Markku Kauppinen

Talking to everyone the same way can inhibit your ability to collaborate, work smoothly and articulate mission and goals. Some working relationships start out like a great first date. Thrown together in an interview or on a committee, people just click. All the positive clichés apply — they’re on the same wavelength, singing the same tune, on the same page. Essentially, they’ve been fortunate to team up with someone who happens to have a similar communication style, making it easy to collaborate.

Many people find it surprising that no one owns “DISC”. It is a theory that was originally developed in 1928 by William Moulton Marston. The DISC-model is in public domain and there are a few companies that have created their proprietary DISC assessments.

Learning the DISC model is fun, insightful and interesting. Everyone wants to understand why others are different. Who doesn’t like to read about the most important person in the world? It’s me! It’s no wonder DISC is so popular.

Recently I was talking with my client Jack, who had questions about the D-styles. He asked me if there were any softer descriptors for them than words such as “direct,” “independent” and “fast-paced.” Apparently a few of the D-style attendees in Jack’s training sessions expressed concern that others may perceive these descriptors negatively within the organisation. They did not want to appear to be abrasive, difficult or not supportive as a team player.

Recently I worked with a consulting firm that utilizes the information we provide to help their clients with strategy implementation. This particular client company had a common problem that we often see in countless and varied organizations. There are no companies that seem to be immune to it.

It’s now official: I am getting old. The moment happened when I was part of a conversation involving how entitled the Millennials are.