Written By Susan Lamphiear
“Self Awareness is one of the rarest of human commodities. I don’t mean self consciousness where you’re limiting and evaluating yourself. I mean being aware of your own patterns.” Tony Robbins
Bingo! It seems Robbins could just as well have been talking about job transition when he speaks of self awareness versus limits and evaluations. “Being aware of your own patterns” could very likely have referred right back to DISC assessments.
Our keynote speaker addressed this very topic of Self Awareness when she spoke to us about the vital role of DISC. And more good news? DISC is valuable in more ways than our work life. While we’re learning about ourselves and our strengths through DISC, we can take away valuable information for dealing with people with different behavioral styles whether at home or at work. Or that in between time of job change or career transition.
Keynote
She never really thought of herself as a tool or gadget person. Instead, Lauren Kutsko describes herself as a collector of behavior assessment tools. She’s a certified behavioral analyst who loves helping people gain insights into themselves and others. She finds clarity of self a powerful tool in not only the job search, but in every area of our lives.
As keynote speaker, Lauren shared what makes DISC one of the important tools of self-assessment for finding clarity and getting in touch with our key strengths. Along the way it can help us adapt in many of life’s challenges, including meeting potential employers.
The DISC assessment is a key part of the work she and her husband do in their own business, The Entrepreneur’s Source.
Her strong message today is to pick a career that honors our strength. Many specific turning points in our lives allow us to pivot and chart a course including “partnering up” or going off to college. Career transition is one of those opportunities in life to pivot and find our strength, so she urges us not to miss the opportunity. In recognizing our own strengths, we can begin to more quickly recognize the style of whoever we meet on that career path.
DISC. What do the initials represent and what’s it all about? First of all, DISC is the universal language of observable human behavior. It’s a language of HOW you do what you do. A person’s behavioral style is NOT what makes them good or bad, right or wrong. It’s a neutral language.
DISC assessment seeks to identify your behavioral style–but also to understand and appreciate people who have different styles–and then to develop a process to communicate with the different styles more effectively.
Dominance –Task oriented
Influence — Interaction with people
Steadiness— Interaction with Pace
Compliance — Interaction with Procedures
The DISC assesses our style and we’re all pretty much a mix of the four traits. But one trait usually dominates. If we’re too far “off” our dominant strength, in our work life (and we all can adapt), after awhile it stresses us. And eventually, we’re not very happy.
During the keynote, Lauren took the audience through some examples to see if we could recognize someone’s dominate style. For example, if someone rates high on the Steady trait but with a secondary strength in Influence, that person might find teaching or HR work satisfying because those careers draw on those strengths of steadiness and people skills. The more you analyze DISC, the more you can know your own strengths. But the more you analyze DISC, the more it reveals about personal styles in people we meet, allowing us to adapt, but more importantly, to understand other styles people possess as we navigate the world.
One of the most interesting things in the presentation today, to me, was addressing the pace at which someone walks–in identifying their style!
DOMINANCE
- The D is looking for: RESULTS
- Quick Observations: Faster paced, task-oriented
- Communication: Direct
- Overextension: Impatient
- Organization: Efficient, not neat
- Body Language
- Stance – Forward leaning, hand in pocket
- Walks – Fast, always going somewhere
- Gestures—A lot of hand movement when talking, big gestures
- Communication Clue: Doesn’t want others’ opinions, only facts
INFLUENCE
- The I is looking for: INTERACTION
- Quick Observations:: Faster paced, people-oriented
- Communication: Indirect
- Overextension: Disorganized
- Organization: Disorganized. A lot of piles.
- Body Language
- Stance – Feet spread, two hands in pockets
- Walks—Weaves, people focused, may run into things
- Gestures—A lot of big gestures and facial expressions when talking
- Communication Clue: Talks with hands
COMPLIANCE
- The C is looking for: FACTS
- Quick Observations: Slower paced, task-oriented
- Communication: Direct
- Overextension: Critical
- Organization: Everything in its place. Perfectly organized.
- Body Language
- Stance – Arms folded, one hand on chin
- Walks – Straight line
- Gestures – Very reserved, little or no gestures
- Communication Clue: Asks detailed questions
STEADINESS
- The S is looking for: STABILITY
- Quick Observations: Slower paced, people-oriented
- Communication: Indirect
- Overextension: Possessiveness
- Organization: Usually some type of system. A little on the sloppy side.
