Archive | February, 2011

Five Ways to Irritate People Using the DISC

by on February 13, 2011 in Career

Today’s Guest Creator is Guy Harris, co-author of the new book From Bud to Boss. Guy and Kevin Eikenberry’s book is a helpful guide for newly promoted supervisors who have to navigate the challenging but exciting path of moving from colleague to boss. Connect with him on LinkedIn or on Twitter.

Order From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership

Here are five sure-fire ways to irritate other people using the DISC model of human behavior:

  1. Tell them how they’re feeling or what they’re thinking.
  2. Explain to them why they did what they did or said what they said.
  3. Decide for them what they will want from a given situation.
  4. Analyze them and their behaviors.
  5. Help them to be more like you.

I could continue with the list, but I’m sure you see the point. Any time we do any of the above using the DISC model, we are using the model as a weapon against the other person rather than as a tool to understand them more completely.

I teach the DISC model. I use the DISC model. I like the understanding it gives me of people with other viewpoints and perspectives. And, I recognize that it only reveals general patterns of behavior that apply to populations of people rather than absolutes that apply to individuals.

The model and the terms used as descriptors in the model come from statistical averages of population behaviors and perspectives. Using it to define, label, or box-in another person violates one of the first things I learned in my college statistics class: Never use a population statistic to describe an individual observation.

I encourage you to learn how to understand other people. I even encourage you to study the DISC model as a simple way to learn how to see the world from another person’s perspective. I strongly discourage anyone from using the model as a weapon to harm, judge, or manipulate others.

If You Want Badges, Join The Boy Scouts

by on February 2, 2011 in Social Media

Maybe it’s my morning grumpypuss shining through, but I have to share the comment I made at Olivier Blanchard’s The BrandBuilder Blog today. His post, Fixing Foursquare, is a good one and it set off a nerve with me.

Badges, schmadges…I could honestly give to hoots about badges. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m kind of tired of companies thinking we users are like over-zealous boy scouts who will stop at nothing to earn a badge (and unlike with the boy scouts, these online badges are rather pointless). I can’t share or trade them…or even state with pride to my significant other that I worked hard to earn one. Three quarters of the adult population don’t even know what you’re talking about anyway…they just look at you like you have lobsters crawling out your ears in the first place.

Here’s what I want: I want utility. I want an exchange where that by using Foursquare or Gowalla, I’m getting a substantive value. Fine, keep the gaming format, but they need to quit thinking that a silly badge for standing on a boat is going to make me want to continue using the service. Show me new places to eat. Even better, show me where to eat in cities where I’m unfamiliar with the surroundings. If Foursquare can keep me from having to eat at a McDonalds because it’s the only recognized restaurant, then I’ll love it that much more.

And for the love of all things holy, they’ve got to stop worrying about getting more users and start worrying a whole lot more about getting businesses involved. And not just the megabehemoth businesses, but the smaller local ones, as well. The problem is – and I can say this from experience of trying to introduce Foursquare to business owners – many just don’t see the connection to their own business success. But sell the benefits to them and make it downright irresistible (and insanely easy) to be a partner. Like you, Olivier, I believe that if they can get businesses involved and people who are unfamiliar with Foursquare will likely check it out.

Unless there’s a strong factor of utility, it’s just a game…and a game that gets pretty boring the more you play it.

There it is. Comments? Add your thoughts to Olivier’s post or post them below.