Respect. We all want it. How we earn respect may just depend upon who we’re trying to earn it from. So, let’s take a look at how to win the respect of others from a DISC system perspective.

Capturing a D’s respect requires candor and clarity. For example, if you make a mistake, one that you know your D boss will be particularly unhappy with, your best course of action is to be prompt in reporting the situation and completely upfront about the impact of your error. Follow this up with what you learned, how the team got smarter because of it, and what safeguards you’ve put in place to prevent it from happening again. By stepping up and taking ownership, you will most likely have earned precisely what you feared had been lost: Your D boss’s respect.

I’s are natural risk-takers and admire those who go out on a limb to experience something new. Whether or not you can point to a tangible result is of secondary concern to an I. The fact that you faced your fears and just went for it is exhilarating enough. This doesn’t mean one needs to go bungee jumping to impress an I, (although it will). Simply stretching yourself socially or choosing a challenging or unique project to tackle reveals an internal optimism that I’s gravitate towards.

To win an S’s respect takes time. S’s are very careful about who they let into their lives beyond casual acquaintances and co-worker relationships. S’s appreciate sincerity and stability in others. Break a commitment with an S, whether cancelling a meeting at the last minute without notifying them or speaking carelessly about them to someone else, and the S will draw inward and be very careful about trusting you in the future. Patience and stability win an S’s trust and respect.

To win a C’s respect, plan ahead. Nothing turns off a C more quickly than being unprepared or sloppy in executing projects. C’s go to great pains to ensure that their work has been well thought-out and tested before involving others. Otherwise, you would be letting them down, something a C takes very personally. Your attention to the details and especially preparing for unexpected consequences will engender a C’s respect.
In a nutshell, we tend to value in others what we value in ourselves. This is one reason why a personality test can be so revealing. By applying the DISC behavioral styles, we can better understand the needs of others and discover a direct pathway to earning respect.

Daniel Silvert, is a sought-after facilitator, executive coach, and speaker. As the VP of Learning & Development for Team Builders Plus, Daniel designs and leads training programs at every level on teamwork, accountability, and transformational change. Daniel is the co-author of Taking Flight!: Master the Four Behavioral Styles and Transform Your Career, Your Relationships…Your Life. You can follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielSilvert, learn more about Team Builders Plus at www.TeamBuildersPlus.com, and discover the DISC system at www.TakingFlightwithDISC.