Most employees want to grow in their careers, and as a manager, you are in the best position to have a hand in their development. But employee development isn’t a “one size fits all”. Managers tend to develop employees using a default approach that they assume everyone will relate to, but what if your employee’s style is different from yours?
Employees are not only at different stages of their careers, but they have different needs based on their work style. As a manager, you should personalize your employee development for each individual on your team.
The Everything DiSC Management profile provides insight into your management style and helps you adopt an effective method to develop your employees in a way that is aligned with their individual style. This DiSC® assessment tool provides invaluable data on the personality traits, behaviors, and natural tendencies of your employees. With the insights it provides, you can capitalize on the potential areas of strength of your team, helping them to grow and develop.
Developing Employees Based on Their DiSC Style
Research shows that to be an effective manager, it is best to help your employees identify and build on their strengths rather than focusing on fixing their weaknesses. In this way, you are capitalizing on their strengths and supporting your employees’ long-term growth.
Below are strategies for developing employees based on their DiSC style. It begins with identifying their strengths and working out the possible obstacles you may encounter in the development process.
Employees with the D Style
Employees with the D style are risk-takers. They love seeking new challenges, working independently, and being in charge. They have a competitive spirit and a strong drive for achievement, results, or success.
With their strong drive for success, they may tend towards pursuing personal ambition rather than the goals of the team or organization. Their love for working independently may hinder them from collaborating with the team. And due to their strong-willed nature, they may want to overstep or undermine your authority as the manager.
Tips to Developing Employees: Maximize the Strengths of D Style Employees
- Help them channel their energy in the right direction by making sure they are clear on what the organization’s goals are. This will keep them from veering off-course to pursue their own interests.
- Allow them to work independently, but make sure they understand their responsibilities to the team.
- Balance giving them independence with asserting your authority from time to time to prevent the undermining of your position as their manager.
Employees with the i Style
i style employees love managers who encourage, inspire, and motivate them.
They are optimistic, empathetic, and enthusiastic and love building rapport, offering encouragement, and working in collaborative settings.
Their optimistic nature can make them ignore looming problems. And their drive for innovation can hinder them from conducting in-depth analysis before taking off with a project or idea.
Tips to Developing Employees: Maximize the Strengths of i Style employees
Provide direct feedback to open their eyes to areas that require improvement.
- Though they prefer working with teams, remind them of how working independently will also benefit their career growth.
- Their impulsiveness causes them to jump from task to task without completing any of them. Help them maintain focus on a task they are handling before moving on to the next task.
- Encourage their spontaneity when it is appropriate.
Employees with the S Style
Employees with the S style enjoy working with others. They are emphatic, diplomatic, consistent, committed, and supportive, and because they are excellent listeners, they can accommodate different viewpoints.
However, their stable and dependent nature causes them to be averse to risks or trying out new ideas. Also, their preference for collaboration may deny them the benefits of career growth that come with working independently.
Tips to Developing Employees: Maximize the Strengths of S Style employees
- Give them specific, constructive feedback to push them beyond their comfort zones so they can grow and develop.
- Their love for caring for others may predispose them to neglect their own needs, so remind them to focus on their needs when it’s appropriate.
- You may have to persuade them to see the advantages that come from taking risks.
- Give them sufficient time to adjust to change.
Employees with the C Style
C-style employees love churning out excellent output. They are analytic, detail-oriented, and prefer to work independently. They are methodological in their approach to solving problems and exercise caution when it comes to risk-taking.
Employees with the C style tend to be skeptical. Others on your team may be quick to accept an idea, but the C style employee will probe or question your ideas, which may come across as resistant or dismissive.
Tips to Developing Employees: Maximise the Strengths of C Style Employees
Give them opportunities that are analytical in nature.
- Give them the space to work independently.
- Don’t force them to socialize, but let them understand the benefits of teamwork and keep you updated with the progress of the project or task.
- Explain to them, with facts, the drawbacks of playing it safe and allow them time to think through your suggestions before you make decisions together.
Your organization will achieve its performance goals when you play to your employee’s strengths. Understanding your employees’ potential areas for growth starts with a DiSC assessment, and the Everything DiSC assessment is a great tool that will help you in achieving the development objectives of your employees.
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