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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCarol Langdon DiSC Profile – Carol Langdon Town Council Planning Retreat – May 30, 2014 Carol’s Highest Dimension Carol, your highest dimension(s) - based on your responses to your perceptions of the environment and the amount of control you feel you have in that environment - are Dominance (D) and Influence (I). Read the description of Dominance and Influence and see how it fits with the way you see yourself. Dominance and Influence (DI) Carol, you are high in both the Dominance and Influence dimensions. This means that these dimensions work together to form your style. Those who are strong in Dominance (“high D’s”) like to take action to achieve the results they desire. Those who are strong in Influence (“high I’s”) seek contact with all types of people and look for opportunities to generate enthusiasm from those around them. High D’s seek opportunities for advancement and individual accomplishment, and they often aspire to positions of power and authority. The main objectives for people high in Dominance are typically to get results and have control, as well as gain the freedom to make decisions quickly. High I’s, in contrast, seek to accomplish goals with and through others. They appreciate freedom of expression without the need for much detail or control, and their decision-making style is often based on emotions or “gut feel.” High D’s often find that calculating risks and employing caution are not their strong suits, so they would be wise to surround themselves with people who have these skills. High I’s, on the other hand, are adept at dealing with people but may need to find complementary skills in those individuals better at dealing with tasks. A person high in Dominance should strive to base his or her techniques on personal experience. Verbalizing reasons for conclusions will also be a great asset. People high in Influence have little difficulty pitching their ideas to others. But it’s helpful if they have others to help them support their proposals with facts and data, as well as to develop a systematic, logical approach that will help them stay on task and follow through once the project gets going. Again, these dimensions are not in conflict within you. Aspects of each dimension combine to form your overall style. DiSC Profile – Carol Langdon Town Council Planning Retreat – May 30, 2014 Carol’s Intensity Index Each of us has a set of strengths that make us unique and valuable, and we like to be acknowledged for our strengths, as well as feel effective in our environment. However, any strength, when used excessively or inappropriately, can be perceived as a weakness. Read over the highlighted words in the four columns below. These are the adjectives that describe High, Medium, and Low behavior for each dimension. Then turn the page to learn more about your Intensity Index and how you can become more aware of your potential strengths and weaknesses. DiSC Profile – Carol Langdon Town Council Planning Retreat – May 30, 2014 On the next four pages are explanations of the words that indicate your level of intensity for each DiSC® dimension. D Dimension Risk-taker: Being the one who makes bold decisions and executes them can be a definite strength, especially when others are not in a position to do so. However, when taken to an extreme or used inappropriately, risk-taking can be perceived as self-serving or reckless. Adventuresome: Many of us want to be around people with this trait because we feel more alive and energized. It can even rub off on others so that the whole team becomes more willing to take risks in achieving a shared goal. However, when taken too far, others may become exhausted by your extreme need for excitement. Decisive: We often look toward decisive people as leaders because they seem so sure of themselves. This can be a boon when working with others who would prefer to follow rather than take the lead. You need to be careful, though, not to run roughshod over the feelings of others or become stubborn when they don’t agree with your way of doing things. Inquisitive: This trait is a strength when curiosity compels you to search for better answers or new methods. It will be seen as a weakness if your questioning becomes relentless and invasive. Self-assured: Your belief in your own abilities may propel you toward leadership positions. The confidence and certainty you exude can also inspire your colleagues to greater heights. Relying on this trait too much, however, can cause others to view you as arrogant or haughty. Competitive: Striving to be the best can lead to superior accomplishments and major successes. Your drive to be the victor may help you achieve much along the way, even if you fall short of your ultimate goal. This desire can become obsessive, though, if you only think about winning and pay no attention to the cost. Quick: Your agility in grasping complexities and forming opinions rapidly is an enviable talent that can help speed up an organization’s progress. The key is to temper your tendency to make fast decisions or you will be seen as reckless or oblivious to dangers. DiSC Profile – Carol Langdon Town Council Planning Retreat – May 30, 2014 i Dimension People with your score on the i Dimension may be generally described by the following adjectives. Circle those that you see as your strengths and highlight potential areas of challenge. Trusting: Believing in others without hesitation is a refreshing trait, especially when working with those who are more skeptical. Real trust is built from positive experiences. There's such a thing as being too trusting, however, in which case you run the risk of being viewed as naive. Influential: The ability to inspire others and move them to action is a quality found in effective leaders. Having this skill means that you can mentor individuals, or act on their behalf when they aren't able to do so. However, it is important that you also see this as a responsibility to stay truthful and accountable, so that others are not misled or misrepresented. Pleasant: Being cheerful and agreeable are traits that will allow you to fit in almost everywhere and contribute to a shared goal. However, if you never share your real thoughts and opinions for fear of being disagreeable, you run the risk of being perceived as wishy- washy or lacking in substance. Sociable: Not one to shy away from lively interaction with others, you’re likely to be found in the center of activities with lots of ideas to share. This is welcome, especially with introverted types who might need you to help them get comfortable in groups. Being sociable is not appropriate, however, when you need to be deadline-oriented or the focus is strictly on the task at hand. Generous: In a work setting, this can mean giving your time and energy without expecting something in return. It’s an admirable trait that works well toward achieving a common goal. But you need to conserve your time and energy by saying “no” when there are multiple projects and your name is on all of them. Poised: This may refer to your self-assurance as you encounter new situations, people, or