I’m back for the third installment of “Behavior Matters”, a series focusing on how our DISC behavioral styles show up for us at work. The DISC behavioral assessment measures how much each of the four styles-Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance-show up in your profile.
You can learn about the D problem solving style in Behavior Matters-How Dominant Are You? You can find out how about how your I influences your interactions with others in Behavior Matters-How Do You Use Your Influence?
S is for Steadiness
This week, we’re focusing on the S or Steadiness factor.
The Steadiness factor which we’ll refer to as being a S, is about our preference for pace and change. At the top end of the S continuum is the person who is a High S, we’ll call her Sara and at the bottom end, someone who is a Low S who we’ll call Susan.
Sara-the High S
Sara’s motto might be “slow and steady wins the race.” She is not a fan of change or spontaneity. Sara is a loyal team player that prefers to keep her head down while getting the work done. Sara really cares about the success of the team and will sacrifice for the greater good. She prefers to know what’s coming her way and doesn’t deal well in very fast paced environments where strategies and priorities are constantly changing.
Sara seeks harmony and peace. She doesn’t like conflicts and will avoid unpleasant conversations. Sara prefers a stable, consistent environment. Sara tends to internalize any personal hurts and takes how others feel into account when making decisions. She doesn’t like to interrupt others and will defer to the more outgoing folks in the room.
Sara’s co-workers are never sure how she feels. She seems to not care. In truth, while Sara seems unemotional or detached, she feels deeply. She doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve though, so you may not know how she feels about something. She is not one to show a lot of passion, even when she’s really engaged. Sara gets stressed out when things change and she doesn’t think it’s justified.
Susan-the Low S
Susan is all about the change. She loves variety and moving quickly from task to task. Susan gets BORED when she has to deal with the same routine day after day. Susan is a change-agent and handles changing tasks and priorities with ease. She values flexibility and thrives when she’s constantly on the go.
Her co-workers know she puts her all in for the team, but think she’s a little chaotic and emotional because she wears her heart on her sleeve. You’ll know her ups and downs. Susan adapts well to a faster paced environment where she has to work quickly and juggle competing tasks. She may blow off steam once in a while, but it’s part of how she manages the day. Susan may leave the more mundane tasks to the last minute, if she gets to them at all.
Working with Sara & Susan
If you have to work with a Sara, know that she is a dependable, patient worker. She is calm, cool and collected under pressure. Even when she’s stressed, she won’t let you see her sweat. Sara will internalize any hurt feelings and take one for the team. Sara is a very logistical, if this-then-what planner and always has a back up plan in mind. She prefers to see a job through until the end, so she will get flustered if you switch tasks and priorities on her often. Because Sara values the opinions of others she will have difficulty prioritizing one person’s deliverables over another. Because she appears unemotional, she will appear to have a low sense of urgency, even if she’s motivated. She will need help to not get too stuck in her ways.
If you are working with a Susan, watch out for the whirlwind. She will move from one task to the other quickly, and may leave a path of unfinished work behind her. Her emotional way of responding to things may lead to flare ups with the team, but she means well. Susan will benefit from someone helping her stay on track and accountable when tasks need a focused approach. She won’t respond well if things get too “hum-drum” or routine, so look for ways to keep her engaged when working at a slower pace. Susan is good at chasing fires and dealing with challenges in a fast paced environment.
Are you More Like Sara or Susan?
How steady is your S? Are you a a loyal quiet team player like Sara? Or do you take things by storm like Susan?
While I painted a strong picture of what the High and Low S styles are like, very few people are just one style-most of us have a two or three styles that are more dominant. Our behavior and preferences are going to be influenced by the particular blend of styles.
Your unique DISC profile is only a click away.
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