A person’s communication style grows out of many factors. These include how their family communicates, their culture, the industry they work in, and their education. Personality also plays an important role in communication style. In general,
D-style people communicate in a direct manner and prefer action to small talk.
i-style people are often expressive communicators and enjoy storytelling and collaborative conversation.
S-style people tend to be calm and steady communicators who prioritize harmony and support.
C-style people are careful, systematic communicators who value logic and accuracy.
The DiSC model provides a powerful framework for understanding communication preferences, both others’ and your own. Let’s explore how each DiSC style tends to communicate, what they value in conversations, and how you can flex your approach to build better connections.
Group activity: How does your DiSC style influence how you write and respond to emails? Practice adjusting your communication style to recipients of different personality types.
🙋 Featured FAQ 🙋
Q: Should teams have a mix of all DiSC styles?
A: Teams can be successful with or without a mix of DiSC styles. What’s more important than mix is awareness of the team’s style dynamics.
When one style is heavily represented: It may be easier to align on group work behaviors, but the team should be careful not to overlook other approaches.
When two styles are heavily represented: The team may enjoy productive conflict, but can also face competing priorities.
When teams have a mix of styles: Team members contribute complementary strengths, but everyone may be pulling in different directions.
When there are style outliers on a team: These folks bring vital new perspectives, but can feel undervalued.
A well-rounded team can be all one style or all different styles, as long as they work to overcome their challenges rather than focus only on their strengths.
📅 Upcoming online events
Everything DiSC on Catalyst overview and demo: 30 minutes Wed., August 6 at 12 p.m. and Tues., August 12 at 10 a.m. Central Time
Discover the features available in Catalyst and see the platform in action, from both the participants’ and administrators’ perspectives. Discuss any questions you have with one of our DiSC experts. Register here »
Everything DiSC Worksmart on Catalyst demo: 30 minutes Wed., August 20 at 10:30 a.m. Central Time
Learn how to get started on Worksmart, the newest addition to Everything DiSC on Catalyst. See a demo of the tool and get your questions answered. Register here »
Become a certified practitioner!
Certification courses are two-week online learning intensives. They combine four live Zoom sessions with independent modules done on your own time. Earn professional development credits and a new credential.
There are various models of learning styles, but most agree that some people learn more easily when presented with information visually, and some verbally. In addition, some learners prefer reading to listening, and some are more tactile/kinesthetic learners who prefer a physical element. When planning your training session, think how you can include segments that engage people of different learning styles.