problems. Rarely reactive, you’re likely to respond calmly to whatever comes your way, which often earns you respect and emulation. Still, if your responses don’t show an appreciation for others’ worries, you risk losing your credibility. Charming: Combined with emotional intelligence and leadership abilities, your skill at capturing the attention of others and winning them over has a lot of potential. You need to remember, however, not to overuse your charm to manipulate or take advantage of others. DiSC Profile – Carol Langdon Town Council Planning Retreat – May 30, 2014 S Dimension People with your score on the S Dimension may be generally described by the following adjectives. Circle those that you see as your strengths and highlight potential areas of challenge. Outgoing: Being an extrovert can open doors and keep you in the good graces of colleagues. It can also promote a friendly and nurturing atmosphere. The danger is that your jovial presence may prompt others not to take you as seriously as you would like. Alert: It’s likely that very few aspects of a problem escape you. By remaining vigilant and aware of what is going on, you may often start troubleshooting before others even see a need for intervention. Of course, you should take care not to become obsessive over minor details. Eager: Your enthusiasm can be contagious. You may even inspire others to action while you create a dynamic environment. But remember that an overeager style can sometimes move you ahead too quickly, compromising quality or forcing you to overlook a key detail. Critical: You may embrace a take-no-prisoners attitude, which serves you and your organization well when brutal honesty is the only way to keep things on track or to filter out misguided projects. However, you should take care that your criticism isn’t insensitive to others. Discontented: Feeling discontented can be the impetus for seeking great accomplishments or impressive results. Too much of this element, though, can lead others to see you as merely negative. Fidgety: Multitasking goes hand-in hand with a fidgety nature. This trait can come in handy when balancing many different projects. The downside is that such a predisposition can cause trouble when focusing on one issue at a time. Impetuous: This means that you often decide quickly on a course of action. In a work setting, such decisiveness is welcome when confronting tough issues. However, it can backfire if you make a decision too quickly or before you have all the information you need. DiSC Profile – Carol Langdon Town Council Planning Retreat – May 30, 2014 C Dimension People with your score on the C Dimension may be generally described by the following adjectives. Circle those that you see as your strengths and highlight potential areas of challenge. Opinionated: Offering firm ideas on any topic can be a strength for you when compromise would lead to disaster. In addition, your ability to articulate a position is welcome at any time in a work environment. The risk is that such behavior can lead to acrimony when used excessively in a team setting. Persistent: This means that you usually work hard toward a goal until your expected results are achieved. It is a strength when daunting projects appear, because you may succeed where others would fail. Still, a person who is too persistent sometimes crosses over into obstinate or foolishly stubborn. Independent: To be free of peer pressure or groupthink is a positive trait. You may embrace individualistic thinking to make the best decisions that you can. The danger is that you could get so caught up in yourself that you stiff-arm legitimate feedback or ideas. Rigid: Holding yourself and others to high standards is an admirable skill. This is especially true whenever a quality outcome is a necessity, not a luxury. However, if you shun flexibility, you may create animosity with others and miss opportunities for process improvement. Firm: A set of unshakable principles can be the base for quality work. By refusing to budge from vital ideals, you may inspire others to meet your high standards. But an unyielding stance can also produce friction and allow innovation to wallow. Stubborn: When confronted with barriers, you may often display a tenacious zeal for sticking to your plans. Your persistence can greatly increase the odds of success in complex projects. A refusal to make any compromises, however, can be counterproductive when it keeps the job from completion. Arbitrary: This trait is a strength when you use it to keep your colleagues on their toes and encourage their creativity. It becomes a weakness if you are so unpredictable that others avoid your input. DiSC Profile – Carol Langdon Town Council Planning Retreat – May 30, 2014 Carol’s Motivation As someone with an Inspirational Pattern, Carol, you may often display a dazzling ability to persuade others. The tools you use to achieve this goal can vary. Often, you can be quite charming and convince people to do what you want by strength of pure likeability. At other times, however, you may employ obvious intimidation to get your point across. Usually, the most important factor for you is control, which you tend to seek over your environment or your audience. You are likely to be clear in your own mind about the results you want. However, you might not always articulate these ambitions. You probably prefer to reach your goals through cooperation and persuasion, rather than by exercising domination. As part of your tendency to persuade people, you may downplay your own need for affection. This method of maintaining some distance may be part of your conscious attempt to modify the thoughts and actions of others. Insights for Carol You may believe that the ends justify the means, and your main goal is likely to be the control of your environment during the process. This straightforward approach can lead to outstanding accomplishments and innovative breakthroughs. However, it could also create ill will among your colleagues. In extreme cases, some of your colleagues may even feel that you have used them or taken them for granted. People may feel drawn to your charisma and charm, but these same individuals can sometimes feel distanced from the “real you.” You may be able to lessen this sense of alienation by showing a willingness to help others succeed in their personal development and advance in their careers. The first step in achieving this might be to take a real interest in others rather than viewing them as assets. Embracing a sense of genuine sincerity should help in this endeavor. A barrier to working more closely with your colleagues may be your tendency to fear a loss in your social status. You may believe that your well-established ability to convince and direct people helps keep you moving forward. In addition, you may not want anyone to view you as weak, so you may strive to keep your intimidation skills sharp. However, you would be wise to remember that your ability to persuade your colleagues is a talent that does not require aggressive tactics. Carol, you are likely to be an influential and articulate individual who has a tremendous capacity to inspire and lead people.