How an Extended DISC Personal Analysis Report helped retain and re-engage two capable

Written on the 20 January 2008 by Clyde Colson

We are often reminded by clients of different applications that others may not have considered when using Extended DISC Personal Analysis Reports.

In early December we were telephoned by a human resources consultant who had decided to trial Extended DISC as he had been a user of another DISC based program for many years. The motivating factor for him was the additional information provided by the advanced mode pages, and in particular, the Present Situation page.

Because his client had not been using Extended DISC in recruitment, the selection of personnel for specific tasks had not always been as efficient as the management would have liked and the consultant was engaged because of an apparent lack of effectiveness of a couple of the executives who held key positions.

The consultant tells us that he decided that the best way to fully understand the management team was to have each of them complete the on-line questionnaire and obtain individual Personal Analysis Reports. The outcome of this approach provided the consultant with some information he had not expected.

To his dismay, he found that two of the executive team were in roles that really did not suit their behavioural style; and in fact were working in situations that were outside their comfort zone.
The effect of this was that not only were the two executives working under pressure (and using more energy than they might have if working within their comfort zone) but their natural talents were not being utilised.

The two concerned were employed as sales manager and general manager. The sales manager’s Profiles (left), and the section in the Present Situation page detailing “The influence of the present environment on the person’s motivation” confirmed the consultant’s initial suspicion that the sales manager was in fact in the wrong job! He was a skilled technician but as so often happens, was so good at his job, was elevated to position that simply placed him outside his comfort zone.

A similar situation applied to the general manager (profiles on the right). He had been a very effective sales manager and was promoted because of his sales record. Quite often such promotions would have been a correct choice, but the role of general manager in this instance required significant dominant traits, - something the incumbent general manager simply did not possess as will be noted from the Profiles shown opposite. Again the Present Situation page confirmed that some of his fundamental needs were pegged at “less than desired”.

The reason the consultant called us was to tell us that his client had now decided that they would not employ any new senior people without understanding their unconscious natural behavioural style, and nor would they promote any of the team without first understanding their natural behavioural style through the use of Extended DISC Personal Analysis Reports. The reports they had relied on in the past did not enable the comparison of the adjusted conscious style (Profile I) with the unconscious natural behavioural style (Profile II) and only reported on what was obviously the employee’s conscious adjusted style.

Needless to say, the consultant has recommended a change in the job description for both executives and a restructuring of the roles to take advantage of the valuable experience of both managers. He is certain that both executives would have left the company had he not taken these steps.

How often do we see people promoted into positions that simply do not suit their behavioural style because they had been successful in a completely different role? The result is that often the person concerned will not only lose motivation but sometimes feel stressed or under pressure and more than likely consider leaving the firm. The organisation could therefore lose an experienced team member who could have been retained had his behavioural style been fully understood.

At Talent Tools, we would like to help you increase your profitability and where possible, add to your revenue stream, so please give us a call if you would like to know more about how Extended DISC products can work for you.  Phone 07 3862 2859    Skype   3103 0177   or send a quick email.