Jan 31, 2013

Updates to the Products You Love


We have been busy at Resources Unlimited keeping our clients informed on the latest and greatest changes that are being provided by our publisher and we are excited for every single one of them! 

As an ongoing project that has rolled over from 2012, Adaptive Testing has been on the minds of Resources Unlimited and making sure our clients are up to date on the current releases.  Adaptive testing is more aligned with contemporary psychological testing—it’s frequently used in aptitude tests, so you may be familiar with the adaptive testing assessment method. With adaptive testing, respondents are presented with questions, and their responses determine the next questions they’re given. 

Simply put, there is no more static number of questions but based off the respondents’ selections, the system will automatically generate the questions needed to get the most precise measurement!

Jan 21, 2013

Martin Luther King Day


 “We must use time creatively -- and forever realize that the time is always hope to do great things.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Jan 16, 2013

What is DiSC?


I have decided to go back to the basics and look at, what is DiSC? Where has this model that has become so widely known with consultants, human resource departments, and large companies and small businesses looking to get the most of their employees?   I find that there are many things that are just accepted measures and you may not know the history.  Let’s take a moment to think – have you ever thought of how plants grow, why is the sky blue, or maybe, how one of the best known does and widely used DiSC assessments come to be and stay relevant for so many years.

It is my goal to shed a little light on what DiSC is and how it came to be.  DiSC is a model of human behavior that helps people understand “why they do what they do.”

Before I continue on, can you name what the acronym “DiSC” stands for?  You will find the answers below, so keep reading.

Originally created by Dr. William Marston at Columbia University and researched and updated by Dr. John Geier and Inscape Publishing at the University of Minnesota, the DiSC model and its training assessments have helped over 35 million people in 25+ languages over the last 40 years.

DiSC is a nonjudgmental language for exploring issues across 4 primary DiSC dimensions of behavior:
  • Dominance: Direct & Decisive. D's are strong-willed, strong-minded people who like accepting challenges, taking action, and getting immediate results
  • influence: Optimistic & Outgoing. I's are "people people" who like participating on teams, sharing ideas, and energizing and entertaining others
  • Steadiness: Sympathetic & Cooperative. S's are helpful people who like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and are good listeners
  • Conscientiousness: Concerned & Correct. C's value quality and like planning ahead, employing systematic approaches, and checking and re-checking for accuracy

For more history on DiSC, click here or send me an email at info@resourcesunlimited.com for information on how to use DiSC. 

Jan 8, 2013

Recognizing DiSC Styles in Games


Living in a digital age, everything seems to be right at our finger tips from emails, internet, instant messaging, and even games you can easily play with friends and strangers from around the globe. 

Let’s focus on the readily available games that were loved in childhood and now can be played 24/7/365 if we choose to do so. Think about it – Battleship is now Battle Friends at Sea, Pictionary is now Draw Something, Hangman has turned into Hanging with Friends, Scrabble is Words with Friends, and even Yahtzee is Dice with Buddies.

As I currently am engulfed with the latest game fad and waiting for the other player to take their turn, I can’t help but wonder what their DiSC style is like. While some players may strategically determine where they want to fire the next shot in Battle Friends at Sea or what tile placement will gain them the most points in Words with Friends, others are playing quickly and hoping for the best outcome. 

Each style has their own unique characteristic and behavior.  Below you will find some of these characteristics.  As you read through them, think about where you fall in these behaviors and how they may be relevant in other situations such as an online game or even reverting back to the actual board game playing the original version.

D (Dominance): Strong-willed, strong-minded people who like accepting challenges, taking action, and getting immediate results.  Prefers a busy and formal work environment, motivated by achievement, decisions are quick, and works at a fast pace.

i (influence): “people people” who like participating in teams, sharing ideas, and energizing and entertaining others. Prefers a stimulating, personal, and friendly work environment, motivated by social recognition, decisions are spontaneous, and works at a fast pace.

S (Steadiness): helpful people who like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and are good listeners.  Prefers a personal, relaxed, and friendly work environment, motivated by acceptance and stability, decisions are considerate, and works at a slower pace.

C (Conscientiousness): value quality and like planning ahead, employing systematic approaches, and checking and re-checking for accuracy. Prefers a structured, organized, functional, and formal work environment, motivated by correctness, decisions are deliberate, and works at a slower pace.

Is your DiSC style outside the workplace the same or different than what you do in the office? It is not uncommon to show some variance in your style depending on your situation.  Knowing how to identify and understand the different DiSC styles, can increase productivity and reduce conflict.