Lecture – DISC Assessment & Team Dynamics

ANSCI 4040 – Team Projects & Collaboration

Ass. Prof. Dr. Miel Hostens

Why talk about personality in team projects?

Context

You are working in teams on a semester‑long project
Technical skills matter — but how you work together often matters more
Many team conflicts are not about competence, but about differences in style

Typical team friction (you’ve probably seen this)

“They never speak up” vs “They talk too much”
“Too slow and careful” vs “Too impulsive”
“Too emotional” vs “Too cold and distant”

DISC gives us a neutral language to talk about these differences

2‑minute warm‑up

Pair‑share

In your project group:

What is one behavior that annoys you in team work?
What is one behavior you need from others to do your best work?

The goal is not to judge people — it’s to notice patterns.

02:00

What is DISC?

The big idea

DISC is a behavioral framework, not a test of intelligence, values, or ability.

It describes patterns in:

How people communicate
How they approach tasks
How they respond to challenges and others

Important disclaimers

DISC is not a diagnosis
There is no good or bad type
Most people are a blend, not a pure type
Styles describe preferences, not limits

Two popular ways you’ll see DISC explained

1. Letters (classic DISC)

D – Dominance
I – Influence
S – Steadiness
C – Conscientiousness

2. Colors (“Surrounded by Idiots”)

Based on the book by Thomas Erikson:

2. Colors (“Surrounded by Idiots”)

Red (D) – Dominant
Yellow (I) – Influential
Green (S) – Steady
Blue (C) – Conscientious

Same underlying ideas — different language

The “map” of DISC

A simple way to visualize

DISC is often described using two rough axes:

Pace: Fast‑paced vs More measured
Focus: Task/results vs People/relationships

	Task / Results focus	People / Relationship focus
Fast‑paced	Red (D)	Yellow (I)
More measured	Blue (C)	Green (S)

Not perfect science — but a helpful mental model.

The DISC dimensions (letters + colors)

Red (D) – Dominance

Focus: Results, action, winning

Typical behaviors

Direct, fast‑paced, decisive
Comfortable with disagreement
Likes to take charge

Strengths - Gets things moving - Clear decisions - Handles pressure well

Red (D) – Dominance

Potential blind spots

Can seem impatient or blunt
May skip details or others’ input

Often‑cited examples (illustrative, not diagnoses)

Elon Musk (entrepreneurial drive, speed)
Gordon Ramsay (direct, high standards)

Yellow (I) – Influence

Focus: People, ideas, energy

Typical behaviors

Expressive, enthusiastic
Thinks out loud
Enjoys collaboration and recognition

Strengths - Generates ideas - Motivates others - Creates momentum

Yellow (I) – Influence

Potential blind spots

Can lose focus
May over‑promise / under‑deliver

Often‑cited examples

Oprah Winfrey (connection, influence)
Richard Branson (vision, enthusiasm)

Green (S) – Steadiness

Focus: Harmony, stability, trust

Typical behaviors

Patient, calm, supportive
Good listener
Prefers predictable workflows

Strengths - Team glue - Reliability - Conflict de‑escalation

Green (S) – Steadiness

Potential blind spots

Avoids conflict
Resists rapid change

Often‑cited examples

Keanu Reeves (calm, respectful presence)
Fred Rogers (empathy, consistency)

Blue (C) – Conscientiousness

Focus: Accuracy, quality, logic

Typical behaviors

Analytical, structured
Data‑driven
Asks critical questions

Strengths - High‑quality output - Risk reduction - Clear documentation

Blue (C) – Conscientiousness

Potential blind spots

Overthinking
Perfectionism

Often‑cited examples

Bill Gates (systems thinking)
Marie Curie (rigor, precision)

DISC is about preferences, not skills

Key distinction

DISC = how you prefer to act
Skills = what you are capable of doing

Examples:

A Green (S) can still lead
A Red (D) can still listen
A Yellow (I) can still analyze
A Blue (C) can still inspire

Awareness creates choice

DISC in student teams

Common team patterns

Reds (D) push decisions and deadlines
Yellows (I) generate ideas and energy
Greens (S) keep the team aligned
Blues (C) ensure rigor and quality

Teams struggle when:

One style dominates
Differences are interpreted as personal flaws

Example misunderstanding

Blue (C): “This needs more checking.”
Red (D) hears: “You’re slowing us down.”
Red (D): “Let’s just decide.”
Blue (C) hears: “You don’t care about quality.”

DISC helps translate intent vs impact.

Mini‑activity: “Translate the message”

Scenario

Your teammate writes:

“Can you send me your part by tonight? We’re behind.”

Task

Rewrite that same message in a way that would land best for each style:

Red (D)
Yellow (I)
Green (S)
Blue (C)

Using DISC constructively

Practical rules

Don’t label people — describe behavior
Adjust communication, not personality
Balance speed, people, and quality

Simple adaptations

Talking to a Red (D) → be concise, outcome‑focused
Talking to a Yellow (I) → show enthusiasm, brainstorm
Talking to a Green (S) → be patient, inclusive
Talking to a Blue (C) → bring structure and data

One‑slide matrix: strengths each style brings

If you have all four styles in a team…

Red (D): momentum and decisions
Yellow (I): creativity and energy
Green (S): trust and follow‑through
Blue (C): rigor and quality

Strong teams don’t all think alike — they coordinate differences.

DISC under stress

Stress amplifies defaults

When pressure rises, people often overdo their preferred style.

Red (D) under stress: gets more controlling / impatient
- Helpful response: give options + timelines, stay concise
Yellow (I) under stress: talks more, becomes scattered
- Helpful response: summarize decisions, assign next steps

Stress amplifies defaults

Green (S) under stress: withdraws, avoids conflict
- Helpful response: ask directly, create psychological safety
Blue (C) under stress: over‑checks, delays decisions
- Helpful response: define “good enough,” set a decision point

“Under stress” is not a flaw — it’s a signal.

Team reflection worksheet

Individual reflection

Write short answers (1–2 sentences each):

My likely style(s): ______ (e.g., Green (S) + Blue (C))
I’m at my best in a team when: ______
Under pressure, I tend to overdo: ______
A teammate behavior that triggers me is: ______
One thing I can do this week to adapt better is: ______

Connecting DISC to project roles

Typical fit (not a rule)

Project manager / decision driver: often Red (D) or Yellow (I)
Stakeholder liaison / interviewer / presenter: often Yellow (I)
Operations / scheduling / keeping everyone aligned: often Green (S)
Data lead / QA / methods & documentation: often Blue (C)

The key message

You can do any role — but knowing your default style helps you:

Choose strategies that work for you
Ask for the support you need
Avoid predictable failure modes

Self‑awareness before team awareness

Why start with yourself?

You are always part of the system
Stress amplifies your default style

Reflection questions:

What do I overdo under pressure?
Which style frustrates me most — and why?
What does my team need more of?

Your assignment (before next class)

DISC self‑assessment

Complete the free DISC assessment: https://professionalleadershipinstitute.com/disc-assessment/
Download your results PDF
Share the PDF with me, if you feel comfortable

I will:

Combine results across the class

Privacy / professionalism

This is for learning and reflection, not labeling
If you prefer, you may remove your name from the PDF before sharing

What we’ll do next class

In‑class follow‑up

Look at class‑level DISC distributions
Discuss strengths and gaps across teams
Connect DISC insights to your ongoing project work

The goal is not to change who you are — but to work better together.

Final takeaway

Remember

Differences are normal
Awareness reduces friction
Adaptation improves teams

DISC gives us a shared language — what you do with it is up to you.