So recently my company had a DISC ‘training’ – on understanding our personal working styles and how we can work with others better. I’ve previously taken the Myers-Briggs test, which I think is quite similar, and I fall somewhere between an INTJ and an INTP – apparently quite rare among females.

So What is DISC ? 

  • D – Dominance
  • I – Influence
  • S – Steadiness
  • C- Conscientiousness

The profile divides people into four distinct traits. Pretty self explanatory. Dominant people are brash, forward, fast paced and can come across as aggressive, Influential types are enthusiastic, perky, upbeat and chatty, while those with the Steadiness trait are supportive, friendly, empathetic and all about maintaining good relationships. I fall under Conscientiousness – the logical, organised and meticulous group. Sometimes, there are ‘cross’ styles – one can be a DI, an IS, a CD or a CS – depending on where their ‘dot’ falls on a quadrant.

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I think my category is accurate! When it comes to work, I am a bit of a perfectionist (okay, maybe not a bit…) and I like things to be organised and clear cut. My greatest joy is to be surrounded by things I am familiar with, that I know I’m good at doing, and delivering the best results.

I find uncertainty challenging, especially when it comes to things that I can’t control. In fact, I was stressing out because one of my interviewees didn’t get back to me even though I emailed her multiple times over the past few weeks, and it hindered me from getting my work done / resulting in me submitting what I see as ‘subpar’ work.

I think C types work well with S types, because we are both private, even tempered and dislike confrontation, as opposed to D types and the lively I types. I, people, for me, are difficult for me to work with because they seem to have endless energy and need to constantly talk and share things, which I am not always ready to entertain. Having to keep up with that can be exhausting. But since the nature of my work requires social interaction (at events and media trips), I sort of push myself to do it – although I require a lot of me-time to recuperate afterwards.

I wasn’t surprised to that there were many ‘C’s and S’s in my current company, because most people here are quite reserved (but the environment suits me).

Aside from discovering our own traits, the training also covered how to interact better with other types. For my profile, this includes being more ‘engaging’ and enthusiastic, and understanding that not everyone will have the same attention to detail/deliberation as C types.

ie: Fake it til you make it, even if you have no interest at all in small talk. lel.