How the various Behavioural Styles exercise DISCernment.
Character Qualities Definitions: http://www.characterfirst.com/assets/CFDefinitions.pdf
DISC definitions and short descriptions: http://www.discinsights.com/cyber/scripts/disc.asp
Greetings! Before we start, I think I’d better define what “DISCernment” is. Going by the Character First! definition, Discernment is “Understanding the deeper reasons why things happen”. You can obtain illustrations and examples from Character First! resources, or contact me and I’ll be glad to assist you. This post is about how the different DISC styles might express the character quality of discernment, so it would also be helpful to know what DISC means, if you are not familiar with the definitions already. You can obtain a quick read here.
The “D” Style.
High “Ds” would typically be concerned primarily with the bottom line, and have a great desire to “finish the job and move on”. They would be less concerned with the details and zero in on what matters most. In most “D’s” exercise of discernment, they would tend to zero in on the one underlying factor that most affects the situation or person under assessment, which to a “D” may be what brings the most profit or what presents the greatest threat. This is in line with a “D’s” greatest fear – being taken advantage of, or losing control of a situation. “Ds” tend to exercise discernment by looking for those characteristics or attributes.
The “I” Style.
High “Is” are mostly concerned with fun and popularity, and would exercise discernment by sensing whether the situation or person under assessment is socially acceptable, creative and generally great to be associated with. If high “Is” sense that the underlying causes or attitudes are not in their favour, then the first thing they do is to try and negotiate for a better situation that is a “win-win” all round. High “Is” tend to be less concerned with the salient attributes of the situation/ person under assessment, and are generally quite content if they sense an atmosphere of friendliness and fun. They tend to exercise discernment largely in that direction.
The “S” Style.
High “Ss” would tend to spend more time exercising discernment with a view to establishing long-term relationships. Since they tend to invest more resources in fostering deep relationships, they tend to take their time evaluating situations/ persons more thoroughly than the other styles. “Ss” also desire greater stability and would tend to shy away from the situation/ person under evaluation if they sense that major changes are afoot. Being naturally endowed with a greater capacity for empathy than the other styles, “Ss” would gravitate towards the situation/ person being assessed if they sense that they can contribute positively to the situation/ person.
The “C” Style.
High “Cs” tend to view the world through the lenses of established, “tried-and-true” processes. In the exercise of discernment, they would tend to look for credibility and stability. They have a tendency to be critical, since they also impose the same high standards upon themselves, and would tend to only look favourably upon the situations/ persons under scrutiny if, in their opinion, those situations/ persons measure up. If not, high “Cs” tend to shy away and would not invest any more resources in trying to understand the deeper reasons for the situation or person’s behaviour. In fact, even if a situation/ person does measure up, high “Cs” tend to look for perfection and are quick to detect any faults. If so, their initial positive appraisal of the situation/ person may change.
So what?
In the exercise of the quality of discernment, we may be required to take some time to understand the situation/ person better, or we may be forced to make a quick appreciation and then decide what to do or what not to do. We need to take a step back and remember that all of us exhibit all four DISC styles to varying degrees, but our first response would be with our basic style. Having an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each style would help us to exercise discernment better. When time permits, we should take the effort to conduct a thorough analysis of the situation/ person. However, when we are short of time and an immediate assessment is necessary, then we should remember the words of Louis Pasteur, that “Chance favours the prepared mind”. A great way of preparation is to equip ourselves with the knowledge of our behavioural styles and to be very clear as to what our core values are.
Comments and discussions are most welcome!
