Tapping the Power of Style in Teams
While leading team-building programs for more than half of the Fortune 100 companies, we have seen the direct impact that style has on success. Many teams have effectively navigated through the challenges inherent in teams that contain multiple styles, while other teams have worked through the difficulties of having all of its members with the same style.
No matter what the composition of your team, style can be its greatest asset or a hidden and devastating liability.
When most teams are formed, managers give significant consideration to the skills that will be required to deliver results. Selection criteria typically include an individual’s background, work experience, education, and technical skills.
Example: Craig is a manager who is putting together a team for an important project. While evaluating bios and resumes of potential team members, Craig notes that Ruben has worked on a similar project, so his expertise will be valuable. Keiko’s product knowledge and experience with the target market will be critical. Julia understands the technology and systems that will be needed throughout the process, and Phillip’s project management skills will help keep the group on track. Voilà—the perfect team.
However, like many managers, Craig overlooked style as a key variable that drives success. As such, he failed to consider how they would interact, which is just as important as if not more important than what they know. Although this team looks great on paper, without style awareness it has the potential to dissolve into an underperforming, stressed-out group of people who are a “team” in name alone.
Consider Craig’s team if it had members of all different styles
At their first meeting, Ruben, a D, wants the group to start tackling the most difficult challenge: “Once we get this part of the project behind us, we’ll have made solid progress.” Keiko, an I, wants to begin with something engaging and easily accomplished: “Why start with the hardest part of the project? Let’s build momentum by beginning with something we can all do well.” Julia, a C, wants to organize the entire project before they start: “We shouldn’t do anything until we have a comprehensive plan.” And Phillip, an S, just wants to smooth over the initial dissention: “Let’s take a step back. We’re not going to get anything done unless we all get along.”
If this group fails to recognize and respect the styles of others, these differences, while small at this stage of the game, can morph into serious impediments to teamwork as the project moves forward.
Consider a team whose members all share the same style
In addition to teams where members all have different styles, we have worked with many teams that consist of all one style. For example, a group that specializes in software development would most likely be C’s, whereas a marketing group may contain many I’s. A senior team of supply chain executives may very well be all D’s, and a team of nurses may reflect a strong S composition.
You may be thinking, “What’s wrong with that? After all, wouldn’t communication be easier if we all had the same style and spoke the same language?” Perhaps, but when everyone shares a similar profile, the strengths of that style get magnified. Remember that strengths overused become weaknesses. Moreover, the absence of the three remaining styles would create triple the potential for blind spots.
Consider a team with the following configurations
All D’s
This team’s primary focus is on achieving results—immediate results. They think fast and act even faster. The D team is not concerned with “the way we used to do things” or with creating extensive processes. They’re willing to take risks and may sacrifice speed for quality. For a group of D’s, action always trumps inaction, and any problems that arise will be fixed as they proceed. Another hallmark of a D team is that conflict is practically encouraged as team members prize directness and candor over tact and diplomacy.
Potential blind spots for a team of D’s include:
1. Lack of detailed planning coupled with impulsive decision making that can lead to poor outcomes
2. Failure to anticipate process or procedural issues
3. Failure to get buy-in and support on decisions
4. Power struggles as every team member feels he or she should be in charge
5. Offending people on other teams, as their “pull no punches” approach is respected on their team but may be considered insulting by others
All I’s—Morale is sky-high with this configuration. Positive reinforcement and high-fives keep the momentum going. This team always looks on the bright side. People respect each other and prop each other up when things go wrong. Planning? No time. “We just go for it!” this team would declare proudly. “Don’t worry. It’ll work out.” Processes and systems? “Too constraining.” This team likes to respond to sudden changes on the fly. Collaboration within this group is so high that everyone knows what all the others are thinking...about everything.
