Submitted by rfoley on
in
Forums
I'm a high-S who sometimes comes into conflict with my boss, who is a high-D. How do I summon the ability to communicate to my boss like the DISC model suggests I should?
I am a front-line supervisor who oversees up to 10 people per shift. My boss is responsible for the entire department, across all shifts.
I also have high-C in me, and I admit that I am prone to "ready, aim, aim, aim, aim ..... " type behavior. But when my boss goes "ready, fire!", I have trouble telling her that the data does not support her conclusions, that the decsion adversely affects the wrong people, or that the command may not turn out well in the long run.
I understand that it takes all kinds of people to make an effective department. As an introvert, however, it is hard for me to make my voice heard -- because I don't speak loudly enough. I have listened to the DISC podcasts several times, so I understand how a high-D communicates, but I have found myself unable to execute the recommended behavior.
To all the other S-es and C-s, how have you found it helpful to communicate to a Decisive boss?
I thank you in advance.
practice
I suspect we may have similar DISC profiles!
As a woman in science, I learned early on that I had to compete in a High D environment. I eventually practiced often enough that I can switch pretty easily now into D.
Once you get the gumption to speak up, I use two different strategies with my Hi D, Hi I boss:
--present the data, making sure it's a BLUF version
--if it's something that I really don't think I can implement, ask for guidance on what to stop doing so I can make the new thing happen.
Both of those seem to be pretty effective.
Also, it's really obvious to me that I am there in part as balance--she's DI, I'm S, my counterpart is an UberC. Each of us brings our own strengths (and frustrations!) to the team.
Follow-up question for you ...
I also have high-C in me, and I admit that I am prone to "ready, aim, aim, aim, aim ..... " type behavior. But when my boss goes "ready, fire!", I have trouble telling her that the data does not support her conclusions, that the decsion adversely affects the wrong people, or that the command may not turn out well in the long run.
Are the decisions really wrong for the business? I know several people (other than myself) who are High D and are prone to what seems like "Ready, fire!" with no "aim" in there. What it's taken me a while to realize is that their High D has them involved in so many other things that they may have information I don't have or a 50,000 foot viewpoint compared to my ledge 50 feet up.
My own high D tendencies will say "As long as you've taken XYZ into consideration, cool - good luck!" And then sit back and wait for the proof to be in the pudding. Sometimes it would be a snap decision that ultimately gets reversed when the true impact is revealed -- in those cases, if the D person is not able to incorporate those learning experiences, they ultimately end up moving on (i.e., leave the company.) Sometimes, though, the decisions work out miraculously well and my fears turn out to be unfounded and *I* end up learning something.
*two cents*
First, thank you both for
First, thank you both for your input.
To refine my question: I am able to gather my facts and present an initial case for my perspective. The difficulty comes when my boss either (1) shrugs off my data, or (2) comes back with a rapid-fire series of objections. In these situations, I am at a loss for words. My natural inclination is to shrink from such conflict, but I know that for the long-term success of my organization, I must learn to communicate my viewpoint with such people.
Ash, you're right that I should not have characterized certain decisions as definitely wrong. My boss has had 30+ years with the company, and I have had about 18 months. I have a laid-back personality, so my natural inclination is to let the results speak for themselves. Unfortunately there is no "proof in the pudding", as you say. A lack of results means that other people just aren't doing their jobs correctly. The rule of the day seems to be that "the beatings will continue until morale improves." Our veteran employees are demoralized because of a long history of knee-jerk decisions.
Now we have a large contingent of younger employees, and I view it as my role to Shepherd (my favorite word for S-es) this new generation. In order to affect this change, however, I must learn how to communicate the Shepherd's viewpoint to my Decisive boss.
Many times have I thought about the poem Mark quotes by Stephen Vincent Benét.