S1 E11: Unleashing Your Inner Perfectionist: The Power of the C Component in DISC
Are you a detail-oriented perfectionist with a love for structure and analysis? In this episode, we're diving into the "Conscientiousness" component of DISC, one of the four personality traits that can help you excel in your work and personal life.
Whether you're a born problem-solver or looking to hone your analytical skills, understanding the "C" in DISC is key to achieving excellence and delivering results. We'll explore what makes a conscientious personality, how to recognize it in yourself and others, and how to use this knowledge to improve your productivity and decision-making.
So, get ready to unleash your inner perfectionist and become a master of precision with the power of DISC's "C" component. This episode is your roadmap to achieving your goals with excellence and attention to detail.
Key topics I'll be covering in this episode:
Why the C type are more cautious
Why data is so attractive to the C type
The downfalls and dark side of a C type
The positive side of the C Type
Why the C type is your trusted advisor
How do you work with a C type?
What you can learn from a C type.
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SHOW NOTES:
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, blue, brilliant, energy, team, bit, precise, learn, ds, details, strengths, compliant, yellow, accuracy, eyes, thinking, considered, knowing, questioning, roles
You're listening to Knowing me, Knowing you, the podcast that explores the art and science of creating, developing and retaining brilliant teams. I'm your host, Emma Clayton. Join me weekly for practical advice, simple steps, and inspirational ideas as we discuss topics that make a difference to leaders and their teams. I'll be sharing all the tools and having conversations that help you to build and sustain by performing. Welcome to the Knowing me Knowing you podcast.
Emma Clayton 00:47
Hey, there, how are you today? This is our final session going over those energies for the disc personalities. And today, we will be talking about the fourth personality style, the cautious type. These are those people who are much more reserved and much more task oriented. And if you recall going through that disk model of human behaviour, these guys and gals are at the top left of that quadrant, meaning they are task-focused and much slower to process and work through things.
And we know that the esses and the C's out the left of that circle in those quadrants are more reserved, slower paced and considered. The DS and the C's at the top of the quadrant are task-oriented. So just as a quick review, because it is our last session, I want you to think about that circle in your mind's eye and draw the horizontal line from left to right; those above the line, the DS and the C's are task focused those below the line the eyes and the esses are people focused from our vertical line top to bottom or bottom to top however you want to draw it. You will have the extroverts and the fast pace to the right. And the introverts and the slower paced to the left. And then, if you go round from the top right clockwise, you will have a d n I n s and a C for the day is predominant, that is, influencer, the S is the study, and the C is for compliant. And the D can sometimes be called red energy, and the yellow energy, that s is the green energy.
And the blue is the C, and the blue even gets set. So excited to tell you about this model that I get mixed up sometimes. But what's really important to know here is that if you are one of these and see the cautious, the compliant, the blue energy, you're probably sitting there thinking, Oh, I don't know, is that me? Is that not me? I need way more information to be able to make that decision. Whereas when I was explaining the DS and the i's, you were probably if that was you thinking, yep, that's definitely me. Yeah, Move on, move on, move on. The C's want me to take a little bit more time getting through the detail so that they can make that informed decision. Now, I'm not saying that everybody is just one; as I've said, in many of these sessions, you will have a blend of all of them.
And the symbol that marks the sea is the question mark because they're always questioning. And it's from a place of wanting to get things really correct. These people are cautious, competent, cognitive, and have a high IQ. They take and ponder through the details. They love to learn. They like all of the information. They are cautious. And there's a joke that somebody told me when I was first learning that stuck with me: these people who, even when they photocopied something, will check the accuracy of whether it's right. And I don't mean the quality of the photocopy. I mean, has it photocopied the right thing? They go back and check and check and check. They're so careful. They're calculating that excellently, and they are critical thinkers. And when I say calculating, I don't mean manipulative. They're always weighing things up. They're always working out the pros and cons. And when I say critical thinking, I mean that they are cautious. They weigh up everything. This is like the doctor who researches science. He won't make a snap decision. He won't come to a conclusion without going through his methods. He researches his results before he makes a conclusion.
