What happens when people from different departments have objectives that don't match? When collaboration doesn't work because “I see things differently” and because “my objectives come first”?
The following story takes place in a certain production unit, but we could very well see it happening in many well-known companies.
Ana, an employee in the Customer Service department, driven by commitment to customer satisfaction and having objectives related to the speed and number of requests she resolves, constantly fights for the quick resolution of issues related to products, shipments, deliveries, etc. She often forgets about the constraints faced by Mihai, the team leader of the day-shift production team, whose main concern is maintaining production efficiency and meeting the times recommended by equipment manufacturers.
Meanwhile, Andrei, one of the sales representatives, with objectives tied to volumes and value, found himself in a situation where one of his clients, a regional retail chain, refused to purchase his products for one of the Easter campaigns. Why? Because of unfulfilled promises to resolve various operational situations, combined with a high number of product complaints in the last 3 orders.
How can such situations be resolved? Different communication style, divergent objectives, etc.
The first step would be to act on the things we can control. First of all, let's understand one another.
DISC is a behavior and personality assessment model, which has its origins in the theories of American psychologist William Marston. He divides human behavior into four main dimensions: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S) and Compliance (C).
The purpose of the tool is to understand how individuals behave, react and interact in different situations and environments. Each of the 4 dimensions has specific traits, which make the individual predisposed to succeed in a particular organizational role.
Thus, we find:
- Dominance – efficiency, direct communication, fast approach, focus on results, selective in socializing
- Influence – social interactions, creative thinking, involvement, adaptability to change and contexts, charismatic
- Steadiness – personal social relationships, empathy, patience, encouragement of cooperation, cautious decision-making
- Compliance – analysis and details, high standards, solid basic solutions, organized and structured environment, responsibility
Relating to the situation described above, we can already see communication and behavior patterns in each of the 3 protagonists – patterns that make them suited for the roles they have in the organization.
Ana has a direct and efficient approach, focused on solving the cases she faces, so she has a high D dimension.
Mihai is very attentive to details, seeks to comply with production standards and parameters, favors organization and structure, so we see a high C dimension.
Andrei, as a salesman, appreciates social interactions, is charismatic and constantly adapts to the needs and contexts presented by his clients, so he fits a high I dimension.
The difference between DISC and other psychometric tools lies in its specific focus on assessing behavior and communication styles. While other tools, such as personality tests based on the Big Five or MBTI, analyze a broader range of personality traits, DISC focuses exclusively on how individuals express themselves in their behavior.
The DISC tool from TTI Success Insights that we use in our programs in the communication area generates a series of reports that offer both extensive descriptions of different communication types and recommendations on the ideal way to interact with each of them. We exemplify a few of them below:
- Profiles with High D Dimension – Direct Communication. They are ambitious, strong, determined, independent and goal-oriented when facing problems and challenges. They seek the least ambiguous path to resolution, which can lead to more abrupt communication and hurt feelings with people who communicate less directly
- Profiles with Low D Dimension – Reflective Communication. They are cooperative, discreet, modest and gentle when facing problems and challenges. Because they do everything possible to avoid conflict, they end up generating even more conflict in the long run due to a lack of clarity.
- Profiles with High I Dimension – Uninhibited Communication. They are magnetic, enthusiastic, friendly, demonstrative and talkative. They "feed" through connecting with others! They are easily distracted and focus more easily on talking than on doing or solving.
- Profiles with Low I Dimension – Reserved Communication. They are restrained, impose strict self-control on themselves and are analytical when it comes to people and contacts. They can fade into the background with these communication preferences.
- Profiles with High S Dimension – Stable Communication. They are patient, trustworthy, predictable and relaxed when it comes to pace and consistency. They are very good team players. Their responses can get lost if a project or conversation moves quickly, and they probably won't interrupt the flow to ask for the details they need.
- Profiles with Low S Dimension – Dynamic Communication. They are active, flexible, and fast when it comes to pace and consistency. They like to present new ideas, brainstorm and dream about "what if." However, this free-spirited approach can cause problems for teammates who are more rigorous and organized.
- Profiles with high C dimension – Precision communication. They are attentive and compliant when it comes to procedures and compliance. They get their satisfaction from setting procedures and following them. They find it hard to keep an open mind while communicating and are not a good conversation partner if the other party doesn't back up their opinion with facts.
- Profiles with Low C Dimension – Innovative Communication. They are uninhibited, open-minded, unconventional and intuitive when it comes to procedures and compliance. Their visionary thinking can pave a spectacular path, but it can also cause communication problems if their ideas are underdeveloped or poorly communicated.
By using information such as the above, the tools from TTI Success Insights put to work through well-delivered programs address what we can control: our own communication style and behavior.
In this way, we resolve a good part of internal and external conflict situations and, in addition, find super effective ways of building better relationships with clients.
Understanding, collaboration and good relationships!
Article published in HR Club, on 1.03.2024