefits of a well-being-focused organization.

In fact, building wellness into results by celebrating team accomplishments with rewards like a free afternoon or a fun activity, or treating team objectives like a journey instead of a destination can go a long way in creating a culture that can prioritize both wellness and results. While managers may be under unique pressure, they can also leverage the benefits that are designed to bring increased balance and wellness to the workplace.

Help Your People Work Better Together While Achieving Results

While the world of work is constantly evolving, one thing is certain: strong interpersonal skills are imperative in today’s workplace. Whether it’s to improve communication, encourage accountability and drive results, or increase cohesion on teams, facilitated learning experiences with proven brands like Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors^® give organizations the tools they need to succeed.

Interpersonal skills don’t necessarily come easily to everyone and need to be learned and practiced like any other skill. Wiley assessment brands bring these skills to life in your organization, helping bridge the gap between results and well-being, proving that your organization can have it all.

This blog content belongs to Everything DiSC, a Wiley brand.

This blog content belongs to Everything DiSC, a Wiley brand.

We all benefit from stretching into other styles

Of course, the idea of stretch goes much deeper and wider than this. But in skimming the surface, you can see how implementing Everything DiSC gives people the footing they need to reach outside their comfort zones.

Stretching Outside Your Behavioral Comfort Zone

Someone with a C style may be very comfortable working alone on analytical projects that require accuracy. At times, however, this person may be called on to mingle with strangers at a professional function.

In this case, the person is being asked to stretch across the circle toward the i style. Now, someone with the C style who has a dot close to the center of the circle will probably find this mingling distasteful but manageable. On the other hand, someone with a C style whose dot is located on the edge of the circle is more likely to find this mingling highly stressful. In the second case, the person has had to travel farther outside their comfort zone, and that will require more energy.

So, as a general rule, people with dots located close to the center usually have a somewhat easier time adopting foreign DiSC styles when the situation calls for it. People whose dots are on the edge of the circle may have to stretch more (and experience more stress) if they want to adopt another style. On the other hand, because these people have more pronounced DiSC styles, those styles are often accompanied by some very distinct strengths.

Stretch, Learn, GROW

Flexing becomes easier as we practice it. The more we stretch into an unfamiliar or uncomfortable behavior, the more flexible we get. The analogy of a rubber band pinned to your DiSC dot can be helpful. It takes more energy the farther you pull the band. So moving a little way into the style next to yours takes less energy than stretching all the way across the circle. The band becomes easier to stretch the more you stretch it, and always moves back to its original position when you stop.

Our ability to flex is one reason why we don’t use DiSC as a reason not to adapt or as an excuse for bad behavior. Statements like “I’m a C style, you’ll just need to learn not to take my criticisms personally” encourage stereotypes and rigidity, which is the antithesis of what Everything DiSC stands for.

The Everything DiSC Agile EQ model is a good example of how DiSC promotes flexing. It speaks to mindsets rather than styles, but the concept of flexing or stretching is obvious. The model proposes that an emotionally intelligent person is one who:

1. Recognizes which mindsets are most appropriate in a given situation, and
2. Stretches to use those mindsets, regardless of how comfortable they are.

Stretching into other styles may feel uncomfortable at the moment, but know that you are in fact doing yourself a favor. We often level up through situations that challenge us, and it’s through these challenges that our continued learning and growth take place.

Sources:

https://www.discprofile.com/fac-sup/tips/flex

https://www.everythingdisc.com/insights-to-action/if-you-arent-stretching-you-arent-learning.aspx