S12 Ep2 — DISC Explained Simply: Understanding People at Work

Have you ever worked with someone and thought: “Why do they approach things so differently to me?”

Maybe you prefer speed, while they need detail before moving forward.
Or you focus on action, while they focus on discussion and understanding.
Or you want quick decisions, while they want time to think things through properly.

And in those moments, it’s easy to assume the issue is performance, attitude, or communication.

But often, it’s none of those things.

It’s difference.

In this episode of Your Path to Career Success, we explore DISC — a simple behavioural framework that helps explain how people tend to communicate, make decisions, and respond under pressure.

We break down the four DISC styles:

1. Dominance — direct, fast, results-focused 
2. Influence — outgoing, energetic, idea-driven 
3. Steadiness — patient, supportive, consistent 
4. Conscientiousness — detail-focused, analytical, precise 

And we explore how these differences show up in everyday workplace situations, especially when pressure increases and communication becomes more important.

Because one of the most common causes of workplace friction isn’t capability or intent.
It’s interpreting behaviour through your own style rather than understanding someone else’s.

If there’s one takeaway from this episode, it’s this:
Most communication problems at work aren’t personality issues… they’re behavioural differences being misunderstood.

Next Episode:
🎙️ Season 12, Episode 3 — The Leadership Skill Nobody Teaches: Managing Different People
In the next episode, we’ll explore why treating everyone the same doesn’t work in leadership, and how great leaders adapt their approach to get the best out of different people without losing consistency or fairness.

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Transcript

Have you ever worked with someone and thought: Why do they make decisions so quickly?
Or perhaps: Why do they need so much detail before they're comfortable moving forward?

Maybe you've worked with someone who seems naturally outgoing and energised by people, while another colleague appears quieter, more reflective and prefers time to think before speaking.

The interesting thing is that neither approach is right or wrong.

Yet many workplace frustrations begin when we assume everyone should think, communicate and work the same way we do.

• One person sees efficiency.
• Another sees impatience.
• One person sees caution.
• Another sees hesitation.
• One person sees enthusiasm.
• Another sees a lack of focus.

And before long, misunderstandings begin to appear.
Not because people are difficult.
Not because they're incapable.

But because they're different.

In today’s episode we'll explore how behavioural styles influence the way we communicate, make decisions, respond to pressure and build relationships at work.  In particular one of the simplest and most widely used tools for understanding those differences: DISC.

We'll explore what DISC is, what it isn't and why organisations use it, and how understanding this can improve communication, relationships and leadership effectiveness at work.

Whether you're looking to progress your career, strengthen your leadership skills or simply become more effective at work, self-awareness remains one of the most valuable capabilities you can develop.

Because before you can successfully lead others, influence others or collaborate effectively with others, you need to understand yourself.

And that's exactly where DISC can help.

Hello and welcome back to Your Path to Career Success, the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence and strategies to thrive in your career.

I'm your host, Kathryn.

This podcast is here to help you navigate the real world of work, not just the job titles and promotions, but everything in between. From figuring out your next career move, to stepping into leadership for the first time, to rebuilding confidence after setbacks, we’ll cover the moments that actually shape your career.
Think of it as a mix of practical advice, honest conversations and real stories from people who’ve been there. Each episode is designed to give you insights you can actually use — not theory, not fluff, but things you can take into your working life straight away.

And most importantly, it’s a space where we make sense of the messy bits together, because career growth is rarely a straight line.

So grab your coffee or tea, hit play and let’s make your career journey a bit less scary and a lot more fun.

Part 1 – What is DISC and why does it matter?
DISC is a behavioural framework that helps people understand how they tend to approach work, communication and relationships.

Importantly, DISC doesn't measure intelligence.
It doesn't measure capability.
And it doesn't tell you whether someone will be successful.

Instead, it helps explain how people naturally prefer to operate.

Think of it as a language for understanding behavioural preferences.

Because one of the biggest mistakes people make at work is assuming everyone sees the world through the same lens they do.
But they don't.

People prioritise different things.
They communicate differently.
They process information differently.
And they often react differently under pressure.

