Empower your team through a simple but effective process using DiSC
I’m sure that we’ve all worked for people who we remember as being particularly effective leaders – people who we respected, supported and felt real loyalty to. On the other hand, I know we’ve all come across people who simply didn’t connect as leaders – people who seemed always to miss the mark in getting the team working towards the common goal.
I remember a conversation with a coaching colleague who recounted this story…
Simon was the Sales Director of a large multi-national branded sporting goods manufacturer. He was intensely driven and competitive, he knew that he was good at what he did and expected his team to emulate him! Problem was that Simon had a single approach to motivating people – tell them what you want them to do, then tell them again (but clearly spelling out the consequences of failure) – and then tell them once more! Needless to say the results of his approach weren’t always what he hoped for!
Simon repeatedly criticised his team members – none of them appeared to understand why he was upset and frustrated. It was clear that at some level there was real breakdown in communication.
When my colleague started working with Simon, he was near the end of his tether – his frustration at (in his words) “the lack of progress made by his team” was palpable! The daft thing was that in reality, he and his team had beaten their sales targets for each of the previous 3 years, but he wasn’t happy! He believed that there was more to come and that he needed to become even more forceful to ensure that he got the best from his team. How wrong he was!
What my colleague brought to Simon was an approach which took into account the differences between the individual members of his team – and also recognised that unless all the team members were fully on board with the tasks and changes needed to deliver Simon’s desired performance, it was simply not going to happen. Once Simon became aware of the gap between his and the team’s understanding and expectations, it became easier for him to acknowledge the need for a changed approach.
My colleague was able to introduce a simple methodology involving crafting a VISION of new possibilities, gaining buy-in and ALIGNMENT from the team, and then getting results by EXECUTION of the new approach.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well it is! Simon’s team went on to beat their budget for a 4th year, but they also found time to enjoy working together – frustration and stress levels fell for both Simon and the team and their reputation as a high performing team was acknowledged (and envied) across the entire company!
Using Everything DiSC® Work of Leaders® provides a framework which encourages leaders to understand their own leadership behaviours and how they impact their effectiveness. It connects to real world demands, generating powerful conversations that provide a clear path for action.
About DiSC
Creating a culture of clear and direct communication that empowers everyone in the team can be achieved by introducing DiSC to your organisation. A powerful aid to developing truly effective leadership skills, DiSC is the most trusted behavioural learning instrument in the world. DiSC is based on more than 80 years of research and development and is used across the globe in hundreds of leadership development, training and coaching applications, with around 70% of FTSE 500 companies either using or having used the system.
For further information about how DiSC can help your organisation, the range of unique Everything DiSC products, or to place an order please visit DISC NZ or contact us via email on enquiries@discprofiles.co.nz or telephone on 03 4242807.
Best Regards
Ross Denton