He takes time over his patients. codes asking all the right questions and doing all the right checks. He reads the X-ray and gets someone else to give a second opinion. The engineer looks at the printout from the computer and works out, trying to work out, what is this? What's the conclusion here from all of this information? How do we get it fixed? How can we make this correct? How can we iterate? These guys are about continuous improvement. It's about the data scientist who wants to sit and create code all day, who goes backwards and forwards exactly tank precisely and ensures that what he's creating is the best it can be.
And they are also the rule makers; they are really compliant. When I worked in pharmaceuticals, you would be sure that all those who worked in compliance had this really, really compliant blue energy; they follow the rules, they make sure everyone else follows the rules, they follow the directions when they get the kit from IKEA. They're the ones that read the instructions before they even start where the DS on the eyes have unpacked it; they start buying in a way before they've even looked at the instructions. These guys follow procedures, are in charge of quality, and are in charge of safety. They are so conscientious in a word; they are correct. And they want you to conform; they want you to work with what's proven. They don't like that yellow energy that I energy that jumps to conclusions and seems incredibly illogical. When we look at where the yellows and the eyes overextend themselves, the blue find them untrustworthy because they're not coming from this place of precision and accuracy; they go with a gut feeling. In contrast, the blues and the C's come from this real data-driven, informed; they think with their heads, not their hearts.
And that's why you'll find that many pilots, lawyers, scientists, mathematicians, physicians, dentists, lawyers, and librarians will take those roles because it needs that accuracy. And I love these people; they're so smart, and they just fit perfectly for the environment that they're in. And what you'll find is that if you take one of these roles where you're needed to be more compliant, and more detail and data and information-driven, and you don't naturally have that affinity to that way of working and processing the world around you, you will struggle, you will find that it's too much and you will become irritated and leave. And there are so many people that I see with that eye energy going into these more steadfast, precise procedure-driven roles that really struggle, really struggle. And I mean, I used to be so irritated, as somebody with a high yellow energy and a high D, get it done energy, and sometimes making gut decisions. And I would be in this creative marketing mode.
And, you know, we've got to get this job done. And we want to sell to all the people, and we got to move this all forward. And it was always the season of the blues that would hold me back, and I'd be so frustrated. But actually, I've learned to love, engage, and work with these people. Because these people keep me right, they keep me exact, and they keep me at times not achieving in my brain. But actually, they make everything we do excellent. They're the ones that have really considered the approach, language, rhetoric, and impact. And these are the guys you want as your bookkeeper, your accountant, though, you want these people in your team, because if you had, you know, loads of these days and eyes, you know, you'd get a load of stuff done and possibly with your yellows. Your eyes, green, and SS, you know, people will be considered, but the details might not be accurate.
You know, they are so precise, it makes the team look great. Now my brother has this style; my elder brother has worked in computer engineering for a long time. And he's really into the latest innovations in data and tech. And, you know, he reads all of this stuff. It's brilliant. I don't have to spend the time I go to him and say, What's the best at this? What's the best TV? What's the best laptop?
Emma Clayton 09:14
I want to do this thing here? What do you think? And he goes through all of his, you know, analysis and does it all for me because he is in his element? And I get the answer. And I don't have to spend all that time on exact things. So this is how you can really work with these people. And you know, we mustn't do, when we are with these people, think that they're out to get us, you know, it's effortless to think that they're trying to trip you up and they're trying to show their intelligence, and they're trying to make you look stupid. They're not. They're out to make things better. They're out to do things right because they want to do it.
And I said in an earlier episode that these people are not about being right. They're about getting it right, and that is such a difference. Now if you RSA and have that high blue energy, you need to be careful with those who are not like you. Because if you're not careful, you will come across as cold to these people. And whilst you've got an incredibly high IQ, it's really good to learn maybe from, you know, the eyes and the SS, a little bit more EQ, they're the guys with the EQ, you've got the IQ, imagine the power of putting that together. And because you're more serious and focused, you can come across as cutting, a bit harsh, a bit uncaring, and you don't realise that people can walk away from you and then think you're mad at them. So they think, did I do something wrong?
