Individuals are unique and respond differently to stress and pressure. Stress is a part of every day life. We are constantly in situations where we deal with people, changes, surprises and daily life. The topic of stress often comes up when we are working with our employees and clients. DISC styles perceive, display, and respond to stress differently. Stress is the enemy to being able to modify our communication style and therefore, can get us into trouble. By becoming more aware of how our DISC style functions under pressure, we develop better skills to managing stress.
Every morning we wake up we get ready to take on the day. We often have well laid out plans on accomplishing tasks, but then things begin to happen. Sometimes these are unexpected or we have to deal with change, and we can be unprepared. We also communicate daily with people and these interactions cause pressure and strong emotions.
Stressful environments and situations aren't the same for everyone. What can be stressful to you may be energizing for someone else. For example, it is challenging and exciting to near your project completion. You will have accomplished another success task. For an individual with a different DISC style the same deadline may cause stress and anxiety. Therefore, we need to remember that DISC styles do not share the same stress triggers.
Just as there are differences in our causes of stress, our DISC styles display signs of stress uniquely as well. The more pressure and emotional we feel can cause us not only to overuse our strengths, but also begin to display the negative aspects of your DISC style. For example, when an S style feels overwhelmed, then the normal careful and thorough behaviors can suddenly changed to stubborn resistance to change.
D styles can become aggressive, impatient and demanding. I styles can have strong emotional opinions and focus too much on the opinions of others. S styles can become overly cautious and stubbornly resistant to change. C styles may expect the worst and become withdrawn and distant. DISC styles show signs of stress differently.
When we feel more pressured and emotional our willingness and ability to modify our behavior gets less and less. This can spiral downwards and extend the stress to others in the work environment. As managers, co-workers and friends we can begin to identify signs of stress in others. Recognizing the signs helps us better support and assist them and thus, improves the work environment.
The DISC tool is powerful in improving communication, but it also help you in managing stress more effectively. Learn the practical tips for alleviating stress based on the different DISC styles. Ultimately, we cannot control or modify other people's behaviors. We can only change ourself. The big take away is to develop a more confident self-awareness. We need to be more mindful of how we interact with others and also of our own stress levels.
Click here to read our newest blog Causes of Stress for the Different DISC Personality Profiles