Use DISC to Enhance Your Training

Understanding an individual’s behaviour when training them is of paramount importance as everyone has different communication skills and learning preferences.

Every experienced professional trainer understands that effective communication is fundamental.  They subconsciously adjust their communication style to avoid disengagement or frustration and to maintain the interest of their audience, but it is not easy, especially at the commencement of a training programme, to identify an individual’s learning preferences.  Each individual adjusts their behavioural style to cope with their environment, and for this reason it is important to identify their natural unconscious style, which they may be suppressing, to effectively communicate with them.

For this, and several other reasons (detailed below), many organisations are finding the use of behavioural analysis in their training processes of enormous benefit in delivering effective training outcomes.

There are two steps to taking advantage of DISC methodology to enhance training:

1. Train the trainer to understand Extended DISC® methodology, and
2. Incorporate Extended DISC into an organisation’s learning and development programme.

Train the trainer in DISC fundamentals

DISC is a popular personality assessment tool that is frequently incorporated into an organisation’s learning and development programme; Extended DISC® is an advanced version of the traditional DISC assessment tool.

Every person is unique and their behaviour can provide insights into their learning preferences, strengths, development areas, and individual needs. By understanding their behaviour, trainers and coaches can tailor their instructions to better suit each individual, maximising their learning outcomes.

Training the coach to understand DISC methodology results in:

• Improved communication between coach and trainee as trainers and coaches quickly perceive different behavioural styles and are able to adapt to communicate more effectively.  Through recognising their own and others’ communication styles, trainers/coaches can tailor their messages to be more understandable and relatable, resulting in reduced misunderstandings.
• The development of a positive trainer/trainee relationship, which is crucial for effective learning. By understanding the behaviour of individuals, trainers can connect on a deeper level, which may lead to increased trust, respect, and open communication.
• Tailored learning approaches through customising programmes/courses to ensure content and delivery methods match their audience’s personality traits and preferences.  For example, students/employees with a ‘Dominance’ (D) style normally prefer precise and results-oriented training while those with a ‘Steadiness’ or ‘Supportive’ (S) preference generally appreciate a more detailed and structured approach.

In summary, understanding an individual’s behaviour when training them enhances the overall quality of education by allowing coaches and trainers to tailor their instructions, create a supportive environment, address challenges, and ultimately foster a more effective and engaging learning experience for their audience.

Incorporating Extended DISC into a Learning and Development programme

Extended DISC offers a more comprehensive and nuanced analysis of individual personality traits and behaviours.  It provides a deeper understanding of an individual’s natural preferences and helps to identify potential areas for development. 

The inclusion of Extended DISC in training programmes adds another dimension to the upskilling process.  This is particularly important in leadership training, team building, conflict resolution and change management, but the overall improvement in communication within a team environment is an additional outcome that is invaluable. 

Specifically, by incorporating Extended DISC as a module in any training programme, the coaching outcomes improve significantly through:

• Deeper personality insights leading to improved communication within the organisation. Understanding different personality types and their behaviours helps people communicate more effectively.  Extended DISC provides a more detailed and precise assessment of personality traits, going beyond the basic four categories of Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance by recognising and reporting on 160 different behavioural styles.  The deeper analysis also allows trainers to tailor their learning content and activities to match specific nuances within each individual personality.
• Personalised training courses - with the enhanced insights provided by Extended DISC, programmes can be customised to address the unique strengths and development areas of each participant.  This can lead to more effective and relevant training experiences.
• The identification of behaviours - individuals may be stretching beyond their natural preferences, feeling pressure, experiencing stress or other emotional issues. Extended DISC reports can guide trainers to design targeted development modules to help individuals take advantage of their clear natural strengths and understand their potential challenges.
• Improved team building - Extended DISC provides a deeper understanding of team dynamics by revealing how individual personalities interact and influence group behaviour.  Trainers can use this information to design team-building exercises that foster better communication, collaboration, and synergy among team members.
• Enhanced leadership development – by providing insights into a leader’s natural strengths, potential blind spots, and preferred leadership style.  The information provided in Extended DISC Team Reports can guide leadership development programmes to cultivate well-rounded and effective leaders.
• The development of conflict resolution strategies - Extended DISC reports identify potential areas of conflict between individuals.  This leads to more constructive and successful conflict resolution outcomes.
• Change management and resilience building - Extended DISC reports assist in understanding how different behavioural styles react to change and uncertainty.  Trainers can use this information to design change management programmes that address the diverse emotional and psychological responses of employees.
• Career and succession planning - Extended DISC insights can be used to align individuals’ personality traits with potential roles creating more effective pathways.
• More effective feedback and coaching - using Extended DISC assessments provides a foundation for personalised coaching sessions.  Trainers and coaches can use the assessment results to tailor feedback and coaching approaches to suit each individual’s behavioural style, maximising the impact of coaching efforts.
• More effective management - Extended DISC assessments can be conducted periodically to track changes and growth in individuals’ behavioural traits.  This is particularly important when an individual may have some behavioural challenges due to their environment.  Regular, perhaps annual, collection of data can ensure that individuals are progressing and evolving in alignment with their natural inclinations. DISC reports can also identify any emotional challenges which can be addressed promptly before affecting an individual’s performance.

To obtain the maximum benefit from incorporating Extended DISC® into training programmes requires certified professionals, who are trained to administer and interpret assessments accurately. It is not necessary, however, to become trained to master trainer status to understand the reports, as the flexibility of the FinxS® online platform enables reports to be designed specifically to align with a trainer’s or coach’s focus.

When used effectively, Extended DISC® can significantly enhance the quality and impact of training initiatives by providing a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of individuals’ behaviours.