The first reason is simple; people tend to excel at work that fits their strengths. Someone who is naturally detail-oriented may thrive in work that requires accuracy and consistency. Someone who is naturally outgoing may be excellent with customers. Someone who is decisive and comfortable taking charge may do well in a leadership role. When people are doing work that suits them, they usually perform better, and when our team performs better, our customers receive better service. Pretty straightforward. No MBA required.

The second reason may be even more important; people are generally happier when their work feels natural to them. Work is still work, of course. Nobody wakes up every morning singing because there is another spreadsheet waiting for them. But when a person’s responsibilities line up with how they naturally think and operate, the job often feels less exhausting. They spend less energy trying to be someone they are not. That can lead to better productivity, less frustration, less burnout, and a happier team. And I like that for our people.

Build Strengths Instead of Fixing People

I also believe good managers should spend more time developing people’s strengths than constantly trying to correct their weaknesses. That doesn’t mean weaknesses should be ignored. Everyone has things they need to improve. But there is a difference between improving an important skill and trying to completely change someone’s natural personality. If someone naturally finds a certain type of work tedious, stressful, or draining, it may not make much sense to keep forcing them into that responsibility when another team member might actually enjoy it. Trying to turn every weakness into a strength can sometimes feel a little like teaching a cat to fetch. You might make some progress. But you should probably ask whether there was a better use of everyone’s time. So my philosophy is fairly simple:

Find people’s strengths. Develop those strengths. Then give them opportunities to use them.

One Tool We Use: DISC

One tool I like for better understanding how people naturally operate is the DISC behavioural assessment. It looks at four broad behavioural styles:

• Dominance: direct, decisive, results-oriented
• Influence: outgoing, persuasive, enthusiastic
• Steadiness: patient, supportive, dependable
• Conscientiousness: analytical, careful, detail-oriented

Of course, people are much more complicated than four letters. Nobody is simply a “D” or an “S.” Most people are a combination of several styles, and their behaviour can also change depending on the situation. But DISC can still give managers a surprisingly useful window into how someone prefers to communicate, make decisions, deal with pressure, interact with other people, and approach their work.

That information can help us become better managers. It can help us understand why one team member needs very clear instructions while another prefers more independence. It can help explain why one person enjoys talking with customers while another would rather quietly solve a complicated problem. And most importantly, it can help us put people in positions where they have a better chance of succeeding.

So We Built Our Own

I’ve used DISC assessments for years, and recently I started wondering whether we could create our own version using AI. So that’s exactly what we did.

The assessment below is designed to look at both a person’s natural behavioural style and the style they tend to use in the workplace. It isn’t meant to put anyone in a box. It’s simply another tool for understanding people better. And in my experience, the better you understand your people, the better chance you have of helping them succeed. That’s good for the employee. It’s good for the company. And ultimately, it’s good for our customers too.

Below is the DISC-style assessment we created. Feel free to use it.

DISC Behavioral Assessment

Purpose

This assessment looks at two sides of your behavioral style:

NATURAL — how you tend to behave when you are being yourself, without needing to meet the expectations of a particular job, boss, customer, or environment.

WORK — how you actually tend to behave in your current or most recent work environment.Neither is better than the other.

Do not try to determine which answers represent particular personality types. There are no “good employee” answers. Answer according to your actual behavior, not the person you would ideally like to be.

HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS 1–48

For every statement, give two ratings:

N = Natural

Think:

“How much is this like me when I am simply being myself?”

W = Work / Adapted

Think:

“How much is this like the way I actually behave at work?”

Use this scale:

1 = Very unlike me

2 = Somewhat unlike me

3 = It depends / neither

4 = Somewhat like me

5 = Very much like me

Example:

N: 5 W: 3

means the behavior is very natural for you, but you display it less strongly at work.

Try not to overthink your answers.

PART ONE — BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS

1.

Natural: ___Work: ___

2.

I easily start conversations with people I do not know well.

Natural: ___Work: ___

3.

I prefer having some predictability rather than constantly dealing with unexpected changes.

Natural: ___Work: ___

4.

When something doesn’t quite add up, I usually want to investigate it.

Natural: ___Work: ___

5.

When progress is too slow, I am inclined to push things forward.

Natural: ___Work: ___

6.

I tend to communicate enthusiasm openly when I am excited about something.

Natural: ___Work: ___

7.

I can remain patient with people even when they need more time than I would prefer.

Natural: ___Work: ___

8.

For important decisions, I prefer having reliable information rather than relying primarily on instinct.

Natural: ___Work: ___

9.

