Don’t let inertia stand in the way of progress
Everyone gets into a rut…
We become so comfortable in our relationships—workplace and otherwise—that we start taking them for granted. This is the best we’ll get, we think. We’ve reached the pinnacle of our effectiveness working together. There’s no more room for improvement…..NOT!
We can always learn new ways to improve, to work more collaboratively and achieve better results. Continuous learning is what keeps us fresh. It keeps us engaged. And it’s what keeps our organizations healthy, productive, and viable.
Even if you’ve achieved a high level of effectiveness with your colleagues, there still may be other areas where you could improve. Are there new insights to gain that will make your working relationships even better?
Those were the questions co-workers and teammates Jessica and Connor asked each other. Having worked together for quite some time, they had developed a strong working relationship. They understood each other fairly well, had a good sense of the other’s stress points, and knew how to approach tense situations to eliminate or minimize any conflict that would jeopardize the outcome of their work together. But still, they believed there was room to understand each other even better.
What did Jessica and Connor do?
They pulled out the Everything DiSC Workplace® Profiles they’d received when they took the DiSC® assessment several months back. They had been using their reports for important guidance as they worked on their communication. And now, they again reviewed them to compare results and explore areas where they were compatible and specific areas they could still work on together. Then they turned to Catalyst, the exclusive learning center available to all DiSC users that provides a collaborative space for continued learning. Once they logged in, they went to the Your Colleagues section to see how they compared on a number of continua (e.g., Outgoing >> Private, Tactful >> Frank).
“Connor and I sat down and talked about all the sections on the report,” Jessica said.
“We had intended to work on the one area we were the furthest apart. However, after our discussion, we decided the one we are the closest on was actually the best one to work on. We both are very concerned about hurting another person’s feelings.”
The results of those conversations?
“The tips in Catalyst suggested we develop more skill around telling the truth, and not diminishing negative information,” Jessica added. “We’ve both practiced this skill with each other, and found we built more trust.”
Of course, the reports and conversations were just the start of building more effective interactions for Jessica and Connor. Great relationships aren’t built in a day and relationships that have fallen into patterns are often harder to turn around. But, of course, it can be done. And the best tool to help all DiSC users gain invaluable insight into how to improve their communication and work more effectively with others is right at their fingertips.
There’s plenty more to learn from the experience of other teams and organizations that have leveraged the power of Everything DiSC® with great results.
