Communication isn’t just about making yourself heard—it’s about hearing others, and that’s a lot more complex than it seems. Top-performing teams have communication down to an art, but it’s not an innate skill. Jennifer Larsen, vice president of training and instructional design at Assessments 24×7, has built her career on helping teams improve communication, largely through DISC assessments. Over the past decade, she has developed a robust training component, ensuring that businesses can understand, interpret and act on assessment results.
What is a DISC assessment and why does it matter?
DISC stands for our different primary personality styles. Dominance (confident and results-oriented), influence (enthusiastic and relationship-focused), steadiness (dependable and cooperative) and conscientiousness (detail-oriented and analytical). “DISC assessment is one communication tool that helps people to understand why we communicate, either similarly or differently from others,” Larsen says. “It gives us some insight into what drives our behaviors, why we do what we do and how we do them.”
Larsen was drawn to the potency of the DISC assessment thanks to its simplicity (four profiles make for easy memorization) and its cross-cultural applicability. “Doesn’t matter what language you speak, we can see behavior everywhere,” she says.
Larsen also appreciates how, even when she was working at the University of Phoenix, she could see how readily it made a difference in building a mutually beneficial relationship. “I got to see firsthand how effective it could be in any relationship, environment or situation.”
What’s behind team tension?
While every team has a unique set of challenges, the same communication setbacks tend to arise. The biggest issue that Larsen encounters is that we assume everyone will think, act and behave just as we do, which feeds into how we interpret others daily, whether it’s their tone, how fast they speak or work, the amount of detail they provide, the behavior or emotions they express and more. Our perception doesn’t necessarily align with their intention, and that leads to miscommunication.
“If you are breathing, you have a personality, and if you have a personality, you’re likely to have personality conflicts,” Larsen laughs. “DISC is one element of our personality that can help us to understand what we’re about…. The most common tensions we see are often created by a distinction or a disparity in pace or priority.”
The power of knowing your style
Fortunately, there are plenty of success stories after teams start to understand that conflicts aren’t personal; it’s just DISC structure. Larsen relayed an anecdote about a team whose communication patterns shifted remarkably after an organizational shift initially sent the team into disarray.
“We looked at building a structure where everybody could have their voices heard, where the quick decision makers were able to sit through a thorough and deep discussion to reveal risks and questions,” she says. “We made sure that every team member had a voice. Even if there was nothing that could be done about it, they were able to share their perspective and ask questions.
“Every voice was then heard, even if there wasn’t an agreement, and every team member felt valued for being able to predict and or to provide their perspective on their role,” she says.
Great communication doesn’t happen overnight
The real strength of determining communication styles is in the long game. Larsen explains how that same team, several weeks later, shifted again. This time they weren’t just looking at making all team members heard but also focused on actively leveraging the strengths of each member. “Not only did they start to see that there was diversity, they started to value the diversity in the room rather than fight against it,” she says. “And that was a huge win.”
The results speak for themselves. “One client that I recently worked with told me that, as a result of our session, they had seen a 20% decrease in project delays simply because people had communication tools to be able to work through miscommunication and misunderstandings in ways they couldn’t before. Another client had a 30% drop in internal conflict reports.”
That doesn’t mean that Larsen is free from encountering skepticism regarding the DISC assessment. However, the skepticism tends to be geared toward resistance about appearing vulnerable rather than about the process of the assessment itself. “Most people recognize that there’s a benefit in strengthening relationships, which is definitely what DISC is all about: understanding of self and then knowing how to interact and work more effectively with others.”
The best leaders prioritize good communication
Larsen advises leaders looking to improve their team’s communication to get curious first and foremost, even before they look to tools like DISC assessments. “Ask a lot of questions, invite candid feedback, really listen and practice empathy and compassion, even if you can’t change anything,” she says. “Be aware of what’s going on with the people around you, offer support in whatever ways you can, but be open to creating a space of curiosity that is safe. When leaders can create a space of curiosity where people can speak openly and they feel like they’re genuinely heard and acknowledged, communication starts to naturally shift.”
As for what makes a good communicator? “The best communicators don’t just express themselves well. They listen and they adapt to how others prefer to connect,” Larsen says. “They’re vulnerable and they show humility. They ask questions, they engage in curiosity rather than judgment. They pay attention and they want to understand how to build their great communication to even greater [levels], and I think, while DISC is an amazing tool to help foster and create those relationships… I think [the best communicators] remember that we’re all just people trying to figure it out.
“The world is messy and complex and fascinating, and people are all of those things, too,” she says. “There’s no one right way to get it done. What DISC does is… it gives us a common language to be able to share what’s important to us in a way that works with the others around us. So it’s not about who’s right. It’s about what works.”
If you’re ready to become an influential leader, join the SUCCESS® Leadership Lab, where Larsen presents “Communicate to Influence,” a lesson in the DISC framework, your default communication habits and developing the flexibility to meet your team where they are. Larsen is one of 10 experts in this 18-day virtual course for rising leaders who want to lead with clarity, influence and confidence. The hybrid experience combines expert-led lessons with live coaching to provide you with practical tools to build trust with your team, navigate chaos and crises, shape a healthy, driven work culture and more. Click here to register.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Larsen
