You Can’t Imagine How Demotivating and Discouraging it is to Have No Control!

If you’ve been reading my blogposts this year, you’ve learned a lot about communication and motivation. But I think these next few weeks are some of the most important, as we focus on what demotivates each DISC Style. It’s amazing how we can do so many things right, then with just a word or two, a disparaging glance, or a misinterpreted action, we can quickly undo all our positive efforts.

Since each DISC Style is quite different from the others, I believe it warrants taking just one Style a week and thoroughly discussing it.

First, please remember that most people are a combination of two or three Styles, but it simplifies things to address one Style at a time.

So let’s begin with the High D-Style. As a quick review, the High D-Style person tends to:

• Like to be in control
• Focus on tasks more than on people
• Have a “high speed motor”- walk faster, talk faster, think faster
• Be decisive – sometimes without researching the facts
• Get things done quickly
• Be authoritative
• Take charge in a situation

Now let’s focus on what demotivates a D-Style:

• External Controls – or if they work, live or serve with someone else who is as driven to be in charge as they are; why we try not to have two High D’s in the office at the same time; they will usually knock heads
• Trivial Discussions – their focus is progress toward their goals and bottom-line results, so these off-topic or non-focused discussions make them crazy
• Lack of Leadership – they will usually think they could do a better job of being in charge; it takes a strong person to lead them well
• Incompetence – especially if those they work with or work under are inept or ineffective
• Too much sitting – it is often hard for them to have a job where they have to sit at their desk all day; they usually prefer to be active and on their feet

Bottom line example – if the High D-Style person in your office is given a “sit at your desk all day” type of work, as a low-ranking employee without much say or control over what they do, then must continually deal with what they perceive as trivial matters, they will be extremely demotivated to do a good job.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of what might demotivate a High D-Style, so you can avoid these factors, whether for yourself or for others around you.

If you would like to learn more about your own DISC Styles, just click here for the Resources page of my website for more information on getting a DISC Assessment – an easy online process that will gain you lots of insight on your personal Styles.

QUESTION: If you have some D-Style in you, do you find these things demotivate you? Or if you live or work with a D-Style, do you think these insights might help you better understand them? I’d love to hear your thoughts and observations. Please share in the comment section below.