Someone strong in the I Style prefers others to be positive, upbeat, and enthusiastic. They don’t like to be ignored, ridiculed, isolated or constrained. They are often driven by their feelings and want to have fun.
Our journey of DISCovery continues to the next destination point on our DISC Model of Human Behavior ‘roadmap’. We are moving along the path to the I personality style.
Just as we DISCovered with the D "personality," each style has their strengths and their weaknesses. Understanding this fact will better equip each of us to recognize those tendencies in ourselves, as well as in others, and will better position us to respond, rather than react, on good days as well as bad days.
As is the case for every person, what we really need is balance.
Remember – ‘Strengths pushed to an extreme become weaknesses.’
Robert A. Rohm, Ph.D., author of Who Do You Think You Are…Anyway? writes:
“Our goal is to keep our style in check, staying balanced and demonstrating the dynamic our personality style is able to deliver at appropriate times." He goes on to say, "Oftentimes, the way we act is determined by our moods, when in reality, we should learn to harness our personality to display self-control and maturity."
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People who are high in the DISC I Style are often described as follows:
Known for being Imaginative, Impulsive, Interesting, Inspiring, Influencing, Impressionable, and at times Illogical. Some of their key strengths are: friendly, compassionate, carefree, talkative, outgoing, enthusiastic, warm, personable, and fun.
The DISC I Style appreciates collaboration, craves social interaction, shows enthusiasm, and influences others via inspiration.
Individuals that share the I Style are: Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett, and Jim Carrey. The muppet characters Elmo and Ernie are also strong I personalities.
Professions may include: politicians, actors, salespeople, teachers, actors, and preachers.
An I type wants you to be positive, upbeat, and enthusiastic. They don’t like to be ignored, ridiculed, isolated or constrained. They are driven by their feelings and want to have fun.
Their motivating statement is, ‘You can do it!” and their killer statement is, ‘You think that’s funny?’
Whether one is the employer or the employee, having a better grasp on the uniqueness of each primary DISC style will be helpful in finding vocations that are a better match for the individual or position.
The ‘Secret Tip” for a strong DISC I Style: It’s NICE to be important, but it is more IMPORTANT to be nice.
If you are an I Style or are leading others who are...
A key to success for the I Style is to become more credible by ‘holding their tongue’ and being less impulsive.
Suggestions for increased productivity and recognition of success for I Styles include:
- using short-term goals
- assigning deadlines to each task
- inspire actions and decisions with clearly stated rewards
- following written plans for tracking objectives
- allow verbal processing of new information
- active listening, specifically concentrating on what the other person is saying.
For those strong in the DISC I Style, their motivating statement is, ‘You can do it!” and their killer statement is, ‘You think that’s funny?’
When building a team, it is wise to consider the strengths that each personality brings to the table. Compare how the D and the I can complement and add value to a team...
- The D provides adventure, brings determination, uses creativity, and stresses innovation.
- The I provides imagination, brings spontaneity, uses inspiration, and stresses interaction.
As the old saying goes, ‘Teamwork makes the dream work!’
Contact Us to explore proven and custom options for team assessments and strategic development.
Comparing a ‘good day’ with a ‘bad day’ could look like the following for the I Style:
Optimistic vs. Unrealistic; Excited vs. Emotional; Spontaneous vs. Impulsive; Imaginative vs. Daydreaming; Persuasive vs. Manipulative; Expressive vs. Excited; and Communicative vs. Gossip.
In keeping with the idiom, ‘Ready, Aim, Fire!’, a more fitting rendering in the case of the I would be, ‘Ready, Aim, Talk, Talk, Talk….’
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As a reminder...
DISC should be used in a positive way to encourage a person to be his or her best, not as a way to “label” someone.
DISC is a practical and widely used assessment tool that has been employed in various organizations worldwide, from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits and small businesses, to individuals within their personal lives and relationships.
The letters D, I, S, and C describe the four intrinsic drives that manifest in behavioral patterns. This makes it a less complicated, and more memorable, model for application than some of the other assessments on the market.
- One of the best ways to gain a better understanding of the model is to take the assessment yourself. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to complete.
In this series:
We're exploring how understanding yourself and others reduces stress in your life... How to better understand others and predict potential conflicts as you develop better relationships... How to use the process in interviews, staff evaluations, team structuring and building, and more! And how this affects decisions to invest in people, or in "human capital."