As a Colorado Springs DISC facilitator I’ve often wondered, why do people do the things they do? Some folks will inspire you, some will mystify you and others, well, you just have to laugh!
So, after years of presenting DISC trainings, I’ve collected a few examples people shared about their own humorous behaviors.
Here are a few from the “High I” Influencer folks. They will:
- Call a friend and leave multiple messages on the voicemail recording because they run out of time on the first one.
- Put scented garbage bags in every trashcan (including in the garage), hang air fresheners in their car and buy fragrance plugins for every room.
- Read obituaries in the newspaper to see who they know. Or, in my Mom’s case, she looks there first to be sure she’s not listed!
- Decorate their offices with plants, motivational posters and lots of family photos. They’ve even been known to put miniature beanie baby animals on top of their computer monitors.
- Firmly believe “the more bling, the better!”
- Never use a checkbook register, but occasionally login to their online bank account to make sure there’s still money left.
- Share more details about themselves, friends, family and people you’ll never meet than you ever want to know.
- Put a candy dish on their desk so people will stop by and visit them.
Got any more to add to the list? Feel free to put it in the comments below.
DISC Facilitator Learns a Lesson
Influencers, of which I am one, prefer freedom from details. For example: while conducting a training session, I was in the middle of writing key learning points on a whiteboard when, from the back of the room, I heard a groan.
I turned. “Stephen, what’s up?”
“Why do you write like that?”
“Like what?”
“Why do you mix upper and lowercase letters when you’re writing something? It’s driving me crazy!”
Everyone in the room looked back around to what I’d just written on the whiteboard.
Someone laughed. Someone snorted and said, “It’s true! She DOES mix them up!”
KiNd oF LikE tHis.
And indeed I did. I hadn’t noticed until then, but I DO mix my upper and lowercase letters, especially when I’m writing something in a hurry. And to me, it’s no big deal.
But it was having a big impact on Stephen. He’s an analytical kind of person and admits to also being a perfectionist. My lack of correct letter case use was a distraction and was getting in the way of his learning process. He was focused more on how I was writing than the oh-so wise and wonderful concepts I was trying to teach.
We all had a good laugh and, just for him, I made an effort to discipline my writing. It taught me a good lesson that some details, which don’t matter much to me, are pretty important to others.
Typical Influencer Behavioral Traits
In addition to freedom from details, Influencers tend to be social, well-connected, optimistic and enthusiastic. They are good at creating a motivational environment and tend to move through the world with energy.
They like to voice opinions, propose solutions, share ideas and verbalize proposals. In other words, they like freedom of expression and strive to have an impact over others. They also like freedom from control.
Reputation is important to these folks. They like bringing people together, making introductions and are often amazed that those within their social circles may not know one another.
But done to excess, High I behaviors can be seen as manipulative, impulsive, unprepared, unfocused and unable to follow through. Because of this, their more conscientious (High C) colleagues often don’t take them seriously and may question their credibility. The Influencer’s attraction to proverbial “shiny objects” and love of socializing may keep them from getting the job done.
And despite what you might guess, High I people aren’t always extroverts. They can be on the quieter side and may prefer to spend time with one or two friends versus being around large groups of people. Too much social stimulation can be exhausting for introverted types.
A Strategic Tool
While we Influencers like to “go with the flow”, we benefit from partnering up with others who bring more structure into life. My husband (the “High C” engineer) is a great process guy. After we got married, I learned it was frustrating for him to never know whether dishes in the dishwasher were clean or dirty. So we devised a method to indicate what condition they were in.
To avoid mixing dirty dishes with the clean ones, we decided to stick a magnet on the front of the dishwasher. When the dishes are clean, it’s right side up.
When they’re dirty, we turn the magnet upside down.
It’s a really great system — a thing of beauty, actually. Now, I just need a process to help me remember to flip the darned thing around!
P.S. Click here to read my earlier post about the DISC High D Dominant style.