This document provides an overview of the DISC personality assessment model and how it can help improve communication and teamwork. It describes the four personality types (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness) in terms of their characteristics, priorities, strengths, limitations, fears,

1. Learning to Communicate
With Only Four Letters
Dillon Kimmel & Alisa Worton
University of South Carolina

2. • Quick personality test
• Explanation of the DISC model, the
Agenda
characteristics of each letter, and how it
relates to leadership
• Discussion of your letter and what it means
about how you communicate and relate to
others
• Role playing with your personality type

3. Personality Test Please take the brief assessment we’ve
passed out to everyone
• Calculate what ‘letter’ you are
• We will revisit the assessment in just a
moment and explain what each of the
styles mean

4. DISC is a personal assessment tool that
seeks to improve teamwork and
communication
DISC

5. DISC is a personal assessment tool that
seeks to improve teamwork and
communication
DISC
DISC specifically addresses the following areas:
1 Increases your self-knowledge of the way you manage
conflict, communicate, and what motivates you
2 How to adapt your style to better communicate with others
3 How to foster creative and more productive group interactions
4 How to encourage better teamwork and limit group conflict
5 How to be a better leader by learning by understanding what
motivates others and what their priorities are

6. History of DISC
• First introduced as a theory in 1982 by psychologist
DISC
William Mouton Marston
• He was interested in using practical explanations to
help people understand and manage their experiences
and relationships
• He believed behavior was a direct result of a person’s
emotions and that people’s behavior could be
categorized four different ways:
1) Dominance
2) Influence
3) Steadiness
4) Conscientousness

7. Dominance A person with a dominance style:
• Motivated by winning, competition and success.
• Prioritizes accepting challenge, taking action and achieving
immediate results.
• Described as direct, demanding, forceful, and strong-willed
• May be limited by lack of concern for others and be
impatient
• May fear being seen as vulnerable or being taken advantage
of.
• Values competency, action, concrete results, personal
freedom, challenges.

8. Dominance A person with a dominance style:
•Motivated by winning, competition and success.
•Prioritizes accepting challenge, taking action and achieving
immediate results.
• Described as direct, demanding, forceful, and strong-willed
• May be limited by lack of concern for others and be
impatient
• May fear being seen as vulnerable or being taken advantage
of.
• Values competency, action, concrete results, personal
Goals:
freedom, challenges. Needs others who:
Unique accomplishments Weigh pros and cons
New opportunities Calculates risks
Control of audience Use caution
Independence Research facts
Deliberate before deciding
Recognize the needs of others

9. Dominance A person with a dominance style:
•Motivated by winning, competition and success.
•Prioritizes accepting challenge, taking action and achieving
immediate results.
• Described as direct, demanding, forceful, and strong-willed
• May be limited by lack of concern for others and be
impatient
• May fear being seen as vulnerable or being taken advantage
of.
• Values competency, action, concrete results, personal
Goals:
freedom, challenges Needs others who:
Unique accomplishments Weigh pros and cons
New opportunities Calculates risks
Control of audience Use caution
Independence Research facts
Deliberate before deciding
Recognize the needs of others
When communicating with a D: give them the bottom line, be
brief, avoid making generalizations, refrain from repeating
yourself, and focus on solutions rather than problems.

10. A person with an influencing style:
• Motivated by social recognition, group activities, and
Influencing
relationships
• Prioritizes taking action, collaboration, and expressing
enthusiasm
• Convincing, magnetic, enthusiastic, warm, trusting and
optimistic
• May be limited by being impulsive and disorganized and having
lack of follow-through.
• May fear loss of influence, disapproval and being ignored
• Values coaching and counseling, freedom of expression and
democratic relationships

11. A person with an influencing style:
• Motivated by social recognition, group activities, and
Influencing
relationships
• Prioritizes taking action, collaboration, and expressing
enthusiasm
• Convincing, magnetic, enthusiastic, warm, trusting and
optimistic
• May be limited by being impulsive and disorganized and having
lack of follow-through.
• May fear loss of influence, disapproval and being ignored
Goals: coaching and counseling,Needs of expression and
• Values freedom others who:
democratic relationships
Victory with flair Concentrate on the task
Friendship and happiness Seek facts
Authority and prestige Speak directly
Popularity Prefer to deal with things not
people
Take a logical approach
Demonstrate follow-through