I am comfortable challenging someone’s position directly.

Natural: ___Work: ___

10.

Being around other people usually increases my energy.

Natural: ___Work: ___

11.

Once I develop a comfortable routine, I generally prefer not to change it without a good reason.

Natural: ___Work: ___

12.

I tend to notice inconsistencies, errors, or details other people overlook.

Natural: ___Work: ___

13.

An ambitious goal tends to energize me.

Natural: ___Work: ___

14.

I naturally try to get other people excited about ideas I believe in.

Natural: ___Work: ___

15.

Maintaining good relationships is usually worth taking some extra time.

Natural: ___Work: ___

16.

I dislike making an important commitment when significant questions remain unanswered.

Natural: ___Work: ___

17.

If nobody is taking responsibility, I am likely to step in.

Natural: ___Work: ___

18.

I find it fairly easy to persuade people through conversation.

Natural: ___Work: ___

19.

People would generally describe me as calm and even-tempered.

Natural: ___Work: ___

20.

I prefer clear standards for determining whether something has been done correctly.

Natural: ___Work: ___

21.

Competition can improve my performance.

Natural: ___Work: ___

22.

I tend to think aloud and develop ideas through conversation.

Natural: ___Work: ___

23.

I tend to give people considerable time to adjust to change.

Natural: ___Work: ___

24.

I frequently double-check important work before considering it finished.

Natural: ___Work: ___

25.

I would rather act on reasonably good information than wait too long for perfect information.

Natural: ___Work: ___

26.

Positive feedback and recognition from other people are motivating to me.

Natural: ___Work: ___

27.

When people disagree, I naturally look for common ground.

Natural: ___Work: ___

28.

I question conclusions when the evidence supporting them seems weak.

Natural: ___Work: ___

29.

I prefer considerable freedom in deciding how to accomplish a goal.

Natural: ___Work: ___

30.

I enjoy situations where I interact with many different people.

Natural: ___Work: ___

31.

Sudden, unnecessary changes tend to drain my energy.

Natural: ___Work: ___

32.

I like understanding the logic behind a process before changing it.

Natural: ___Work: ___

33.

I am comfortable telling someone directly when their performance is not meeting expectations.

Natural: ___Work: ___

34.

I tend to show what I am feeling rather than keeping it entirely to myself.

Natural: ___Work: ___

35.

People often find me easy to approach when they need help or someone to listen.

Natural: ___Work: ___

36.

When accuracy matters, I am willing to slow down to make sure something is right.

Natural: ___Work: ___

37.

Resistance from other people does not usually stop me when I strongly believe something needs to be done.

Natural: ___Work: ___

38.

I am comfortable speaking spontaneously in front of a group.

Natural: ___Work: ___

39.

I value consistency and dependability in the people around me.

Natural: ___Work: ___

40.

Before accepting a claim, I often want to know what it is based on.

Natural: ___Work: ___

41.

Taking a calculated risk is sometimes preferable to moving too cautiously.

Natural: ___Work: ___

42.

I naturally use conversation, humor, stories, or enthusiasm to connect with people.

Natural: ___Work: ___

43.

I would rather preserve cooperation than win an argument that isn’t especially important.

Natural: ___Work: ___

44.

Vague or incomplete instructions can frustrate me.

Natural: ___Work: ___

45.

Under pressure, I tend to become more decisive and results-focused.

Natural: ___Work: ___

46.

Under pressure, interacting with other people often helps me regain energy or perspective.

Natural: ___Work: ___

47.

Under pressure, I tend to protect stability and avoid creating unnecessary disruption.

Natural: ___Work: ___

48.

Under pressure, I tend to become especially alert to risks, errors, and things that could go wrong.

Natural: ___Work: ___

PART TWO — SITUATIONAL CROSS-CHECK

For Questions 49–60, answer twice.

Choose the response closest to what you would naturally tend to do:

NATURAL: A, B, C, or D

Then choose what you would actually tend to do in your current or most recent work role:

WORK: A, B, C, or D

They may be the same.

There is no requirement that Natural and Work be different.