DISC helps make those differences visible.
Which is why many organisations use it as part of leadership development, team effectiveness programmes and communication training.

Because when people understand differences, they stop personalising them.

Part 2 – The four DISC styles explained simply
At its simplest level, DISC identifies four primary behavioural styles.
Dominance.
Influence.
Steadiness.
And Conscientiousness.

Most people have elements of all four, but usually one or two styles are more naturally dominant.
Let’s go a little deeper and bring this to life in real workplace situations.





D – Dominance 
People with stronger D tendencies often value results, speed and challenge.
They’re typically decisive, direct and action-oriented.
They often ask:
“What needs to happen?”
rather than
“How does everyone feel about it?”

In a meeting, you’ll often notice they’re the first to push toward a decision. If a conversation starts going in circles, they may step in with something like:
“Okay, what are we actually deciding here?”

Under pressure, they can become even more direct, focused on outcomes over discussion. Sometimes that’s exactly what a team needs, especially when things are stuck.

But here’s where misunderstandings often happen.
A colleague with a different style might leave that same meeting thinking:
“They didn’t listen to anything I said.”

When in reality, the D-style person may have been thinking:
“We’ve got enough information, let’s move.”

Their strengths can include confidence, problem-solving and driving progress.
Their blind spots can include impatience or unintentionally overlooking how their communication lands with others.

I – Influence
People with stronger I tendencies are often energised by people, ideas and interaction.
They tend to communicate enthusiastically and build relationships quickly.

In practice, you’ll notice them bringing energy into conversations — they might say:
“This is a great idea, we could also try…”

In meetings, they’re often the ones generating options, connecting ideas, or building momentum through discussion.

But one common workplace tension shows up when detail is needed.
For example, they may leave a planning session feeling energised and confident, while a colleague later realises:
“We never actually confirmed who is doing what.”
That’s not carelessness — it’s a different focus. Energy and possibility first, structure second.

Their strengths include motivating others and building engagement.
Their blind spots may include moving quickly past detail or commitments without realising it.







S – Steadiness 
People with stronger S tendencies often value stability, collaboration and support.
They are typically patient, reliable and consistent.

In the workplace, these are often the people who make things work smoothly behind the scenes. They remember follow-ups. They notice when someone hasn’t spoken. They keep the team grounded.

In meetings, they may not speak first — but when they do, it’s often something thoughtful like:
“Have we considered how this will impact the rest of the team?”

One common challenge for S-style colleagues is fast change.
For example, if a decision suddenly shifts direction, they may not say anything immediately in the room — but later feel uncertain or unsettled because they didn’t have time to process it.

Others might misread that as resistance, when actually it’s reflection.

Their strengths include listening, supporting others and creating consistency.
Their blind spots may include avoiding conflict or needing more time than others to adapt to change.

C – Conscientiousness
People with stronger C tendencies often value accuracy, quality and careful thinking.

In meetings, they’re usually the ones asking:
“Where’s the data behind that?”
or
“What assumptions are we making here?”

They’re not trying to slow things down, they’re trying to reduce risk.

A very common workplace misunderstanding happens here.

A fast-moving colleague might say:
“We don’t need to overthink this.”

While the C-style person is thinking:
“We’re missing information that could matter later.”

Neither is wrong but they are optimising for different risks.

Under pressure, C-style individuals may become more detail-focused, sometimes asking more questions as complexity increases.

Their strengths include analysis, planning and maintaining high standards.
Their blind spots may include overthinking or becoming frustrated when decisions feel rushed.

Part 3 – Why DISC matters in the workplace
The real value of DISC isn’t identifying your style.
The real value comes from understanding how your style affects other people.
Because workplace tension often isn’t caused by poor intentions.
It’s caused by different expectations.
Let’s make this even more real.

Imagine this situation:
A project meeting is running late.
• The D-style colleague is thinking: “We need a decision now.” 
• The I-style colleague is thinking: “We’ve got some great ideas here.” 
• The S-style colleague is thinking: “This feels a bit rushed.” 
• The C-style colleague is thinking: “We haven’t validated the assumptions yet.” 

Same meeting. Same conversation.
Four completely different internal experiences.

