As a member of a team you're required to deal with a variety of people during your working day. People have a preferred way of behaving and responding to different situations. This can make it rather challenging at times to have good working relationships.

In Using DISC in your Business, I gave an overview of the four dimensions of behaviour. This article covers the behavioural traits of those people who prefer the Dominant or Direct behaviour. I'll call them the D behaviour.

People who tend to show this behaviour like to:

• Get immediate results
• Cause action
• Accept challenges
• Make quick decisions
• Question the status quo
• Take control
• Manage trouble
• Solve problems

D's are the people in your business who actually thrive on all the changes going on today. They see those changes as personal challenges. People who use D behaviour seem to be constantly juggling a lot of different tasks at once and enjoy doing that. They like to be in charge and are very direct people. They thrive on change and are very task focused.

Strengths

You'll notice that people with high D behaviour will come across as being very self-confident and decisive. In fact they're great in a crisis situation because they can make a decision very quickly. They're not afraid to confront tough issues or situations and they keep the team focused and on task.

Fears

Would this person have any fears do you think?

They fear loss of control in their environment as well as being taken advantage of. Those are factors that someone with a high D will work hard to avoid.

Limitations

Every behaviour has limitations that go along with it. Not any one behaviour is perfect. For the D person these may include:

• Coming across as unapproachable
• Being insensitive and impatient with others
• Moving forward too quickly without considering the consequences

Communicating with a D behaviour

When speaking to someone who has a preferred D behaviour be direct, straightforward and open to their need for results. This will assist in maintaining a positive working relationship.