That is the exact question I got from a client recently when this result came through on one of their newer team member DISC results.
To start I shared this is actually one of the most complex graphs to read and explained to simply the answer to that for now, it’s what’s called a Me-Me conflict because I and C energies, as you can see, are on opposite sides of the wheel and are different on all the key elements that make up the four behavioral styles. You can see that by looking at the elements in red, on the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the circle below.
For example:
I energy is extroverted, fast-paced, produces activity, is about people, creates a favorable environment, and is an indirect communicator.
C energy is introverted, produces less activity, likes to slow things down, is task-focused, a direct communicator, and can work well in an environment with a lot of challenge. So you can see they’re different on all of those elements.
When a graph turns out like this, it usually means one part of them believes they have to be one thing, while another part believes they are something else. Most of the graphs I’ve seen over a five- or ten-year period will finally shift to who they really are if they have a significant emotional event in their life/career occur.
That’s a long way of saying the best way to tell where they are on the wheel is based on your job interview/converdsation with them and any debrief you do with them, because generally speaking, this is all about observable behavior — what’s above the iceberg, what you can see through your conversations, interactions and actions/behavior.
You can usually very quickly observe where somebody’s primary nature is. If they’re very extroverted, optimistic, bubbly, talkative, and fast, you can see their I energy. If they’re more reserved, attentive to detail, quiet, cautious, and introverted, they’re more likely on the C side.
When you get this graph, it’s the conversations you have that will help you understand where they land, because there’s likely some internal conflict about who they believe they need to be, and that’s what’s showing up in the results.
Sometimes the adaptation on the C is because of fear or uncertainty in their lives, and they feel they have to be more risk-averse and more attentive to detail. Sometimes they feel they need to adapt because they have to learn how to be more extroverted, optimistic, or interactive with people. Depending on what they believe they need to be more of, that will show up on the graph.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve seen this same graph show up with two people on another marketing team I know. Especially in marketing, some people believe they need to be very creative and big-picture, or people focused and at the same time, there’s a strong need to be very attentive to the final details, and tasks in project management. It’s been interesting to see how this shows up in certain industries, specifically in marketing, for what it’s worth.
Again, that’s why this is called a Me-Me conflict. One part of them is this, the other part believes they have to be that. Over time, with a significant emotional event, culture, and development, they will often shift into who they most naturally are and realize they don’t have to be somebody else, while still developing the skills they need. But that doesn’t necessarily happen and depending on their age that could be years if ever!
These are some of the important insights to consider with the question of if someone is an analyzer or promoter if their graph results come out like this.
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