In any training there may be times when you have to deal with disruptive or difficult behavior, such as participants who like to share a lot, side conversations, interruptions, off-subject conversations, personal attacks, or negativity.
As a facilitator, you may need to intervene on occasion. Referencing the ground rules and guidelines may be all that is needed. Something as simple as eye contact or asking for input from another participant may stop undesirable behavior.
Below are a few typical difficult participant behaviors that a DiSC Certified Trainer may experience in their training.
The Quiet One.
Some people are naturally quiet, and others become quiet in a seminar setting. While you should not expect these people to change dramatically, you may be able to help them participate more than they would otherwise. As we mentioned earlier, watching for nonverbal clues is one method. For others, you may need to use your judgment to gauge their comfort level with participation.
The Talker.
As a facilitator, you must strike a balance between giving participants the freedom and staying on schedule with your seminar topics. Once in a while, you may encounter a participant who tries to monopolize the group’s time. After allowing this individual enough time to make his or her point, firmly but courteously move along to the next topic. For example:
– “Maria, I’m sorry to interrupt you. We still have a great deal to cover. Perhaps we could continue this discussion after the session.”
– “Tom, you may not have realized that we still need to hear from Joe and Cate. If we have time, we’ll come back to you and hear more.”
The Bored One.
Boredom is usually expressed through people’s behavior and comments. Some people actually are bored, and others pretend to be bored to set themselves apart from the rest of the group.
Too many participants acting this way can have a negative effect on the morale and enthusiasm of the group. The best way to reduce this kind of behavior is to draw these people into the group by recognizing them and asking for their contributions.
The Arguer.
A disagreement among participants can be constructive or damaging, depending on the issue and how the disagreement is handled. At all costs, you should avoid letting someone cause you to lose your temper.
As the facilitator, you can set an example of how to argue. You can reduce tension if you disagree with the statement rather than with the person making the statement. Consider this retort: “Tom, I totally disagree with you.” Would this reduce tension?
A more constructive response would be “Tom, you present an interesting argument. There is one part that is still difficult for me to understand. Could you elaborate on…”
The “Know-It-All.”
People may appear to have a lot of information because they are, in fact, knowledgeable or because they want to win attention or gain approval. Seminar participants will react to “know-it-alls” according to their own needs. Some will be grateful for the information, while others may feel threatened by a display of knowledge they do not have themselves.
People who have a lot of useful knowledge on the subject can be very helpful to the group as long as they do not use that information to monopolize the time. If necessary, thank these people for the information they have provided; then ask for additional comments from other people in the group.
The Glum One.
Have you ever noticed the kind of expression people have when sitting in a group listening to someone talk? You will notice when you are the one talking. Look around and you will notice that some participants have rather glum, unsmiling expressions on their faces. This is important only when you happen to be the one toward whom the glum expression is directed.
It’s natural to take the dour expressions personally. But remember that everyone has a mask they wear under certain conditions. That mask may not necessarily reflect how people are feeling at the moment. Accept that glum expressions are normal for many people in a seminar setting.
The previous descriptions are not intended to cover the full range of behaviors you may come into contact with in a seminar setting. They will help alert you, however, to the wide variety of behaviors you may experience from seminar participants.
As a facilitator, use your flexibility to adapt to each person in the group according to his or her behavior. The participants will appreciate your sensitivity, and the sessions will run more smoothly.
Know Yourself
Each participant has a certain style of behavior. You also have a particular way of behaving. Like others, you have been conditioned to react to your environment in certain characteristic ways. Your style will be one factor in determining the training methods you are most comfortable using.
You cannot totally change your style, but you can modify your behavior for limited periods of time when necessary. To be an effective facilitator, you may have to “flex” your behavior so that you can meet the needs of a broad range of individuals.
The guidelines in this article can hopefully help you become a more effective facilitator. However, no one can instantly adapt to all types of participants and put these suggestions into practice. A major part of learning comes from doing. You, too, will learn by actually conducting the training sessions. An effective facilitator does not need to be perfect in every way. You do not need to be a speech major, psychologist, or an expert on personality and behavior. What you do have to be is sensitive to the requirements of participants in your group. Prepare yourself for the session and focus on the strengths and capabilities of the participants. Have confidence in yourself.
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We are thrilled to announce that Everything DiSC Workplace® in English has been granted a DNV-GL Certification!
(Some of you might be thinking, “I have no idea what that is, but it sounds like a big deal…”)
It is! The European Federation of Psychologists’ Association (EFPA) has developed a widely used standard for reviewing psychological tests—which helps organizations, practitioners, and learners make informed decisions about the quality and utility of an assessment. And the DNV-GL, an accredited body, has certified the compliance of our assessment to the EFPA’s standard. When prospective client or learner sees that Everything DiSC Workplace has been awarded the DNV-GL certification mark, they can feel confident that our assessment is a quality choice.
