10 ways to keep the principles of DiSC® alive in your organization

 

Keeping the principles of DiSC® active and relevant in an organization can be challenging, but it’s crucial for fostering a culture of communication and understanding. Here are some strategies to ensure that DiSC remains a vibrant and integral part of your workplace.

1. Regular Refreshers

Encourage teams to regularly revisit DiSC concepts. Short, frequent discussions about DiSC can help keep the principles fresh in everyone’s mind.

2. Integrating DiSC with Existing Processes

Incorporate DiSC into your existing business practices. For instance, during meetings or team-building activities, remind participants of their DiSC styles and how these can influence group dynamics.

3. Leadership Endorsement

Have your leaders set an example by consistently applying DiSC in their management approach and decision-making processes. Leadership’s commitment to DiSC can inspire the entire organization to follow suit.

4. New Employee Orientation

Introduce DiSC early by incorporating it into onboarding programs for new hires. This can help new employees understand the communication styles of their colleagues from the start.

5. DiSC® Profiles Display

Encourage employees to display their DiSC style somewhere visible, like on their desk, office door or any social platform. This acts as a constant reminder of the diverse communication styles within the team.

6. Apply DiSC in Conflict Resolution

Utilize DiSC to navigate and resolve conflicts by understanding the different motivations and fears of the conflicting parties.

7. DiSC Champions

Designate DiSC champions within your organization who are passionate about the framework and can promote its use in various departments. Consider sending at least one member of a team to the DiSC® Certification program to get further expertise and increase the value your organization gets from DiSC.

8. Tailored Communication

Use DiSC to tailor communication strategies within your team, ensuring messages resonate with the diverse styles of the group.

9. Performance Reviews

Incorporate DiSC into performance reviews to discuss how an employee’s style has influenced their performance, both positively and negatively.

10. Continuous Learning

Keep the learning alive by providing ongoing training and development opportunities related to DiSC. Check some tips on how to continue the journey with DiSC.

By implementing these strategies, you can maintain the relevance and effectiveness of DiSC® in your organization, fostering a more harmonious and productive workplace and getting a better return on investment from the DiSC profiles.

 

DiSC Styles and Selling Confidence

What DiSC behavioral characteristics best describe individuals who have an ability to sell? Who has the least confidence in their selling skills?

In exploring the connection between DiSC behavioral characteristics and selling ability, a small US study by Keller Center for Research focused on professionals in the residential real estate sector. They sought to understand which DiSC traits align with strong selling skills and which indicate a lack of confidence in these abilities.

Identifying Sales Confidence through DiSC

Confidence in selling is often linked to certain behavioral traits. Individuals who are self-assured, persuasive, competitive, and decisive tend to believe in their selling abilities. They are adept at understanding and influencing others, and they handle sales pressure well.

Traits Indicative of Selling Skills

Our study identified ten key DiSC traits associated with sales confidence. The majority of these traits fall under the Dominance and Influence categories. They include being very sure of oneself, enjoying competition, being a risk-taker, self-confident, convincing, and assertive. These traits are valuable indicators for hiring practices in sales roles. The Top 10 DiSC behaviors most related to selling confidence are displayed in order:

Lack of Confidence in Selling

Conversely, we identified traits that have a negative correlation with sales confidence. These traits are primarily related to the Steadiness and Compliance dimensions. Traits like being moderate, modest, calm, cautious, and sensitive are less associated with selling confidence. Our findings also confirm that administrative staff typically exhibit higher levels of Steadiness and Compliance traits.

Who Excels in Sales?

This research shows that those with high levels of Dominance and Influence traits are more likely to be top sales performers. However, it’s important to note that individuals with high Steadiness and Compliance traits can also excel in sales, though they might not be the typical top performers. The combination of an individual’s dominant behavioral traits plays a crucial role in their sales performance.

Top Sales Performers

D: 64.9% of High D’s are top sales performers

i: 58.2% of High i’s are top sales performers

S: 41.7% of High S’s are top sales performers

C: 28.0% of High C’s are top sales performers

Conclusion

The study reveals that certain DiSC traits are strong predictors of selling confidence, which in turn translates into sales performance. Recognizing these traits can help in identifying potential top sales agents and tailoring hiring processes accordingly.

However, it’s important to take into account that no DiSC style guarantees higher selling ability as this depends on several other factors besides a behavioral style. Also, any style can be successful in selling if they

Most Commonly Asked Questions about DiSC®

What is the ideal or best DiSC style?

