DISC Case Study
Failure in Executive’s COMMUNICATION Skills almost cost company $8M
Question: What challenges was the company facing and what interventions were used?
A CEO of a High Tech Computer Technology firm, Dan, had grown his operations over 4 years from 4 founding partners to 450 employees. Dan was a high achiever (Earnest & Young awarded Contract) and his DISC style was a High S with D and C Secondary, with a Low I). He would shout at his Executives and rave when things weren’t going his way. Dan just did not know how to authentically or properly communicate with his executives.
Under pressure, he would yell during meetings in the boardroom disrupting and upsetting his Vice Presidents (VP’s). Bill, one of his original 4 founding partners, a friend, and Sr. VP, (High S) was resentful that he had neglected to make good on a promise made 4 years prior.
Three of the VP’s met Carol Dysart Managing Partner of PeopleSmart World who was a guest lecturer in one of their “Executive Challenge” classes. During this class the VP’s all did their DISC Leadership profiles. Seeing the value in profiling, they pleaded with her to help them by meeting up with and profiling their CEO.
In debriefing Dan’s profile she saw that his Adapted profile graph - what he “thought” he was, was more of a people-oriented, optimistic, trusting person a “High I”. When his Natural profile graph revealed that he was a very LOW I, he felt pessimistic around people and was actually more of a S/D style combination, non-demonstrative but quick to anger emotionally. In other words, he was unsure of who he was and was putting on a behavioral “mask” just to come to work!
Carol showed him why he was probably often frustrated with others, even though at first he objected to her statement that being a “people-person” was not his natural style. His comment to Carol was, “I know about people! I took those Dale Carnegie “Win Friends and Influence People” classes!”
When Carol pointed out that he HAD to take classes like that because he instinctively knew he wasn’t a people-person and that his role as President meant he had to be friendly with people. But according to his profile she could immediately see that, as a High S, he actually preferred it if everyone left him alone to do his work… so being a High I was a “strategy” for him!
That insight completely resonated with the truth in him and he immediately asked her to come back and profile his entire executive management team of 11 Direct Reports. And he brought her in for the next year, one day/month to facilitate a meeting between him and each member of that team – bringing his profile so he could share with them what was important to him and to learn what was important to them!
And that’s not all here is another issue Dan was facing…
Bill, the VP who told Carol that if Dan would not pay him the money he was owed as a founding partner, he was going to take his clients – worth more than $8Million – and go elsewhere. Bill didn’t ever think he would get his money and refused to meet with Dan for a long time. Carol finally persuaded both of them to meet with her together and in the course of that debrief, they found out that Dan was happy to pay the money he owed… he just had completely forgotten about it!
Once they also learned about each other’s style and why they did what they did, they were able to renew their relationship and look at how to improve the company together, while “standing on the same side of the desk”. Within the year, Bill had stayed and was appointed CEO of the company and Dan moved into the role as Chairman of the Board.
Question: During the implementation of the solution what problems developed and how did the Consultant/Coach work with the client to solve these problems?
Carol continued to meet with Dan and one executive each month, then worked with the Direct Reports and their team members, thus harmony and productivity was restored to the company.
Every leader in the company was profiled. By gaining DISC literacy knowledge and teaching them a DISC-literate “language” leaders and managers were able to communicate with each other about behavioral issues, and a more “human” element became alive within the culture of the company – diversity was celebrated and differences acknowledged.
Carol met with other leaders and their direct reports (see Case #2) and empowered everyone by giving them the tool of their profile report and teaching them how to understand each other and ask better questions of what was important to them… not assuming that everyone thought just like them!
Question: When the client used DISC, what changed within the company?
By using a combination of DISC profiling and DISC consulting/coaching interventions this company’s management team and their staff were able to work together cooperatively and productively.
Future recommendations for the company:
Using profiling tools and other interview processes when recruiting will place the right people in the right roles, however it will not address the culture of an organization. PeopleSmart World recommended that the company choose a number of staff members to be trained in how to interpret and coach others to understand their DISC style – by becoming certified in the PeopleSmart Method™.
This will be the key to support and enhance the changes that Carol was able to achieve. Teach managers the Extreme Leadership LEAP Method as cited in case studies in Steve Farber's best selling business book, "Love is Just Damn Good Business".
Failure in Executive’s COMMUNICATION Skills almost cost company $8M
Question: What challenges was the company facing and what interventions were used?