And this is where misinterpretation starts.
The D-style person may leave thinking:
“That meeting wasn’t productive.”

The I-style person may leave thinking:
“That was a great discussion.”

The S-style person may leave thinking:
“I’m not sure we’ve agreed anything properly.”

The C-style person may leave thinking:
“I need to check the details before this moves forward.”

None of these reactions are wrong.
They’re just different lenses.

And once you see that, something important changes you stop assuming people are being difficult, and start recognising they’re processing differently.

Part 4 – What DISC teaches us about leadership
One of the most important leadership lessons DISC teaches is this:
People don’t need to be managed the same way.
They need to be understood.

Let’s bring that into a real leadership moment.

Imagine you’re a manager giving the same project update to your team:
• Your D-style team member wants: “What’s the deadline and what do you need from me?” 
• Your I-style team member wants: “What’s the vision and why does it matter?” 
• Your S-style team member wants: “What’s changing and how does this affect my role?” 
• Your C-style team member wants: “What are the details and dependencies?” 

If you only communicate in one way, you’re only fully reaching part of your team.
This is where many new leaders struggle — they default to their own style.

So if a leader is naturally D, their updates may be too brief for C or S styles.
If they’re naturally I, they may inspire people but miss structure.
If they’re naturally C, they may provide detail but lose engagement.
If they’re naturally S, they may prioritise harmony but avoid urgency.
The most effective leaders don’t change their personality.
They expand their communication range.

And that’s where adaptability becomes a leadership skill, not just a nice-to-have.

Part 5 – Bringing it back to your career
This is why behavioural awareness forms part of the Clarity and Capability Awareness stage of my CAREER Agility Programme for Emerging Talent.

Because understanding yourself helps you understand your impact.
And one of the most powerful ways to do that is through seeing your own behavioural profile in action.

For example, when I completed my own DISC report during the TTI Success Insights UK DISC Accreditation Training in January 2025, a few key themes stood out for me.

It highlighted things like gathering data for decision-making, being patient and empathetic, consistent and steady in approach, people-oriented, and a strong listener (which is what I do with my clients).

And what was particularly interesting wasn’t just the profile itself but the consistency of it.

Because I also noticed that I tend to remain fairly consistent between my natural and adapted behavioural style. In other words, I don’t tend to shift dramatically depending on the environment I’m in.

And that’s useful self-awareness in itself.

Not because one style is better than another, but because it helps you understand what people are likely to experience when they work with you.

And that links directly back to DISC as a whole.
Because whether someone is highly adaptable or highly consistent, the value isn’t in changing who you are — it’s in understanding the impact of how you naturally show up.

And sometimes, the biggest insights are not “what category am I in?”
But:
“How do others experience me when I’m at my best?”

Part 6 – One question to take into your week
So here’s a question to reflect on this week:

What communication frustrations in my workplace might actually be style differences rather than performance problems?

And to take it one step further:
Where might I be interpreting someone’s behaviour through my own style, rather than theirs?

Because when we become curious instead of critical, relationships often improve remarkably quickly.


And speaking of managing different people...
Next week we're taking this conversation one step further.
We'll explore one of the leadership skills that receives surprisingly little attention but has a huge impact on team performance: How to effectively manage different people.

We'll look at why treating everyone the same doesn't always create fairness, how communication mismatches drive much of the tension we see within teams, and what great leaders do differently when working with diverse personalities, preferences and working styles.

Because leadership isn't about getting people to become more like you.
It's about learning how to bring out the best in people who aren't.

We'll also explore how strategic relationships, communication adaptability and behavioural awareness become critical leadership capabilities as your career progresses.

Whether you're managing a team today or preparing for future leadership opportunities, it's an episode you won't want to miss.

And if your organisation is interested in developing greater self-awareness, communication effectiveness and leadership capability through the Career Agility Programme, you'll find details in the episode notes.

Closing
I'm Kathryn, and this is Your Path to Career Success.

Remember, career success isn't just about understanding the work you do.
It's about understanding how you show up while you're doing it.
Because self-awareness shapes communication.
Communication shapes relationships.
And relationships shape opportunities.

Thank you for listening, and I'll see you next time.