Understand how people think to influence their decisions
I’m sure you’ve noticed situations where one colleague instantly buys into your ideas, while another needs a week, or a spreadsheet, or a gut check from their team.
That’s not indecision—it’s style.
Each DiSC personality type processes decisions differently. Knowing how each style makes decisions can help you influence. Just remember, we don’t use DiSC to put someone in a box, and it’s highly situational. DiSC helps us understand tendencies and blind spots, so we can frame our messages to get through.
D Style – “Let’s get to the root cause.”
Direct, or Dominant style communicators often want to move quickly toward results, don’t need a lot of information, and are pretty confident in their opinions. They:
Want only essential facts
Use big-picture logic
Are comfortable with risk
Prioritize speed over consensus
May fear loss of control, being seen as vulnerable, being taken advantage of, or appearing weak
Are motivated by quick, high-impact results (especially theirs)
i Style – “Let’s talk about it.”
Influence or i Style communicators usually don’t need a lot of information or details, as they rely on intuition and collaboration. They:
Prioritize the people side over details and data
Are optimistic and intuitive
Move fast, sometimes impulsively
Gravitate towards popular or high-energy ideas
May fear loss of influence, not being recognized, disapproval, or being ignored
Appreciate talking things through, collaborating in the moment on the decision
S Style – “Let’s make sure we hear all perspectives.”
Steady or S Style communicators generally want to be thoughtful and to make sure no one’s left out or let down. In a meeting, it may be the S Style who calls in other voices, making sure everyone gets a chance to be heard, and that’s not just for the sake of inclusion, but that’s actually how they make their decisions – based on how that thing will affect the people around them. They:
Consider people and relationships
Are cautious and collaborative
Look for a sounding board
Value stability over speed
May fear upsetting others, letting people down, or facing aggression
Don’t want to disappoint you!
C Style – “Let’s analyze all the angles.”
Conscientious Style communicators take pride in making the correct decision, not the fast one. This is why they need more data and take their time, so they can do a complete analysis. When an i or D has moved on to action, our C-style colleagues may be just be getting started looking at all the risks, issues, procedures, etc. They:
Focuse on data, accuracy, and rules
Look to understand all the risks
May be turned off by emotional/excited/overly optimistic appeals
Can be cautious and slow to commit
May fear criticism, slipshod methods, or being wrong
Need time and supporting evidence
When you know how they think, you won’t confuse processing with pushback.
Start by understanding their thought process, and meet their decision-making needs.
Stay tuned for Part 2: How to influence each style without friction.
