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.