HR Professionals - Are you using the D.I.S.C profiling?

Working Together Is Success - Henry Ford

I am sure you have heard about DISC profiling and it's usage in the workplace. It helps understand individuals' personality, communication and working styles, which in turn, foster strong working relationships and collaboration to achieve outstanding results. Is your company performing at the peak? Allow me to provide some useful working tips for collaboration with fellow colleagues. By the way, this article is mainly extracted from Tuckman's model - Forming to Performing stages.

Here are some benefits about DISC when used well:

1. Improved Communication: In a diverse and multi-racial workplace like Singapore, where people who are wired differently come from different cultural backgrounds, effective communication is key. DISC profiling focuses individuals' unique communication style and that of others. This understanding can lead to more effective communication, thus, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts in the workplace.

2. Team Dynamics: Working Teams in Singapore, often comprising members from various cultural backgrounds, can reap the benefits from DISC profiling too. When team members understand each other's behavioral tendencies, they can adapt their communication and work styles to complement each other, leading to improved productivity and increased morale. Build trust and setting team values.

3. Conflict Resolution: Many times, workplaces may encounter conflicts due to cultural differences, differing work styles, or personality clashes. On this note, DISC profiling provides insights into the underlying root causes of conflicts and helps employees and managers address them more effectively. By understanding the real causes of conflicts, individuals can find the middle ground and maintain positive working relationships. As a result, mutually accepted - creative problem solving strategies can be achieved.

4. Leadership Development: For leaders working in Singapore, DISC profiling can be an effective tool to understanding their leadership styles and how they interact within their teams. By recognizing their strengths and areas for improvements, leaders' self-awareness are greatly enhanced and they can adapt their leadership approach to better motivate their teams to the next level. Celebrating team success after milestones are achieved.

5. Recruitment and Talent Management: HR Professionals and leaders in Singapore can use DISC profiling as part of their hiring and talent management processes to assess candidates' suitability for specific roles and teams. By matching candidates' behavioral profiles with the job specifications, organizations can make more informed hiring decisions and build high-performing teams. Good hires definitely have its advantages.

In short, DISC profiling is a great tool for better communication, enhanced teamwork, resolving conflicts, developing strong leadership and strengthening hiring and talent management processes in the workplace.

On the other hand, DISC does have its pitfall that HR professionals need to keep a look out.

For example:

1. Oversimplication - DISC puts individuals into distinct styles that seems too good to be true. Human behaviour and personality can be complex and everchanging.
2. Context dependent behaviour - As the matter of fact, indivduals may react to situations or people differently across different stages in lives and that DISC may not be fully account for.
3. Self-assessment data - Such data churned may be easily manipulated since the incumbent can easily choose the 'best responses' to the questionnaires.

Having said, HR Profesionals can still utilise DISC for teambuilding and communication engagements activities. Just a gentle reminder that DISC results should never be the sole basis for organisation's HR matters like recruitment or promotion. Deploying 360' with mutliple assessments tools are recommended.

Terence Chow conducts Soft Skills Trainings for Corporate Enterprises. He enjoys writing 'useful at work' articles that equips working adults achieve their set goals and builds stronger relationships.

ps: This article is co-written with the assistance from our friend, ChatGPT.