The organization chart looks sold.  All the key slots seem to be filled. So why isn’t the team working well together?  How come the strategy is falling short?  Perhaps the traditional view by position doesn’t really tell the story.  It shows what people are supposed to be doing, but not how people behave and interact with each other.

A different chart can explain why.  Rather than by position, map the team based on behavioral style.  Take a blank sheet and draw 2 lines to divide it into 4 squares:

• Vertical line- task oriented (left) vs. people oriented (right)

• Horizontal line- change oriented (top) vs. stability oriented (bottom)

Now you have 4 behavior quadrants where you can insert your team:

• Upper left- Director- task, change

• Upper right- Influencer- people, change

• Bottom right- Stabilizer- people, stability

• Bottom left- Calculator- task, stability

This is a quick basis on assessing behavior using the 4 categories above from the DISC method.  Even better would be to have each team member take a quick 10 minute online DISC assessment which we offer.  Sometimes a person’s real style doesn’t come out in a work environment.

By using DISC behavioral style assessments and then charting the players by their behavior types, new insights jump out such as:

• What behaviors are missing?  If a quadrant is empty or light, a key perspective could be missing.  For example, if you don’t have an Influencer, you may not be getting new ideas and be out of touch with the outside world.  

• What people are opposite (kitty-corner) each other?  Directors vs. Stabilizers, Influencers vs. Calculators.  These can be biggest conflicts, but can be turned into strengths by recognizing and learning to work together.  For example, a Stabilizer needs a Director to set a path, while the Director needs a Stabilizer to provide structure and help implement their strategy.

• What people are together in the same quadrant?  While this can appear to be a good thing, too much of the same can get you stuck.  For example, a couple Calculators can give you great analysis, but may always want to crunch more numbers and never move to take action.

• What people are across from each other?  In some ways they will agree, but in other ways they will disagree.  A Director and an Influencer can both drive change, but the Director could come across as cold to the Influencer while the Influencer may seem flip and not as well thought out to the Director.

No one behavior is correct.  A company where everyone acts the same would be a disaster.  What’s needed is balance.  Opposites can attract and build on each other as long as they recognize and respect their differences.  

Nor does one mix fix every situation.  You want to assess how it fits your company life cycle, your industry and your strategy.

The CEO of a business services company wanted to get new ideas into the company.  They had survived tough changes with a few major customers and stabilized the business.  It was time to grow revenues more and improve profits.  The organization chart looked solid with good people.  However, the DISC chart showed a hole.  There was only one key person in the Influencer quadrant and his role was better suited for a Calculator/Stabilizer.  

When they were in survival mode, the Stabilizers and Calculators helped them pull through and determine what customers to keep.  But times had changed and the CEO brought in an outsider who was a strong Influencer.  In addition, an inside person was moved to a role that used more Influencer behavior.  While the company did not use a DISC mapping as we described, the CEO’s instincts were correct.  The Influencers brought in more ideas.  With the CEO’s direction, analysis by Calculators, and processes put in place by Stabilizers, the company made many exciting, proactive changes.  They stayed profitable despite a tough economy where other competitors did not fare as well.  

As we come off a difficult year in 2009 and look ahead to the next decade, you may face challenges like growing revenues or cutting costs.  Use this chart to predict how well teams will react and their inherent biases that could hold them back.