Have I upset them because you're serious, and you're exact, and you're precise, and you're not necessarily the most displaying of empathy? And, you know, whilst you're picking up on the correctness, you can sometimes make the opposites feel slightly stupid. So it's essential not to use your precision, accuracy, and correction in a group of people, especially the yellows who love to be in front of everybody; they do not want to be brought down in front of everybody. Now research says that about 20 to 25% of the general population are blue or, say, and these people, as I say, are brilliant, enjoy and love quality answers. They love a pub quiz. They love delivering value and excellence, they love checking work, and they're the ones that will have a spreadsheet for everything.
They're really gifted; they are a great professional person. And, you know, the school was designed for them because they're analytical, they pay attention. They love learning, revising, and getting over the facts. You know, they believe in doing things in a perfectionist, process-driven way. But also, you know, they're very loyal, they're very self-sacrificing, and they're very thorough. And I feel really safe around these people. When I have a blue or a C in my team, I always feel safe; I always know that everything's been considered. And I always know that they've got a tidy desk, they're the kind of people at home, they've got all their books ordered eight hours out on the bookshelf. They've made their shopping list, and they buy the same thing with the right amount.
There's no waste at the end of the week in the food shop when they say that that's their menu plan that is their menu plan. And, you know, that can lead to some compulsion. So when they're out of control, they can become a bit compulsive. But you know, one of their strengths is that they're logical, but again, overplayed, they could look critical, whilst they're intense and focused on the other side of that they can become and seem withdrawn. And while curious and smart, they can become slightly nosy or pry on other people. And it's overextended. Again, they're very teachable. But if you try to teach them, sometimes they can be easily offended. You see the balance here and the very differences when it's, you know, in control and out of control or strength over dialled up into weaknesses.
And whilst they are very cautious and overplayed, they can become fearful of trying to avoid making a mistake trying to do something they haven't done before. And messing up, these guys are fearful of failure. And I see in a lot of accountancy firms or law firms or those where you've got a lot of high see energy, they don't make as much progress as those that have got that real red energy driving at the top, because there's lots of inertia and analysis by paralysis that they're not actually necessarily growing. Now what they are doing is creating, you know, incredible excellence within the organisation, but they're not learning and growing because of this fear of failure; that's that they are very questioning; inquiry is critical to them. But in a meeting, it can slow things down; they can be doubtful and look as if they don't trust unless they can prove the theory that somebody might have.
And they can hold everybody back, or they're trying to prove the theory where the reds and the yellows want to get on and achieve. So that worry and anxiety can actually look to everybody else as if, you know, they're going to end up a heart attack of worry or an a, you know, some gastric ulcer because they are worriers, they are anxious, and they love to have something to think about to be precise about. They don't want to be picky. They want to be precise. So I don't know if you noticed some, you know, the accountants and the architects and the art and the artists and the scientists and the computer programmers is As you know, they are all experts in a particular discipline. And that is because blues like to hone in, and they'll have a really deep window of expertise; what they're not as good at as, say, the DS and the eyes is being a generalist, they will be the experts in that real narrow lane, and they will know everything about it, they will want to know everything about it, they'll want to be the best within it. So their role in a team is, you know, whilst they might procrastinate and ask for all the details, they will make that team really excel; they'll be the people that will maintain the compliance, the accuracy, the precision, the quality, the safety, because, you know, they want to get things right. And they would also make amazing project planners.
