Who Might We BE?

Thinking Style Preference, Behavior Pattern(s) & Value Systems

Who Might We BE?

My experiences with STYLES instruments from SOLAT to KAI to Gregorc, to Kobe to Right Brain / Left Brain, etc. since 1976 does not match completely with all the descriptions.

There are other quizzes, tests, exercises, questionnaires that deal with BEHAVIOR and other aspects of HUMAN PERSONALITY than the SHAPES/figure do.

D-I-S-C (over 100 different versions sold around the world now)

was initially created by William Marston from University of New York (not the right university...my memory is fuzzy this morning) from his studies and book...

THE EMOTIONS OF NORMAL PEOPLE.

He studied over 3,000 of his patients and students to develop his 8 variable model.

His doctoral student, Walter Clarke created the first quiz version using only 4 variables:

Dominance

Influence 

Steadiness

Compliance 

The quiz consists of 24 groups of 4 terms.

We are asked to choose one most like us, one least like us.

Based upon our 48 choices we receive 4 scores that can be plotted on a DISC Diagram

ranging from HIGH to low in each variable.

Those can be read to describe our 

1. typical to general behaviors

2. the ideal images we project 

3. how others tend to see us.

I came across it first while I was a beginning consultant with the

UGA Institute of Government

then again when I began teaching courses for the American Management Association

around the US in the mid 80s.

Almost every AMA course includes the use of the DISC, one version or another.

In 1985 I was hired by 3 consultants to be the VP and General Mgr (fancy title on a business card)

to try to sell their version of D-I-S-C thru there company called:

THE DISC SYSTEM, Inc.

Based in Atlanta with users and consultants who sold it around the USA.

I had been exposed to 3 or 4 other company's versions in the previous two years.

I have my own short version I call BEHAVIOR PATTERNS.

Actually the full versions of DISC are probably some of the most accurate and useful instruments

I have experienced or used since 1976.

You receive 4 scores that can be read or interpreted that usually are fairly accurate about us.

In my case my 

D or Dominance score is moderately high indicating I prefer to take charge when necessary

or I will stick to my guns when I choose to.  No one will RUN OVER ME if I don't want them to.

I or Influence (people focus variable) is a little higher than my D score but not very high,

indicating that I like to work with people but I am not a GROUPIE.

S or Steadiness score usually is the lowest that most DISC versions have found.  J. P. Cleaver

who created one of the most used and financially successful version of the DISC questionnaires/exercises

told me that when he came to visit the offices of the DISC SYSTEM, Inc. in Atlanta trying to sell his dying company to us.

C or Compliance score is modestly low indicating that I will break or avoid rules rather than blindly follow them

but not actually deliberately but rather situationally for the greater good.

Attached are several visuals for the DISC

Over the past 35 years I have developed an approach of using 3 types of measures or instruments

to better help people understand themselves.

1. M.I.N.D. Design - thinking style preference indicator

2. BEHAVIOR PATTERNS - behavior tendencies

3. VALUES SYSTEMS - what is important to them/us

My analogy is like examining an orange 

from the outside

from the inside cutting vertically

from the inside cutting horizontally

Here are 3 sample DISC Diagrams

One of today's typical DISC Company diagrams or posters

Another DISC Company's diagrams and explanation sheets

One of the promotional sheets from a current DISC company

Another description sheet from one other DISC company

Basic DISC diagram

the basic plotting diagram I learned in 1984 and beyond 

Sample diagram

another sample diagram