Lots of attempts have been made to find simple logical models that would allow people to be more effective in any collaboration. Effective relationships and behavior mean:
More adequate understanding of oneself and one’s influence on others
Being able to consciously increase one’s personal strengths
Understanding and valuing other people’s differences
Adapting one’s behavior to better meet the needs of other people and situations
DiSC deals with human behavior – the visible and more easily adaptable part of a person. The DiSC profile as an assessment tool does not deal with assessing personality or abilities but focuses on how a person perceives the world and how it affects his or her behavior and preferences.
The purpose of DiSC is not to label people. In fact, it’s the opposite – to get them out of their box and increase their behavioral amplitude. Thus, it is necessary to know oneself as well as have the ability to “read others” and respond to other people’s priorities in the right way.
DiSC is the most widely used behavioral tool in the world. Over the past 40 years, more than 50 million people have benefited from the DiSC model and training tools. DiSC partners and certified trainers form the largest network of HR experts in the whole world. DiSC partners and certified consultants form the world’s largest network of personnel experts. The most widely used areas of DiSC are teamwork, leadership, coaching, personal development, sales and recruitment.
In order to understand how DiSC methodology can benefit people, it is first necessary to understand the model itself.
It all started 90 years ago with William Moulton Marston’s theory of human behavior. Marston noticed that effective people behave according to the environment, i.e. they can anticipate the expectations or demands of the environment and choose the behavior accordingly. In his opinion, any human behavior could be described through 4 dimensions – dominance, sociality, submission, acceptance. He argued that people are a mixture of all four styles, there is no ‘best’ style – all styles have their strengths and weaknesses and they can all be more or less effective. It is important to be aware of when it is wise to use natural and consciously adapted behaviors.
Today, the terminology of the Marston model has been updated according to the vocabulary and requirements of modern psychology. The abbreviation DiSC is formed from the initials of the English names of these four main natural behavioral dimensions – dominance, influence, steadiness, conscientiousness.
There are many varieties of the DISC assessments on the market, using somewhat different terminology as well as different types of questionnaires and profiles. The most significant success over the last 20 years has been achieved by Everything DiSC® by Wiley (previously Inscape Publishing).
So what is behind the remarkable popularity and practicality of the DiSC methodology?
– Simple but not simplistic. Each profile tells a story that the learner can easily connect with; the learner can act immediately to put the insights and strategies into practice with anyone. We keep this story simple while offering rich content that learners can understand and remember to keep the lessons from DiSC applicable in the long term.
– Reliability. Although the world around us is in constant change, some things always stay the same. One of those is human nature and psychology which has not changed much for millennia. This is also the reason for the DiSC method being timeless. Of course, DiSC tools are constantly being developed, improved and updated, which makes them relevant and easy to implement in today’s world.
– Transformational learning. We often hear that once people experience DiSC profiles, they see the world and others through a new lens. These tools have the power to transform learners’ understanding of themselves and others, offering new choices for how they interact with the people around them. This recognition is a truly eye-opening and powerful experience, but for many, it comes surprisingly late without the right tools.
In current times we all have an increased need for better communication. Continuing work and maintaining relationships through social distancing is challenging for all of us. How to make working from homework for us?
The DiSC concepts of “adapt” and “stretch”, which mean flexing into behaviors and mindsets not typically associated with our natural personality types, are skills that are even more important now. Some of us work happily from home and others need more support to make it work. However, every personality has the ability to be productive from home, but what works for one person might not work as well for another.
Consider how different personalities will respond to a video meeting with no agenda. Will the D-style feel like it will be a waste of time if there’s no agenda? Is the i-style excited about the chance to see everyone and their home setups? Will the S-style worry about how they should prepare? Is the C-style wondering why there’s any need for a video meeting when all of this could be done via email?
Being aware of personality differences and adapting to each other takes commitment and practice. But taking the time to set yourselves up for success is time well spent. You’ll be building team trust and relationships with each other – all positive signs of a cohesive team.
D style
As a D-Style person, you will probably be eager and ready for the challenge of working from home. You feel like you’ll get lots done; you’ll be able to focus your energy. But you probably wonder about being able to work with your team from a distance.
Strengths
You’re results-oriented and driven, so you’ll get done what you need to get done.
You will ask for what you need to be successful from home.
You’re willing to try new collaboration and communication tools.
Challenges
You might be tempted to take shortcuts to complete something that’s been recently stalled.
You might move ahead on something too quickly, or ahead of the rest of the team.
Your communication style might feel cold to others and leave colleagues feeling unappreciated or even hurt.
i style
You’re usually ready to try something new, so working from home might seem exciting at first. You understand that you’ll need to find new ways of staying connected with your colleagues and friends from work. You’re probably more likely than others to keep your extended work networks alive and active.
Strengths
You are naturally positive and enthusiastic and can use that energy to rally your team and maintain a feeling of camaraderie.
You won’t forget that human interaction is a human need and can make sure that time is created for socializing.
You like to experiment and will probably have ideas to share with the rest of the team about how to make working from homework for all of you.