Potential blind spots for a team of I’s include:
1. Lack of follow-through on commitments
2. Poor time management
3. Inability to drill down to the details of a project
4. Overly optimistic forecasts
5. Lack of desire to address performance issues
6. A shared assumption that others will react with their level of enthusiasm
7. Impulsive decision making as opposed to thinking through potential consequences
All S’s—The S team is grounded in harmony. Respect and loyalty are of the utmost importance. In such a peaceful climate, conflict is painstakingly avoided. As a result, issues and concerns are often internalized rather than dealt with. The environment is casual and personal. Everyone knows about each other’s children, spouses, pets, and interests. Meetings are cordial, and there is rarely any dissention. Team members support each other whenever possible. If something goes wrong, someone will be there to rescue you, even at the expense of his or her own priorities. As for processes, they will remain consistent over long periods of time.
Potential blind spots for a team of S’s include:
1. Working on the first idea proposed, as opposed to the best idea, which can only emerge by asking difficult questions
2. An unwillingness to take risks, either as a compelling need or to seize a unique opportunity
3. A tendency to over-personalize office relationships
4. Gossip can become rampant as people are interested in the personal lives of others and use the grapevine as a substitute for addressing difficult issues directly with the person involved
5. Minimal conflict reinforces the status quo and thus leads to minimal innovation
All C’s—Quality is the name of the game for this team. An intensive focus on details and precision drive excellence, but getting there may take time. Their motto would be, “We get it right the first time.” This team can be relied upon to stick to pre-established procedures. Even their meetings follow a predetermined structure and adhere to the schedule. This team doesn’t waste time with idle chatter, as they are highly focused on the work at hand.
Potential blind spots for a team of C’s include:
1. Inability to grasp the big picture by getting caught up in the details
2. An overabundance of processes and quality control slowing down the process
3. Taking too long to make decisions and getting trapped in “analysis paralysis”
4. Lack of flexibility can cause inefficiency
5. Hyper-focusing on the task can lead to a work environment in which team members lack strong connections to each other
Consider a team that is missing one of the styles
Although some teams are comprised of all one style, other teams can pay the price for missing a single style. This type of team may fail to adapt to the right style at the right time. Lacking one of the styles can cause blind spots that negatively impact the team environment and the results. Imagine a team without each style:
• Without D’s—This group occasionally will get off track and lose sight of the goal. They may have difficulty maintaining focus on their primary objective, as there is no D to keep the big picture in mind. Further, D’s add a level of candor, and they “call it like it is.” This group might not be willing to address the real issues and thus could have difficulty realizing their ultimate vision.
• Without I’s—Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Without I’s, who have a knack for loosening tension with humor, this team may experience more stress during times of adversity or high-volume periods. Morale will likely be lower without a few optimistic I’s around.
• Without S’s—Minus the S’s, conflict is sure to be more frequent and longer lasting, as there is no one to smooth over issues and mediate disagreements. In the absence of the S’s calming energy, this environment is likely to feel more chaotic. S’s are the glue that holds teams together, and without them, teamwork can come apart.
• Without C’s—Lacking C’s to play the devil’s advocate role, this team may not think things through before taking action. This team may also lack repeatable processes that drive consistent outcomes. Overall, without C’s, quality most likely will suffer.
Steps to Tapping the Power of Style in Teams
By making the DISC a part of a team’s everyday life, style can become a key driver of success and overall job satisfaction. Here are five key steps to making the most of your team:
1. Educate people about the styles—Devote time to teaching team members about the DISC styles to increase self-awareness, build acceptance, generate trust, and improve overall team effectiveness.
2. Identify the style of each team member—Create a chart that lists each person and his or her DISC style, and make sure that everyone knows the style of every member.
3. Consider the team dynamic that is created by the combination of styles—Note whether any particular style is in abundance or lacking.
4. Identify group strengths and blind spots—Every mix of styles creates a unique set of strengths and challenges. Take steps to ensure that the team capitalizes on its strengths while minimizing the possibility that potential blind spots become realized.
5. Create a strategy to address style imbalances within the team—Sometimes, the simple awareness that a style is in abundance allows team members to consciously notice when the negative overuse of behaviors is leading to poor results or a demotivating work environment. When a team realizes that a style is under-represented, the members should proactively engage the strengths of the missing style. Some teams may even choose to fill a style gap with a new team member. Either way, teams that understand their DISC style makeup can utilize style to drive, rather than inhibit, success.