A CEO of a High Tech Computer Technology firm, Dan, had grown his operations over 4 years from 4 founding partners to 450 employees. Dan was a high achiever (Earnest & Young awarded Contract) and his DISC style was a High S with D and C Secondary, with a Low I). He would shout at his Executives and rave when things weren’t going his way. Dan just did not know how to authentically or properly communicate with his executives.
Under pressure, he would yell during meetings in the boardroom disrupting and upsetting his Vice Presidents (VP’s). Bill, one of his original 4 founding partners, a friend, and Sr. VP, (High S) was resentful that he had neglected to make good on a promise made 4 years prior.
Three of the VP’s met Carol Dysart Managing Partner of PeopleSmart World who was a guest lecturer in one of their “Executive Challenge” classes. During this class the VP’s all did their DISC Leadership profiles. Seeing the value in profiling, they pleaded with her to help them by meeting up with and profiling their CEO.
In debriefing Dan’s profile she saw that his Adapted profile graph - what he “thought” he was, was more of a people-oriented, optimistic, trusting person a “High I”. When his Natural profile graph revealed that he was a very LOW I, he felt pessimistic around people and was actually more of a S/D style combination, non-demonstrative but quick to anger emotionally. In other words, he was unsure of who he was and was putting on a behavioral “mask” just to come to work!
Carol showed him why he was probably often frustrated with others, even though at first he objected to her statement that being a “people-person” was not his natural style. His comment to Carol was, “I know about people! I took those Dale Carnegie “Win Friends and Influence People” classes!”
When Carol pointed out that he HAD to take classes like that because he instinctively knew he wasn’t a people-person and that his role as President meant he had to be friendly with people. But according to his profile she could immediately see that, as a High S, he actually preferred it if everyone left him alone to do his work… so being a High I was a “strategy” for him!
That insight completely resonated with the truth in him and he immediately asked her to come back and profile his entire executive management team of 11 Direct Reports. And he brought her in for the next year, one day/month to facilitate a meeting between him and each member of that team – bringing his profile so he could share with them what was important to him and to learn what was important to them!
And that’s not all here is another issue Dan was facing…
Bill, the VP who told Carol that if Dan would not pay him the money he was owed as a founding partner, he was going to take his clients – worth more than $8Million – and go elsewhere. Bill didn’t ever think he would get his money and refused to meet with Dan for a long time. Carol finally persuaded both of them to meet with her together and in the course of that debrief, they found out that Dan was happy to pay the money he owed… he just had completely forgotten about it!
Once they also learned about each other’s style and why they did what they did, they were able to renew their relationship and look at how to improve the company together, while “standing on the same side of the desk”. Within the year, Bill had stayed and was appointed CEO of the company and Dan moved into the role as Chairman of the Board.
Question: During the implementation of the solution what problems developed and how did the Consultant/Coach work with the client to solve these problems?
Carol continued to meet with Dan and one executive each month, then worked with the Direct Reports and their team members, thus harmony and productivity was restored to the company.
Every leader in the company was profiled. By gaining DISC literacy knowledge and teaching them a DISC-literate “language” leaders and managers were able to communicate with each other about behavioral issues, and a more “human” element became alive within the culture of the company – diversity was celebrated and differences acknowledged.
Carol met with other leaders and their direct reports (see Case #2) and empowered everyone by giving them the tool of their profile report and teaching them how to understand each other and ask better questions of what was important to them… not assuming that everyone thought just like them!
Question: When the client used DISC, what changed within the company?
- Compatibility – people were able to perform in harmonious and agreeable ways.
- Job Satisfaction – staff felt fulfilled in their roles.
- Motivation increased – tasks were willingly performed and deadlines were met.
- People felt HEARD and valued – because people understood each other’s DISC style.
- Challenges were mutually addressed and brought to the group.
By using a combination of DISC profiling and DISC consulting/coaching interventions this company’s management team and their staff were able to work together cooperatively and productively.
Future recommendations for the company:
Using profiling tools and other interview processes when recruiting will place the right people in the right roles, however it will not address the culture of an organization. PeopleSmart World recommended that the company choose a number of staff members to be trained in how to interpret and coach others to understand their DISC style – by becoming certified in the PeopleSmart Method™.
This will be the key to support and enhance the changes that Carol was able to achieve. Teach managers the Extreme Leadership LEAP Method as cited in case studies in Steve Farber's best selling business book, "Love is Just Damn Good Business".