And these guys, you know, the SS as well be great project planners because they think about all the eventualities. Still, actually, the blues will be contingency planners; there'll be the kind of guys that in a, you know, a crisis will have plan after plan after plan that they'll bring to you because they've already worked it out and thought about it. And, you know, if A and B don't work, I've got a C plan. These are the guys that you want on your team. Now how you work with them, if you're not a say or blue, you know, you don't criticise them, you don't pick them up, you don't say that what they've done is wrong, or they made a mistake. And as much as it is so tempting as a yellow to do this, you can't do this with a blue because you will lose friends; it's a no-brainer. You know, when you say wrong or fault or fail to a blue, or see, they'll go into meltdown, and it probably isn't the best way of your relationship.
The best way to approach it is to ask them to go back and check again and just make sure it's correct; they will find the mistake. If you're rushing them, that's when their mistakes will happen. So ask them; I need your help, input, and your best thinking on this. I need some accuracy; I know that if I give this to you will get all the details. They don't want ambition without a plan. They want to know that you've thought things through, so go with them with a bit of an idea. You don't need to plan as detailed as what they've got. But just some considered thinking. And make sure when you're changing something that it doesn't come from, you know, something that's quite a lot in logic. So the SS don't like change because they like the status quo, and the C doesn't like change if it's not thought through and there isn't a plan. So make sure you've got all of that in your artillery when making changes around them.
So if you are receipt, here are some things to help you in that team. Ensure that when you're asking for the facts and the procedures, you're clear on them. While upholding the principles, which is very much needed, be sure to get a timeline because you can be in danger of thinking all of this through. And then the opportunity for delivery has been missed. And so many times I've had someone in my team that has had this, you know, high c energy, and we've missed deadlines because we've just been going down into rabbit holes, learn to let things go, learn to not always be perfect. If you are in a scale-up, learn quickly that things go wrong. And we learn, grow, capture it, don't beat ourselves up, don't hold things up being precise, we've got to go quick in a scale-up. And understand, as I say, there are deadlines over excellence.
Emma Clayton 18:35
Now that is the see. So to wrap this all up, you will have one or two, maybe three styles; some people have four, and it's rare to have all four at an equal level. Generally, you'll have two or three of these; think about your preferences; out of all of these four different energies, which resonates with you the most, and then possibly the second, and you will come together as I said, I'm a DNA. I and I have a third energy of a blue, but it's not as high as the others. So which are the traits that you feel strongest about. And then which are the ones you don't have any affinity to because that will be your opposite. That will be where you struggle the most.
And then think about how you can adapt and train yourself to be a little more of the entities you don't have. What are the opportunities for you to learn and grow and spend time with people who are very different to you so that you can build those relationships and get all those brilliant skills and strengths from your opposites? So I guess this is really the crux of why this podcast is called knowing me knowing you because you know when we understand ourselves, our strengths and our limitations, our growth areas, what we contribute to a team, what we're great at the roles that we're really brilliant at and the things we're not so great at. And then, we learn to understand others and their strengths and development areas we can lean in. We can plug into each other as a unit without having this conflict a lot easier by saying, Well, this is what you're great at, as is what I'm better at. And this really healthy caring, together belonging weigh, you know, understanding that things are not being done against you, people are not out to get you, people are just different.
That's their personality, that's your personality as whilst, you know, there's a lot more underneath behaviours about motivations, values and beliefs, which, you know, we can explore in future podcasts, just understanding that people do things because that's how they're built. It's built on the foundations of these four different personality types. This isn't a crusade against you if they're different or irritating you. So I'm over-collating, and I hope this has been helpful and that those five podcast episodes have shone a light and given you some illumination into knowing yourself and others better. And I would love to hear how you get on and how that helps you build a brilliant team in your organisation.
We will continue this journey together, where we learn much more about personalities, all of the different personality assessments, motivations, beliefs, and values. But more importantly, we're going to learn more as we go about building brilliant teams based on all of these principles. Thank you so much for listening as ever.
If you want to get your personality assessment, go to www .brilliantteams.org/store and you can download one of these disc assessments; it will take 15 minutes and be back with you in minutes. For more information, go to the website, www dot brilliant teams.org. And you can look at all of the different services that we have there. And I will see you in the next episode. And until then, stay brilliant.
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