DISC in the Construction Zone -- Boost Productivity and On-Time Delivery

22 Mar, 2018 / by Professional Writer

The same insightful and powerful assessment that can provide information to help your office team perform and collaborate better can also benefit teams working in the field. DISC assessments work by providing you with details about an individual’s deeply ingrained preferences and style; whether the person in question sits behind a desk or behind the wheel of an earth mover or crane doesn’t impact the viability and usability of the assessment. The typical job site relies on communication and collaboration between teams to run smoothly; understanding how well your existing team interacts and supporting their unique mix of DISC styles can help you get the most from your construction zone teams.

BS Large diverse group of construction workers.jpgThe construction business thrives on on-time project completion and delivery – and personality conflicts on site are a leading cause of slowdowns and delays. The foreman or site manager who keeps things moving along when all is well could become a nightmare when faced with a setback – causing everyone on the site to take cover. The steady, polite but not very vocal tile setter could suddenly become short tempered when you make him work in a crowded, noisy environment instead of an isolated bath or kitchen space. Understanding the DISC profiles of your team can help prevent volatile situations and discord, which can have a significant impact on your project’s outcome and success.

How can DISC assessments improve your construction zone’s harmony, and in turn, ensure you get things completed on time? Understanding the key personality types that make up your team can help you provide them with the right environment, tasks and support to bring to your project.

What is DISC?

A DISC assessment provides insight into the personalities and preferences of the members of your construction team. This effective model is easy to use and results are helpful to both the individual and the team organizer using them. There is no right or wrong DISC profile; there are high achieving individuals in every category. Learning what styles your team has ensures you can offer the best possible support and can eliminate one of the significant causes of delay on a job site – personality conflict. All together, there are four DISC styles; most of us end up with a mix of styles, but with a preference for one letter over the rest. We are a mix of all 4 styles.

You’ll find all types of DISC personalities on the typical job site, from the take charge, task-focused manager to the precise and reliable engineer who ensures the site and project remain compliant.

D-Style Personalities in the Construction Zone

BS Row of Concrete Mixer Trucks-1.jpgThey’re confident and capable – and they want you to know it. When a D-Style individual is in charge, they are in their element...but if things begin to go wrong, watch out! Not all D-Style construction workers are in leadership roles, but many end up serving in this capacity. Make sure these high achieving men and women have something to oversee and that their (often vocal) suggestions are heard and addressed.

D-Style personalities are task driven, so will naturally work towards getting things done. They may be seen as impatient, abrupt or arrogant when dealing with others and can make an emerging conflict more volatile than it needs to be. While your D-Style individuals will play a key role in getting things done, they won’t shy away from conflict and left to their own devices, could make decisions without checking with others first.

Support this outspoken personality type by putting them in charge of an element of your project, respecting their input and publicly commending them for work well done. Their primary motivation is to succeed and be recognized, so providing opportunities to do so will enliven their natural love of competition and give them the recognition they crave.

I Style Personalities in the Construction Zone

BS Construction Warehouse Caucasian Male worker-1.jpgYou know the I-Style personalities on your team. Everyone loves them and they are social and fun. They’ll ask about your kids, show up with donuts for all and be a well-liked part of the group. Since this usually sunny personality type thrives when surrounded by others, avoid giving them repetitive or isolating tasks that keep them away from the main group. They’ll feel the isolation quickly and respond by slowing down, reducing productivity and even the quality of the work performed.

Since the I-Style personality is very people motivated, they thrive in a crowd – and others naturally respond to them. This Influence-based personality can help you best by working as a buffer between management and field workers and can often help elevate morale and positivity just by being themselves. Place this team member in charge of morale and even social planning and they’ll shine; you’ll see an effect on the other members of the team as well, simply by keeping this individual in a setting and role they like best.

S-Style Personalities in the Construction Zone

They’re pleasant and easy going but won’t cope well with confrontation; your S-Style team members are happy to contribute when things are going well but won’t speak up if there is conflict. Stress and high emotion or arguing on the job site may make these normally laid-back workers shut down entirely.

S-Style team members should be encouraged to speak up when needed – you may need to ask direct questions to determine what is going on when you see a drop in production or output. S-Style workers can also suffer when paired with hard driving, conflict loving D-Style or even the more reclusive, detail-oriented C Style team members. Be aware that placing an S-Style worker in a task-oriented group of D and C team members could result in conflicts.

C-Style Personalities in the Construction Zone

These detailed, perfectionists are positively delighted to work alone and may become frazzled and short temper when required to work in a busy, loud group setting. If you need work completed by someone who can self-direct and take ownership of a component, your C-style personality types will be a lifesaver. From painting to tile work and anything in between, they will have consistently high-quality output – if you give them time and leave them alone to get the work done.

While other personality types suffer in isolation, your C-Style workers crave peace and quiet; these are often your subcontractors with a specific skill set and want to be left alone to work. Force them to work in a crowd and you won’t get the results you want – they may even avoid work entirely to avoid the chaos and other people present.

Knowing where your team members fall on the DISC model can help you deploy the right teams to the right job sites and avoid conflict. Since personality and worker conflict can present issues on the construction site, taking steps to set your team up for success can prevent problems and ensure your project continues to move along as it should.

Get the Answers You Need for your Construction Teams and Projects

 BS 3 Diversity Construction Workers-1.jpg

Discovering those important personality style types is a fast and straightforward process—and only needs to be done once. People’s DISC types rarely change dramatically, so once you have some insight you can schedule teams, assign roles and mitigate issues with confidence. Contact us to learn more about DISC and how it can help you improve your next construction project and enhance your team’s ability to work together and meet those all-important deadlines.

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Professional Writer

Written by Professional Writer

Extended DISC is an international assessment company with operations in almost 50 countries and over 250 team members. Extended DISC offers internationally validated — and periodically re-validated — assessments that can be tailored to clients’ unique needs and preferences.