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Have you ever been involved in a team setting at work, either as a leader or a team member, and wondered to yourself, "∫Why is this person asking me so many questions and taking so long to complete this project?" On the contrary, you may have wondered, "∫Why is this person so impatient and demanding, and unwilling to listen to my questions?"

After asking these questions have you made an assumption about the individual based on their behavior, such as: This person is not that smart? Or This person is so rude?

Many of us make assumptions based on individual's behavior traits without taking the time to fully understand the individual or the strengths that these inherent behaviors offer. This is where using behavioral assessment can assist you in your interaction with others in the workplace.

Using Behavioral Assessments to Determine Strengths and Weaknesses in the Workplace

In order to determine one's behavior and underlying value motivations, there have been many assessments produced over the years based on theories proposed by renowned psychologists such as Carl Jung and William Moulton Marston. You may have heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, and DISC, to name a few. Several large organizations implement the use of these assessments to assist with human resource functions such as candidate selection, placement of individuals in the appropriate position, as well as opportunities for coaching and teambuilding, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. Additionally these assessments have often been tailored to be more specific and to identify candidates who possess managerial potential and those changing occupations.

From my own personal experience, DISC assessments have been very helpful in understanding my own behavior traits as well as my internal motivators which have contributed to my career path. A few summers ago I was introduced to the world of assessments and executive coaching through an internship that I did with a wonderful strategic, organizational change, and development consulting firm. It was here that I learned about the DISC and how they were used as tools to make organizations and individuals more productive.

Applying DISC

DISC is an acronym for four dimensions or aspects of behavior. As best summarized on Wikipedia the acronym represents:

• Dominance "¨ relating to control, power and assertiveness;

• Influence "¨ relating to social situations and communication;

• Steadiness "¨ relating to submission, patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness; and

• Conscientiousness "¨ relating to structure, organization, caution and compliance.

“D” and “I” sharing the top row and representing extroverted aspects of the personality in a matrix, and “C” and “S” below representing introverted aspects.

Those individuals that score high in Dominance may address problems in a fast paced and direct manner. This might be the individual from the scenario above that wonders why this person is not done with the assigned project and why they are asking so many questions. This high "∫D" individual might want you to get straight to the point and not go into extensive detail about a particular subject "¨ just stating bottom line facts. On the other hand those with a high "∫C" profile might need to ask a lot of questions and paired with an "∫S", get hurt by the abrupt nature of a "∫D" individual. If this scenario were the case you would never know, as the latter profile tends to internalize emotions; years could go by before you know you offended them.

Behavioral profiles vary but the upper quadrant of the matrix tends to be paired in an individual's profile, as does the lower. You will also often see individuals in relationships take these assessment to better learn to understand and communicate with their spouse. From experience when reviewing relationship profiles opposites have been known to attract. In the workplace however, like the example above, opposite profiles have the capability of creating tension. Especially, if you are not conscience of how the other persons behavior can be an asset rather than an annoyance.

An individual with a high "∫S" and "∫C" profile may be a great auditor or accountant "¨ careful to not miss a single detail. A high "∫D" and "∫I" individual may be a great leader able to get things done while being able to communicate their vision and build professional relationships. As you can see both of these profiles are of value to one another. One can forge relationships while the other finds details that would have been overlooked. This is a generalization of course as there are many factors that play a part in administering and evaluating behavioral assessments, but this gives a basic introduction to the concept.

In Closing

I was so intrigued by what I learned during my internship that I became certified and professionally trained in administering these assessments myself. When I became a manager and started managing others, I implemented them in my department. They have been of great use and believe it or not, specific to the systems engineering field, every candidate that makes it to the assessment round of the hiring process tends to have the same profile. There is something to be said for that; it is clearly more than coincidence.

If you learn how to pay attention and evaluate what type of behavior you are dealing with it can be an invaluable tool to climb the career ladder. You will better learn how to address your superiors, convey information, and work well with team members with varying behavioral styles.

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