No single DiSC style is considered ideal or superior. Each style brings its own set of strengths and areas for improvement. DiSC is a tool to understand the effort required for different behaviors, rather than a measure of skill. It’s important to recognize that we’re all a mix of styles and can adapt to others as needed.

Can DiSC be used as a hiring tool?

Everything DiSC has not been validated as a hiring tool. There is no direct correlation between DiSC styles and job success or satisfaction. DiSC focuses on personality traits rather than the skills and abilities required for a specific job. However, some jobs do have a disproportional number of people with similar styles. This is only a modest trend and may only indicate that more people choose or are hired for that profession. For example, you might see several iD styles in your sales department or C styles in IT and finance departments. That might mean more of those styles go into those roles or that recruiters have a bias toward that style for these roles.

Still, Everything DiSC is used by many organizations to build self-awareness and to help understand the style preferences and ideal work environments of new employees, aiding in their successful integration.

Can my DiSC profile change over time?

Your DiSC profile can evolve over time due to various factors like life experiences, education, and maturity. Changes in your DiSC assessment results might be more noticeable over longer periods. While major shifts in style are unlikely, smaller changes can occur, especially after significant life events or when frequently engaging in behaviors characteristic of different styles.

At IPB Partners, we recommend re-taking the DiSC assessment every two years to ensure it captures your current style.

Can I have one style at work and another at home?

It’s common for people to exhibit similar DiSC styles in both their personal and professional lives. While different situations might require different styles, this doesn’t mean one has completely different styles at work and at home. It’s about adapting to various situations, which might be more or less energy-intensive depending on how far it is from your natural style. So, whether at home or at work, you don’t really change the essence of who you are, but you may change how you respond to others in each different environment. You are likely to float between a few dominant styles based on each unique circumstance.

How can I best use the knowledge from DiSC®?

Utilizing the insights gained from an Everything DiSC assessment can be incredibly beneficial in both personal and professional life. For example, understanding the concept of ‘stretching’ into other styles to be more effective with others. If your natural style is analytical and reserved (C style), but you’re in a situation that requires more outgoing and social behaviors (i style), this stretching can range from being slightly uncomfortable to quite challenging, depending on your style’s intensity (position on the DiSC circle). The further away your natural style is from the required style, the more effort it takes to adapt.

Remember, the key to leveraging DiSC effectively is not just in knowing the styles, but in actively applying this knowledge to adapt and improve interactions and strategies in various areas of life and work.

Should teams have a mix of all styles?

A team can be successful with or without a mix of DiSC styles. What’s more important than mix is awareness of the team’s strengths and challenges. A well-rounded team will work to overcome their challenges rather than focus only on their strengths.

Do the four DiSC colors mean anything?

The colors used in Everything DiSC profiles are purely for design and branding purposes. They don’t hold any specific meaning in relation to the DiSC styles themselves. It’s important not to associate DiSC styles with certain colors, as research indicates that the interpretation of colors can vary significantly across different cultures.

Why are there so many DISC tests?

The DISC model is not copyrighted, so this has led to the development of various assessments by different providers. Everything DiSC is the original and the first DiSC profile created in the world and sets itself apart as a premium brand with its commitment to ongoing research and the most advanced assessments and solutions.

Establishing a Foundation of Trust

Trust is the foundation of The Five Behaviors®, and without it, the collaboration vital for team success becomes elusive. Trust requires vulnerability, the assurance that colleagues have each other’s backs, and confidence in one another’s intentions. By exploring the first behavior, as outlined by Patrick Lencioni in the New York Times best-seller The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, we’ll uncover the profound significance of trust within teams, unravel its dynamics, and examine its pivotal role in fostering a cohesive, high-performing team.

Here’s what Patrick Lencioni has to say about establishing vulnerability-based trust:

Defining Team Trust

When we talk about trust, we are not referring to the ability to predict someone’s behavior based on past experiences, genuine trust goes deeper. Rather, in the context of a cohesive team, trust means a willingness to be completely vulnerable with one another—to let down our guard, admit our flaws, and ask for help. It’s about being able to rely on someone not just because they’ve consistently behaved a certain way in the past, but also because they’ve demonstrated authentic commitment to the teams’ values. When team members are genuinely transparent and honest with one another, they can begin to build vulnerability-based trust.

Five Behaviors Pyramid. Starting with Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and finally Results. Trust is highlighted in a red background.