- Body Language
- Stance – Leaning back, hand in pocket
- Walks – Steady, easy pace
- Gestures – Will gesture with hands
- Communication Clue: Has a “poker” face
As you become familiar with your own strengths via the DISC assessment, you’ll be able to quickly determine the personality of people you encounter in life and in your career search. Notice how the person is dressed. How are their papers displayed? What’s their stance or posture? Slouched or straight posture? Does the person seem steady? Are they warm? Do they engage in small talk first or get right to the point?
3-Minute Assessment
- How do they walk?
- How are they using their hands when they talk?
- Are they talking about people or tasks?
- What emotions do they hint at?
- How are their emails written?
Paying attention to these clues could potentially help you size up your interviewer in about three minutes, Lauren suggests! So besides helping you focus on your own main strengths, the DISC assessment could likely help you identify other people’s styles. And that could come in handy at work or at home. Or in that important interview.
Hiring Companies
Cox Communications
Mychal Bess, Account Manager
Cox Communications, a broadband communications and entertainment company, commits itself to technology, the community they serve and a diverse workforce that encourages personal development and team building. Cox prides itself on their core values that include dedication to relationships with customers and employees. The company vows to do things right, employ a diverse workforce, remain people-focused, be a leader in the industry, and be dedicated to the community and employees.
In return for their dedication to employees, Cox expects their employees to be team players who make individual contributions, who continue to learn, and to try innovative and new ways of doing business. Cox currently has many open positions including Media Sales Specialist, Sales Associate, Home Technician, Technology Supervisor, Local Sales Manager, Commercial Security Consultant and more. Go online to create your own job profile and find jobs in your field. To learn more about current openings and to apply, visit their website.
Manpower
Honey Rivers, Recruiting Manager
Manpower, a national and worldwide organization with over 70 years of experience, focuses on industrial and office/clerical positions, with emphasis on youth, women, people with disabilities, veterans, seniors and the long-term unemployed. The company has been named one of the world’s most ethical companies 2012 through 2017.
Some contract staffing companies offer no contract benefits, but Manpower offers medical/dental with eligibility after the first paycheck; short term disability; holidays after working over 1800 hours in the previous 52 weeks; 401K eligibility after first paycheck; shopping discounts; Manpower Recognition Program; and IT, business skills, and personal development training.
Current open positions include customer service agents, document processors, data entry, production/warehouse, packing/kitting/general labor, seasonal shipping/packing and sorting with a major shipping company, and administrative/clerical roles.
To apply visit their website, create an account, and attach your resume. Then after registering, contact their office at 480-824-7976.
State Farm
Greg Gonzales, Recruiter
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent company of several affiliates and subsidiaries that provide property and life insurance, banking products, and mutual funds.
State Farm’s mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. The benefit of its being a mutual company is their primary focus remains its policyholders. Their beautiful local corporate offices are housed near Tempe Town Lake.
Employees are very important to State Farm who offers competitive pay, time off, health and welfare, financial and retirement planning, training and development, and work life and well-being benefits.
Current positions include accounting, financial and banking; administrative support; claims and investigation; customer service; facilities management and administrative services; legal, compliance and risk management; human resources; marketing, design and communications; research and analytics; sales support; technology and user experience; and underwriting and actuarial.
To apply and see the current list of positions, visit their website.
Resources and Closing
Jessica Pierce, Executive Director of Career Connectors, closed the event with the same enthusiasm she opened with, calling attention to the wonderful facility provided by Highlands Church. Highlands continues its Highlands HOPE Initiative, which offers gift cards to attendees who qualify financially and who are in a job hunt or job transition.
The DISC assessment can be taken free of charge for Career Connectors’ attendees. Career Connectors also offers an event recap blog and a career advice blog. Those in attendance can meet one on one with hiring companies, experts in LinkedIn, finances, resume writing, and with a professional photographer to have professional photos taken for LinkedIn.
For information on upcoming events throughout the Valley, see the links on this page or click here to check specific locations, times and agendas.
