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I am a Store manager of a retail supermarket, I have a 4 Managers and 8 store assistants.

With all the different types of Disc profiles, what 4 types would make the best management team?

I understand that you need to have a diverse team as they all bring different elements. Would it be dangerous or even moral to look for someone who fit the profile type you were looking for? ([i]discrimination activists please do not reply![/i]) lol.

US41's picture

DISC is not effective for predicting success as a manager. It is only effective for understanding tendencies and behavior when conscious thought is not put into behavior.

There is no best profile. There are high-D's that tick people off too badly to be effective, high-I's that talk too much and work too little, high-S's who over-empathize and resist all change, and high-C's who paralyze themselves with a desire for more data and perfection.

There are also high D's who care about others deeply, high I's who focus on their tasks, high S's who make tough, fast decisions, and high C's who can work sloppy and not have all the data.

What you want is not a particular profile. What you want is self-awareness and conscious, continuous effort to apply the right behavior at the right time.

DISC is effective for informing the self-aware as to what they might temper or strengthen in their behavior. It is also effective for understanding others' preferences and adapting to them.

US101's picture
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I would not use DISC with hiring. Like US41 said, DISC is not a measure of effectiveness.

Look to the job requirements and fit with your culture, same as you would any hiring situation.

We're all a mixture of each DISC style anyway. Plus, our job influences our style. For example, I've seen many C's and S's bring out their D when becoming a manager. Now, many of them use too much D or too little to start, but they learn and adapt over time.

HMac's picture

In agreement with 41 and 101:

In my experience, DISC is best used when the focus is on [u]yourself[/u], not others. It is an ideal tool to help you answer the question: "How can I communicate more effectively with others?"

Because of its powr and simplicity, I think DISC gets over-extended into doing things it can't do: like predict behavior, "fix" teams, select candidates, etc.

If your prime focus in on yourself, DISC is great. If your focus is eleswhere, tread carefully when trying to use this tool.

-Hugh

cwhite's picture
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We use DISC for hiring, but only [i]after[/i] we've made the hiring decision and the candidate has accepted the offer. This way the manager can immediately get the communication on the right track.

We've discovered that all profiles can be effective as managers and leaders... it's more about the person, not the profile.

jhack's picture

Identify the skills you need: attention to detail, good customer interactions, etc. That's what you look for during the behavioral interview.

We all have all four parts of the DISC profile in us. High I's can master the details demanded in a supermarket. High C's can effectively handle customers. What you want are folks with the skills and behaviors to be effective, regardless of profile.

John