Building Trust by Being Vulnerable

Vulnerability-based trust can only exist when we are confident that our peers have good intentions and that there’s no reason to be defensive or cautious around them. Without this type of trust, teams can waste time and energy concealing their weaknesses and mistakes, hesitating to ask for help, and assuming the worst about their teammates’ intentions and abilities.

When a team has vulnerability-based trust, they can channel their energy towards more productive tasks instead of managing their image. By utilizing the collective skills and support of the team, we can make our jobs easier and build a strong foundation for teamwork. Trust is demonstrated within a team through actions and behaviors that promote support and a shared sense of purpose. Team members who trust each other are more likely to openly share ideas, concerns, and feedback, creating an environment where everyone feels heard and valued.

What Trust Looks Like on a Team: -Being genuine -Admitting weaknesses and mistakes -Giving one another the benefit of the doubt

However, building trust can be challenging due to fears and concerns that may hold us back. It’s crucial to be aware of these fears so we can start to overcome them. For instance, some team members may fear disapproval and may be hesitant to share their weaknesses or mistakes, as they want to maintain a positive image in front of others. Understanding why others struggle with trust can allow us to think about ways to help our teammates feel comfortable enough to let their guard down.

Fears That Can Hold a Team Back: -Being perceived as naive -Criticism -Being disliked -Loss of control

Taking Action to Build Vulnerability-Based Trust

Building team trust doesn’t just happen overnight. It requires time, shared experiences, and multiple instances of follow-through to establish credibility. Additionally, it is important to have an in-depth understanding of each team member’s unique attributes so you can work better together. However, some habits can help speed up the process of establishing vulnerability-based trust among teammates. For example, when teams readily apologize for their mistakes, it encourages others to do the same and it can improve trust and communication between teammates.

Top Three Ways to Develop Team Trust: -Reduce the amount of gossiping -Readily apologize for mistakes -Understand each other's working style

To build a truly trusting team, everyone, including the leader, needs to be willing to take risks. By being open and vulnerable, the team can create an environment where honesty, empathy, and understanding can thrive. This foundation allows individuals to feel safe sharing their thoughts, fears, and uncertainties, leading to stronger relationships and a more resilient, innovative, and cohesive team. When trust is celebrated as a crucial aspect of the team culture, it drives the group towards achieving greater success and fulfillment in their endeavors. Learn more about how The Five Behaviors can activate your team’s potential here.

Microsoft’s Success Story with The Five Behaviors®

How do you unite three global groups into one cohesive team and set them up for success?

Achieving high performance in the competitive tech industry is a challenging endeavor. Discover how, through The Five Behaviors solution, this Microsoft Business Unit acquired a unified language and essential tools for fortifying their teams. Their advancement in accountability helped clarify individual roles and expectations, as well as those at the company level, boosting their productivity and organizational visibility. As team members started aligning with the goals and priorities set during their offsite, silos diminished. This alignment led to a noticeable improvement in their daily work routines and interrelationships across Microsoft.

Finding a sustainable solution to that question ranked at the top of Darci Kleindl’s task list when she accepted the role as general manager of sales enablement and sales excellence for the Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) organization within the Dynamics division.

Kleindl entered a unique and challenging business situation with her new position. Three weeks into her role, the Dynamics business leaped from being Microsoft’s eighth-largest business to being at the core of Microsoft’s strategy. With a global team of customer support managers, all of whom work with diverse clientele, and a team of leaders who drive worldwide standards for sales basics as well as internal and external readiness, Kleindl needed a way to understand her team while redefining their purpose and place in the company.

Invest in Impact

As a business leader, Kleindl’s natural instinct drove her to seek out the best solution to this workplace challenge rather than settling for a temporary fix. She was determined to develop a comprehensive leadership and team development program—enriching her work culture with trust, collaboration, and accountability. Kleindl sought the expertise of her trusted advisor, Bruce Leamon, President of the Leamon Group, and a Five Behaviors® Authorized Partner. Together, they created the Organizational Capital Program, a multi-year program that focuses on developing leadership, coaching skills, emotional intelligence, and a culture of teamwork.

“I wanted to give my colleagues an end-to-end picture of who they are, from their own understanding as well as from other people’s perspectives—to understand how your personality can relate to your leadership skills,” Kleindl says. She wanted to provide her team with an opportunity that would influence their personal and professional growth.

My hope was that no matter where they go, no matter what they do, we can work through the things they want to develop. Darci Kleindl, General Manager of Sales Enablement, Microsoft Business Solutions

Leamon recommended The Five Behaviors® Team Development to be the foundation for the Organizational Capital Program. The Five Behaviors® is a unique learning experience based on Patrick Lencioni’s New York Times best-selling leadership fable, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The assessment and accompanying facilitated learning experience help intact teams understand how they score on the pillars of The Five Behaviors model: Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results, and how they can improve on these behaviors to become a productive, high-functioning team.

