Great to be back with more in our series on Discus DISC Profiling, brought to you with the kind support of Axiom Software UK. We’ve finished our series looking at the Style Card and I’d like to use this post to talk about the Twelve Standard Discus Sub-traits.
Twelve Standard Discus Sub-traits
The four DISC factors provide a useful way of summarizing a profile. For a full interpretation of a profile shape, DISC provides a useful technique for quickly extracting even more sophisticated information from a graph. This technique is known as ‘sub-trait analysis’.
‘Sub-traits’ describe the relationships between different pairs of factors within a single profile graph. Because there are twelve possible pairs of DISC factors (D and I, D and S, D and C, and so on), there are twelve corresponding sub-traits. Each of these pairs of factors is given a meaningful name to help relate it to some particular style of behaviour.
As an example, take the sub-trait ‘Efficiency’, which describes the relationship between Dominance and Influence. Sub-traits are typically described in shorthand with a slash (‘/’) sign, so ‘D/I’ (pronounced ‘D over I’) describes the sub-trait of Efficiency. In this guide, we have represented this relationship graphically, as shown in the example on the left.
To measure the amount of a sub-trait in a particular profile, look at the relationship between the two factors it describes. In the example shown on the left, Dominance is very high, while Influence is low. This means that this profile contains high levels of Efficiency (we say ‘D is over I’). If the opposite were the case (high Influence and low Dominance, or ‘I over D’) Efficiency would be very low in the profile. In this case, the profile would describe a ‘Friendly’ individual (see descriptions below).
As we said, there are twelve possible combinations of factors in a DISC graph, each with its own attendant sub-trait. Click the name of any of the sub-traits in the list below for a description of the type of behaviour to which it relates. Remember that any given profile can contain more than one sub-trait – as well as Efficiency, for example, the illustrated profile above also contains ‘Self-motivation’ (D/S) and ‘Independence’ (D/C).
Sib-traits with high Dominance
- D/I – Efficiency
Efficiency appears in a DISC profile when Dominance is significantly higher than Influence. An efficient individual is direct and assertive, but has little or no interest in personal matters. They take an objective, analytical view and drive towards their goals ruthlessly and relentlessly. They need to see results, and are quite willing to compromise quality or detail to get them. - D/S – Self-motivation
Self-motivation appears in a DISC profile when Dominance is significantly higher than Steadiness. Action is a key ingredient of this sub-trait. This type of person feels a need to be active all the time, and is impatient with those who are unwilling or unable to keep up with their urgent pace. They react quickly to new developments, but never lose sight of their own goals and ambitions. - D/C – Independence
Independence appears in a DISC profile when Dominance is significantly higher than Compliance. This type of person feels frustrated by rules and regulations – they prefer to follow their own ideas, and often work alone or in positions of isolated authority. This sub-trait is common, for example, in entrepreneurial styles.
Sub-traits with high Influence
- I/D – Friendliness
Friendly people love to talk – communication is the strongest element of this style. They are outgoing and extrovert, but they find it far from easy to concentrate on mundane tasks, and are easily distracted from such work by the opportunity for social interaction. - I/S – Enthusiasm
This is an outgoing and extrovert sub-trait that has much in common with Friendliness, but with the added dimension of energy and pace. This animated style shows their interest in a topic very strongly, and their effusive nature can act as a motivating factor for others. - I/C – Self-confidence
Self-confident profiles represent people who rarely experience self-doubt, and feel at ease in almost any social situation. They mix easily with strangers, and are unafraid to initiate social contact. They can at times become over-confident, leading them to act impulsively.
Sub-traits with high Steadiness
- S/D – Patience
This style of person has little sense of urgency and a slow pace, which means that they are able to work in situations that others would find repetitive or dull. They are submissive in style, and ready to accept that there are some things that they cannot change. - S/I – Thoughtfulness
Thoughtful individuals plan their words and actions carefully and never act on impulse. Deadlines and other time constraints are difficult for this type of person to deal with. Their advantage, however, is the reliability and steadiness that they bring to their work. - S/C – Persistence
Persistent people deal particularly badly with change. Once they have become established in a status quo, they find it very difficult to break out of this and adapt to a new situation. This means that they will do what they can to maintain their current state of affairs, showing great loyalty and resilience in defence of their present environment and social circle.
Sub-traits with high Compliance
- C/D – Cooperativeness
This is the classic ‘rule-oriented’ sub-trait, relating to a person who needs to be absolutely sure of their position and prefers to use established regulations and procedures as a framework to support their ideas. Co-operative people are so called because this aspect of their personal style extends to the need for practical support from managers, colleagues and friends, and so they seek to maintain positive working relationships with others. - C/I – Accuracy
This sub-trait is also sometimes referred to as Caution. The type of person to whom it refers hates to make mistakes – they check and recheck their work, and are prone to correct errors in other people, whether or not they have been asked to do so. This need for certainty means that they will never take a risk unless absolutely necessary. They are also cautious in communication, rarely revealing more about themselves than a bare minimum. - C/S – Sensitivity
People of this kind are extremely aware of their environment and changes taking place within it, to the extent that they often notice subtle points that other people miss or ignore. In itself, this is a positive factor, but it does have the consequence that they have a very low boredom threshold and are very easily distracted.
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In the meantime, thank you once again for your time and interest and as always…
Onwards & Upwards!
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