DISC and Your Ego

You have done a DISC profile and now you want to become more aware of how your behavioral style affects others…but somehow your ego seems to get in the way. How can you overcome this? (Warning: This may not be easy reading. It is meant for the serious student who wants to be more conscious and responsive.)

Here’s how you may react to this piece (depending on your profile):

If you are a “D” you have already finished this document, having skipped over this section because you can’t see how it will help improve your bottom line and overall efficiency. Besides, it’s too long.

If you are an “I” you are wondering why I haven’t added more anecdotes about why this paper is important and how it came to be written. You are also wondering how it will make people feel and whether or not I took that into account when I wrote it.

If you are an “S” you are wondering if it is safe to be that much more aware of yourself. Will it make you more vulnerable? Will it give you more security or less?

If you are a “C” you are thinking that this paper is a good start, but it still leaves many unanswered questions. It should have been longer and provided more facts along with proof of previous success.

O.K….now on to the key subject.

The challenge we all face: Being more aware.

In modern-day society, Ego has many meanings. For the purposes of this piece I am using Ego to refer to one’s self-image or in philosophical terms, one’s “self”. Your DISC profile is the behavioral aspect of your Ego. Knowledge of this can serve you well and assist you if you are aware of it and engage it properly. However, if the behavioral aspect of your personality goes unchecked, it can cause you and others unnecessary stress. It can also decrease your effectiveness at work and in life. If you are a leader or manager, you need to ask yourself, “What are some steps I can take to gain greater awareness?”

Steps to Consider

• Step 1 Awareness
• Step 2 Acceptance
• Step 3 Separation and management of one’s ego and primary DISC tendencies

Step 1 Awareness
You cannot do anything until you become aware. The DISC tool is an entry door for a person to see the behavioral aspects of his/her personality more accurately. It opens your mind and allows you to be aware of your behavior. Believe it or not, your behavioral style can be difficult for some to understand because it is so different from their own. Therefore, awareness is the first step to creating any positive change. This requires a commitment to honestly look at yourself and get feedback from others (i.e.–do reality checks) in order to gain awareness.

Step 2 Acceptance
This may sound easy but for most people it is really quite difficult. It goes beyond a mere cerebral thought process. It must be experienced in your gut. In some philosophies people experience this as surrender to the truth, in others it is expressed as getting beyond their judgments. In our Western society this is a challenge due to the critical dualistic thinking nature of our culture. Therefore, the context used here is more Eastern in nature; merely accepting that which is. It does not mean defeat, resignation or that you are condoning that which you find unacceptable. When this type of acceptance is achieved it is a heartfelt experience, not merely a concept.

Step 3 Separation
When one is unconscious, you are on automatic. You go through life oblivious to the impact your behavior has on others. When you are conscious you can see your behavioral style in action. As you become able to do this, you develop the skill to manage or coach both yourself and others better because you see things more objectively. You see reality with more clarity. Very skilled people can do this by being observers or by creating space in their life, so they are not so rushed all the time. It takes time to develop these practices and doing it needs to become a habit, not just insight.

What are your steps to create awareness? If you want additional tools and/or coaching on this subject, contact us at John@johnruh.com or 773-641-9631. You can also go to www.johnruh.com for entire section on DISC on menu bar.

PS: We offer one free Disc profile per company which you can receive by emailing or calling us.