The Five Behaviors Model in a pyramid formation starting with Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and, at the top, Results.

“It was critical for us to adopt a common language and framework that fit within our existing initiatives. The Five Behaviors provides a comprehensive assessment of the team’s current state while providing crisp guidance toward next steps,” Leamon explains.

Powered by Everything DiSC®, a personality assessment that helps people communicate better and develop more effective relationships, The Five Behaviors encourages teams to have challenging, productive conversations that will guide them toward building a truly cohesive and efficient team. Before starting the program, each participant takes a DiSC® assessment to identify and understand their personalized profile. Comprised of D: Dominance, i: Influence, S: Steadiness, and C: Conscientiousness, participants see how their style impacts the group’s overall success and can use this information to learn how to effectively communicate with their peers, which is crucial for any successful Five Behaviors program experience.

The Evolution of Teamwork

To kick off the Organizational Capital Program, Kleindl arranged for her global teams from the US, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), and Asia to gather in person for a two-day offsite for The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team workshop. Leamon facilitated the program and began by establishing vulnerability-based trust, the foundation of The Five Behaviors model.

Using the common language of DiSC, the team felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable and share personal experiences with each other. This allowed them to build relationships beyond the workplace. By connecting through stories about personal challenges and accomplishments, Kleindl’s team felt safe to have crucial conversations about their current and future state as a group.

“There was suddenly a feeling that you were part of a bigger entity here and you weren’t just an individual,” said participant Dilip Popet, EMEA Enterprise, CSM Director. “When we started talking about our values, we started connecting at a different level.”

They dove deep into The Five Behaviors and identified areas of improvement, particularly in conflict and commitment, and defined actionable next steps. When establishing their core values, they participated in healthy conflict and, as a result, experienced a huge payoff: all forty participants came to complete agreement.

When we started talking about what our values are, we started connecting with each other at a different level. Dilip Popet, EMEA Enterprise, CSM Director

Turn this into an inline graphic: “When we started talking about what our values are, we started connecting with each other at a different level.” — Dilip Popet, EMEA Enterprise, CSM Director

As the team progressed, Kleindl noticed a physical shift in the team’s energy level and engagement. “I would say it went from a little resistance to excitement, to surprise, to really full engagement, and ultimately, at the end, to fun,” she said. Everyone was an active participant and took accountability to be present. In just two days, the MBS group established team camaraderie that would help keep them grounded and connected when they returned to the workplace.

An Ongoing Transformation

To be a high-performing team in the competitive tech industry is no easy feat, but with The Five Behaviors set as their foundation, Kleindl’s agile MBS group has the common language and tools needed to strengthen their teams. The team’s progress on accountability allowed them to understand their roles and expectations on an individual level as well as company-wide, which has increased their productivity and visibility as an organization. Silos faded as people began to embrace the goals and priorities they had established at their offsite. They began to experience a positive shift in their daily work routine and relationships throughout Microsoft.

“I truly enjoy what I’m doing. The program enables me to do the best work I can possibly do in the organization,” says Popet. “I definitely feel more at home in this team. Our environment truly cares about people and empowers me to reach out more, bringing out more from within myself.”

The Five Behaviors prepared the team to address emotional intelligence, coaching, and leadership development as they moved forward in the Organizational Capital Program. “This program actually gave me something actionable that the team could see, more at a collective level but also at an individual level,” says Kleindl. “I got emails from people saying, ‘No one has ever invested in me in this way. It’s fantastic!’”

With The Five Behaviors integrated into their work culture, the MBS team has harnessed the power of teamwork as their ultimate competitive advantage. This ensures that they can not only adapt to challenges but can consistently elevate their collaborative dexterity, positioning them for success in an ever-evolving business landscape. Learn how The Five Behaviors can help your teams soar.

Navigating Change with the help of DiSC

Different people are going to have very different needs in the exact same situation. As leaders and managers, we need to be mindful that what we instinctively think people should need is not actually always what they really need. And if the manager has the bandwidth, DiSC is a really nice little cheat sheet for things to be on the lookout for.

Ultimately, if managers can understand what people actually need in a crossroads time like this, then even a very small, targeted action can make a really profound difference in that person’s life.

Watch this 9-minute video by Wiley Research Director Mark Scullard about how different DiSC styles respond to changes. Get this one-pager training material about the DiSC Style Needs During Times of Change here.

