My DISC Dilemma: Am I Really Such a Terrible Person?

The most interesting class I had in graduate school was one in organizational behavior at Arkansas State University.

Never having really considered the workplace dynamics of personalities and how they jive or clash, it was a fascinating exercise to go through the Myers-Briggs testing and the DISC assessment. If our “natural” personalities don’t mesh with our co-workers, family and friends, we can sometimes see how our “adjusted” personalities take over to compensate in certain scenarios.

After entering into a professional coaching relationship recently with Dick Savidge, president of Ministry Coaching International, one of Dick’s pre-requisites prior to our initial coaching session today was the completion of the DISC profile assessment, which I had taken many times before.

This marks the beginning of my relationship with Dr. Savidge, and one that I pray will be productive. Dick has agreed to take me on as a client primarily for the purpose of keeping me focused and accountable to the things I’ve determined as important in my life. His initial assessment of my “self-destructive” nature a week ago should provide for some interesting conversation down the line.

Anyway…

The DISC is standard fare in professional coaching. It offers understanding and insight into our natural and adjusted styles of behavior and communication. Further it enlightens us on our own world view, values and “emotional” intelligence.

It’s amazing how a 20-minute test can provide such amazing insight into a person’s psyche.Typically, anyone who goes through the DISC will confirm some things they already know about themselves, and may be actually taken aback by some other revelations.

Let me share with you some words and phrases intended to describe me in this most recent DISC assessment.

• Aggressive and direct
• Bored with status quo
• Dominant
• “short fuse”
• Arrogant
• “emotionally involved”
• Defiant
• Egotistical
• Opinionated
• Stubborn
• Self-willed

Well, that’s enough of that. I’m already starting to psyche myself out.

Not that there weren’t some “good things,” mentioned in the assessment – but of course, my natural tendency is to focus on the problems, fix them, and move on. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

In DISC language, I’m a “high D” in my natural style. This means my preferred style of communication is direct, short and to the point. Let’s analyze, assess and move on. No “how’s your day going” chit chat. Oh, the humanity.

But we also have an “adjusted” style of behavior and communication to which we shift in certain environments. Problem is, my ability to shift is probably less than it should be, and really takes me out of my comfort zone.

Ironically, most people who know me on the surface probably see me as easy-going, light-hearted and generally a decent person. Most don’t see the bad guy inside, and that’s a good thing.

This is probably what concerns me the most… The characteristics of  “high D” are the things mentioned above. Self-willed, egocentric, arrogant, forceful and on and on… Furthermore, the bar graph assessment shows me at 100% D. It doesn’t get any higher than that.

So with those natural, instinctive, characteristics in mind, and if that’s, indeed, the way I really am, and I’m seeking to be in God‘s will in everything I do, rather than in my own will, what does this mean?

Am I hearing God’s voice when I make a decision?

Or am I just self-absorbed in what I hope He wants me to do?

Am I just pretending to be a follower of Christ?

Or am I just a “fan” of Christ on the surface?

And if these things are true, what am I going to do about it?

Hope you’re ready for this, Dick. You may have your hands full.

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