49. A project is significantly behind schedule and nobody appears to be taking ownership.

A. Establish what needs to happen and begin assigning responsibility.

B. Get people talking and rebuild enthusiasm around the goal.

C. Speak with everyone involved and develop a solution people can support.

D. Determine exactly why the project became delayed before deciding what to change.

Natural: ___Work: ___

50. You receive an important assignment with very little direction.

A. Choose an approach and start moving.

B. Talk through ideas with other people and develop possibilities.

C. Seek enough guidance to make sure everyone’s expectations are aligned.

D. Gather information and develop a clear plan before beginning.

Natural: ___Work: ___

51. Someone strongly challenges your opinion in front of other people.

A. Defend my position directly and challenge their reasoning.

B. Try to persuade them while keeping the conversation energetic.

C. Keep the discussion constructive and look for common ground.

D. Ask for evidence and compare their reasoning with mine.

Natural: ___Work: ___

52. An unexpected major change is announced.

A. Quickly determine what needs to happen next.

B. Start exploring the possibilities the change might create.

C. Consider how the change will affect people and existing routines.

D. Seek more information about exactly what is changing and why.

Natural: ___Work: ___

53. Someone working with you makes a significant mistake.

A. Address it directly and establish what needs to change.

B. Talk it through while trying to keep the person’s confidence and motivation up.

C. Discuss it privately and correct the problem without unnecessarily damaging the relationship.

D. Determine exactly how the mistake happened and whether the process contributed to it.

Natural: ___Work: ___

54. You must make an important decision without all of the information you would normally want.

A. Make the best decision possible and adjust later if necessary.

B. Talk to knowledgeable people and use their perspectives to help decide.

C. Avoid rushing people unnecessarily and give the situation some time if possible.

D. Continue looking for reliable information before committing if circumstances allow it.

Natural: ___Work: ___

55. You join a completely new group.

A. Quickly determine the objective and where I can contribute.

B. Introduce myself and start getting to know people.

C. Observe the group and gradually develop comfortable relationships.

D. Learn how the group works and what its expectations are.

Natural: ___Work: ___

56. Morale in a group is declining after an unusually difficult period.

A. Clarify priorities, remove obstacles, and refocus everyone on results.

B. Bring some energy back into the group and recognize people’s accomplishments.

C. Find out how people are doing and offer support.

D. Determine what caused the workload problem and improve the underlying system.

Natural: ___Work: ___

57. You notice that an established procedure is inefficient.

A. Change it if I have enough authority to do so.

B. Get other people interested in trying a better approach.

C. Discuss the change with the people affected before disrupting the routine.

D. Analyze why the procedure exists and verify that the replacement is actually better.

Natural: ___Work: ___

58. You are running out of time on an important assignment.

A. Prioritize the essentials and increase the pace.

B. Involve other people and generate momentum.

C. Keep working steadily and avoid unnecessary disruption.

D. Protect the most important quality requirements even if some less important elements must be delayed.

Natural: ___Work: ___

59. You believe your manager is making the wrong decision.

A. Tell the manager directly why I disagree.

B. Try to influence the manager through conversation and persuasion.

C. Raise my concern carefully while trying to maintain the relationship.

D. Assemble evidence and explain why I believe the decision is incorrect.

Natural: ___Work: ___

60. You have a completely open day and several things you could accomplish.

A. Choose the most important objective and attack it.

B. Gravitate toward activities involving people, ideas, or interaction.

C. Work through responsibilities at a comfortable, consistent pace.

D. Organize the work and concentrate on completing it carefully.

Natural: ___Work: ___

PART THREE — CONTEXT AND VALIDITY QUESTIONS

61.

Overall, how different is the way you behave at work from the way you behave naturally?

A. Almost identical

B. Slightly different

C. Moderately different

D. Very different

E. Extremely different

Answer: ___

62.

Does your job require you to behave in ways that sometimes feel unnatural to you?

A. Rarely or never

B. Occasionally

C. Sometimes

D. Frequently

E. Almost constantly

Answer: ___

63.

When you are tired, stressed, or no longer consciously managing how you come across, which version of yourself usually appears?

A. Much closer to my Natural answers

B. Somewhat closer to my Natural answers

C. Somewhere between the two

D. Somewhat closer to my Work answers

E. Much closer to my Work answers

Answer: ___

64.

Briefly describe the biggest difference, if any, between the way you naturally behave and the way you behave at work.

Answer:

HOW TO RETURN THE ANSWERS

You do not need to return the questionnaire itself.

For Questions 1–48:

1. N5 W3
2. N4 W5
3. N2 W2
4. N5 W4

Continue through 48.

For Questions 49–60:

49. N-A / W-D

50. N-C / W-C

Continue through 60.

Then:

61. C

62. D

63. A

64. [short answer written]

IMPORTANT

Please complete the assessment before researching DISC personality types or trying to determine what individual questions are measuring. There is no ideal DISC profile. Answering in a way that seems desirable rather than describing your actual behavior will make the result less useful.

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