Prevent Quiet Quitting and Burnout: How to Build a Culture of Communication That Works

In light of the last two years, it makes sense that employees want to work for organizations that have a clear vision for the future, with a focus on relationships and effective communication. As we shared in an earlier Wiley Workplace Research article, employees said that when those things are present, they are less stressed and more productive. Conversely, employees who work for an organization that lacks direction and has poor communication feel higher levels of stress and are less productive, which could lead to employee burnout.

Burnout, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy, is a huge problem for organizations. It can lead to turnover, disengagement, and loss of productivity. It’s an even bigger problem for people because it can cause a lack of fulfillment, exhaustion, and poor performance. The instability and chaos of the pandemic, followed by sudden staffing shortages caused by The Great Resignation, have only increased these feelings, and has led to a recent phenomenon called “Quiet Quitting.”

Originating on the social media platform TikTok, the concept of Quiet Quitting was that burned-out employees declared that they were no longer going to go above and beyond for organizations that have not prioritized people in the years since the pandemic and subsequently, The Great Resignation. Many employees who decide to quiet quit have been tasked with doing the jobs of multiple people and working extra hours with less communication from organizational leadership, often with no added compensation or benefits to match the increased workload and stress. In fact, Quiet Quitting is a bit of a misnomer, as individuals are not quitting their jobs, but instead are embracing more healthy boundaries around their work lives as a result of burnout.

As firm believers that an organization’s true potential lies within its people, we wanted to learn more about the causes of burnout, its pervasiveness, and how to help organizations create a culture that engages and supports employees – no Quiet Quitting needed.

To have a better understanding, we asked 5,014 professionals, individual contributors, and C-suite executives alike, about burnout. The results are alarming, with 97% experiencing some level of work-related stress and a shocking 86% reporting feelings of burnout. That’s why we’ve dedicated an entire series to this topic. Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing our research findings around employee burnout, so that you can take actionable steps to reduce its impact on your organization.

What Causes Burnout?

While there are many sources that can lead to feelings of burnout, we found that having rapidly shifting priorities can be a key driver. Of course, it’s natural for organizational priorities to change based on demand or need. During the pandemic, many organizations were compelled to pivot and reexamine their business models and strategies, and in the aftermath of The Great Resignation, they have had to adjust to an almost constantly changing workforce. With all of these rapid changes being implemented over the past few years, employees feel the pace has yet to slow down and are often tasked with taking on job responsibilities outside the scope of their role to make up for the loss of people and positions. In fact, 63% of the people we surveyed felt the amount of change and initiatives within their organization had increased since last year. The sheer number of priorities, often contradictory or competing, make it challenging for employees to effectively support and implement new company strategies.

On top of the increased number of priorities, employees feel like they are being kept in the dark about what’s happening at a leadership level. Almost half of employees surveyed said leadership failed to communicate prior to executing changes in strategy. What’s interesting is that 60% of the executives in our survey felt these changes were communicated, which highlights a well-known insight: It’s not always a lack of communication, but rather a disconnect between how information is presented and how it is received. This misunderstanding can unintentionally bolster feelings of stress or employee burnout.

Managers Set the Tone – and Need Support

Managers are expected to pivot and implement changes to meet the diverse demands of their organization. To do this, they need to not only understand leadership priorities and changes in strategy but also how to communicate them effectively while engaging a potentially stressed and overwhelmed workforce. They must also be prepared to support the implementation of these new initiatives so they can effectively lead their teams through change and reduce the risk of employee burnout throughout the process by creating a culture that engages employees instead of alienating them.

In our survey, only half of managers said they knew why shifts in priorities and changes in strategy were being made. This lack of clarity risks amplifying feelings of uncertainty and confusion, increasing the risk of wasted time, strained relationships, and lowered team performance. Managers are stressed, and they continue to need support to be effective at their jobs. They are facing constant pressure to perform despite the increased workloads, constant changes, understaffed teams, and inadequate communication from leadership which can lead to feelings that precipitate the decision to Quiet Quit. This, coupled with an unclear understanding of how they are expected to implement strategic changes within their teams has not only given rise to manager burnout but likely added to feelings of burnout among their team members.

It’s clear that employees and managers alike are experiencing burnout for a variety of reasons. Although it is doubtful that the pace of change is going to slow down anytime soon, there are steps you can take to reduce systemic burnout in your organization.