12. A person with an influencing style:
• Motivated by social recognition, group activities, and
Influencing
relationships
• Prioritizes taking action, collaboration, and expressing
enthusiasm
• Convincing, magnetic, enthusiastic, warm, trusting and
optimistic
• May be limited by being impulsive and disorganized and having
lack of follow-through.
• May fear loss of influence, disapproval and being ignored
Goals: coaching and counseling,Needs of expression and
• Values freedom others who:
democratic relationships
Victory with flair Concentrate on the task
Friendship and happiness Seek facts
Authority and prestige Speak directly
Popularity Prefer to deal with things not
people
Take a logical approach
Demonstrate follow-through
When communicating with an I: share your experiences, allow
the person time to ask questions and talk themselves, focus on
the positives, avoid overloading them with details, and don't

13. A person with a steadiness style:
• Motivated by cooperation, opportunities to help and
Steadiness
appreciation
• Prioritizes giving support, collaboration and maintaining stability
• Described as calm, patient, predictable, deliberate, stable and
consistent.
• May be limited by being indecisive, overly accommodating and
tendency to avoid change
• May fear change, loss of stability and offending others.
• Values loyalty, helping others and security

14. A person with a steadiness style:
• Motivated by cooperation, opportunities to help and
Steadiness
appreciation
• Prioritizes giving support, collaboration and maintaining stability
• Described as calm, patient, predictable, deliberate, stable and
consistent.
• May be limited by being indecisive, overly accommodating and
tendency to avoid change
• May fear change, loss of stability and offending others.
• Values loyalty, helping others and security
Goals: Needs others who:
Personal accomplishments React quickly to unexpected
Group acceptance change
Power through formal roles Are flexible in work procedures
Maintenance of status quo & controlled Apply pressure on others
environment Work comfortably in an
unpredictable environment
Help to prioritize work

15. A person with a steadiness style:
• Motivated by cooperation, opportunities to help and
Steadiness
appreciation
• Prioritizes giving support, collaboration and maintaining stability
• Described as calm, patient, predictable, deliberate, stable and
consistent.
• May be limited by being indecisive, overly accommodating and
tendency to avoid change
• May fear change, loss of stability and offending others.
• Values loyalty, helping others and security
Goals: Needs others who:
Personal accomplishments React quickly to unexpected
Group acceptance change
Power through formal roles Are flexible in work procedures
Maintenance of status quo & controlled Apply pressure on others
environment Work comfortably in an
unpredictable environment
Help to prioritize work
When communicating with an S: be personal and amiable,
express your interest and expectations, take time to provide
clarification, be polite, and avoid being confrontational or

16. Conscientiousness A person with a conscientious style:
• Motivated by opportunities to gain knowledge, showing their
expertise, and quality work.
• Prioritizes accuracy, stability, and challenging assumptions.
• Described as careful, cautious, systematic, diplomatic and
tactful.
• May be limited by being overcritical, overanalyzing and
isolating themselves.
• May fear criticism and being wrong
• Values quality and accuracy

17. Conscientiousness A person with a conscientious style:
• Motivated by opportunities to gain knowledge, showing their
expertise, and quality work.
• Prioritizes accuracy, stability, and challenging assumptions.
• Described as careful, cautious, systematic, diplomatic and
tactful.
• May be limited by being overcritical, overanalyzing and
isolating themselves.
• May fear criticism and being wrong
• Values quality and accuracy
Goals: Needs others who:
Unique accomplishments Delegate important tasks
Correctness Make quick decisions
Stability Use policies only as guidelines
Predictable accomplishments Compromise with the opposition
Personal growth State unpopular positions
Initiate and facilitate discussions

18. Conscientiousness A person with a conscientious style:
• Motivated by opportunities to gain knowledge, showing their
expertise, and quality work.
• Prioritizes accuracy, stability, and challenging assumptions.
• Described as careful, cautious, systematic, diplomatic and
tactful.
• May be limited by being overcritical, overanalyzing and
isolating themselves.
• May fear criticism and being wrong
• Values quality and accuracy
Goals: Needs others who:
Unique accomplishments Delegate important tasks
Correctness Make quick decisions
Stability Use policies only as guidelines
Predictable accomplishments Compromise with the opposition
Personal growth State unpopular positions
Initiate and facilitate discussions
When communicating with a C: focus on facts and details;
minimize "pep talk" or emotional language and be
patient, persistent and diplomatic.

19. Break up into your letter groups and
discuss the following:
Group Time
• What kind of leadership positions are you in?
What parts of your ‘letter’ relate to the work you
do with other students?
• How do you see parts of your letter showing up
in how you interact with others in general?
• What does it mean for those of you who were
combinations of letters?
• What letters might you struggle to communicate
with, and what can you do about that?

20. Let’s practice with some
scenarios!
Scenarios
We’ll need a variety of
volunteers for this activity!