A few weeks ago I wrote several pieces on natural behaviors and how the Everything DiSC self-assessment can help you organize your knowledge about yourself for greater success.
Obviously, I am a great advocate of the use and understanding of self-assessment tools. Why else would I invest 25 years learning about them, focusing on a few I like the best for my kind of work, and supporting a web-based marketing business to support their distribution. Well, contrary to internet marketing advise, instead of giving you yet again another testimonial of why and how I use them in my life and work – I will share with you a critique which I received – feedback I asked for [please take note] – so that you can have additional information about the profile. This feedback came from the winner of an offer I put out on my various social networks after completing my bi-annual update of my website. The offer was if someone correctly named just three of the changes I made on my site, I would gift them an Everything DiSC profile.
The person who responded first and correctly is actually a person known to me and has over the last few years expanded his business into the field of coaching. Since I knew that, I gifted him the management version of the profile. This is his review:
“I felt the results were largely affirming and provided few insights. Perhaps, this is a result of doing 30 years of personal development work! The most useful information was regarding working with other styles. This begged the question, “what is the dominant style of X?”
I felt the report was missing a summary and a call/suggestion for further
inquiry/purchases and the corresponding benefits of doing so.
Regarding the assessment itself, I found the ability to inquire about the term’s definitions related to the assessment to be very beneficial and also appreciated the % complete bar.
As I am an entrepreneur vs an executive with direct reports, it may have been
helpful for the language to refer to clients or service providers vs managers.”
Why did I share this with you? I wanted to give you an experience of how a iD might function. First I asked for feedback. The ‘I’ (influencing) part of me of course hoped it would be glowing. However, with so much ‘D’ (dominance) I truly believe I am stronger than the environment and can overcome even if it is hostile. No matter what obstacle you put in my way, I would overcome it. Having iD combined, you can usually expect that I will not just roll you over or make an example out of you (as an uninformed ‘D’ might) but sit with the message and put it in a way that it has a greater chance of being positively received (‘I’).
Also I wanted you to experience what I considered grounded optimism. Do I believe instruments like Everything DiSC can be very helpful in your personal development and make your day-to-day job of managing life relationships easier – YES. But I also believe you are the one who really controls what information you learn about yourself, how you use it, and when you are ready to take the next step.
Lastly, I wanted to share with you how an objective outsider experienced the Everything DiSC. Clearly he was satisfied, yet he offered areas that would have made it better for him. That is what feedback is all about. Most of all don’t forget to ask for feedback. It is one of the ways we can continue to grow. And as the famous philosopher and founder of McDonald’s is credited with saying, “When you are green you are growing, when you are ripe you rot.”
Thank you – and I welcome your feedback.
Andrea T. Goeglein, PhD
Dr. Success™
DrSuccess@ServingSuccess.com
http://www.YouTube.com/user/ServingSuccess
www.facebook.com/DrSuccessPhD
www.twitter.com/DrSuccess
Commercial: The easiest way for you to follow this conversation is to invest 10 minutes and $46.50 and take the Everything DiSC® Behavioral Profile. If you do not agree with the results, and you talk to me personally about your total disagreement, I will most likely refund your money. That is as close to a 100% refund I will give. If you play with me, you need to take some responsibility or you are just playing in the wrong game of life success.
Cliff Notes on DiSC: The Everything DiSC® behavioral profile is based on a theory that there are four main categories of behavior that people will exhibit. Those categories are: Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. Most people are a blend of both the categories of behavior and intensity. Most people exhibit one or two of the styles over the others. All people could choose to adapt to a behavioral style they don’t naturally exhibit, yet that choice should be made knowing that higher degrees of stress maybe experienced. It is harder to be a way that is not natural to you.