How to Reduce Burnout and Prevent Quiet Quitting

First, real-time agility and adaptation to change should be skills that are valued and promoted within your organization. Having a solid and well-considered rollout plan when it comes to new strategies is also recommended. Organizations can simplify and clarify changes in their strategy by taking a “less is more” approach. While there are many ways to achieve clarity, we suggest changes be conceptualized within the framework of the company’s vision and values. When people see the connection between new initiatives and the overall company vision, they’re more likely to understand and support the new plans.

Once changes in strategy have been aligned with the company’s vision and initiatives, they must be shared with all employees using an effective communication plan. The plan should include opportunities to share your message across multiple channels and with proper consistency. In this case, repetition is key to reaching as many employees as possible.

Another way to manage employee burnout amid constant change is by shaping a culture of connectedness, not just to the strategy but to each other. Our research revealed that two-thirds of employees feel there is a lack of cohesion in their organization due to rapidly shifting priorities and this constant change leaves many feeling directionless and alone – a key factor in why people choose to Quiet Quit. Leadership must ensure that there is a culture of interconnectedness, so employees feel supported and engaged with their organization and their people.


With clear communication, engagement, and agility organizations can create cultures that promote connectedness while preventing the burnout that has the potential to lead to Quiet Quitting. When we focus on creating clarity of vision, effective communication, and a cohesive culture, employees are less likely to burn out, allowing productivity and collaboration to flourish.

 

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

Four Generations at Work: The Unexpected Truth

There has been a lot of attention paid to the increasing number of generations currently in the workforce. From the tech-savvy and ambitious Gen Z-ers to the more analogue and experienced baby boomers, with Gen X and millennials in between, the differing needs of the generations have been a hot topic in the world of learning and development.

Wiley Workplace Intelligence sought to get to the bottom of how one’s generation informs their experience at work. Do these differing areas of skill and interest cause conflict? Or does the wide breadth of influence and expertise have the potential to come together to create more powerful, diverse, and cohesive organizations?

Let’s dig into the research. We surveyed 2010 people to understand more about the generational makeup of the current workforce and how each group experiences life at work. The results were surprising. While we found that there were reported differences between the generations, in most cases they weren’t as vastly different as one would think. In fact, the picture we got from our research is that despite all the hype we are a lot more alike than we may think. Read on to learn what that means for you and your organization.

The Generational Makeup

Survey Respondents by Generation

Our respondents (53% of whom are people managers) were asked to select which generation they belonged to based on their birth year. Millennials (also known as Generation Y, but for the purposes of this article will be referred to as the more commonly used term millennial) and Gen X make up the majority of the workforce with a combined total of 84%. This majority makes sense as many baby boomers have already entered retirement and the younger members of Gen Z have not yet joined the workforce.

Mental Health Concerns Impact Gen Z and Millennials Most, Baby Boomers Least

Mental Health Impact

Having come of age in the post 9/11 world and not knowing life without the internet, Gen Z is growing up in a uniquely different era than earlier generations. While it is hard to define the specific cause, the dominance of social media, economic and global instability, and a worldwide pandemic during their formative years may play a role in the 29% of Gen Z employees that reported their mental health impacted their ability to perform their work a moderate-to-great deal. Millennials were not far behind with 23% reporting a moderate-to-great impact on their ability to perform their work.

A whopping 77% of baby boomers responded “not at all” when asked if their mental health impacted their ability to perform their work. While it would be easy to assume that the older generations feel less societal pressure and have more stability due to their age and status thus reducing their likelihood of mental health struggles, that can’t be certain. Older generations were also raised with different norms around sharing emotions and the discourse around mental health was not as common which could potentially impact their comfort around sharing this kind of information.

Gen Z and Baby Boomers Report Higher Levels of Hostile Work Environments

Hostile Work Environment Impact

Interestingly, both Gen Z and baby boomer respondents reported that a hostile work environment impacted their ability to perform work equally at 24%, followed by millennials at 22%. Common drivers of a hostile work environment are a lack of communication, destructive conflict, poor work/life balance, and a lack of trust between colleagues.

While Gen Z and baby boomers reported having the most experience with hostile work environments, all generations ranked within a five-point range. This speaks to the fact that addressing common workplace struggles that lead to burnout and hostile work environments can go a long way in creating better organizational cultures.

Older Generations Report the Strongest Desire for Meaning at Work

It in more important to have a personally fulfilling job than a job that pays well

Despite some of the stereotypes about younger generations and their often-lofty idealism, our research showed that surprisingly, Gen X and baby boomers reported the highest levels of priority around having a personally fulfilling job versus a job that pays well.