Challenges
Working alone can be stressful for you and you’ll be easily distracted.
Routines can feel stifling, but they can also be very helpful in supporting the self-discipline you’ll need to stay focused and on task.
You might want to charge ahead when you should be asking for more specific instructions or for clarification around communications.
S style
You enjoy friendly, cooperative workplaces and will miss the ease of collaboration that physical nearness enables.
Strengths
You like clear, complete, yet concise and friendly communication. You can model that for your team.
It might be easier for you to contribute your ideas and share your knowledge when given the extra time communicating online can provide.
Working alone isn’t stressful for you. You’re unlikely to get distracted from your focus on the team and its goals.
Challenges
Lack of frequent check-ins at a personal and professional level might leave you feeling disengaged or anxious.
New communication technologies might unsettle you. You’ll need to practice with them with someone you trust.
Others in your home, including children and pets, might want to demand your time during work hours and you’ll have to say “no” or shut them out of your room.
C style
You enjoy your independence and the space to think things through thoroughly. You might not understand the frustrations others feel about not seeing each other at your workplace.
Strengths
You probably have the discipline and focus to make working at home easy.
Your attention to detail will help you evaluate the resource needs of the team and to select the most reliable technologies.
You don’t require a lot of face time or feedback to know you’re doing a good job.
Challenges
Your quick-and-dirty or to-the-point communication may make others feel alienated from you.
You might be tempted to just do a task yourself, rather than delegate it or collaborate on it.
Maintaining warm personal relationships with colleagues could be challenging and you’ll need to find new strategies for doing so.
Do you recognize the strengths and challenges of your style? What other challenges have you faced in adapting to remote work?
Thank you for some of the ideas https://www.discprofiles.com/blog/2020/03/disc-working-from-home
As we all experienced first-hand now, we live in rapidly-changing and challenging times and workplaces. Some even call today the “era of always-on transformation.” I’m not sure about you, but to us “always on transformation” sounds exhausting! And it IS exhausting for most people. According to Bersin by Deloitte’s 2018 “Meet the Modern Learner” report, people working in today’s modern workplace are overwhelmed, exhausted, and distracted.
Here are a few facts that stood out to us:
More than 80% of all companies rate their businesses as “highly complex” or “complex” for employees.
Yet, fewer than 16% of those companies have a program to “simplify work” or help employees deal with stress.
Today there is a growing population (40% of the population!) who believe it is impossible to succeed at work and have a balanced family life.
Beyond Deloitte’s report, Gallup’s recent State of the Global Workplace report highlights a very serious global engagement problem…fewer than 15% of the global workforce is actively engaged.
You see, the very same, rapidly-changing workplace that is draining people of their precious energy, requires more now than ever beforefrom those same people. As the global workforce becomes more VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous), it’s the people of an organization that fuels success and drives competitive advantage. As such, there has been a shift in perception around organizational culture, from nice-to-have to need-to-have. As quoted by Gary Vaynerchuk, “The most important thing for your speed, your company, and your service is your internal culture.”
But if we know anything about culture, we know it means very different things to different organizations. Culture, like almost anything else, is not one-size-fits-all. For some organizations, it’s “how we do things around here.” Others place a robust framework around a culture that articulates corporate values and behavioral policies. Still more, an unwritten behavioral code is learned over time. While the way we define and shape culture has infinite approaches, we know that there are three unifying characteristics of culture today:
Culture is unique to each organization
It is a critical driver of success
It’s one of the hardest things to change. Period.
So what do we do? If culture is critically important to an organization’s future success, yet one of the hardest things to change, how do we rally people and organizations to make the leap toward better? How do we enable organizations to make true cultural transformation possible?
True cultural transformation does not just happen on its own. It’s the collection of thousands of moments, interactions, and choices made by each individual that builds the dynamic nature of culture. True transformation is an ongoing effort that takes not just Human Resources, not just the leaders of an organization, but each and every individual of an organization making a conscious effort toward positively contributing to their culture. True cultural transformation, while ultimately the responsibility of an organization, needs a catalyst.
We believe DiSC can be that catalyst.
Today, we are thrilled to formally share the Everything DiSC promise with all of you our manifesto video titled, DiSCOVER THE POWER OF WE™. While we are proud of this video, we are even more proud of the millions of lives DiSC has impacted and the thousands of organizational cultures our solutions have helped start down the path from personalized insight to culture change. If you love this video as much as we do, share it with your friends! Because now more than ever, it’s time we empower all PEOPLE to engage, connect and thrive in today’s modern workplace.
This blog content belongs to Everything DiSC, a Wiley brand.
The Quiet One.
– “Maria, I’m sorry to interrupt you. We still have a great deal to cover. Perhaps we could continue this discussion after the session.”
Boredom is usually expressed through people’s behavior and comments. Some people actually are bored, and others pretend to be bored to set themselves apart from the rest of the group.
The Arguer.
The “Know-It-All.”
The Glum One.
