PSYCH 101

On Friday, May 21, I’ll attend the ReCourses seminar, “Resourcing the Creative Process,” in Nashville, TN. I hope to gain valuable insight for more efficiently managing workflow and staff.

In preparation for the seminar, the ReCourses team has asked that I take a brief, 20-min. survey – the DiSC PPSS Behavioral Profile. On several occasions, over the course of my “traffic” career, I’ve completed the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS-II). Having never heard of DiSC, I was intrigued.

While Kiersey results have always been helpful, I find the manner in which my DiSC results were presented to be far more insightful (see example, below).

As Traffic Managers, I wonder how many of you share similar tendencies. Do any (or all) of the following statements describe you?

“Values accuracy, quality and correctness”

“Tactful and diplomatic in interactions with others”

“Analyzes situations or problems, weighing the pros and cons”

[Prefers] “a reserved, business-like atmosphere where people are task-oriented”

“Tends to avoid situations requiring personal disclosures”

So much emphasis is placed on understanding the personalities of those we work with on a daily basis – an art director vs. an account executive, a bookkeeper vs. a media buyer – that the most influential personality is often forgotten… ours.

Understanding how we reason and react to various situations is key to successfully managing those responsible for the work. Here are a few DiSC recommendations for improving my effectiveness in the workplace:

“Becoming more open to other people’s systems for doing things”

“Avoiding rigidity in thinking and being ‘dead right’”

“Sharing knowledge and information with others in a non-condescending manner”

“Practicing self-disclosure and appropriate expression of feelings”

How much more effective would we, as Traffic Managers, be with a better understanding of how we appear to the employees we manage?

In the immortal words of therapists everywhere, “That concludes our session for today.”

I need a drink.