While the older generations reported the highest numbers, the majority of all respondents said they agree-to-strongly-agree that personal fulfillment at work trumps a big paycheck. Creating organizations that encourage accountability, trust, and allow everyone to be a leader regardless of their role or title, can go a long way to creating meaning at work. When individuals are treated as more than cogs in the wheel of business, they will be more inclined to find fulfillment, no matter their age.

Middle Generations Are the Driving Force Behind Work/Life Balance

Work/Life balance

While work/life balance has been an area of focus for many organizations over the past few years, the highest numbers of Gen Z and millennials reported having a job that prioritizes work/life balance is essential.

This may be for a number of reasons but is most likely due to the factors that give this age group the moniker “the sandwich generation.” Many in this age group are caring for both aging parents and children simultaneously, demanding that their attention be focused on multiple places at once. For this group work/life balance is not only a nice-to-have, but a necessity as they manage their home lives and careers.

All Generations Report Feeling Understood by Each Other

Incredibly, the vast majority of respondents reported feeling understood by colleagues of all ages. While there are obviously differences in the way that each generation was raised, from the world events that shaped them to the cultural understanding around work norms, our research points to a large amount of understanding between the generations, with Gen Xers topping out at 93%.

This is an amazing insight, and perhaps surprising, given the noise that has been made about the differences between generations at work.

Whatever generation you belong to, this research assures that while we all may have slightly different styles and priorities that we largely have more in common than we may think and given the right tools organizations can bring this cohesion and understanding to the next level.

Whether it is with facilitated learning experiences designed to help your people better understand themselves and others, or team building exercises that build trust and teamwork, organizations can create positive experiences, with meaning, for employees of all ages.

 

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

Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Development: Five Surprising Facts You Need to Know

The last few years have been a roller coaster for learning and development professionals around the world. First, there was the abrupt transition to the hybrid workplace, which required entire organizations to upskill and reskill employees under immense pressure. With the ever-evolving world of work, C-suite executives were driving a strategic focus on organizational performance, putting learning and development and human resources professionals, as well as managers at large, in the position of having to implement large-scale initiatives under unprecedented circumstances.

If that wasn’t enough, we are now seeing emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) opening new doors (and new risks!) for industries across the world, and the field of learning and development is not exempt from the impact of AI.

As lifelong learners, we wanted to learn more about how AI is impacting the world of work, and by extension, learning and development. Wiley Workplace Intelligence surveyed 3,000 people across industries to hear what is happening in the workplace.

1. Nearly One-Third of Workplaces Are Actively Using AI

Almost one-third of those surveyed said their business has adopted AI technology in at least one business function. While AI has been around for many years, it exploded into our mainstream culture in 2022 with the launch of Chat GPT. Promised to unlock productivity, organizations around the world are actively testing AI across a range of functions to best understand its potential impact on performance. As such, we expect to see AI technology adoption accelerate in the coming year.

2. AI is Being Leveraged in Every Organizational Function

AI technology is most often being adopted in operations, marketing and sales, and product/service development. This is to be expected as these business functions would benefit from leveraging automation capabilities to increase efficiency and streamline processes.

We asked participants to select the business function(s) that have incorporated AI within their organization.

Business Function Utilizing AI

17% Service Operations
15% Marketing and sales
15% Product or service department
9% Supply chain management
8% Manufacturing
7% Strategy and corporate finance
7% Human resources and development
6% Risk

(Note: Results will not equal 100% as participants could select multiple options)

As illustrated above, service operations, marketing and sales, and product development have the highest AI adoption rates. Human resources and development, as well as risk, have the lowest adoption rates.

3. Budget is the Biggest Barrier to Wider AI Utilization

Why aren’t organizations adopting AI in more business functions? Curious to find out what obstacles were keeping organizations from adopting AI, we asked participants to pick the biggest obstacle they faced.

Organizations have strategic priorities they must focus time and money on that will bring the most benefit to the business. For 19% of people, AI adoption is not a strategic priority which means it likely won’t get the funding needed to move forward.

25% of people said budget constraints are a significant barrier to AI integration in their organization. AI adoption is likely a complex, costly, and time-consuming process that can require upgrading current infrastructure, software, training, and ongoing maintenance. Combined with getting buy-in from both learners and facilitators, organizations potentially face a daunting task.

4. People Still Prefer Humans to AI in Learning and Development

People crave human connection with 59% wanting an instructor to direct their learning.

When we explored preferences for content development, we found that people have strong opinions about who should create material.

5. Learning and Development Professionals Are Optimistic About Benefits of AI

How does this impact learning and development practitioners? When strategically incorporating AI into specific areas, it can have a positive impact.

AI as an automation tool for administrative tasks allows learning and development professionals to focus their efforts on more value-added activities like curriculum design, instructional design, and learner support. This in turn allows for more meaningful and relevant learning opportunities.

Knowing people seek human connection when learning, learning and development practitioners should consider ways to continue meeting that need while incorporating technological advances into their practice. Although people may not be ready for AI-directed learning, AI capabilities can be leveraged to help find skills gaps through assessments to create learning paths for employees.

Combining AI capabilities and human interaction can be an effective way to embrace technological advancements while retaining the personal connection that comes with facilitated learning experiences that increase connection and cohesion in the workplace. Whether you implement trust-building teamwork solutions like The Five Behaviors, empathy and cohesion-building experiences like Everything DiSC, or leadership development solutions like The Leadership Pipeline can elevate your entire organization.

 

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

Learn How to Build Strong Teams with Patrick Lencioni’s Five Behaviors® Model

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business landscape, the success of an organization hinges on the strength and effectiveness of its teams. High-performing teams don’t just happen by chance; they are intentionally cultivated and nurtured through shared behaviors and values. One of the most influential frameworks in team development is the New York Times best-seller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, introduced by renowned author and organizational consultant Patrick Lencioni. With more than 4 million copies sold and a trusted model, it is the definitive guide for building high-performing teams worldwide.

Here’s a bit about the power of The Five Behaviors®:

The Five Behaviors model offers a comprehensive approach to cultivating teams by building trust, fostering healthy conflict, promoting commitment, ensuring accountability, and achieving collective results. It provides a roadmap for teams to not only achieve their goals but to thrive and excel in their performance.

Are you ready to take your team to new heights? Let’s begin our exploration of The Five Behaviors and discover the transformative power they hold in creating highly cohesive and successful teams. In this blog series, we will dive deep into each of The Five Behaviors, exploring their importance, practical implementation strategies, and the transformative impact they can have on team dynamics. Before we do that, let’s take a high-level look at each behavior and how it can help your teams rise together:

TRUST

The foundational behavior of a cohesive team is trust. Although many people think of trust as the ability to predict a person’s behavior based on experience, that’s not what we’re talking about here. Rather, in the context of a cohesive team, trust means a willingness to be completely vulnerable with one another—to let down our guard, admit our flaws, and ask for help.

 

Five Behaviors Pyramid with Conflict highlighted in a red background.

CONFLICT

Conflict is often considered taboo, especially at work, and people may spend inordinate amounts of time and energy trying to avoid the kind of passionate debates that are essential to any great team. However, teams that are willing to engage in productive conflict tend to resolve issues and create the best possible solutions in the shortest period of time.

By productive conflict, we mean debate that’s focused on concepts and ideas but avoids mean-spirited, personal attacks.

 

Five Behaviors Pyramid with Commitment highlighted in a red background.

COMMITMENT

If team members don’t commit, they’re just half-heartedly going along with decisions, which means they’re unlikely to have the kind of alignment necessary to reach their goals. In the context of a cohesive team, commitment means having clarity around decisions and moving forward with complete buy-in from every member of the team, even those who initially disagreed with the decision.

 

Five Behaviors Pyramid with Accountability highlighted in a red background.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Once everyone on a team is committed to a clear plan of action, they will be more willing to hold one another accountable. In the context of teamwork, accountability is the willingness of team members to call their peers on performance or behaviors that might hurt the team. Accountability can be one of the toughest behaviors to implement on a team because it means overcoming the interpersonal discomfort that accompanies confronting peers about their behavior. However, with practice and a foundation of trust, having accountability becomes easier and helps teams grow.

Five Behaviors Pyramid with Results highlighted in a red background.

RESULTS

The ultimate goal of encouraging trust, conflict, commitment, and accountability is to achieve results. And yet, as it turns out, one of the greatest challenges to team success is inattention to results. In the context of a cohesive team, results refer to the collective goals of the team; they are not limited to financial measures but are more broadly related to expectations and outcome-based performance.

 

Whether you are a leader or an individual contributor, understanding and embracing these behaviors will unlock the true potential of your team. We look forward to embarking on a journey through The Five Behaviors, where you will gain invaluable insights, practical tips, and real-world examples that will empower you to foster a culture of cohesion, trust, and excellence within your own team.

 

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

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